While being leadered at boatside, a beautiful blue marlin cooperates for a photo before being released
Curiously enough, the middle of summer, when there are plenty of fish around, was proving to be the most difficult time of the year to continue my quest to catch a blue marlin each month of 2008 from my home waters around Grand Cayman Island. My fishing time in July was so restricted by my busy work schedule that I felt very fortunate to catch my one and only blue marlin on a weekend excursion squeezed into the middle of the month. I feared that my prospects for success in August, given an already full schedule of commitments, would be no better, if not worse. That’s why I wasted little time getting out on the water as the new month arrived, and on August 3, I was able to catch-and-release a blue marlin. As was the case in July, this turned out to be my only fish of the month, but it extended my streak, and it allowed me the peace-of-mind to concentrate on my many other tasks at hand during the remainder of August.
As much as catching a blue marlin was my focus on that August day, I was abruptly reminded of all I love about the sea and her many creatures when I came upon a number of sea turtles on my return trip to the harbor. I slowed the boat to admire these magnificent creatures as they effortlessly glided just below the water’s surface, and caught myself mesmerized in the moment in much the same way as the old fisherman Santiago was when he encountered feeding turtles in Hemingway’s classic “The Old Man And The Sea.” As the sea turtles moved on toward the island’s coral reefs, I couldn’t help but ponder if what I had just witnessed was much the same as Christopher Columbus would have seen as the first to discover the Cayman Islands in 1503 on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. After all, Columbus named the territory “Las Tortugas” because of the abundance of sea turtles he found on and around the island archipelago.
The Caymans consist of three islands — Grand Cayman (by far the largest), Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman — and are located in the western Caribbean about 150 miles south of Cuba and 167 miles northwest of Jamaica. The islands are limestone outcroppings at the top of a submarine mountain range today known as the Cayman Ridge. Much of the islands are only a few feet above sea level, and surrounded by coral reefs and crystal clear waters, they have long served as ideal habitat for sea turtles, which in turn served as a primary food source for the first explorers and early settlers. Long after their discovery by Columbus, the islands came under British control when Oliver Cromwell captured Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655. The islands officially became a part of the British Empire under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670, and for the next 300 years, were administered as a dependency of Jamaica.
Guy Harvey's "Pirate Shark" is one of his most popular AFTCO Bluewater T-Shirt designs, and representative of a portion of the colorful history of the Cayman Islands
In 1668, an attempt was made to inhabit Little Cayman and Cayman Brac by early settlers, but they were forced to return to Jamaica because they could not be protected from ruthless Spanish pirates. In those early days, the Cayman Islands played a significant role in the piracy that gripped the Caribbean. The islands were remote, offered plenty of turtle meat, fresh water, and a safe haven for unscrupulous legendary characters like Henry Morgan and Edward “Blackbeard” Teach.
It wasn’t until the 1730′s that the first permanent settlements were established. Up to that point and for centuries thereafter, the islands continued to be known to mariners as “Las Tortugas,” and is where they came to harvest live turtles and their eggs as a source of protein for their long voyages. Couple that with a relentless commercial harvest, and the Cayman turtle population suffered greatly. It wasn’t until 1968 that the problem was addressed with the development of a turtle farm to replenish natural stocks and supply local demand for turtle products. By 1978, the farm had achieved its objective of having enough broodstock to be self-sufficient and economically viable. The Cayman Island government has owned and operated the Cayman Turtle Farm since 1983. Besides being a major tourist attraction, the farm is a well-respected research facility with a highly effective breeding program that has released tens of thousands of sea turtles into the sea, each tagged for research purposes.
It’s a happy ending for the sea turtles — and for my limited attempts at blue marlin fishing in August. I did release the one fish to perpetuate my quest of catching a blue marlin during each month of the year, and though the last part of August was unfishable due to powerful Hurricane “Gustav” passing by, I was hopeful that I would find more fishing time during September.
— Guy Harvey
Check this blog next month for my adventures in September, 2008, as I continue my quest to catch a blue marlin every month of the year.
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I received a call just a couple of days out from leaving for Panama. Dr. Marcos Ostrander, board member of the Tropic Star Group of Companies, said I was to bring a suit and tie. Something was up. I was going fishing at Tropic Star this week and I had never taken formal clothes. Dr. Ostrander later explained what it was about. This was important stuff for me and my family, so I made arrangements for my daughter Jessica to travel to Panama City on Tuesday night so I would have a family member there for the ceremony on Wednesday.
Panama's Minister of Tourism, Solomon Shamah, presents the Grand Cross to Guy Harvey
Fishing had been good at Tropic Star, black marlin and blue marlin were biting that morning. It was surreal to have been in combat with a 500 pound black marlin for a couple of hours off the remote, pristine Darien coastline and then be in the big city a few hours later. I left Pinas Bay early afternoon and flew into the City with Eleanor Armstrong, the TSL administrator. Jessica arrived from Atlanta that evening and we were collected next morning by Dr. Ostrander and his wife Irene and were taken to the ATLAPA Convention Center. Here, a number of personnel from the Ministry of Tourism and Protocol had gathered, plus personalities from several tourism companies and the media. I did several interviews before formal proceedings began.
The Minister of Tourism, His Excellency the Honorable Salomon Shamah, and his lovely wife Rachel, came in with their entourage and we were introduced. My Spanish is unfortunately very poor, so the Minister addressed me in English, extending the President’s regards and congratulations.
The formal ceremony took place with a spokesperson from the Ministry reading out the proclamation and the reasons for the award. An interpreter translated for the audience, then the Minister gave his address. I was impressed as he never referred to his notes!
The Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Grand Cross and Silver Star; symbol of highest recognition from Panamanian Government
I was very humbled by all of what he said and I had to take a deep breath as I turned to receive the Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Grand Cross around my neck, the silver star on my left chest and then was handed the decree, signed by the President and Vice President. I was asked to make a few comments, and in doing so, I thanked the people and Government of Panama for their kindness and for this great honor. I thanked the owners and staff of Tropic Star Lodge, whose unique location had inspired so many paintings, stories, friendships and through whom I had so many wonderful fishing and diving experiences, so much so that I could write a book with authority, called “Panama Paradise”.
It is not a coincidence that the pioneer Ray Smith from Texas, who built Tropic Star in the early 1960s, was awarded the same honor in 1964.
We toasted the President and the country of Panama, and then everyone came up to shake my hand. Lots of reporters came forward for posed photos with the Minister. It was a huge moment in my life to be honored in this manner by another country. I would like to share with you a quote from local newspaper El Visitante 13 Aug. 2010:
Guy Harvey Honored
“Sport fishing enthusiast and environmental conservationist receives highest recognition from Panamanian Government.”
“When someone gives so much to Panama, without being asked to do so, it is the very least the Panamanian government can do to recognize them with our highest honor,” Said Panama Tourism Authority Administrator Salomon Shamah earlier this week of Guy Harvey who received the Vasco Nuñez de Balboa medal for his stewardship of Panama’s marine resources.
Guy Harvey is more than a regular at Tropic Star Lodge in Darien, arguably the most famous fishing hotel in the world. He is an avid conservationist whose labor of love has led him to become one of the biggest advocates for Panama’s marine life. Through his Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University and his Ocean Foundation Guy has embarked on a scientific mission to better understand fishing resources in Panama. Most notably he has assisted with tagging and satellite tracking of many species in conjunction with Tropic Star Lodge.
The ceremony honoring Harvey was carried out at the ATLAPA Convention Center. Harvey presented his limited edition 345-page book entitled “Panama Paradise, A tribute to Tropic Star Lodge” to ATP Administrator Shamah.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Success came much faster than expected. Today we announced that in one month we have already sold out of the 50,000 special Guy Harvey “Save Our Gulf” T-shirts. While AFTCO Bluewater will produce no more, some of these special shirts will still be available at retail outlets for the next few weeks. Ten dollars of each shirt sold is donated to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF), so we have now successfully raised $500,000 that will be used to support needed marine life research in the Gulf of Mexico.
Fish and other Gulf marine life will benefit from the $500,000 raised
Even though oil is no longer flowing into the Gulf from the BP spill, and it is reported that over 70% of the spilled oil is now gone mainly due to evaporation and bacteria consuming it, there is no doubt that marine life in the Gulf has been impacted. Better understanding of how it has been impacted and what to do about it is what the $500,000 will be used for. The money raised from the sales of the special Guy Harvey T-shirts will be set aside in a separate fund within the GHOF and will be given out to research projects that Guy Harvey and the Board believe will bring the most future benefit to marine life of the Gulf of Mexico.
Many questions will need to be answered, such as, “what impact has the spill had on planktonic animals, fish eggs, larvae and juvenile fish?”, “has there been a significant impact on an important sportfish species such as bluefin tuna, red snapper, redfish, seatrout, or flounder?” and “how will that impact future stocks?”
Our thanks goes out to all who added to the $10 contribution which included Guy Harvey, AFTCO Bluewater, our reps, our suppliers and our retail partners. We also thank the consumers who made this possible with their strong support of these specific shirts and the Guy Harvey brand. Our original goal was to sell 10,000 T-shirts and raise $100,000. For us to raise $500,000 in a month is quite a unique and significant accomplishment.
Meaningful support of the marine resource is part of the culture and DNA of both Guy Harvey and AFTCO Bluewater. This “Save Our Gulf” T-shirt effort was both fun and rewarding for all of us. As time passes and we fund various research efforts, we will keep you posted on what is learned.
Bill
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, pleaser visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Expedition: Bermuda – Part II
The 2010 expedition to Challenger Bank began on July 24, just a couple of weeks earlier in the year than last year’s trip. Much of the crew from the 2009 expedition were on hand again: Neil and Choy – the “local boys” from Bermuda; Mahmood and Brad, our resident scientists; my children, Jessica and Alex; and Capt. James Robinson, whose boat Wound Up once again served the dual role of catch boat and support vessel.
Neil shows the attachment of a 3-year SPOT to the dorsal fin of a 12 foot tiger
For this year’s trip, the GHRI provided thirteen SPOT (Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting) tags and Neil purchased four three-year SPOTs with assistance from Bermudian sponsors, some of whom rode along with Capt. James on the Wound Up. Neil and Choy were doing a great job in Bermuda in getting local businesses involved in the tagging project and the production of a documentary that was created to educate the public about the success of their work.
The expedition’s plan called for Neil and Choy to take us to Challenger Bank to tag as many tiger sharks as possible over the course of six days. The week started fairly slow, with just one shark caught on each of the first three days. However, things heated up in the second half of the week as we caught and tagged 9 more sharks over the three remaining days.
Chumming was the key to catching the sharks. Luckily, we had ample supplies of fish heads, and we added to the chum mix by catching bonitos, ocean robins (local name for an abundant mackerel scad), blackfins, wahoos and barracudas while we were on the Bank. While the sharks were definitely attracted to all of the fish we served up, they seemed to have a preference for one in particular – fresh barracuda, which proved to be irresistible to the tigers.
We fished for the tigers primarily from the Wound Up. When a shark was hooked, Capt. James would transfer it to the Bones and then return to the mooring to continue fishing. Meanwhile, Neil and crew would safely secure the caught shark, apply a tag to the its dorsal fin, and then release the shark unharmed. Our crew was very experienced at tagging sharks and had gained a lot of knowledge during last year’s expedition, so the entire process – from the initial hook up to the final step of releasing the shark – was well planned and executed, which resulted in all of the sharks being released without harm.
While James was fishing with 130s we put out a quarter inch rope line cable leader and 20/0 circle hook, which was baited with barracuda and suspended from a large buoy. We caught four sharks using this method. One of these was pulled in by Alex, and at 8 feet long, it was the smallest shark we had caught so far.
Brad and Neil decided this shark was small enough to pull into the boat for tagging, so the crew hauled the shark on board, then covered its eyes with a wet towel and ran two deck hoses through its gills for ventilation. With the smaller shark secured in the boat, Neil was able to deploy a 3-year SPOT tag on this young male in just a few minutes.
Alex Harvey works hard on a tiger on the rope line
Interestingly, while on board, this small tiger shark regurgitated several squid beaks, and the horn of the foot from a benthic gastropod (like a conch). This indicates opportunistic bottom feeding and mid-water feeding on pelagic squid (one of the big 12 footers regurgitated the remains of a seabird and lots of feathers).
Unfortunately, we didn’t catch any of the sharks that we tagged last year, nor did we catch any tigers that had been tagged previously by Mahmood and Brad in the U.S.Virgin Islands over the past two years. A somewhat disappointing result, but it suggests that the tiger shark population around Bermuda is comparatively healthy. Of course, we do not know what the population numbers were before the commercial fishing industry exploited this and other species over the last three decades, so it’s difficult to determine just how stable the population has been over time.
Impact of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Expedition: Bermuda
Earlier in July, Brad presented our most up-to-date results at the annual conference of the American Elasmobranch Society, and the results of our comprehensive study amazed the scientific community. The tags applied in 2009 have lasted and stayed attached much longer than expected, and the regular reporting by the sharks (over a year now) is shedding new light on their behavior and migration in the Atlantic. Perhaps the biggest finding so far is that tigers are not the coastal dwellers that they were believed to be. Instead, they appear to make extensive oceanic journeys, and have an oceanic existence for much of the year.
It appears that the majestic tiger shark, which can grow to eighteen feet long, seems just as content in six feet of water chasing stingrays on the Bahamian sand flats as it is lurking near an oceanic bank 2000 miles offshore, hoping to detect and zero in on a dead floating sea bird or loggerhead turtle. This knowledge has serious management implications: since the sharks have been shown to make extensive migrations – passing through the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zones of several countries in a given year – no country can consider these animals “their resource”.
The GHRI left several SPOT tags in Bermuda with Neil and Choy in the hope that some female tiger sharks would show up later in the year. Oddly, of all the animals tagged so far, only one has been female. This leads us to another question: “Why are there so many males at Challenger Bank at this time of year?” A question perhaps best answered by making another expedition.
Acknowledgements:
I wish to thank Rehanna Palumbo and the staff at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel in Hamilton, Bermuda for her assistance with accommodation. This is a beautifully appointed 5-star hotel in a wonderful setting on the Hamilton waterfront close to great shopping and restaurants. Well worth the visit.
Thanks to Neil and Choy for getting us together in the collaborative research effort, and for the chance to swim with these magnificent animals. Thanks to James Robinson and his family for his commitment to the project.
It is our collective responsibility to conserve the marine environment and maintain the biodiversity of the planet. Fish responsibly, dive safely.
Cheers….Guy Harvey PhD.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
With the dramatic declines in shark populations caused by shark-finning and other forms of commercial fishing, the need for protection of shark species worldwide has reached a critical point. To this point, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is aggressively supporting several fisheries management studies that are gathering crucial data that can be used to design and implement protective measures.
One of these studies is an ongoing project to track tiger shark migratory patterns in the western Atlantic. For the past two summers, representatives from the GHOF and the Guy Harvey Research Institute have helped tag and track almost twenty tiger sharks off the coast of Bermuda. The expeditions have produced previously unknown data about the tiger sharks in that region, information which may very well lead to new fisheries management practices in the western Atlantic and Caribbean.
Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Expedition: Bermuda -Part I
Mahmood Shivji and Brand Wetherbee measuring a tiger shark on Challenger Bank, Bermuda
In August of 2009, the staff of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the Guy Harvey Research Institute collaborated with the Bermuda Shark Project on an expedition to tag and track adult tiger sharks a few miles southwest of Bermuda. We concentrated our efforts in a location known as Challenger Bank, which is a known as a hot spot for tiger shark activity. The area certainly lived up to its reputation – by the end of the week, we had caught, tagged and safely released seven adult tiger sharks with PSAT and SPOT electronic tags.
The tagging project was being led by two Bermudians, Dr. Neil Burnie and Choy Aming, with the representatives of the GHOF and GHRI providing assistance in the form of tag provision and deployment, as well as follow-up analysis of the sharks’ migration patterns through the western region of the north Atlantic. Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Director of the GHRI, and Dr. Brad Wetherbee of the University of Rhode Island – both of whom have extensive experience working with tiger sharks in the Bahamas and the USVI – were on hand to calibrate the tags and assist with deployment. And, my children Jessica and Alex – both of whom are world-class fishermen with several IGFA records between them – rounded out the team as our expert tiger shark wranglers.
We used Neil’s 34’ Prowler, Bones, as the expedition’s work boat while Captain James Robinson’s Wound Up served as the catch boat. The sharks were caught on 20/0 circle hooks with no barb and130# gear, then tail roped and restrained by a harness that kept them snug to the boat while Neil drilled small holes in the shark’s dorsal fin to attach the SPOT tags. On average, the process was usually completed in about 15 minutes, during which time the shark’s head remained submerged in the water so it could ventilate normally.
Once the tag had been securely fastened, the tail rope and harness were released and the sharks would swim away at a rapid clip. I was in the water to film the hook removal and rope/harness release, while my professional camera team of Rick Westphal and Dee Gele filmed all the action for a tiger shark documentary I am producing.
The results of last year’s expedition were successful beyond our expectations. Using the tags, we were able to track the sharks’ migration as they moved away from Bermuda when seawater temperatures dropped in October, during which time they migrated south towards the Bahamas, Turk and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands. The tracks showed the sharks were not wandering aimlessly but were actually headed in a more-or-less straight line, as if they knew where they were going. Based on their amazingly direct movements, it’s highly likely the individual animals have taken this migratory path before.
Guy Harvey catching a tiger shark to tag
For the rest of the winter months, the tiger sharks behaved like reef sharks, tracking the edges of deep island drop-offs. Presumably, they were feeding opportunistically along the way. As they searched for food at or near the surface, their dorsal fins would be exposed above the water line, which would allow the Argos satellites to pick up the signal from the tags and pinpoint the shark’s location (NOTE: The SPOT tag technology is more suited for attachment on air-breathing mammals and reptiles that constantly interact with the surface. Only a few ocean-going sharks exhibit the necessary type of behavior needed to use the SPOT tag for tracking. For example, my friend Dr. Michael Domeier uses the same equipment in his ongoing research of white shark populations in the Pacific).
As the seawater temperatures started to rise in April and May, the tiger sharks began a northward migration, with some aiming directly for Bermuda. As they approached the island, they began to veer off on an easterly track that led them well north of Bermuda and into the north Atlantic, where some have stayed for most of the summer (Katrin, the only female tagged last year, is currently on a latitude adjacent to New York!).
This pattern of migration away from the island and in to open water raises some big questions: “What are they doing out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?”, “Are they feeding, and if so, on what – turtles, dead sea birds, squid?”, “Or, are they perhaps breeding?” These are serious questions that need to be answered in order for our research to have any practical or meaningful conclusions. So, we decided to once again mount an expedition to Bermuda to see exactly what is going on with these perplexing tiger sharks.
See our next week’s blog for Part II
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
July marked the beginning of the second half of my quest to catch a blue marlin from Cayman Island waters during each month of the year. A single failure during the first half of the year would have put a halt to my pursuit, but I had been “lucky” enough to catch a blue marlin each calendar month from January through June. Any doubts that I had about being successful had less to do with a confidence in my ability to consistently catch fish, and more to do with my busy work schedule, limiting me, for the most part, to fishing on weekends, and only those where I wasn’t traveling and fishing conditions looked favorable. As mid-summer arrived, those concerns were fully realized. Travel and family commitments severely restricted my fishing time, but I was able to “release” that all-important single blue marlin on July 13 to keep my streak alive.
A spirited blue marlin churns the surface of Grand Cayman's western Caribbean waters before being brought boatside and released
I’m reminded that my goal is not to just prove I can catch a blue marlin from the waters around the Cayman Islands each month of the year, but that such an accomplishment helps demonstrate that a Grand Cayman marlin fishery is stronger than previously thought. Diving is the featured watersport attraction around the Cayman Islands, while sport fishing has yet to reach it’s full potential. That being said, the means to accommodate an influx of bluewater fishermen on a year-round basis are in place.
First of all, getting to Grand Cayman is very easy. Cayman Airways, the national flag carrier of the Cayman Islands, schedules daily flights from Miami, just 65 minutes away, as well as regularly scheduled direct flights from Tampa and New York. American Airlines, Continental Airlines, US Airways and Delta Air also schedule direct flights from major airports throughout the eastern half of the U.S. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll find an abundance of first-class resorts and hotels in the Cayman Islands, with the Ritz-Carlton and the Westin Casuarina heading an ever-expanding list. For family travelers, there are also many condos available for weekly stays. Visit: www.caymanislands.ky for complete information about accommodations — and fishing opportunities. Though the best time for blue marlin fishing around Grand Cayman is generally from March through June, I’m on my way to proving that you can catch them year-round. Tournament dates and fishing news are available from the Cayman Islands Angling Association’s website at www.fishcayman.com. A number of other Cayman websites offer information about fishing charters, including www.divecayman.ky . If you’re bringing your own boat from the States, the old Cayman Yacht Club, Morgan’s Harbour, and a newer marina at The Barcadere, in North Sound, have berths available, as does Harbour House Marina, which also offers a haul-out service.
The Guy Harvey Gallery & Shoppe in the heart of George Town, fully stocked with Guy Harvey artwork, sportswear and gifts, is a must-see destination for anglers visiting Grand Cayman Island
A great family vacation destination, Grand Cayman offers something for everyone, with amazing waterfront shopping and sightseeing in a safe, clean, English-speaking environment. And of course, if you and your family enjoy both diving and fishing, you’ve come to the right place.
As a reminder, when you schedule your next trip, plan on visiting my 4,000 square-foot retail Guy Harvey Gallery & Shoppe in the heart of George Town, stocked with original works of art, limited edition prints, a complete selection of Guy Harvey Sportswear, plus many other gifts and souvenirs. Also worth a stop in George Town is Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, a combination restaurant and gift shop, featuring a specialty menu, a casual decor and a selection of Guy Harvey Sportswear and gift items. For more information, visit www.harveysgrill.com/
My July ended with having spent little time on the water and catching that single — but important — blue marlin. Unfortunately, in looking forward, I could see that my prospects for getting out to fish would not be much better during August. In addition, mid to late summer often marks the beginning of hurricane season, which can unpredictably further complicate things. Though there should be plenty of blue marlin around, getting to them could prove problematic.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Wood, steel, aluminum and fiberglass are all perishable to an extent we only ignore at our own great risk. The decay and decomposition of any boat hull is an ongoing process. Fortunately, we can delay, and even reverse, the process, but it takes both time and money.
Keeping your body healthy and well nourished can slow the process of dying, and any well built boat can last a long time and remain healthy and structurally sound if it is well maintained. Unfortunately, like the seemingly healthy person who is about to have a massive heart attack or stroke, but shows no signs of anything except perfect health, boats can also appear to be in “Bristol” condition until just before a catastrophic failure. Cosmetics can hide a fatal disease.
The majority of sportfishing boat hulls from 30-75 feet are constructed of some combination of fiberglass and/or wood (with more exotic “composite” materials frequently playing key roles). The ability of resins, adhesives, welds and mechanical fastenings to hold things together is of paramount importance.
Most of the chemical bonds are internal, and other types of joins and secondary bondings are hidden by structures like tanks, furniture and decks added after the original hull was constructed. Modern wooden boats are generally sheathed in fiberglass or some other resinated fabric. Many problems or potential problems can not be seen by the average owner or captain.
Even a skilled boat builder may be totally unable to determine what is still sound and what has faults and flaws that may fail under the stress of heavy weather. Old fashioned surveyors tapping with hammers and listening for the change in sound that indicates a void or laminate failure would miss many potentially catastrophic flaws.
Luckily, both physicians and surveyors have miraculous new tools to help them investigate beneath the surface, many of them using similar technologies. Think of a marine survey as a physical exam. X-rays, sonograms, and radar type of technology are all used by modern marine surveyors. Not getting a hull survey is an enormous acceptance of risk and one that could (usually would) stop an owner from getting adequate insurance.
The phenomenon of “osmosis”, a blistering of fiberglass hulls, is of particular concern in older fiberglass hulls. I would never be involved in purchasing an older glass hull without having a competent surveyor check the hull with a moisture meter. Repairs can be made but they are expensive.
WARNING – even the best surveys include the phrase “inaccessable to inspection” with regard to major components that can not be adequately inspected and surveyors do NOT accept liability for potential problems in these areas.
Can you See From the Helm?
I get to go for sea trials on multi million dollar boats I would not accept as a present. If I can not see the bow, or at least the deck hand on the bow, from the helm station, I do not want to dock the boat.
If I can not see the angler in the chair well enough to be able to see if the reel is turning over I do not want to fish this boat seriously. It may be fine for cruising but not for fishing.
Can you see the electronics? Can you see them in real world conditions when the sun’s light is at a low angle? Do you have to stand up and lean over to read any of the display screens because the screen is mounted at less that a 60 degree angle (measured above the horizontal)? Any one of these being answered “yes” would mean I have to spend money correcting that particular flaw and could tip the scales toward a different boat.
Engine Room Lay Out
Engine room layouts have improved enormously in recent years. Manufacturers have made most of the critically important preventative maintenance much easier to do. (If you do not know what this entails plan on hiring a captain.)
Fluids and filters must be easy to change or they may not get done regularly enough. This includes primary and secondary fuel filters, lube oil filters, coolant filters and all fluids.
It should also be easy to do battery checks, get access to bilge pumps, fuel priming pumps, shaft glands or seals and all refrigeration and air conditioning pumps. You should not have to cut salon soles (engine room overheads) to work on main engines.
The key word is prevention! A good boatman avoids trouble by anticipating it. On a good boat this is easy to achieve. Look for it and make it high on your list of necessary features.
Beware a Cream Puff
Most buyers would consider low hours of use by the previous owner as a plus when looking at a used boat but watch out. Low engine hours and lack of use by a loving owner can actually be a negative.
Consider these facts. When an internal combustion engine is first shut down there is a film of oil coating all its moving parts. Over time this oil drains away leaving the metal dry and unprotected. Since at least one cylinder on every engine has an exhaust valve open, or an exhaust port exposed, there will be some degree of exposure to a salt air environment, even on turbocharged engines, and over time a thin coating of rust will form.
If special lay-up procedures are not followed when the engine is left idle for long periods of storage, the first few seconds when the engine runs after a long time without starting will cause more wear than hundreds or even thousands of hours of normal use. The rust particles on the cylinder walls can act like a grinding compound when the piston begins to move up and down and can create enormous wear to pistons and cylinder liners!
Towers
The higher up you are the better you can see ahead of the boat, and with experience the easier it is to read the depth of the water before you cross over it. I can not take boats safely to some of my favorite places in the Bahamas unless I have the advantage of height of eye a tower gives me.
Most people do not use a tower for anything except styling and are not therefore familiar with what make a tower functional. Unfortunately, most tower manufacturers never use their products, so functional towers these days are scarce as hen’s teeth.
It should go without saying, a tower should be easy to climb (not too steep) and it should be easy to enter the upper platform. Controls should be easy to reach from the padded corner of a belly rail so the skipper can always hang on with at least one hand and never has to use both hands to adjust gear shifters or throttles. A good tower has all the electronics a flying bridge has and they should be easily visible. A loud hailer with a microphone in the tower and a speaker under the cockpit overhang makes communications between the cockpit and the tower easy and saves a lot of yelling.
Sea Trials
Sea trials are an absolute necessity and the rougher the better. You might have the wettest boat ever built and never know it if you do not have some chop and at least a modest breeze. Wet boats often have poor vision ahead, a serious impairment. (On one boat test of a well known brand of express boat I was afraid I would run over a wind surfer because I could barely make out their bright sails.)
ALWAYS try to run the boat on one engine! Can you steer in either direction? Or is this a one way only rig that would be a nightmare to dock with one engine shut down? What about windage and maneuvering in a tight channel?
Does she track straight in a following sea? Does the auto pilot handle her or will you be hand steering constantly, in a quartering or following sea? What about beating into it? Does she come down softly or with a bone jarring SMACK that will eventually loosen fastenings and beat swinging doors off her hinges?
We boat for the fun of it. The more advance research you do, the better the professional help you can hire, and the better your new boat suits your needs the more fun you will have.
Happy boating and good fishing!
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
All boats are compromises. There is no single perfect boat anymore than there is one perfect car. Ferrari sports cars, Land Cruiser SUVs, Ford pick up trucks, and Chevy soccer mom vans are all designed to fill a specific niche in the automotive world and each has special functions.
Boats are much like cars. I will, in this article, only discuss twin engine, diesel powered, sport fishing boats over 32 feet in length. That still leaves an enormous amount of variability and equally many pros and cons of the multiple variables.
Rather than start out looking for a 42 foot Brand A or a 53 foot Brand B, a prospective boat buyer should start by drawing up a comprehensive list of where he intends to go, and the maximum number of people who will be on board 90% of the time (It is crazy to buy a boat with enough staterooms to give optimum privacy to the one biggest crew you will ever have in the next 3 years!). Then, calculate how much fuel you need to make the longest crossing you intend to make more than once or twice a year. Carrying a bladder or some drums once a year beats having a boat with the capabilities of which you rarely use. Here is why:
Size Matters
The size of your new dream boat may be a lot like the responsibilities and demands of your job. According to “The Peter Principle” an executive who performs well tends to be promoted until he reaches a level at which the demands of his position overcome his abilities and he can no longer be promoted or maintain his position. He or she is pushed sideways into a job with equal (or lesser) status, but one where he will remain for the rest of his career.
In my analogy, I see one reason for the thousands of boats that sit, wasting away, in canals, at docks behind their owner’s house. Often they are just too much for the owner to cope with! In particular, they may be too big for the owner to enjoy taking out by himself, or with family and friends, but no professional crew.
A 50 foot plus convertible is too big to take out for an hour or two when her owner finally does get a little free time. It takes so long to wash down the entire exterior, chamois off the water droplets, including the spray curtains, and of course do the engine room checks that it is not worth the hassle.
I always quip “Let me make sure we’re not sinking” when I enter the hot engine room after even a short trip, but sometimes we are! The last time I had that sinking feeling when I climbed into the engine room water was pouring from a dripless shaft seal that had a rubber boot that needed adjusting. Nothing really major, but enough to make me always check the engine room while I am still dirty, and before I have a cocktail.
Then you still have to clean the interior, vacuum the carpets, wipe off the countertops, do the inside surface of the windows – ad infinitum! The care and maintenance of a boat is a direct function of the area of its cockpit deck, fore deck, bridge deck, salon and galley soles, and number of marine heads that need to be cleaned. Size does matter, and this is where one of the inherent conflicts in boat brokerage comes into play. Brokers get paid a commission on the total cost of any boat they sell, and bigger boats cost more and create bigger commissions.
There is an old joke about the winter it got so cold in Florida that the yacht brokers had their hands in their own pockets! Unfortunately, there really are way too many sleazy yacht brokers. However, a good, reliable broker is your friend and the expert upon whom you rely. Finding a good one is all important!
Choosing a Broker
A reputable broker should gladly give you names of his or her previous clients so that you can call or visit to inquire about the relationship between the broker and his client, and the satisfaction of any transactions they had shared. Getting the right broker is in many ways the most important part of looking for a boat.
It is not a broker’s job to sell you a boat, it is his job to steer you toward boats that fill the bill your descriptions and discussions have indicated would suit you. Often this is a boat you would never have thought to look at! The ultimate decision must be yours.
Jeff Fay and I once bought a Rybovich for less than the price of a far lesser production boat that I had in mind because a (now retired) broker friend, Peter Schweitzer, found her languishing in Sarasota. “Humdinger” was, and is, what her name implies and she is still going strong 30 years later. Still under the care of my friend and ex-partner, she is one of the prettiest and most successful charter boats in Kona, Hawaii and still strong and sea worthy- thanks to a good broker with his finger on the pulse of things and a wide range of contacts.
In direct contrast, I once went out on a sea trial with a friend. My friend really liked his broker, considered him a friend, and trusted his advice. I knew it would do little good, and only damage my relationship with my friend, if I mentioned that not only was I getting half soaked, I was about to lose half the fillings in my back teeth on the ride which the broker was describing to our friend/client as both soft and dry! The broker was selling a boat, not guiding the customer in his decision.
The deal was made but the owner did not keep his new boat for very long. The professional captain he had to hire to run his new, bigger boat steered him into a much better choice for him to achieve long term boating pleasure.
Surveyor- A Buyer’s Friend
If a broker helps you understand what style and size of boat suits you best, a good marine surveyor is the hero who protects you from dangers you can not see or imagine when you have finally found what seems to be a suitable choice.
Perhaps the most anxious I have ever been during a boat survey was when I was in the Canary Islands and on the selling side. I knew my boat, a custom built, foam sandwich composite 40 footer named “Duyfken” well and loved her. She had carried me through hazardous situations over thousands of miles of ocean and we had caught every species of billfish off her.
The surveyor, a Spanish gentleman, with a degree from M.I.T., was the most thorough going I have ever seen. He went over her with a fine tooth comb. What if he found something seriously wrong that even I did not know about? At that moment, the importance of getting a good surveyor the next time I was on the buying side became more obvious than it ever had been before.
Part II to follow
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (CNN) — Whether he’s out on the ocean monitoring stingrays in the Caribbean, or back on land painting in his studio, Guy Harvey spends all his time surrounded by fish.
Raised in Jamaica and educated in Scotland, Harvey is one of the world’s leading conservationists with a first class degree in marine biology and a PhD in fisheries management.
His love of the sea and ecology inspired Harvey to found the Guy Harvey Research Institute in 1999 which provides scientific information about fish protection and biodiversity.
But this is only half of Harvey’s remarkable story. He is a highly successful businessman with a chain of seafood restaurants and a self-taught artist whose depictions of game fish have become world famous.
“I didn’t go to art class or art school, never took a lesson in my life. I learned everything from trial and error and it’s this persistence, I suppose, with the illustrative content which got me to where I am,” Harvey told CNN.
Ernest Hemmingway’s novella, “The Old Man and the Sea” inspired Harvey’s obsession with game fish and moved him to depict the famous fishing story in a series of pen and ink drawings a quarter of a century ago.
He paints every day and 10 percent of the proceeds of all the paintings he sells goes straight back into his eco-organizations.
Harvey also created a TV series, “Portraits of the Deep,” to showcase game fish and their importance to the environment.
“To see them underwater in their glowing, feeding and moving colors, their aggression colors are probably one of the most exciting things you can do as a diver,” Harvey said.
These videos play constantly in his stores and his restaurants where Harvey’s art is also on the walls, and only sustainable fish species are on the menu.
Harvey’s marine expertise has also helped to pioneer techniques of recording billfish underwater and a tagging system to monitor them over long distances.
More recently, he’s taken on the plight of sharks. Hunted for their fins, the loss of these predators could affect the oceans’ fragile balance.
Harvey’s recent Ultimate Shark Challenge was a catch-and-release fishing tournament held off the Southwest Florida coast. Endangered sharks were tagged for study and not a single one was strung up in the dock.
Sharks are also in danger in the Gulf of Mexico because of the BP oil leak. Harvey fears other fish are at risk too. He’s planning a new line of t-shirts to raise funds for research.
“We have no idea when this is going to stop or how far it’s going to reach and what the life span of this disaster is going to be,” Harvey said.
From the study of stingrays, to the most pressing conservation issues in global fisheries, the diver, artist, scientist, and businessman is always promoting the preservation of marine ecology.
“Fish are just stinking fish to most people. They have their filet that comes on the plate or you buy it in the fish mongers and it comes in a cellophane bag and it’s dead and cold and smelly. These are beautiful graceful ocean predators that need our respect.
“I want to leave people feeling that, you know, we really need to think more about how we use the ocean and everything that’s in it and if I’ve achieved that, then that will do it for me.”
It has taken a while to execute this latest project, but I have released three new designs to raise funds for research work on marine life affected by the Gulf oil spill. Two of these custom images are appearing on t-shirts under the appropriate title of “GULF LIFE ” and one as a unique poster. Delivery of the shirts will begin next week with $10.00 of the $20.00 retail price going toward the GHOF (Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation) Gulf Fund. Fifty percent of the poster price will go to the same fund. In initiating this project I am enabling people who want to participate in the clean up and research effort to do so by purchasing a unique design and supporting my cause. These items will be available through all the usual retail channels and outlets, such as Bealls Dept Stores in Florida, Bass Pro Shops, Academy Sports, Hibbett Sports as well as many independent stores around the south-eastern U.S. Additionally, south Florida’s biggest newspaper “The Sun Sentinel” is featuring my art and these designs in a special editorial on Sunday to increase awareness and encourage people to participate in this project. The funds will be collected and administered by the GHOF and then distributed to organizations currently conducting marine research work in the affected area, such as the University of Florida, Mote Marine Lab, University of Alabama and the CCA, just to name a few.
While the “bottom kill” procedure is scheduled to end the leak of oil by July 30 there is still a huge volume of oil floating around the gulf, some of which will make its way into the Atlantic Ocean. We need to find out which marine creatures have been worst affected, which have survived by tolerance or evasion and to gather information on mortality, particularly of larval and juvenile stages of so many marine species that spend long periods near the surface. This knowledge will assist in predicting recruitment of species important in recreational and commercial fisheries for several years to come. These studies will greatly assist us in preparing mitigating measures against any future spills. There are many other worthwhile projects happening. Just yesterday the government of the Cayman Islands, where I live, announced its intention to assist with hosting turtle eggs and hatchlings that are being relocated from affected beaches on the gulf coast. The CI turtle farm is the only commercial turtle farm in the world and has the capacity and ability to assist in this effort. This initiative is being sponsored by the Tortuga Rum Company and by Cayman Airways. Agencies responsible for such action would do well in accepting such a generous offer. I look forward to your comments and your assistance in raising $ for this worthwhile initiative. Take action now and get involved.
Meanwhile, fish responsibly and dive safely.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visist: www.guyharveysportswear.com
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
