“The Arbutus was an old 175′ to 180′ Coast Guard buoy tender that was owned by Mel Fisher’s Treasure Salvors operation and used as a ‘Sentry’ vessel over the Atocha wreck site following the capsizing of the tug boat North Wind, which claimed the lives of several people including one of Mel’s son’s and daughter-in-law. Later on, the Arbutus was towed to the ‘Quicksand’s’, west of the Marquesas, and was used as one of Mel Fisher’s tower ships. These ships were used as reference points in searching the wreck site. Once, while as the ‘Sentry’ vessel over the Atocha wreck, it was accidentally strafed and bombed by a reserve Navy squadron out of Tennessee. Remarkable, they didn’t hit the ship or its startled occupant. The vessel sank of its own accord at its current location in the Quicksand’s. It was also used by Jimmy Buffett for a back cover for his record album Songs You Should Know by Heart.” The photo above was taken by Dale McDonald in 1985. Source: Dale M. McDonald Collection, State Library & Archives of Florida