Born in Youngsville, LA in 1915, Tony David was the son of Henry and Rosa David. In his 80 years as a resident of Biloxi, he served in the US Coast Guard and as a charter boat captain until his retirement in 1994.
Mr. David’s career in the maritime industry began in the early 1940’s with a 19-foot catboat named “Rusty” which he purchased from his brother Gussie. He would treat his passengers to an hour-long sailing trip along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, beginning at the Buena Vista Hotel in Biloxi. Not long after, in 1953, Tony embarked on his dream to build a boat of his own and that he did. The “Gee Gee” was a beautiful 28-foot catboat that also sailed from the Buena Vista Hotel.
As his passion for boats and fishing continued to grow, so did his understanding and expertise. In 1955, Tony bought a 38-foot Sport Fisherman and named it “Amberjack”. This vessel was a 1940’s Mathews captained by Bill Linehart and was used to run charters from the Bungalow Motel in Biloxi from 1955-1962, then from the Broadwater Marina from 1963-1972.
Within a few years, Tony set his mind on building an even bigger boat. In 1959, he built a 50-foot charter fishing boat called “Silver Dollar” which also set out from the Bungalow Motel in Biloxi. This vessel, while under new ownership, still runs in Mississippi waters today.
In 1969, Tony built the “Blue Runner” from designs supported by Nick Misko plans. He independently captained this charter boat for over thirty years. With the time dedicated to the “Blue Runner”, Tony decided to retire the “Amberjack” from 1972-1985, but his plans were not complete for her as she would later be sold to his nephew, Rusty David, the namesake of the first catboat owned by Tony in the 1940’s.
Tony would captain “Blue Runner” until his retirement in 1994. He passed away in 2002, at the age of 86, but not before instilling the legacy of charter fishing and the Amberjack for the Mississippi Gulf Coast to enjoy for years to come.
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