HAPPY LANDING

Built in 1928, by Jacky Jack Covacevich, the HAPPY LANDING was a 55-foot Biloxi lugger. With its cypress hull and mahogany interior, the beautiful vessel was originally used by the “Happy Landing Restaurant and Lounge” located in New Orleans to entertain guests and for gambling on the Mississippi River.

When the boat was relocated to Biloxi, it was purchased by John “Wesley” Compton, Sr. and used for charter fishing. Many trips along the Mississippi Sound and to the Chandeleur Islands were enjoyed by the Compton family and paying guests alike. In the 1980’s, the reins of the charter business were handed down to Compton’s youngest son, Mark, who continued to serve the fishing community until the Happy Landing perished in Hurricane Katrina in 2005.