Future Sportfisherman Looks like the Past?

[brian eiland]

Baits over their Heads

....For fishing boats, kites also offer a variety of solutions to presenting baits - in the traditional suspension methods of the Floridian sail-fish experts, through the offshore coastal long-line users of New Zealanders and Polynesians, to the cutting edge developments of using them on the troll by some tuna-boats worldwide, but especially off the east coast if USA.

There is no finer way to catch a boat-shy tuna than to troll a bait over its head to windward of a boat. A lot of giant bluefin are caught off the NE USA by people using kites now, suspending live bluefish beneath them as baits. It's a very interesting form of fishing - and it shouldn't be a hard sell selling the wind-power theory to fishermen who use kites already !

I was just scimming back over this subject thread and took note of this kite method of delivering bait...interesting. Thanks Plankton for your postings.

 

[brian eiland]

Much more common I think will be the ascendance of catamarans in general. As designs have improved and as the blinkered sportfishing world learns yearly, there are many great variations of cat design out there, and as oil prices soar I think we will see a real boom in the long thin displacement hulls so beloved by Crowther and Tennant, as are commonly seen down in the Pacific. As people start to realise the advantages these hulls give a catamaran then I think the trend for the wide-bodied planing and semi-planing hulls so common today in the US catamaran market will slow. This is the area I think we will see most improvements in, to the stage where people will buy boats that can give a distinct edge in economy while still offering competitive mid-20 knot cruise speeds. A vessel that offers all of the regular advantages of a catamaran such as stability, space and sea-worthiness and also combines that with a cruising range in excess of 600 miles at a decent speed and a fortnightly fuel fill at her fishing destination will become king.
.......

What's more remarkable is that this vessel is powered with just a pair of 160hp common-rail diesels and only has a fuel capacity of 400 gallons. If I was still a charter operator I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Just think, in some places where the edge is just a mile from port, you'd fill up once a month !

Plankton, what do you think of this idea I've suggested recently to a couple of fellows?..... Take one of Tennant's most recent powercat designs (Domino 20 meter) and convert it into a motorsailer. Of course we might also add a fishing capability as well

Just a roughed in rendition

 

[viking north]

Interesting fishing method, kites dragging bait. Just curious what condition are the tuna stocks in your neck of the woods. Here in the east coast of Canada they are very strickly controlled and sports fishing is catch and release. Huge tuna being caught in the sports fishery here these past few years.

 

[whitepointer23]

Interesting fishing method, kites dragging bait. Just curious what condition are the tuna stocks in your neck of the woods. Here in the east coast of Canada they are very strickly controlled and sports fishing is catch and release. Huge tuna being caught in the sports fishery here these past few years.

here on the victorian coast of australia the southern bluefin tuna are getting larger and more prolific every year. 10 yrs ago a 10 kg was a large bluefin now they are getting them to 150 kg. it is fantastic to see such great results from fishery management strategies. the tuna in the pic was caught in may off apollo bay.

 

[plankton]

Interesting, Brian. I like the look of it, though to me it seems like a lot of sail ! Will you have computerization on board for trimming and reefing ? And how do you plan to implement the fishing bit ? Duckboards over the swim platform ? (just kidding !). Would love to see some more detailed renditions.....what is in her for power ?

You will need to make sure the helmsman can see the cockpit during fishing - maybe a secondary helm and set of electric throttles aft somewhere ?

 

[brian eiland]

Good News !

here on the victorian coast of australia the southern bluefin tuna are getting larger and more prolific every year. 10 yrs ago a 10 kg was a large bluefin now they are getting them to 150 kg. it is fantastic to see such great results from fishery management strategies. the tuna in the pic was caught in may off apollo bay.

I had heard of this great success in management strategies. CONGRADULATIONS :!:

I just remembered posting this "Good News"
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/open-discussion/our-oceans-under-attack-27446-11.html#post324306

 

[brian eiland]

Interesting, Brian. I like the look of it, though to me it seems like a lot of sail ! Will you have computerization on board for trimming and reefing ?

You will need a fair amount of sail to move this relatively big boat to an acceptable speed in moderate winds. If you don't have this capability, then the sailing mode won't get utilized enough....or maybe not at all. That would be a waste. In bigger winds you can then reduce sail, by simply rolling some up.

No need for any fancy computer controls, maybe just benchmark of a few wind speeds and what max amount of sail you want to have out in those conditions. Sailing is not as difficult as many believe. Sure you continue to learn ever more nuances over time, but the basics are pretty easy to master....and best done by seat of the pants, hands on feel...not computers.

Now that kite-assisted sailing...different animal, flying that kite in figure-8's...that needs computer controls.

And how do you plan to implement the fishing bit ? Duckboards over the swim platform ? (just kidding !). Would love to see some more detailed renditions ?.....You will need to make sure the helmsman can see the cockpit during fishing - maybe a secondary helm and set of electric throttles aft somewhere ?[/.

No more details at the moment...just the basic idea that this excellent power-cat design can be turned into a real nice motorsailer with great range and economy. Someone might what to put a fishing set-up in the rear. That can be engineered.

.....what is in her for power

Looks like 2x300hp.

Look what the owner has to say:
"And we love our big bad powercat who can cross the Atlantic at 20 knots, the Pacific at 12 knots or go half-way around the world at 8 knots. Call her a luxury Winnabago!"

"Yes,Capt.J, the Lagoon can do this, but does she really qualify as a "passagemaker"" What is the Lagoon's 43 range? Can she cross the Atlantic at 20 knots? DOMINO burns 1.2 gpm at 20 knots, BTW. He he, never tried trolling at 20 knots, but very successful with Wahoo at 11 knots!"

...more discussion HERE

 

[plankton]

Now that was an interesting read, thank you, Brian. Those people have a pretty good idea of what they want and how to go about it. The Lagoon 43, though a nice boat, is not even in the same division. It is probably capable of crossing oceans, but ti wouldn't be my first choice. I'd happily take it from Europe to the Canaries, for example, but not horizontally across the pond !

I'm actually in the process of starting some plans for a round North Atlantic trip in 2014/15 with the family. I had provisionally planed to begin looking either a displacement craft like a Nordhaven/Krogen or a catamaran. But a catamaran with a sail plan sounds even better.

I'm not buying one - either borrow or steal. Grin.