Hillsboro's Helen

by John Good

At 37, she may be a little past the prime of her career. She may not be the sleek, elegant, modern like some that she shares her life with, but she is still the consummate lady. She has spent more time on the water and caught more fish than any of the others. And like every member of her family, she is a classic beauty, with a heart of gold, and a storied lineage that makes her a favorite with all who have the privilege to spend time with her.

When anglers step aboard the Helen S VI and her cousin the Fish City Pride at the start of the 43rd Annual Mercury Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo few will understand that they are stepping into some history in a 100 year old city.

As Pompano Beach celebrates it Centennial, it seems fitting for the Rodeo to celebrate a lady and a family with local roots in the fishing industry that date back to World War II.

It's a story that begins in upstate New York in the early 40s just about the time when America was gearing up for World War II. Dan Garnsey was a guide and commercial fisherman on the St. Lawrence River. His local draft board gave him a deferment so he could use his fishing skills to provide food for the troops so he decided to head to Florida and try his hand at kingfishing in the wintertime. He surely didn't dream that this was the beginning of a Hillsboro Inlet institution that would remain in his family over several generations and continues strong today.

His first Florida boat, the Danny Boy was a Spartan 29' guide boat. Rod and reel? No way. They were for fancy fisherman with fancy boats and fat checkbooks. Commercial fishermen of the day used strictly hand lines, but throughout the War, Captain Dan was able to make a living for his growing family with winters in Florida and summers on the St. Lawrence.

By 1948, with the war over, America was entering a new era of prosperity. The Kester Cottages along the beach in Pompano were attracting a growing number of tourists and the local building boom was bringing more winter and permanent residents. Dan began to take notice that more people were coming to the Inlet to watch the commercial boats unload their catch. With this observation, Dan asked why not get away from the growing competition on the commercial side and give the public an economical chance to get out and catch their own fish.

He scraped together every penny he could find and bought an old 40' single engine diesel boat, named the Helen S. The boat was complete with a small plywood bridge on the top and a smokestack jutting up through the middle of the roof. She was named after Helen Schwartz, who no one seemed to know, but all Captain Dan knew was that he didn't have the $50.00 to pay the Coat Guard fee to rename the boat. Helen S she was and Helen S she stayed. Captain Dan brought in his younger brother Rolland (Rolly) and the first drift boat in South Florida was open for business.

They were simple days. A half day trip was only $3.50 and for another $1.00 you could rent a rod and reel. There was no fleet of charter boats, only commercial king fishing boats and the Helen S. The docks were rudimentary at best. The A1A bridge over the Inlet was a swing bridge that was opened manually when the bridge tender pushed a giant hand crank around in a circle. The fishing was hot and over the next several years the Garnsey's reputation grew.

It wasn't long before private charter boats moved in. First was the Anytime operated by Dan's wife Janet. Her mate was Johnny Mumford, who would become a Pompano legend with the Bolo and later with his commercial fishing business. Soon a new Helen S was christened and the original boat was renamed the Helen S II. By the early 50s Hillsboro Inlet was home to one of Florida's largest fishing fleets.

1955 was a tough year for the Garnsey's. Their beloved original drift boat, now the Helen S II sank while negotiating her way through the inlet. They were able to salvage the engines but the boat was a total loss. It was a set back, but as luck would have it Captain Dan had already planned to replace her and had a new boat under construction that was delivered the following year.

In the meantime, Dan was growing both the business and his family. A new generation of captains were on the way. In the 60s and 70, sons Danny and Barkey assumed much of the duty in running the boats. Rolly, meanwhile branched out on his own and began operating the Seamist out of Boynton Inlet.
In the early 1970s Dan's penchant for leading the pack with new ideas surfaced yet again. Times were changing. Fishing was changing. People were looking for more than just half day trips out of Hillsboro. By now the drift fishing fleet had grown to include the Helen S, the New Helen S and the Mandra and Candy Kid (operated under different management). How long, Dan wondered, could all these boats operate profitably?

His answer, the Helen S IV. She was the pride of the fleet, he had her built with long range trips in mind. In 1971, she was christened with the sole purpose of running trips to the Bahamas.

Three and four day trips to the islands became commonplace as serious fisherman from throughout the country waited in line for a chance to make the trip of a lifetime.

Meanwhile Tom Hall, Dan's stepson, was working his way through the fishing fleet. Tom's fishing knowledge, easy going manner, and his love of people made him one of the most popular captains the fleet had ever seen. In 1974, with a little help and encouragement from Captain Dan, Tom and his wife Jodi, bought the Mandra for $40,000.00 and became a very friendly competitor of the Helen S fleet.

"Tom really could not afford to buy the boat and surely could not afford a second captain," Jodi laughs today. "He was running three trips a day, seven days a week all by himself. It was a crazy time but Tom was always so positive and always had a smile for his customers. We look back at those days as some of the best of our lives."

In 1980, Tom and Jodi bought the property just south of the Inlet on the intracoastal that became Fish City and added the Fish City Pride to their fleet. What they didn't know was that Captain Dan, after so many years of success was ready to slow down and enjoy life. In 1981, he sold the New Helen S to his son
Danny. He moved the boat to Boynton where it became the new Seamist. Danny's retired today but his kids are still running the Boynton operation.

Barkey, meanwhile, left the family business and he went on to arguably become one of Pompano's most famous international sportsman. He is world renowned as one of the finest sportfishing captains in history with world record catches from the U.S. to Hawaii to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Once again, Tom and Jodi had a decision to make. Were they going to roll the dice and keep the Helen S fleet in the family? Was it insane to take on the added pressure and debt? Could they operate three boats (they had sold the Mandra by this time) out of two locations and make it work? "Hell yes," said Tom.

In 1983, an era came to end when the city was forced to close down the docks at the Inlet and after more than 40 years, drift boats and charter boats had to find a new home. The Helen S and the Helen S IV moved to the Sands Harbor Marina at Atlantic Boulevard. A few charter boats moved to Fish City and the rest found homes throughout the area. It was a sad time for Pompano as one of its only true tourist attractions ceased to exist.

But the Helen S fleet never skipped a beat. Tom and Jodi Hall had brought their own style to the business. The Bahama Trips were more successful than ever and Fish City had become its own success story. It was a casual and friendly place. The Fish City Pride had built its own base of customers who would just hang out with a cup of coffee or a beer even if they weren't fishing.

Tom and Jodi became two of the most loved people in the fishing industry. They both served on the Fishing Rodeo Committee for more than thirty years and they were active in the Chamber of Commerce and other civic organizations. They worked hard and they always knew how to enjoy life. Through the 80s and 90s they guided the Helen S fleet to ever growing success.

But what makes this such an amazing story is that the story's not over yet and the family connection lives on. For as long as man has wetted a line, there has always been a young boy ready to "go fishing." Kids are always hanging out on the docks, walking the seawalls, hanging out at the piers hoping to catch the big one. The Helen S has always had its share of "dock rats." Kids save up enough money for the occasional trip or nagging the old man to "take me out on the drift boat."

In 1985, Skip Dana was just such a kid. He was fourteen and was well known to the crews of the fishing fleet. One special day he was hanging out when a shorthanded Tom Hall asked Skip to lend a hand on the boat. He jumped aboard and never looked back. Skip was so sure of what he wanted to do that when asked for his high school yearbook what his dream was he wrote "to own the Helen S."
Who would have imagined how prophetic his dream would be. In 1990 Skip was the mate on the Helen S VI during a family reunion trip to the Bahamas. Aboard was Tom's niece Lisa. Skip and Lisa met on that trip and were married in June of 1993.

If, like many "locals," you have the pleasure of knowing both Tom and Jodi Hall and Skip and Lisa Dana, the connection is as clear as Blue Bahama Waters. There is life and •vitality in each of them that only magnifies when you see them as couples. And it is no surprise that when Tom and Jody decided in 2006 that they were ready to spend more time at their upstate New York home and on the their boat in the Bahamas, Skip and Lisa would be next in line to carry on the family tradition.

They bought the Helen S IV in January 2006 and the Fish City Pride in April of 2006. And both boats, along with the rest of the charter fleet are now docked back where they belong at the rebuilt Hillsboro Inlet Marina. While Tom and Jodi are "living the life" in Andros this summer, Skip and Lisa are carrying the Helen S tradition forward with the same class and smile of their predecessor.

They both serve on the Rodeo Committee and Skip is •currently president of the Rodeo Board of Directors. They have two beautiful girls, Kylie and Ellie. Somehow, Skip still finds time to have established a reputation as one of South Florida's top tournament anglers.

The Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo is proud to honor the Garnsey's, Hall's, and Dana's. We are proud of our "Drift Division" and we thank them for all they have done for the tournament, the City of Pompano Beach, and for anglers everywhere.

So, the next time you see the lady named Helen S pulling away from the dock or pass her as she drifts by with another group of happy anglers, tip your hat. Because she is a lady in the truest sense of the word. And tip your hat to the Captain who represents a legacy that spans more than sixty years.