Jersey Shore Magazine

j e r s e y s h o r e • S p r i n g 2 0 1 8 55 dered what was the name of the ves- sel? What was its purpose? When did it sink and why? And what happened to the passengers and crew? She later established two shops, Triton Divers and Inner Space Divers, and met more of the serious wreck divers (who she refers to as the "gorilla" divers to distinguish them from less-experienced divers). Over the years she and her first husband owned a series of fishing, sightseeing, and dive vessels, includ- ing the Black Whale (I, II, III, & IV) and the Deborah C. They also offered cruises for passengers to the allures of Atlantic City on a regular basis. Eventually, this, and Deb's good luck winning $500,000 on a quarter slot machine she'd been playing for more than a year, helped finance one of the vessels, which was later sold with other assets to parlay into the three-year construction of the museum. The museum was built entirely with private funds, the lion's share coming from Deb, her husband, Jim Vogel, and her former husband, Bob Yates. According to Jim Vogel, who now serves as the executive director of the museum, construction was esti- mated to cost nearly $2,000,000. To cut costs, Jim served as the general contractor. With contributions of paint, flooring, and other materials and services, the facility was built for $850,000. There are two apartments on the third floor with life estate priv- ileges for Deb and Jim in one, and Bob Yates in the other. Upon their deaths, the museum will revert to Stockton University in Galloway Township. Deb continues to contribute her services not only as president of the museum's board, but also as a wedding and civil union officiant. With two floors of exhibits of models, photos, rare prints, out-of-print periodicals, and items salvaged by divers from shipwrecks, as well as U.S. Life-Saving records, there is something of interest for people of all ages at the New Jersey Maritime Museum. All fees for the ceremonies are donated to the museum. She said that she performs more than one hundred weddings a year. The museum is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit entity and deed restricted to remain so. It operates entirely on donations and is staffed by a group of dedicated volunteers. A trip to the New Jersey Maritime Museum is a worthwhile visit and an essential part of the Jersey Shore experience. u The New Jersey Maritime Museum is located at 528 Dock Road in Beach Haven. It is open year-round: September through May on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and June through August seven days-a-week. Hours are 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. For more information, call (609) 492-0202 or visit www.NJMM.org. Gordon Hesse

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