Mark Marchetti was born and raised near San Jose, California in what is now known as the Silicon Valley. Fascinated by the sea he spent a great deal of time at the beaches near Santa Cruz, hanging out with friends or surfing. Diving has taken him all over the world exposing him to many of the exotic people and places he writes about. He has been a diving instructor and done work as a commercial diver. He continues to travel and dive on a regular basis. His writing mixes historical facts with legends and fiction.
The island of Bermuda is a wreck dive paradise. The island is surrounded by ship wrecks of all types. The ‘Mary Celestia’ is one of the more famous wrecks. The ship was a steam powered side paddle boat and was sunk in 1864. This is a photo of Pam next to what’s left of one of the paddle wheels. The ship was running guns for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The Confederates would trade cotton with the English for guns and then run the blockade back to the south. She was a victim of the many reefs around the island.
You can interact with a 360º 3D model at Bermuda100.
On a shark dive in Roatan I was in the water with about thirty sharks… mostly small in the 4-5 ft. range but there were a few like this one in the 6-8 ft. range. Lots of close up shots!
Pam diving in Roatán, Honduras
We encountered this large grouper near the ship wreck of El Aguila (The Eagle) in Roatán, at a depth of 100 ft. The ship is 210′ long but in 1998 when hurricane Mitch came through it broke into three pieces… even down 100 feet!
Large Grouper lazily gliding passed El Aguila, Roatán, Honduras
Here’s a drink recipe I learned about while in Bora Bora. It was very popular there as it is in many other tropical places. It’s a very refreshing drink for the heat of the South Pacific.
Bora Bora Pineapple
PINEAPPLE MOJITO
Ingredients
3 oz. White Rum
1 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
Two slices pineapple
Four or five lime wedges
Six to eight mint leaves
One mint sprig for garnish
Preparation
Muddle the pineapple, lime and mint leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add the other ingredients (the liquor), shake well and strain into a highball glass. Add the mint sprig for garnish. Enjoy!
Reprinted from the Catalina Islander October 14, 2016
It was many years ago when I first met Artelle. She was an elderly lady who ran the Credit Union where I had an account. She was over eighty years old at that time and I wondered why she was still working at her age. As I got to know her, I found that her husband had died and she had an adult son, still at home, who had some problems. The money she earned helped but it seemed equally important for her to be connected and involved in the world around her. She always took the time to converse with the customers and showed an interest in their lives.
One day prior to a holiday period she asked if I had vacation plans. I mentioned I was going to spend the holidays at my home on Catalina. It was as if a light went on in her eyes. “Catalina! I grew up in Southern California and used to go to Catalina all the time,” she proclaimed. She then asked me to come into her office and she told me about her remembrances of the island.
When she was in her late teens/ early twenties, Artelle and her girlfriends used to catch the ferryboat, the S.S. Catalina, in Wilmington and go to Catalina for the weekend. It was the late 1930’s and the main attraction was the big bands playing at the casino ballroom. There was no TV at that time but the music was broadcast on the radio all over the country. The boats also featured bands, dancing and entertainment on the passage over. Back then, the boats weren’t as fast as the express boats of today and the trip took about two and a half hours. She and her friends got “all dolled up” as she put it. “The ladies all wore fancy dresses and the men wore suits and ties and we danced on the boat all the way to the island,” Artelle stated. Then she mentioned with a sly grin that she and the girls sometimes had a few cocktails on the boat ride over.
When they arrived at the island there was always great excitement. It was like you arrived in a foreign country. Today we are used to a boat arriving almost hourly but back then it was just a couple of times a day and it was a big deal. Speedboats would jump over the boat wake as it approached, people came to the dock to sing and kids would dive for the coins passengers would throw overboard as the “Great White Steamer” docked.
Then it was off to the Casino to dance all weekend long. She could still remember all the big bands she saw. It was clear to me that sharing these memories allowed her to step back to a time and place she remembered with great fondness. I felt privileged to have heard a bit of Catalina history from someone who lived it. Artelle passed away a few years ago but I can’t help to think of her every time I go to the New Year’s Eve event at the Casino… it always seems like I just stepped back into the 1930’s.
Reprinted from the Catalina Islander March 25, 2016
In 1983 Jimmy Buffett wrote a song called One Particular Harbor which almost perfectly describes my relationship with Catalina Island. I was raised in Northern California and always had a fascination with the ocean and beach but neither of my parents were ‘beach people’. Never the less, it seemed I was destined to find my one particular harbor. My mother never learned to swim, but insisted that her sons would become swimmers, so as a youngster I got swimming lessons. It was fine with me because I loved to be in the water and it was the first step towards finding Catalina.
There have been many turning points in my life that have made an impact… even at a young age. In the 1950’s there was a TV show called Sea Hunt (1958-61) starring Lloyd Bridges as Mike Nelson, a retired Navy Diver who had all sorts of exciting adventures. By our modern standards, the SCUBA diving sequences and special effects would be seen as amateur but to a boy of eight with an imagination it was magic. Many of my diving friends reference Sea Hunt as their first introduction to SCUBA and credit the show for sparking their interest in diving. After seeing Sea Hunt, I had only two goals in life… to become a SCUBA diver and to own a boat (he had a cool cabin cruiser named Argonaut on the show). I was too young to learn SCUBA but quickly learned to snorkel and when I turned seventeen I took a SCUBA class and got certified. I did my check out dives in the cold, dark water of Monterey Bay and at that point in my life I had no idea a place like Catalina existed… but I was getting closer!
When my local dive shop sponsored a boat dive trip I signed up. We boarded an old rusty boat called the Emerald and headed out to sea. I don’t recall where we dove but I remember the Captain saying we would get a mooring in Avalon for the night. It was a hot, sunny summer afternoon when the boat pulled in and I’ll never forget my first impression of Catalina. The harbor was full of beautiful boats, many had music playing, there were girls in bikinis everywhere… on the beach, walking downtown, dancing on boats… everywhere! When I ordered a beer at a local bar the bartender wasn’t overly concerned about seeing an ID (things were a little looser in the 1960’s). On top of all this, the water was clear, warm and provided great diving! I found Catalina Island and it was a very positive experience. After that, I returned as often as possible.
As my life progressed, I got married, had children and Catalina remained an important part of my life. Every visit to the island was viewed as an adventure. My children learned to swim, snorkel, SCUBA dive, paddle board and play golf here. We brought our friends so we could share the island with them and over the years have made many local friends. It was about twelve years ago when we realized the dream of buying our own home here. While we don’t live here full time, we now get to spend considerably more time on the island.
I write historical fiction novels and have traveled to many places encountering interesting people along the way… many have inspired characters in my books. Places like Key West, Saint Augustine, Port Royal, and Avalon have long and colorful histories that can provide a backdrop to a story. I have also found the best stories are told around a campfire, on a fishing boat or at a local bar. If you don’t hear a good story in places like The Marlin Club, The Lobster Trap, Coyote Joe’s or The Locker Room, well, you just aren’t listening!
Many years ago I found myself sitting at a bar, having a few beers with Joseph Wambaugh, a very well-known author… which is a separate story in itself. My first book was in the beginning stages but I was struggling with some aspects of the craft. We talked about writing, etc. and I learned some things from him about listening to the stories around me, but more importantly, seeking stories out and remembering them. Many of the tales heard can be inserted into a novel through a character in the story. I also learned writing is a process that can’t be hurried and all about ‘writer’s block’… when you just can’t make the process happen.
Fortunately I have Catalina. Maybe it’s the weather, the people, the relaxed atmosphere, the cocktails… but there are two places I never have writer’s block; Catalina Island and aboard my boat! So I’ll just keep coming back to Catalina… like Jimmy said in the song, ‘I know I don’t get there often enough but God knows I surely try.’
Mark Marchetti, Author and Catalina Island Resident
I thought it might be fun to include some photos from a variety of hunting and fishing adventures to the web site. In doing so, I realize there are many people who oppose hunting. If that’s your position that’s fine, you are welcome to do as you wish with your life… and I will do as I wish with mine.
Mark Marchetti & The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), also known as the wild swine or Eurasian wild pig.
Hunting has been a part of the history of this country since the beginning. There have been times in the past when the approach to hunting was wrong. Hunting the buffalo to near extinction… hunters just shooting from moving trains was unethical and just wrong, even when looked at from the context of the times they lived. Today, hunters payfor the privilege to hunt and support a thriving outdoor industry by paying license fees and buying expensive equipment. Just go into a Cabela’s or Bass Pro Shop outlet and see the crowds of people spending money or go down to your local harbor. Think about the cost of those boats, the upkeep and maintenance, the fishing equipment, the permits and fees… all so they can go out on the water and catch a few fish. I’m not talking about commercial fishing; I’m talking about the guy who is allowed to catch two salmon.
Mark Marchetti with a pair of Chinook Salmon caught off Half Moon Bay, California
Hunters and fisherman are conservationists involved in a recreational activity. They support laws to protect the wilderness and want to see the animals they hunt managed so they can thrive. Hunting and fishing should be viewed as the harvest of animals for consumption. In other words, if you shoot it you should eat it. Obey the rules and take only what is allowed.
W. D. Andrews, Mark Marchetti, Rob Scott and Don Mah enjoyed some Suisun Marsh Pheasant Club hunting in Fairfield. Tosa the Brittany and Skyler the German Shorthair Pointer pointed, while Taffy and Oakie the Labs did the flushing. The white pheasant was an unexpected treat. Photo by Tom Mattusch
There are unethical hunters out there… poachers, who give hunting a bad name. They break the rules, hunt out of season, take more game than allowed, don’t purchase their hunting/fishing license, etc. These are the people who should be reported and prosecuted because they are destroying a valuable natural resource.
My relatives owned ranches where deer and other animals were a supplemental food source. They were not always available and they were not to be wasted. That philosophy was handed down to me and so I don’t hunt animals that don’t end up on the dinner table. This is an ethical view of hunting in my opinion because the animal is not being wasted. Many people view hunting as killing and that it’s cruel. I don’t believe there is any way to take any animal’s life that doesn’t involve some level of cruelty. Just go to a slaughter house to see how cows or pigs are killed and butchered if you don’t believe me. Yet the very people who might turn down a deer burger based on misplaced moral objections will gladly eat a steak or pork rib. Maybe it’s easier when you’re removed from the process. Meat comes from animals. It’s not just an item packaged in cellophane at the local grocery store.
Ted Creed, of Pleasant Hill and Mark Marchetti, of Montara, went down to Gilroy in search of some spring birds. This pair of jakes came for lunch and stayed for dinner. Mark was using his new Beretta shotgun, Ted was using his 30 year old Remington Model 1100. Both used Federal 3 inch copper plate #4 to complete their harvest. Once the birds were spotted, Tom Mattusch called the birds into range with an H. S. Strut World Champion Triple Glass Slate Call.
While the end product is a dead animal, the majority of time hunting does not result in the taking of game. It’s not as simple as just walking out into the woods and shooting something. It takes a great deal of skill, training, and practice to become a successful hunter. Most hunts are just that… a hunt to find something to shoot, often without a shot even being fired. The same philosophy applies to fishing. If you’re not going to eat it, let it go. There is nothing wrong with catch and release. I have been on fishing trips where I have caught several trout and released all but a few that were cooked for dinner.
When I sit and write it’s always important to stay well hydrated and have a good cigar. My favorite cigar is the Arturo Fuentes Hemingway Signature and as far as drinks go… anything with rum or Jack Daniels will do! Sometimes when people come over and get to experimenting with concoctions at my bar we come up with some tasty drinks. Here’s a few to try out.
Cherry Popper
2 oz. Jack Daniels
4 oz. Pepsi (use the Pepsi made with REAL sugar)
Splash of Grenadine
One cherry
Serve over ice
Mix the Jack and Coke over ice, add a splash of grenadine and a cherry. Done!
The Catalina Cocktail
I was shopping at my local Safeway/Vons store and saw a product in the juice section. It was a mix of Orange, Peach and Mango. I looked at that container and it seemed to just cry out, “ADD RUM!” So I bought it and brought it home. It can make this quick tropical drink and is named for Catalina Island where I spend a great deal of time.
4 oz. Rum
4 oz. Orange, Peach & Mango Juice
Lime wedge
Get a glass of any size… preferably large (at least 12 oz.) and fill it with ice. Fill it half way with rum and the other half juice. Mix and garnish with a lime wedge.
* I always use dark rum, usually Cruzan, Meyers, or Plantation. If you like the spiced rums then it’s Sailor Jerry or Kraken… and if you want, you can always add a float of Bacardi 151.
This juice makes a great smoothie as well… which you can also add rum to.
1 ½ cups of juice
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen Non Fat Vanilla Yogurt
Rum (optional)
Blend in the blender until frothy… add rum to taste!
Lizard Key Mojito
The Pirate Mojito
When I wrote Lizard Key I wanted to give the pirate, Nick Roberts, a signature drink. Just as James Bond has his vodka martini ‘shaken, not stirred’ Nick Roberts has his mojito, ‘dark rum, not too sweet’… sort of like a pirate’s soul.
2 oz. DARK rum (Gosling’s Black Rum or a dark rum of your choice)
Two mint sprigs
Juice of ½ a fresh lime
½ oz. sugar cane syrup… remember, not too sweet.
Club soda
Place the mint, lime juice and cane syrup in a 12 oz. tumbler (make sure it’s a sturdy glass!) Gently muddle the mix with a wooden muddler… not too hard, you don’t want to shred the leaves just bruise them to release the essential oils. Add some ice and rum, briefly shake and top it off with the club soda. Add mint leave or lime wedge as a garnish.
Cocktail Books
One of my friends in Key West is Bahama Bob Leonard. As it turned out Bob and I went to rival High Schools across town from each other in California and at one time were both SCCA racecar drivers. Bob has written two books which I consider the definitive works on cocktails… especially tropical cocktails; Cocktails and Tales and Cocktails and Tales Too. Great receipts and great history stories. If you’re ever in Key West stop in at the Rum Bar on Duval Street and have him mix you a drink or check him out at BahamaBobLeonard.com.
Just a few photos of the creatures we share the sea with. Future web posts will have some of our smaller creatures.
Octopus Close Encounter
A close encounter of the octopus kind! This is one of my favorite creatures. They are incredibly smart and very adaptive. They change colors depending on their mood or environment.
Barracuda
Large barracuda like this guy usually swim around alone. When they are small you will see them in large schools. They have large sharp teeth and the unwarranted reputation as being dangerous. I have been in the water with them hundreds of times and have found them to just be curious. If you catch one on a fishing line… getting him off the hook could be dangerous. This was taken in Belize.
Caribbean Reef Shark
Caribbean reek shark. I love diving with sharks. They are fun to photograph and add an element of excitement to any dive. This guy and his pals were keeping us company on a dive. There are really only a few species that are of much concern to divers.
Lemon Shark
Lemon shark in Bora Bora. This was a large pregnant shark about ten feet long. She was a little far away for the photo and kept her distance. The photo shows how well they blend into the surroundings. You look into the distance and see nothing and then suddenly they are there. We saw several sharks of the same size on this dive but only a few came close to us.
Pamela Marchetti
This is my wife, Pamela, diving in Bora Bora at about 70 feet down. The water is warm enough that you do not have to use a wet suit but keep in mind that in the ocean there are lots of little stingy things that can get you. I learned that lesson with fire coral many years ago. Clear warm water with lots of fish… just like an aquarium.
California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) in Casino Point Scuba Park, Santa Catalina, California
Garibaldi damselfish (Hypsypops rubicundus) is the state fish of California and is prevalent in the shallows around Santa Catalina Island, California
Green Abalone, Haliotis fulgens, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, found in the Casino Point Scuba Park, Avalon, Santa Catalina.
California sheephead exposing his teeth against the backdrop of the kelp forest in Casino Point Scuba Park, Avalon, Santa Catalina.
Cormorant diving for dinner in Casino Point Scuba Park, Avalon, Santa Catalina
California moray (Gymnothorax mordax) is a moray eel of the family, hiding in a crevasse in Casino Point Scuba Park, Avalon, California
I have been asked by people about the characters in the book… who they are based on? Is it about ‘Texas Jack’ Vermillion, ‘Texas Jack’ Reed, or ‘Texas Jack’ Omohundro? The truth is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. There is possibly a little of each character in the ‘Texas Jack’ of the novel but the story is not based on the life of any one historical character. The Texas Jack of my novel is a composite of many cowboys, outlaws, and soldiers of the era. There were many cowboys and outlaws who had nicknames associated with where they were from or believed to have been from. Some were simply an alias, while some were given to them by accident or just a moniker they attached to themselves allowing them to stand out from the crowd. There were several outlaws with the ‘Texas’ moniker.
‘Texas’ Jack Vermillion 1849-1893. When asked why he was called ‘Texas Jack’ he replied, “Because I’m from Virginia.” The fact is that he was from Virginia, not Texas. The moniker was from a wanted poster and it stuck. He was a friend of Doc Holiday, a fellow Southerner, and rode with Wyatt Earp and Holiday on the famous vendetta ride. He was later given the name of ‘shoot your eye out Jack’ after he killed a card cheat by shooting him in the eye.
Texas Jack Omohundro, 1846 – 1880
One of the best known Texas Jacks was John Baker ‘Texas Jack’ Omohundro 1846-1880. He was born in Virginia and at seventeen years old enlisted in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia (much like the character in the novel). He served in Major General J.E.B. Stuart’s 5th Cavalry Corps. After the war he went to Texas where during a cattle drive he acquired the ‘Texas Jack’ addition to his name. He met Buffalo Bill Cody and they became lifelong friends. Both were scouts for the U. S. Cavalry. At about that time he also became friends with Wild Bill Hickok who at that time was the Acting Sheriff of Ellis County, Kansas. He later went into show business with Buffalo Bill in a production of “Scouts of the Prairie”. A year later Wild Bill Hickok joined the production and they changed the name to “Scouts of the Plains”. Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill were also the guides for Grand Duke Alexis of Russia on a buffalo hunt under the command of Lt. Colonel Custer. Texas Jack died at just thirty four years of age from pneumonia while escorting his beautiful actress/ballerina wife, Josephine Morlacchi, on a stage show tour. He was elected posthumously to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City where he was honored for his skills as a working cowboy and stage actor.
Nathanial ‘Texas Jack’ Reed 1862-1950
Nathaniel ‘Texas Jack’ Reed 1862-1950. This ‘Texas Jack’ was a stagecoach and train robber who started his life of crime at twenty one years old. He made $6000 on his first train robbery and that started a decade long criminal career. He was best known for the botched Blackstone Train Robbery in Oklahoma. He was shot while escaping but made it to Missouri where he healed up. He vowed to go straight after that and tried to cut a deal with Judge Isaac Parker to testify against his partners in exchange for probation. His partners were found and killed in a gunfight and the Judge went back on the deal and gave him five years in prison. He got religion while in jail and was paroled after a year. He then became an evangelist preacher.
There was also a ‘Texas Tom’. Michael ‘Texas Tom’ Mills 1866-1888 however I was unable to find any specifics about him.
Thomas ‘Black Jack’ Ketchum 1863-1901
Other outlaws had the ‘Jack’ part of the moniker, like Thomas ‘Black Jack’ Ketchum 1863-1901. He was born in Texas and robbed trains with the Hole in the Wall Gang.
Jack ‘Red Jack’ Almer 18??-1883 was a stage robber and the legend says he buried $8000 in gold coins somewhere near Prescott, Arizona… the gold has never been found.
William ‘Tulsa Jack’ Blake 1859-1895 rode with the Wild Bunch Gang robbing trains and banks. He was from the Oklahoma territory.
Some of the old west characters adapted names to give themselves a background. William ‘Russian Bill’ Tattenbaum 1853-1881 claimed to be the son of the wealthy Russian aristocrat, Countess Telfrin. He claimed he served in the Russian Army but fled while facing a court martial. Most believed he just was telling tall tales or an outright liar. He made his way to Tombstone Arizona and was an associate of the Clantons and ‘Curley Bill’ Brocious. ‘Russian Bill’ ended up being hung in a town near Tombstone for cattle rustling. Two years after his death a representative of Countess Telfrin arrived in Tombstone looking for the Countess’ son.
Charles ‘Colorado Charlie’ Utter was Wild Bill Hickok’s best friend and born in New York. He migrated to Colorado and added that to his name before his time in Deadwood, South Dakota.
Roy Daugherty ‘Arkansas Tom Jones’ 1870-1924
And then there are the outlaws who just completely reinvented themselves. Roy Daugherty known as ‘Arkansas Tom Jones’ 1870-1924 was born in Missouri and moved to Oklahoma, but claimed he was from Arkansas. He rode with the Wild Bunch Gang and killed a deputy marshal during a shootout. He was captured by James Masterson (Bat’s brother) and got sentenced to fifty years in jail. He was paroled in 1910 and went to Hollywood to get into the movies but when that failed he went back to robbing banks. He was finally shot and killed during a bank robbery.
The American West created a myth, culture, and excitement unique in history. It was an untamed, uncivilized wildness where disputes were often settled with violence. The time period just before the Civil War and the years that followed provide an interesting dichotomy in views. On one hand you have a nation divided against itself over, in large part, the issue of slavery… men going to war, fighting and dying to free an enslaved race but only giving them partial freedom after winning. As soon as that war was over, those same men launched a campaign to either enslave on reservations or eradicate the Native Americans.
Unless we study history we are doomed to make the mistakes of past generations. We are no better than those who came before us. We may have more technology but we are as human as our forefathers and prone to the same passions, prejudices, good, or evil. We can’t change the past but we can learn and be entertained by it.
Writing historical fiction allows me to create a fictional character based on historical facts and place him in a historical timeline. I can use characteristics of the many colorful characters of the time and infuse actual historical facts into the story. In addition, I also base many of the characters in my writing on people I know or have meet through my travels.
