Mark Goldsmith wrote, wrote in part:
>I would be real curious to hear about your experiences on this boat in light
>of the reports I read in the CHAPBOOK.  They were quite mixed, tending
>towards the more negative than positive...When you continue on and read the
>reports about Blackbeards, they seemed far more positive in general of that
>operation.

I suspect the difference in reviews has something to do with the
reviewers.  At the risk of overgeneralizing, those who are likely to take a
Blackbeards trip are going to be less picky and demanding than those who
would take a more expensive live aboard, thus easier to please.  Many of
the dive sites for the two overlap but those on the Aqua Cat paid and lot
more and want a lot more for the money.  You might want to take this into
consideration and try to filter possible bias or predisposition into your
reading of the reviews.  When reading chapbook reviews I look for clues in
the writing that reveal experience and bias on the part of the writer and I
factor that into the weight to give the review.

BTW, I think Bahamas diving is mediocre compared to the Caribbean (which
might explain in part why those on the more expensive trip were more
disappointed).  If the cost is the same or comparable, I would go somewhere
in the Caribbean over the Bahamas.  On the other hand, Blackbeards offers a
real bargain that is hard (impossible?) to find elsewhere.

My 2 cents.  Best wishes on a great trip.

Dive safe,

/Don