It floats

[scottar]

As the regulars around these parts probably know, I have been fairly well involved in a hard top conversion of my Seafarer for about the last 9 months. Well it's finished …...to a point where I can use it again at least ;D;D;D. Sunday saw a favourable forecast, no dad's taxi or work related commitments and one fairly keen owner and a couple of mates heading seaward from Viccy Point just before dawn. The run up the bay to SPB was to say the least, an absolute pleasure - I was warm and could see through the screen standing up - all at the same time. The bar crossing via the Amity Pt end was a short and sweet affair - about 3 waves worth through a narrow little gutter and off to the bait ground where the yakkas were very obliging - 20 or so in a few quick drifts. Then it was off to the ground south of lookout where a reasonably steady run of fish kept us entertained until we left them biting at about 2pm for about as good a run home as is possible - dodging a few cetacean speed bumps in the process. Plenty of fish dropped along the way to a bag out of snaps, a healthy spattering of tuskies and a few other odds and sods, including the obligatory piscatorial nuclear submarine encounter that seems to occur every trip down that way that I eventually terminated by means of a locked drag and a straightened mustad demon.

The boat performed flawlessly - once I managed to burn 9 months worth of idling on the hose worth of oil off the plugs at the ramp. Absolutely stoked with being able to punch into a wave and have a big spray of salt blast across the screen without having to duck under the open clear or mop up the drips as they try and find any way possible into the electronic gear. The bit of extra weight up top doesn't seem to have induced any bad habits and the stability at rest doesn't seem any worse - there would have been a change but it certainly isn't significant. Grins from ear to ear.
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[ozscott]

Excellent work Scott. Got to love it when a nautical plan comes together. Cheers

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[shaungonemad]

Looks good, nice fish also.


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[Sheik]

What a great result. Congrats. So satisfying when a plan comes together.

[Chimo]

Good stuff on all counts.

[shakey55]

Sounds like you and mates had a great day.

The boat looks fabulous and you should proud of your build. Well done


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[Dirtyfuzz]

Looks good mate! And nice way to christen it with a good feed



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[Cape Crusader]

G'day Scottar
Great conversion, looks like a bought one :-) Looks as good as any on the market that I have seen. I expect there was a fair bit of a process happening to create those curves etc
If you haven't got trim tabs the new HT might encourage that upgrade.
What a great catch and overall experience for your first day after 6 months and a lot of work.
I used to snapper fish with hooks of that sort of guage, but after son lost one at the boat (just after I said it's not hooked well I'll get the net) I've gone to heavier guage. The above experience a 8kg snapper and the hook had lodged in a tough bit with just the point in and we saw it bend as son lifted the rod.
Anyway, well done on all counts
Cheers
Rod

[Out-Station]

Scottar, looks the goods. Always good to get back to business after a decent stretch on the hard heh. Looks like a really good result.
Scott

[scottar]

G'day Scottar
Great conversion, looks like a bought one :-) Looks as good as any on the market that I have seen. I expect there was a fair bit of a process happening to create those curves etc
If you haven't got trim tabs the new HT might encourage that upgrade.
What a great catch and overall experience for your first day after 6 months and a lot of work.
I used to snapper fish with hooks of that sort of guage, but after son lost one at the boat (just after I said it's not hooked well I'll get the net) I've gone to heavier guage. The above experience a 8kg snapper and the hook had lodged in a tough bit with just the point in and we saw it bend as son lifted the rod.
Anyway, well done on all counts
Cheers
Rod

A few years ago Rod, I made a conscious decision to downsize hook gauges on the back of giving up deliberately chasing "trophy" fish. Sure, it's nice to get a big one every so often but I primarily fish for the table and am more than happy with a box of fish such as those in the photo. That said, I've landed a 19kilo jew and a cod that was estimated at about 80 kilos on those little demons. The cod I was actually pretty unhappy about - coming from 80 metres the poor bugger was stuffed when he hit the surface - the barotrauma had not only blown his guts but forced air bubbles through his flesh to the point they were lifting his scales. He was 1.6 metres long. Once I was confident the fish on the weekend was of a similar sort of dimension - it basically pulled 50 to 60 metres of 50lb under pretty reasonable drag, it was a conscious decision to grab the spool and terminate connection one way or another.