What, if anything are y'all planning to do this year? Anything new?
anything different?

For us, it will be a lot of the same inshore fishing the Pine Island,
Matlacha with the exception being hopefully catching our targeted quarry
more often. Will venture out some, weather permitting to the Gulf for
some offshore bottom fishing and probably get back to diving a bit more
regularily. Then we have the summer trips to the keys for lobster and
some offshore blue water trolling.

Come late spring / early summer we are looking to get a few more tarpon
memories and my neighbor wants to try for tarpon by kayak in the
Caloosahatchee. I may just bring my video camera and let him go first.
Has anyone fished for and landed a tarpon fishing from a kayak?

I expect quite a wild ride and come to think of it, the area we 'found'
is maybe about two miles from home. It does pay to go fishing with
people who know better than you thought you did. I guess you can always
learn something new.

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 14:28:02 GMT, DownTime wrote:

What, if anything are y'all planning to do this year? Anything new?
anything different?

For us, it will be a lot of the same inshore fishing the Pine Island,
Matlacha with the exception being hopefully catching our targeted quarry
more often. Will venture out some, weather permitting to the Gulf for
some offshore bottom fishing and probably get back to diving a bit more
regularily. Then we have the summer trips to the keys for lobster and
some offshore blue water trolling.

Come late spring / early summer we are looking to get a few more tarpon
memories and my neighbor wants to try for tarpon by kayak in the
Caloosahatchee. I may just bring my video camera and let him go first.
Has anyone fished for and landed a tarpon fishing from a kayak?

I expect quite a wild ride and come to think of it, the area we 'found'
is maybe about two miles from home. It does pay to go fishing with
people who know better than you thought you did. I guess you can always
learn something new.

I'd like to see that video when you get it! Post it to one of the binary groups and
let us know!

--
John H.

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 14:28:02 GMT, DownTime
wrote:

What, if anything are y'all planning to do this year? Anything new?
anything different?

I'd like to get over to the Abacos for about 3 weeks in early spring,
and also to go south to Shark River and Everglades Park during the
winter before the skeeters come back to life.

We also have a trip planned up to St Pete Beach in about 4 weeks where
we'll be race committee boat for one of my oldest son's sailing
regattas. We will probably go up outside weather permitting, with an
overnight in Venice. Coming back I'm planning to take the leisurely
inside route on the ICW with stops at Long Boat Key, Sarasota and Boca
Grande.

I don't think we're going all the way north this summer but you never
know. If the weather gets too miserable here we might just take a run
up to North Carolina or thereabouts

For us, it will be a lot of the same inshore fishing the Pine Island,
Matlacha with the exception being hopefully catching our targeted quarry
more often. Will venture out some, weather permitting to the Gulf for
some offshore bottom fishing and probably get back to diving a bit more
regularily. Then we have the summer trips to the keys for lobster and
some offshore blue water trolling.

Yes, life is just awful here in south Florida. :-)

Come late spring / early summer we are looking to get a few more tarpon
memories and my neighbor wants to try for tarpon by kayak in the
Caloosahatchee. I may just bring my video camera and let him go first.
Has anyone fished for and landed a tarpon fishing from a kayak?

My next door neighbor claims to know a good Tarpon spot near the Rim
Canal just south of the mid point bridge. He claims that he can chum
them in off the flats and catch them on catfish tails. It would
certainly be a gas and a half to get one from a kayak.

I expect quite a wild ride and come to think of it, the area we 'found'
is maybe about two miles from home. It does pay to go fishing with
people who know better than you thought you did. I guess you can always
learn something new.

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 10:24:40 -0500, Wayne.B wrote:

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 14:28:02 GMT, DownTime
wrote:

What, if anything are y'all planning to do this year? Anything new?
anything different?

I'd like to get over to the Abacos for about 3 weeks in early spring,
and also to go south to Shark River and Everglades Park during the
winter before the skeeters come back to life.

We also have a trip planned up to St Pete Beach in about 4 weeks where
we'll be race committee boat for one of my oldest son's sailing
regattas. We will probably go up outside weather permitting, with an
overnight in Venice. Coming back I'm planning to take the leisurely
inside route on the ICW with stops at Long Boat Key, Sarasota and Boca
Grande.

I don't think we're going all the way north this summer but you never
know. If the weather gets too miserable here we might just take a run
up to North Carolina or thereabouts

For us, it will be a lot of the same inshore fishing the Pine Island,
Matlacha with the exception being hopefully catching our targeted quarry
more often. Will venture out some, weather permitting to the Gulf for
some offshore bottom fishing and probably get back to diving a bit more
regularily. Then we have the summer trips to the keys for lobster and
some offshore blue water trolling.

Yes, life is just awful here in south Florida. :-)

Come late spring / early summer we are looking to get a few more tarpon
memories and my neighbor wants to try for tarpon by kayak in the
Caloosahatchee. I may just bring my video camera and let him go first.
Has anyone fished for and landed a tarpon fishing from a kayak?

My next door neighbor claims to know a good Tarpon spot near the Rim
Canal just south of the mid point bridge. He claims that he can chum
them in off the flats and catch them on catfish tails. It would
certainly be a gas and a half to get one from a kayak.

I expect quite a wild ride and come to think of it, the area we 'found'
is maybe about two miles from home. It does pay to go fishing with
people who know better than you thought you did. I guess you can always
learn something new.

I hear there's some great fishing at a little place called 'Castaway Cay' about 7-8
miles from Abaco!

:)

--
John H.

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes

"Wayne.B" wrote:

I'd like to get over to the Abacos for about 3 weeks in early spring...

All pleasure boats entering the Bahamas must now purchase at their first
Port of Entry a $150 cruising permit for boats up to 35 feet and $300
for boats over 35 feet *each year*. Paying $300 just to enter a port for
an annual visit is a rip and should be boycotted by cruisers. This "fee"
was imposed by black Bahamian politicians because they believe the
Floriduh boaters cruising the 90 miles to visit their islands are all
rich and should be made to pay for their suffering on the islands.


Actually, any Bahamian entering any Floriduh business such as a Publix,
Piggly Wiggly, or even an area hospital should be charged a $300 use fee
just for entering the premises. The fee can be used for manatee
protection...

--
Skipper

Skipper wrote:

All pleasure boats entering the Bahamas must now purchase at their first
Port of Entry a $150 cruising permit for boats up to 35 feet and $300
for boats over 35 feet *each year*.

And it's even worse than that:

http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Ba...rc=Formalities

The way I read it, it's $300 for just two visits *within 90 days* or
$500 to extend.

--
Skipper

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 13:15:36 -0600, Skipper wrote:

Skipper wrote:

All pleasure boats entering the Bahamas must now purchase at their first
Port of Entry a $150 cruising permit for boats up to 35 feet and $300
for boats over 35 feet *each year*.

And it's even worse than that:

http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Ba...rc=Formalities

The way I read it, it's $300 for just two visits *within 90 days* or
$500 to extend.

Wow! Remind me not to take my boat to the Bahamas any time soon!

--
John H.

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 11:47:47 -0600, Skipper wrote:

All pleasure boats entering the Bahamas must now purchase at their first
Port of Entry a $150 cruising permit for boats up to 35 feet and $300
for boats over 35 feet *each year*.

===================================

That's all old news. It's their country and they set the rules. If
you go for 3 weeks it works out to about $15 a day and includes
fishing licenses for everyone on the boat. In the grand scheme of
cruising on a decent sized boat, $15 a day is peanuts compared to
diesel, dockage, maintenance, etc. Fully loaded operating costs for a
sportfish in the 40 to 50 ft range are well over $100/hour.

"Wayne.B" wrote:

Skipper wrote:

All pleasure boats entering the Bahamas must now purchase at their first
Port of Entry a $150 cruising permit for boats up to 35 feet and $300
for boats over 35 feet *each year*.

That's all old news. It's their country and they set the rules.

No sir, I set my own rules. I've researched this outrageous bilking of
American pleasure boaters, understand the roots of the fee, and believe
both a boycott and reciprocal fee for Bahamians entering this country is
in order. The fact is, this $300 entry fee would be history if Floriduh
reciprocated with a Piggly Wiggly fee for them.

If you go for 3 weeks it works out to about $15 a day and includes
fishing licenses for everyone on the boat. In the grand scheme of
cruising on a decent sized boat, $15 a day is peanuts compared to
diesel, dockage, maintenance, etc.

That $300 entry fee is over and above all other expenses and is not
insignificant for most recreational boaters. The fee is very much like a
reverse poll tax and effectively closes these waters to many boaters.
I'm in favor of open access to recreational waters.

Fully loaded operating costs for a sportfish in the 40 to 50 ft range
are well over $100/hour.

Tough beans, most recreational cruising boats in the 40' to 50' range
are able to operate for much less than $100 per hr. What would you judge
the operational costs to run a Skookum 53 ketch over to Aruba?

--
Skipper

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 16:17:28 -0600, Skipper wrote:

Fully loaded operating costs for a sportfish in the 40 to 50 ft range
are well over $100/hour.

Tough beans, most recreational cruising boats in the 40' to 50' range
are able to operate for much less than $100 per hr. What would you judge
the operational costs to run a Skookum 53 ketch over to Aruba?

=======================

A Skookum is not a sportfish, it is a long range cruiser. Different
beast. Given that fully loaded costs include amortization,
maintenance, dockage and insurance, I'd be willing to bet that the
costs of running one are higher than you'd think.

What is your experience with costs for a 40 to 50 ft sportfish?

Sorry, I had trouble hearing that.

Here are my numbers for a used 50 ft Hatt:

Purchase price $300K, annualized amortization around $40K

Annual insurance, 12 months, tropics - about $5K

Fuel at 50 gph, 300 hours/yr, 15,000 gals, about $40K at today's
prices.

Dockage at $800/mo, $10K/yr

Maintenance, approx $20/hour, 6K/yr @ 300 hrs

So far we are at just over $100K/yr with no bottom painting, cleaning,
waxing, and no major overhauls.

Dividing $100K by 300 hours, I'm getting about $330/hour.

The only significant savings with a Skookum are for fuel and
maintenance. The rest is about the same.