Is my boat tuna ready?

Keta · Dec-21-2008, 08:10 PM

Doug,
Thank you, our ocean is not the same as your ocean. The entire eastern Pacific can get rough but the North Pacific is rough far more than further south and we often have to go out in conditions that keep our brothers from south of the boarder (OR CAL border) in port or we don't fish.

The last thing I want to do is to discourage anyone from enjoying offshore fishing. We just want to make sure they do it for many years and return to port with no parts or crew missing.

"before some dipshit in a 20' sled dies"

Ron,
I was banned from another NW fishing board for saying the same thing over and over. STUPID HUMAN TRICKS! I even got put on "Super Secret Private Moderation" for asking what kind of boat was involved in a fatality on the CR....it was a sled that should have been miles upriver from B10.

The moderators also got their panties in a wad when I posted things like this )o( and this

ronzob · Dec-21-2008, 09:31 PM

Doug,

Most people don't have a clue as to what we face up here water wise. We have standing pressure waves of up to 7 or 8 feet, 15 knot tidal currents and 12 foot tidal swings.

We have water that will roll a 300' ferry beam to beam going across Admiralty Inlet. Not too far from here we have Seymour Narrows which has the highest Reynolds rating of any water on the planet and has claimed (I believe) 150 or so lives. We have Neah and Tatoosh and the entire west coast of Washington and Vancouver Island.

It isn't everyday that we have to deal with big water, but it happens, sometimes often.

Being caught outside is not a picnic and if you are new, potentially fatal.

Me, I run around the islands with a very healthy dose of respect for the water and when I do head offshore I always add a bit of "pucker factor" for good measure.

R

Northern · Dec-22-2008, 07:29 AM

Sleds have no business downriver of Wauna.

Keta · Dec-22-2008, 07:45 AM

Careful there Arnie, you could get a banning for speaking blaspheme like that....D'oh!!!! I keep forgetting we are on BD where one can speak the truth and not get slapped down by

Do you have the photo of the commercial boat with your outrigger in it on a frog water ocean? My copy is on my dead computer.

Ron,
One would think after living in SE Alaska for 15 years I'd remember the tidal currents, reversing saltwater rapids, and waterfalls, and other navigation hazards associated with large tide swings, 19' in KTN and 24' in JNO, and islands. And I had to deal with it almost daily at work. CRS is a terrible thing.

Has any one here been through Peril Straights or Wrangle Narrows?

Here's a photo of an exceptional day 50 miles west of the CR Bar.

Phishphorus · Dec-22-2008, 08:00 AM

can you hold at least a hundred gallons of feul?

Northern · Dec-22-2008, 10:41 AM

This one

Northern · Dec-22-2008, 10:46 AM

or this one

Notice that yellow thing with the hvy leader?

Keta · Dec-22-2008, 11:29 AM

On the Manaki.

Emzbuddy · Dec-22-2008, 01:22 PM

Find and attend a Coast Guard Auxillary class for boatmanship. Great place to start - radio ettiquette, safety ettiquette, rules of the road, etc. Take the 24 hour class - they are inexpensive. If you have a buddy who looks to be part of your crew - get him to attend also. Priceless.

trickydogshow · Dec-22-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emzbuddy

Find and attend a Coast Guard Auxillary class for boatmanship. Great place to start - radio ettiquette, safety ettiquette, rules of the road, etc. Take the 24 hour class - they are inexpensive. If you have a buddy who looks to be part of your crew - get him to attend also. Priceless.

Thanks.. Thats good advice, I'll definitely do that!

Fishinnut · Dec-28-2008, 10:27 PM

There are also power squadron courses that teach what the coast guard does in a series or classes. I used to run off shore many times 50+ miles in a 20' boat constantly, but not for Tuna. Still waiting for my chance. Got T-Boned on I5 last year on my way to Westport and never got to take my bigger boat out for tuna. Small cracks in hull. Didn't want to chance it until it is stripped and checked.

I learned a lot in a smaller boat. Last year at Lapush I got a late start with my 27' Trophy. It turned nasty. One boat flipped and one died. We followed the Ranger back for a short time. Its a 56' boat if I remember right. It was getting kicked around like a toy. 1.5 hours out, 6 hours back. Was supposed to be 6 feet at 9 seconds, turned to 13' at 4 seconds. Last 1.5 hours coming in, was with broken or no windshield wiper. All confused seas with about 40 mph winds. The top of a wave would slice off, go up the windshield, hit the bottom of the top and explode into the boat around the vinyl glass/canvas. Was like driving over small houses. had two newbies on board and they actually did pretty good considering. My walkarounds were like kid's water slides. All they did was fill the back of the boat with water. I had tunnel vision trying to concentrate on the next wave through the windshield. I looked back once and had about 9" of water on the fishing deck and yelled at my experienced deckhand to tell me about things like this. He replied that that was nothing, you should have seen it a while ago. There was so much water in the boat, the scuppers were not draining in those seas. The scuppers were under water. I would have to work my way to stay on top of a wave to slow down to drain the boat. Make sure you are ready for these seas. They can change as fast as anywhere in the world.

Genie Aye · Dec-29-2008, 12:37 AM

First---Welcome to BD

Lots of good info supplied by some experianced guys on here--Listen up.
Wish more people would do this---Just ask.

Any of us that have spent many years on the open water of the coast--understand that it is at its best--unpredictable. You have started right--getting experiance on the inland waters. Keep asking questions--I have always said--(even on my charter)--"The only dumb question is a unasked question".

I would be glad to have you go out fishing with me and when you are ready--run out and fish alongside ya till your are comfortable.

I am gearing up somemore this winter on mine with radar and spreader
's for the tuna--I can use the spreaders for salmon as well.

I have been out on the salt since I was 6 and blame it all on my DAD!! Thanks agian DAD.

I did the late Sept run out with a few others for tuna (late night meeting in Ilwaco at the ramp) and put on about 170 miles and used 45 gallons of fuel with my boat. If you look at my avatar--That is a picture of my son out there 60 miles that afternoon before heading in--it was awesome!!
Look forward to running out of westport with some of the guys this summer when the Tuna are within range.

Equipment--In my opinion--you never have to much--redunancy is a great thing out there--especially radios and communication--your cell phone is no good out there.
I ran charter in PS the San Juans, Strait and the coast, hoping to spend more time out in LaPush when I get a chance.

Give me a hollier and we will head out and do some fishing.

Genie Aye