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Cat Fishing

Discussion in 'General Catamaran Discussion' started by billgow, May 26, 2008.

  1. billgow

    billgow New Member

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    I want to go fishing, I don’t want to burn fuel from hostile countries and I want to be able to live on the boat.

    The venue will be the Sea of Cortez mostly and points south eventually. The fishing will be marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado, yellowtail, etc. I need a fishing friendly platform.

    The idea of using fuel derived from sponsors of terrorism is off the table. I want to use sail power. I’ve seen a couple catamarans that may fit the bill but I’ve only fished sailboats on the east coast. These were monohull, class boats sailed mostly at club races. In fact, we came in second one Saturday and I managed to pull in two bluefish as a bonus! The technique is a little different from a sailboat and it helps to have plenty of line capacity but I’m sure this can be pulled off successfully with a little practice.

    From a quick look at some of the cats out there, I’m thinking something in the 40’ to 50’ range makes the most sense. Features that look right to me are back stays forward of the transom area, a comfortable area to fish from the back, the tender moved to the bow, and the traveler located overhead. I don’t want a full time crew around. I want to be able to run the boat with a couple pals or my family. Some of the boats built by Voyage, Privilege, Leopard, etc look like they may work out nicely. I haven’t had a chance to look at everything out there so I’m sure there are more to consider. The best thing is I can charter cats in all shapes and sizes and try them out before I make a commitment.

    All the boats I’ve seen have full batten main sails. I think I’d like to have a reefing or furling main that rolls up into the boom so I can ditch the sails quickly and maneuver with power once a big fish is on the line. Roller reefing jibs appear to be fairly common. For smaller fish like dorado, it would be nice to just dump the sails and drift once hooked up.

    I think those trampolines on the fore deck are a waste of space. Why aren’t these set up for a tender? I’ll bet Brian Eiland’s 65’ Gamefisher could carry a couple small fishing boats up front. That would be fishing nirvana! I wonder how much it would change the geometry of something like that if it carried a pair of 22’ to 23’ center consoles?

    How ugly would it get if I tried to aggressively back down on a fish in a cat? Would it just dig a hole and take on water or have a more gracious behavior? It looks like fighting a big fish from one transom or the other would be almost ideal. I was thinking it would be pretty easy to add a railing so a big fish didn’t pull a fisherman in. I haven’t found a location for a fighting chair yet but it’s something I’d eventually have to consider.

    Besides Mr. Eiland, has anyone else thought about fishing a cat?
  2. Loren Schweizer

    Loren Schweizer YF Associate Writer

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    "...has anyone else thought about fishing a cat?"

    From having sailed a bit, fished a little, and fished occasionally from a sailboat, I think it might be easier to get a hundred (Siamese) cats in a conga line than to chase a greyhounding marlin as it runs forward of the mast.
    But, it's not my business here to 'pee on your parade', Billgow--just please take lots of pics or a video of your endeavor to share with YF's readers.

    Oh, and BTW, welcome to YF, Billgow.
  3. billgow

    billgow New Member

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    Thanks for the welcome, Loren!

    I just made contact with a guy who is pals with someone who delivers these boats from the factory. Apparently, he's been pulling up to 6 lines at a time behind them. I doubt he's hooking up on marlin but I'm looking forward to hearing his comments. I also just sent an e-mail to the rep in Fort Lauderdale to pick his/her brains about this as well. In about 10 minutes, I'm going to call, I can't stand the anticipation any longer.

    At this point, my biggest concern is what to do with the tender. I can't keep it hanging off the stern and want to keep it up on that useless bow that's covered with trampolines but have been told that isn't reasonable. The perfect set-up would be to have two small inflatables under the tramps and drop them while at anchor, pull them around back and attach outboards there. That way they'd be available for the kids to play with and for making bait.

    Pics and vids are a guarantee, I promise. I'll want to entice friends and family to come down and join me so I'll have a dedicated website to post these and chronicle our adventures
  4. PropBet

    PropBet Senior Member

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    Is Everything!
    I don't even know where to begin with that statement.

    Good luck in finding the right boat, Sir!
  5. JWY

    JWY Senior Member

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    Unfair topic heading - I was gittin in the mood for some hushpuppies! :D

    Maybe your fishing would stand more chance of success with a powercat.

    Judy
  6. billgow

    billgow New Member

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    Location:
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    1 1/2 cup cornmeal
    1/2 cup all purpose flour
    1 tablespoon baking powder
    1/4 tablespoon baking soda
    1 1/2 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
    1/4 cup cultured buttermilk
    1 tablespoon salt
    1 teas cayenne pepper
    1 pinch of finely chopped dill
    water

    Mix as many portions as desired and store in a cool dry place, will store for six months.

    Use to coat dorado, tuna or yellowtail. Place adequate amount into a Ziploc bag and shake fish filets in bag until coated.

    Dredge fish in an egg wash, then roll in hush puppy mix for a thicker coating.

    Add water to mixture until a bit thinner than desired, let stand for 20 minutes to allow onion flakes to reconstitute. Mixture will thicken.

    Spoon into a 375 degree hot oil pot, until they float and are a golden brown. For a more crunchy effect cook until dark brown.



    Those fish don't stand a chance anyway.. ;) I'm really charged up about using a cat. I've spoken with two gentlemen at Robertson & Caine this morning and one of them has done a lot of fishing off their cats in the past. We're hashing out where to keep the tender, outrigger placement, pole holders, leaning rail, etc. now.

    Let me know how the hush puppies turn out! ;)
  7. JWY

    JWY Senior Member

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    We're hashing out ...

    Now we're talkin hasbrowns too?!

    Thanks for the recipe; I fish but don't cook.

    Good luck with your catfishing catfisher ;)
  8. WannabeeYhtsman

    WannabeeYhtsman New Member

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    Lake Ontario
    Here's a cat fitted with a chair for your needs


    I got this from Yapluka yachts that builds custom cats out of Caen France.
    This was fitted to a 75' sail cat called "Wonderful". 6.7mil US

    Attached Files:

  9. billgow

    billgow New Member

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    No catfish for me. Thanks.
  10. billgow

    billgow New Member

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    I visited their website this morning. http://www.yapluka.fr Absolutely stunning boats. I think that was off their 75'. I don't think they've built any of the larger ones yet. From the pictures, they do a really super job of finishing off the interiors, very plush!

    I visited the Gunboat site as well http://www.***********/ These guys have some great boats (check out their video).

    After talking with a couple reps at Robertson & Caine, I think I'll stay in the mid-40s on this one. Who knows, maybe when I grow up, I'll get a big boat.. ;) Maybe by then Yapluka will be actually building some of their bigger boats.
  11. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Gamefishing for Sail Under Sail
    http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/general-sailing-discussion/1548-gamefishing-sail-under-sail-power.html

    http://www.runningtideyachts.com/gamefishing/




    Why have a mainsail at all??




    Excerpts from a Sea Trial Article by Professional Capt. Rick Gaffney
    http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/4818-post3.html

    TaraVana's fishing success
    http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/26174-post25.html




    Atwarthships Fishing Deck
    http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/53496-post46.html






    I might make one other observation. Carrying the yacht tender in davits, or on a portion of rear deck, at the stern is unacceptable on a fishing vessel. I am working on a new tender design that would allow for the craft to be carried up in the bow area, but not become a liability if swamped with a wave

    How about this dwg that shows one center console tender up front...could be two quite easily
    http://www.runningtideyachts.com/dynarig/Deck_View_Rig_Rotation.php

    With just a little bit more mast rotation, the lower yardarm can be utilized as a crane to launch and retrieve the yacht's tender(s) to be stored at the bow location. In many cruising locations your tender assumes the role of your car, so having two onboard is very convenient when there is a group of people aboard. I have designed a custom RIB that would survive this bow location, and offer significant other features of performance and carrying capacity.
  12. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Offshore Sportfishing, innovations & alternatives

    Here's another subject thread I started on the subject of fishing under sail. I would like to do a 50-55 version of the Tennant style hull shown here.
    Offshore Sportfishing, innovations & alternatives
  13. billgow

    billgow New Member

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    Brian, you're singing my song!

    Your boat is awesome. I'd love to see larger, higher definition images of it. Two tenders stowed on the bow would be perfect. I can see the kids zooming around, water skiing, snorkeling, MAKING BAIT (in my dreams)... ;) Great job.

    What do you think about a couple inflatables, stowed upside down? It only takes a moment to attach an outboard.
  14. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Custom RIB Tender idea

    Certainly this is an option...stock inflatables and stock outboards.

    But RIB's are a bit more enduring for long term use. They might be a bit more heavy and cumbersome to flip upside down each time.

    Anyway here is one 'custom RIB' idea I was contemplating. It might be fun to build two of these extra light:

    Over the past few years I have been conceptualizing a small RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) tender for the use on cruising sail and power vessels, and sportfishing vessels in particular. It would put emphasis on a number of enhanced features that I do not believe are adequately addressed in the current market. I had written in brief on two previous occasions:

    1) I was searching for a short, wide, open-transom tender/dive/sport craft that could be carried on the front deck of a gamefishing catamaran of my design (preferable two such tenders). I was seeking a relatively small craft that comfortable could carry 4/5 persons with some dive and/or dive/fishing gear. Too many of the existing RIBs are too confining in their interior space, particularly with their big round tubes. I wanted two persons to be able to sit on the tubes directly across from one another, and yet still have the leg-room and passage room to clear a central straddle-seat that might house a jet-ski type power plant. That would necessitate a fairly wide craft with a central hull that could house the water-jet drive unit. A wide craft needing a central hull rules out the cat configuration. I could have a transom for its structural contribution, but it needs to be ‘open’ to allow for immediate evacuation of any water that might swamp it as a result of a large wave washing over the bow stowage area of the mothership. With width I could accommodate the people without excessive length, and thus keep the boat size small and light-weight for the continuous hoisting service it will experience.

    2) You chose to build your own tender. I have one in mind myself. It would be a RIB, possible with a foam collar rather than inflatable tubes. It would be virtually transom-less, or at least maybe just a rigid frame at the transom. The purpose being it would totally self-bail in an instant when subject to a big wave, and particularly when stored on the bow as with many sportfish vessels. It would be ‘extra wide’ for its length for increased capacity and ‘across the aisle seating’. It would have a modified ‘tri-hull’ bottom akin to XXXXX for superior performance in a chop as opposed to shallow deadrise of a very wide deep-vee. It would have a central saddle seat that would cover an optional inboard jet-ski style engine in lieu of a traditional thief-prone outboard….also safer no-prop diving usage. Ultra light model in carbon fiber, traditional model in stamped ABS.

    I made a trip to the Miami boat show this Feb 06, and I was disappointed again. As I look thru the market I’m not finding a RIB tender/sportboat that could be carried on deck, or in davits, that is really ‘self draining’. They all appear as a captive ‘tub’, that if flooded by a random wave would become a very heavy ‘big bucket’ of heavy water hanging from the davits or sitting on the foredeck. So I am seeking a virtually ‘transom-less design’, or at minimum a ‘framed transom’ that would allow for very quick water egress.

    I also find most of the smaller RIBs to be very confining and tight on the interior space as a result of the full diameter tubes utilized in their design. The actual width of the boats between the innermost tube sides is very confining with respect to allowing for two full size adults to sit across from one another, let alone a steering console, cooler etc. Then if you add in all of the ‘stylized’ seats for passengers, center console for driver, engine mountings and drains, etc, etc, you end up with very little interior volume to carry people, dive equip, etc, and all of those other items (food, supplies, bikes, etc) being transported to and from the shore. Remember, in the islands your tender becomes your car!!

    One solution to increasing the onboard space of any RIB is to make use of only ‘half-round’ or ‘D-shaped’ buoyancy tubes at the beam extremities of the craft. This idea is at the core of the ‘SAFE’ system (I’ve attached a reference drawing). These ‘tubes’ might be constructed of either an inflatable material as normal for the current industry, or simply be a foam collar that might be glued on, or a combination of both.

    Another solution to increasing the onboard space of the smaller RIBs is to make them wider…exaggerated wide. One manufacturer currently refers to this as his “wide body” models. The problem here is the deadrise angles at the bottom surface of the hulls become pretty small, or as it might be termed more ‘flat-bottomed’ rather than V’d. This results in a vessel that slaps or pounds more on the water surface, particularly a choppy one. And this flat bottom loses it directional preferences (control).

    My design reconfigures the bottom of the RIB into a sort of tri-hull arrangement. This totally changes the shallow deadrise equation of the main hull, and provides two ‘channels’ that allow for a sort of air suspension within them. The outer rib keels, or what might be termed sponsons of the tri-hull configuration, act to contain the channels themselves, provide additional buoyancy at the extreme beams of the vessel, and provide a turning edge much like the tunnel sides of the older tunnel-hulled craft. These outer sponsons do not extend forward to the bow area of the craft, which might be confused with being similar to the old ‘cathedral hull’ that was so poor about pounding in choppy waters. It’s totally different. It’s referred to as a stabilized monohull, a slender monohull shape stabilized by two outer sponsons. The more ‘convoluted bottom shape’ of the design will lend ‘form strength’ to the bottom surface, as well as longitudinal rigidity to the whole vessel, allowing for a lighter fiberglass lay-up to achieve proper strength than is the case with the large flat-panel areas of the traditional V-bottomed hull.


    I was preferencing small inboard engine, jet pump power system for a number of reasons including:
    1) safety for kid
    2) outboards are such a thief target in many cruising areas. A specialty tender would 'stand out' as a stolen item to the local authorities.
    3) transom requirements for outboard limits 'open transom' I seek for fully flushing a boarding wave
    4) etc
  15. billgow

    billgow New Member

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    I envision a simple inflatable, turned up side down on the tramps with just a tiller operated outboard. I don't see any reason to pretend one of these things is a sport fishing boat and add a center console, T-top, etc..

    Anything with an inboard would be too heavy to flip over. I think carrying tenders in an inverted position over the tramps is the simplest way to go. Outboards and fuel tanks can be stored out of the way in another location. Having separate gas tanks is a bonus in Mexico as I could always beach the inflatable and hitch hike to the nearest Pemex station and fill 'er up.

    The idea of tearing one of these open with a big hook, knife or spear gun kinda scares me, though.

    What do you think about weight? Everyone I've talked to seems to think anything on the trampolines is going to be a problem. I figure all these cats run just fine with several people lounging on the tramps and that's all an inflatable weighs.
  16. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    WOW, I just plain lost track of this subject thread...never did answer your question. Senelity must be setting in :eek:

    The D-shaped RIB tubes I spoke of might just be foam tubes rather than air tubes....ala SAFE systems

    I wouldn't have the tender resting on the tramp material itself, but rather on a frame support cradle structure that straddls the tramps....removable so the tramps can still be utilized for lounging when at anchor or towing the tender(s).
  17. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Just happened across this old subject thread. Wonder if this fellow ever found a vessel to go off and live his dream,...maybe even a smaller weekender version??

    Sure sounded like he had spotted a good area to use one.
  18. GhostriderIII

    GhostriderIII Senior Member

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    Heck, I'm living mine on a custom 44 sailcat with two chairs. Fished her on Zane Grey reef two weeks ago - caught a sail and three blue marlin - all released. Was the only boat out there.
  19. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Where is that reef, and what sort of obstacles??

    Tell us more about your vessel,...and some pics?
  20. GhostriderIII

    GhostriderIII Senior Member

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    The reef is directly west of Pinas Bay, Panama. http://fishingstatus.com/home/details/IndexId/711219
    No obstacles - underwater sea mount. It's the private (or so they think) fishing grounds of Tropic Star Lodge.

    Have no pics - it's a work in progress. Built from two 13m dugout canoes, steel rods and plates connecting with a beam of 5m. Wharram designed. It had been sold to a gent from Nova Scotia about 15 yrs ago. He put in 15hp diesels and ran it like a powerboat. I got it back on his estate sale about 18mos ago, when I was moving to my Dad's operation in Iceland. I put on the hard and sourced a mast and sails. In the meantime I was doing joinery and finishing work for a couple of guys in Maramis until the shooting started. Then back to Iceland and Newfoundland to finish up the estate work. I left in February for home in Panama. I teach school to the indigenous kids.