I've spent about 10 hours the last couple of days working on "Two Thirty". I cleaned the big locker out on the dock it is parked in so I would have somewhere to go with the junk I'm not taking directly to the dumpster. It will likely all end up there but I have a bad habit of throwing everything away to begin with and then have to buy another one later. So, I will hold on to the better junk for a while. The boat had a built in fold out bed in the front and a dinette that made into a bed in the back. They are both out of the boat now and in waiting for the dumpster. I ripped the carpet out of most of the boat. That was really fun wrestling that nasty carpet up and out. It went directly to the dumpster. There were a couple soft spots in the ceiling around the A/C and in one corner so I started disconnecting the A/C and opening up the ceiling and found that it is a lot more than just a soft spot. I loaded up a second load of trash and junk into our work boat and have the windows open hoping it will air out and dry up when I can get back to the project in a few days. Tomorrow I plan on captaining the "SS Grasshopper" to catch up on my real job of keeping everyone's grass neat and tidy. Here are some pics of what I have found so far and of my progress.
CTM
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
TWO THIRTY SOMEWHERE YOU SAY???
If you haven't heard that long-winded story yet, here goes. We have had a small houseboat in the dock for about ten years now. The boat is a 1970 30' Gibson that used to belong to "Dive Shop Randy." He sold it to another guy who kept it until recently. The latest owner got into some legal trouble and quit paying rent about 2 years ago. The lawyer he owed money to got the "Arkansas registration" signed over to him. Titling a boat in Arkansas is a joke. No titles for motors at all and only a little 2" x 3" registration on the boat. The registration got "lost in the mail" so when we ordered a duplicate we were able to put it in PCM's name so we would have a Missouri title to transfer when we sold it. The rent was continuing to rack up on the boat and the lawyer wanted out so we made him an "offer he couldn't refuse" and are now the proud owner.
Jabet & Matt agreed with me that it would make a fun little day cruiser that would be easier to handle than the "Five O'Clock Somewhere" so we have decided to keep it for now and fix it up. The boat is one half the size of "Five O'Clock Somewhere" hence the name "Two Thirty Somewhere." I have been wanting to sell the "Five O'Clock" for some time now and CJM says she isn't willing to let it go until she sees and approves of the finished "Two Thirty."
So, today I got started. First order of busines was to buy several bug bombs and set them off inside the boat to hopefully get rid of the wasps and spiders before I start digging in the cabinets and ripping out the carpet.
I have included some "before" pics. Stay tuned as I progress toward the "after" pics :)
CTM
Monday, July 11, 2011
Reflections on Cruising
Well, we have been off the boat now and home for a couple weeks. It was really good to see Lola and her Mom and Dad and Oscar again. It was also good to have a Just Jackie's pizza and a few beers and see everyone there. The fireworks were great and we got to see a few more people at the music jubilee that afternoon. I wonder what they think of our 4th of July celebration in the Abacos since many of the early settlers there were British Loyalists who left America for the Bahamas because they did not want to support the revolution?
I'm already starting to miss being on the boat. But, there are a few things I don't miss. Here are a few of them......
1. All the steps, one or two up to the side of the boat during times of high tide or one or two down at low tide, two steps down to the rear deck from the side of the boat, 8 steps up to the bridge, 5 down to the engine room or "basement" as we call it, 2 up to the main salon, 4 down to the v-berth and bathroom. I wonder if they make a boat in kind of a "ranch style" with no steps for senior citizens.
2. Bumping my head everywhere. Although, my most serious head injury came from bumping my head on the roof of the golf cart we rented in Treasure Cay but I'm pretty sure that was Don Lupe's fault:)
3. Tight, hot engine room and on my hands and knees to do any service on the boat, including pumping the holding tank.
4. Cleaning the shower sump.
5. Feet hanging off the end of the bed about a foot.
6. Digging in the spare bedroom for supplies.
7. Anchoring.
8. Fretting over whether the toilet is going to flush all the time.
Here are some things I will miss.....
1. The most beautiful blue water I have ever seen anywhere.
2. Trolling, sometimes for hours, in search of that elusive prize catch.
3. Experiencing new islands with quaint little villages and friendly people and all the cool bars and restaurants.
4. Fishing with Freddie.
5. Staring out at the ocean for hours, cruising from port to port never knowing what you might see.......turtles, dolphin, whales, marlin, birds, that magical piece of debris, waterspouts, or maybe even an unseaworthy vessel with a lot of people on board which we heard the Coast Guard talking about on our crossing back home.
Since we have been home the news is filled with the Casey Anthony and Rod Blagojevich trials and the fast approaching debt limits for the federal government:( Obama's fund raising and campaigning, already. The list of Republicans lining up to challenge him keeps getting longer. Is there really time to govern with all the time they spend campaigning? You know our national news is like watching a soap opera. You can miss watching it for six weeks while cruising the Bahamas and when you turn it back on it's the same old s%@t. Come to think of it, I miss all the things about cruising, even the things I didn't think I would miss. It is going to be difficult to wait a whole year to do it all again. I will just have to find something to keep me busy until then. Maybe it's time to get to work refurbishing the "Two Thirty Somewhere." If you are really bored sometime you might check our blog as I will try to keep you posted on the progress of my newest project...
Until then, I will leave you with an Irish toast, "May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it." :):)
CTM
I'm already starting to miss being on the boat. But, there are a few things I don't miss. Here are a few of them......
1. All the steps, one or two up to the side of the boat during times of high tide or one or two down at low tide, two steps down to the rear deck from the side of the boat, 8 steps up to the bridge, 5 down to the engine room or "basement" as we call it, 2 up to the main salon, 4 down to the v-berth and bathroom. I wonder if they make a boat in kind of a "ranch style" with no steps for senior citizens.
2. Bumping my head everywhere. Although, my most serious head injury came from bumping my head on the roof of the golf cart we rented in Treasure Cay but I'm pretty sure that was Don Lupe's fault:)
3. Tight, hot engine room and on my hands and knees to do any service on the boat, including pumping the holding tank.
4. Cleaning the shower sump.
5. Feet hanging off the end of the bed about a foot.
6. Digging in the spare bedroom for supplies.
7. Anchoring.
8. Fretting over whether the toilet is going to flush all the time.
Here are some things I will miss.....
1. The most beautiful blue water I have ever seen anywhere.
2. Trolling, sometimes for hours, in search of that elusive prize catch.
3. Experiencing new islands with quaint little villages and friendly people and all the cool bars and restaurants.
4. Fishing with Freddie.
5. Staring out at the ocean for hours, cruising from port to port never knowing what you might see.......turtles, dolphin, whales, marlin, birds, that magical piece of debris, waterspouts, or maybe even an unseaworthy vessel with a lot of people on board which we heard the Coast Guard talking about on our crossing back home.
Since we have been home the news is filled with the Casey Anthony and Rod Blagojevich trials and the fast approaching debt limits for the federal government:( Obama's fund raising and campaigning, already. The list of Republicans lining up to challenge him keeps getting longer. Is there really time to govern with all the time they spend campaigning? You know our national news is like watching a soap opera. You can miss watching it for six weeks while cruising the Bahamas and when you turn it back on it's the same old s%@t. Come to think of it, I miss all the things about cruising, even the things I didn't think I would miss. It is going to be difficult to wait a whole year to do it all again. I will just have to find something to keep me busy until then. Maybe it's time to get to work refurbishing the "Two Thirty Somewhere." If you are really bored sometime you might check our blog as I will try to keep you posted on the progress of my newest project...
Until then, I will leave you with an Irish toast, "May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it." :):)
CTM
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Fishing the Abacos
Kind of out of sequence...but here are some thoughts on fishing in the Abacos....
Every year on these trips to the Bahamas I learn so much about fishing. On our first trip here the largest rod, reel & line combo was a Shimano TLD25 with 40# test line. Gary P. did reel in a Blue Marlin with that rod the first day out on that trip, but Freddie told me, "you need heavier tackle if you want to fish here." We did not make a clean release of that fish and he took the only lure I had that resembled a "Big Fish" lure. I now have a couple rods with 60# line, a couple with 80# wire line and a couple Penn 80's with what we think is 100# line. They were used when I bought them (E-Bay) and already spooled up. The Worldwide Sportsman said their line weight tester did not go that high when I had them checked out. I also have a box full of large trolling lures, heavy leaders and humongous hooks. Freddie still says, "heavier hooks, heavier trolling feathers and nothing smaller than 30# test on spinning rods." Don't get me wrong, we still reef fish for Yellowtails and other assorted small reef fish, but you just never know what you might catch. Here is a review of how we did this year.
Dolphin......the bite was really slow this year. The best chance we had to load up on them was the first day out before we left the US waters near Key Largo. We got on an incredible weedline and caught and kept a couple but since you are not supposed to take fish into Bahamian waters until you have cleared customs and bought your cruising & fishing permit, we drove off and left the best looking bunch of dolphin we have seen in awhile. Other than that, we picked up an occasional fish now and then.
Wahoo.....not the best time of year for Wahoo, but found them in several areas and caught a few nice ones. Not any monsters like last year. Also lost a couple at the boat, one trying to pull through the door and the other trying to gaff it off the transom. I think now the best bet is to try and pull them alongside the boat and gaff them. At least it worked well on the last one we caught with just CJM and I on the boat.
Tuna.....only Blackfins this year, no Yellowfins. The BF's were OK size, good to eat sushi style or seared. A couple times we got into them and could have kept a bunch but only took enough to eat.
Marlin.....we had all the right baits this year including a squid daisy chain as advised by Nathaniel Gilbert from Cat Island. We always had a "Big" lure in the shotgun position. We trolled the edge outside the out islands of the Abacos as suggested by the bathymetric fishing charts. We saw other boats coming in with flags flying during the three Billfish tournaments we witnessed. All that being said, the only one we caught was on a rigged, feathered leadhead on the wire line. Unbelievable!
Snappers.....other than the one terrible day we had near Treasure Cay, the reef catches were very good as usual. In addition to snappers, we caught Big Amberjacks, Big Yellowjacks, Big Muttons and some really nice Grouper.
Grouper.....not only did we catch some really nice ones on the reef, we caught a really nice one, about 30 pounds, trolling with the wire.
Best baits.....Billy Baits were the best for the tunas. Rigged ballyhoos did probably best for dolphin. Obviously the wireline rigs were the most consistent on all types of fish. Good thing I had rigged up a second rig this year. A side note about the wire. I was trying to find 100# wire. The last I had purchased at the Worldwide Sportsman. I asked a guy working there where they kept their wire trolling line. He said, "we don't stock it because no one uses it anymore." I said, "I do." Well, they actually did still have some and it was available on line. Could only get 80# test though. As you might have guessed, I am going to pick up a few extra 200 yard spools before they do decide to do away with it.
CTM
Every year on these trips to the Bahamas I learn so much about fishing. On our first trip here the largest rod, reel & line combo was a Shimano TLD25 with 40# test line. Gary P. did reel in a Blue Marlin with that rod the first day out on that trip, but Freddie told me, "you need heavier tackle if you want to fish here." We did not make a clean release of that fish and he took the only lure I had that resembled a "Big Fish" lure. I now have a couple rods with 60# line, a couple with 80# wire line and a couple Penn 80's with what we think is 100# line. They were used when I bought them (E-Bay) and already spooled up. The Worldwide Sportsman said their line weight tester did not go that high when I had them checked out. I also have a box full of large trolling lures, heavy leaders and humongous hooks. Freddie still says, "heavier hooks, heavier trolling feathers and nothing smaller than 30# test on spinning rods." Don't get me wrong, we still reef fish for Yellowtails and other assorted small reef fish, but you just never know what you might catch. Here is a review of how we did this year.
Dolphin......the bite was really slow this year. The best chance we had to load up on them was the first day out before we left the US waters near Key Largo. We got on an incredible weedline and caught and kept a couple but since you are not supposed to take fish into Bahamian waters until you have cleared customs and bought your cruising & fishing permit, we drove off and left the best looking bunch of dolphin we have seen in awhile. Other than that, we picked up an occasional fish now and then.
Wahoo.....not the best time of year for Wahoo, but found them in several areas and caught a few nice ones. Not any monsters like last year. Also lost a couple at the boat, one trying to pull through the door and the other trying to gaff it off the transom. I think now the best bet is to try and pull them alongside the boat and gaff them. At least it worked well on the last one we caught with just CJM and I on the boat.
Tuna.....only Blackfins this year, no Yellowfins. The BF's were OK size, good to eat sushi style or seared. A couple times we got into them and could have kept a bunch but only took enough to eat.
Marlin.....we had all the right baits this year including a squid daisy chain as advised by Nathaniel Gilbert from Cat Island. We always had a "Big" lure in the shotgun position. We trolled the edge outside the out islands of the Abacos as suggested by the bathymetric fishing charts. We saw other boats coming in with flags flying during the three Billfish tournaments we witnessed. All that being said, the only one we caught was on a rigged, feathered leadhead on the wire line. Unbelievable!
Snappers.....other than the one terrible day we had near Treasure Cay, the reef catches were very good as usual. In addition to snappers, we caught Big Amberjacks, Big Yellowjacks, Big Muttons and some really nice Grouper.
Grouper.....not only did we catch some really nice ones on the reef, we caught a really nice one, about 30 pounds, trolling with the wire.
Best baits.....Billy Baits were the best for the tunas. Rigged ballyhoos did probably best for dolphin. Obviously the wireline rigs were the most consistent on all types of fish. Good thing I had rigged up a second rig this year. A side note about the wire. I was trying to find 100# wire. The last I had purchased at the Worldwide Sportsman. I asked a guy working there where they kept their wire trolling line. He said, "we don't stock it because no one uses it anymore." I said, "I do." Well, they actually did still have some and it was available on line. Could only get 80# test though. As you might have guessed, I am going to pick up a few extra 200 yard spools before they do decide to do away with it.
CTM
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