Genesis

I've binned three dives on her before we left the dock already; two due to sea conditions, the third due to a dive buddy who got sick the night before and binned the dive at that point.

I've not got a big boat anymore - sold her - but my little 23 footer is fast as hell (32kt cruise on nice days @ 2nmpg on fuel) and since she's cheap to run the price of a trip out there is in the neighborhood of $100 or so.

That takes the sting right out of it. Quite honestly, I wouldn't pay the charter fees. I understand they have to make money and all, but this is not a trivial boat run by any means, and there's some definite profiteering going on. The larger boats are getting stupid expensive to run (Gigabite would have cost me somewhere around $500 a trip just to take out there at 18kts!) so I understand the problem - and it isn't going to get better with no end to rising fuel prices in sight.

The options are honestly one of time and money. You want a big, fast boat, you're going to pay - through the nose. Gigabite could run at 9kts all day long at 1nmpg, or at 18-19kts - but at 0.5nmpg. Twice as fast, but four times as much fuel per hour going through her engines. The problem at 9kts is that its a four hour run one way!

Anyway, while charter fees seem "abusive", and they are to some extent, honestly the best option is to find someone with a reasonable-size and SEAWORTHY boat who knows what he's doing (e.g. not the village idiot) to go out there with. This way if you have either three or four divers you can do hot drops as well which works great on a wreck that size, and avoids the parking lot problems - especially if you have scooters (you can drop off a bit from the other boats on the wreck)