All of us have a dream. An idea, invention, or passion that keeps us going when times are tough, inspires us to go the extra mile, put in that extra hour; something that is there in our thoughts as we drift off to sleep and greets us when we wake in the morning. These dreams are not the winning lottery ticket fantasies, but the culmination of truly giving all of ourselves-going “all in”. For Christy and Jerry Cowan, that dream was going “all in” to run a dive shop in the Virgin Islands. They hooked their dream but the tide changed; now they are fighting with all they have to reel it back in. Now is our chance to grab hold with them, and not let their dream escape.
Christy and Jerry grew up on the water; Christy right here on St. Thomas, a true Northside gal, and Jerry in the Pacific Northwest. The warm waters brought Jerry down to the Caribbean over a decade ago.
For those fortunate enough to know Christy and Jerry, you already know that their generosity, kindness, and dedication know no bounds. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to have one of Christy’s amazing Oreo cupcakes, or been on a dive with Capt. Jerry and saw your first shark. Maybe you’ve gotten a good laugh from one of their three amazing kids. Maybe one of their four rescue dogs bathed you with slobbery kisses, or their two rescue donkeys greeted you as you parked for a cook out, or you even met one of their 12 tortoises! If you’ve been on St. Thomas for longer than a short visit, you’ve likely laughed till you cried at one of Christy’s unparalleled “Frenchie” stories.
After falling head over heels for each other, Christy and Jerry realized that together, they could make their dreams of being on the water for a living and owning their own dive shop a reality. They worked around the clock to make their dream happen, and this spring they purchased Admiralty Dive Center. Together and with the help of their friends and family, they built out the new dive shop. They installed plumbing, electricity, and Jerry built amazing “Pinterest-worthy” weathered wood walls to make the dive shop truly memorable for divers. Only a few weeks into this new journey, Admiralty’s boat, the MR2 Duck, stopped working. Christy and Jerry feared the worst, but never retreated. The transmission was shot, and would need to be replaced. Weeks of work went into finding the new transmission and components, shipping the parts from all over the country, and installing it into The Duck. The new transmission wasn’t cheap, but the Duck couldn’t run without it, so Christy and Jerry buckled down and worked harder than ever before to make it happen. Finally, the new transmission was in the Duck and Admiralty was looking at a month of full dives and an amazing start to the next chapter.
With the new transmission installed, the Duck chugged happily out on a dive trip on July 3, 2016. No one ever imagined that the Duck would return on floats, but fate is a cruel master. Thanks to the quick thinking of Capt. Jerry, Sea Tow, and the Coast Guard, everyone on that dive trip returned without injury. The Mighty Duck found a sandy spot to nest while SeaTow worked tirelessly to bring her up again. Even though the unimaginable happened to The Duck, Christy and Jerry held out hope that the Duck could be saved. They were insured, after all.
Christy and Jerry, with the help of the boating community, saved The Duck. While they waited on their insurance, they continued operating the dive shop. Christy’s father and lifelong fisherman put his boat to work, and Admiralty Dive began exploring the beautiful reefs and underwater wonders on the Northside of St. Thomas. This meant transporting dozens of tanks and dive gear from Frenchtown to Hull Bay each day, but they never slowed down. After weeks of operating without The Duck, their insurance refused coverage. They continue to work from before light to after dark each day to make their dream reality, but it feels as if there is a rip tide pulling it farther out of reach. Christy and Jerry are not taking no for an answer from their insurer, but this battle could take weeks, months, possibly even years; The Duck cannot wait that long.
Christy and Jerry never hesitate to give their time, talents and resources to someone in need. Christy and Jerry are part of this island. The Virgin Islands community means so much to Christy and Jerry, and part of their dream of Admiralty Dive was continuing to be part of their community, offering local diving opportunities, education, and recreation.
Right now, Christy and Jerry are doing all they can to keep Admiralty Dive operating through this storm. Friends and family are helping around the clock, but The Duck needs more than they have right now. The Duck needs more work on the engine as well as new wiring and electronics. All these things cost money, and money is tight. The Duck can fly again, but Christy and Jerry need your help to make it happen. Any amount of support, big and small, will make a difference. Together we can make The Duck Mighty once more!
