Young Costa Mesan Dives Into Adventure in Spanish Treasure Ship

At age 16, Kevin Mayne of Costa Mesa has already experienced a once-in-a-lifetime thrill by diving during the summer school break to explore a jewel-laden Spanish galleon recently discovered on the sea floor off Florida.

The Nuestra Senora de Atocha set sail for Spain from Havana in 1622 loaded with gold, silver, emeralds and other treasures, but the ship sank in heavy seas 27 miles off Key West, coming to rest 55 feet below the surface. Its discovery by a treasure-hunting ship brought worldwide attention to the “mother lode” find.

“It was like a time warp going from the 20th Century on the surface to another century in another world,” said Kevin, a senior at Costa Mesa High School and a certified scuba diver. “Seeing the wooden ship transmits you back 300 years in time.”

Kevin made three dives, each 40 minutes long, and spent most of the time moving heavy ballast stones in the partially preserved hull.

Treasure diver Joyce Hayward, a friend of the Mayne family, sponsored Kevin’s adventurous trip and photographed Kevin in his dive while collecting encrusted objects for study on the salvage ship above the wreck.

“I found a couple of coins,” said Kevin, who noted that most of the finds were placed in a chemical solution to preserve them when brought to the surface. “No one could keep anything,” he said. The treasures brought to the surface are on display in a Key West museum where officials said it may take another two years to complete the painstaking salvage job.

“I could actually see the fingerprints from workmen who made the ship. That’s how amazing it was,” said Kevin, who plays first string center for his Costa Mesa High School football team. “The ship looked like it was well-constructed. It’s amazing they had that technology 300 years ago.”

Kevin has recounted his experience to several friends. “It’s an experience that should be shared because I have so much to say about it.” he said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You have to say something about it.” He hopes to give talks to community groups.

Kevin’s experience was also a thrill for his mother, Patricia, a Huntington Beach High School teacher, and his father, Mike, a coach at Orange Coast College. “Kevin wants to go back next summer,” said his mother. “Just to dive on the wreck of that old ship and walk on it has to be a marvelous thrill.”

When Lenny Dykstra started playing Little League baseball in Garden Grove at age 8, he hated playing center field. “Nobody hits the ball to center field,” he complained to his parents.

But his father, Dennis, kept imploring him, “You stay out there and it’s going to pay off for you some day.” Lenny finally stopped complaining and continued playing center field in high school. He became a superlative player at that position.

Lenny, now 22, who was paid $90,000 last year playing center field for the world champion New York Mets, recently got a check for $86,000 as his share of World Series receipts.

“I was at the victory party in New York after the World Series, and Lenny hugged me so tight,” said his mother, Marilyn. “I think he was telling me something without saying it.”

It’s tough being Santa Claus these days. For instance, says Nancy Davies of Anaheim, they can’t have a fear of heights, this being the latest requirement for Santa recruits being sought by Western Temporary Services.

“No, it’s not because of the flying reindeer sled Santa rides,” said Davies, who promotes the training school. “Actually, it’s because we’ve been delivering a lot of Santas in hot-air balloons and helicopters.”

She wants to hire 40 brave Santas at $6 an hour. Ho, ho, ho.

Ivor Spencer, who operates a school for butlers in London and Houston, was recently in Costa Mesa at Bullock’s South Coast Plaza store and preceded his visit with a press release outlining the role of a butler.

He said people in that profession have a variety of chores, including serving the master his breakfast with a newspaper that has been ironed. After all, he said, no one should be forced to read a wrinkled newspaper. The butler also runs the bath and lays out two sets of clothes to give the master a choice.

It costs $3,000 for his 12-week butler course, but he points out that the starting salary for butlers in America is about $25,000 a year plus room, board and a car.

So what’s Spencer’s background? He used to cater fancy gatherings and act as toastmaster at classy dinner parties.

He never worked a day in his life as a butler.