boat question for W.P.

id. painter · 01-06-2004, 01:23 PM

After reading your posts for a year now , I see you have lots to teach me.
You have the same boat and what do you do with ice , coolers and tuna?Do you bleed them in the splash well?
How have you set up for the ocean adventures and tuna.
Ive been planning on a couple of the big white coolers ... Tell me more. id. painter

WP · 01-06-2004, 09:02 PM

Hey I.D! Happy to tell you what I have. I have one of those 1/2 totes in the bow, anchored to the floor and with a hinged top (Bonar plastics I think). This holds 15-18 tuna and enough ice to cool and hold them. I strt with ice here and leave it in the bags so I can remove it when loading tuna. I have two 120 quart coolers that store ice, hold 3-5 tuna each, and I use to cool the tuna in a slurry (at the begining of the day). I have an additional 2 100 qt coolers for ice, drinks, food, and for the last couple of fish, if we get loaded! The 100 qts don't hold tuna well, they are too short. The 100 qt are also used as seats. I have removed all the back seats for tuna. My two back seats are on tripods and I put them aboard when I fish for other species. This year I am planning on having 2 170 or 270 qt coolers plus the tote and get rid of the rest of them. This should give me storage for 25-35 tuna. I can only really handle 25-30 before the boat gets too unresponsive and heavy. The extra capacity is to insure adequate ice going out and for cooling slush capacity. I bleed the tuna in a laundry basket (tall) that I attach to the swim platform. After 10 minutes or so I slurry them. I am thinking of going to an ocean dip (tying them off of lines) for the bleeding, this year. I don't use a gaff but I do cut them for bleeding and for spiking, on the floor in the back...makes for a mess and slippery walking! I have a wash down pump and it is a life saver! I added extra bilge pump capacity so I can keep the water and blood to a manageable level while fishing is hot.
The important thing is to have as big of coolers as you can. !-200 qt cooler is way better than 2-100qt coolers. The room on the boat is very limited (as you know). I request that the crew limit their gear and leave behind anything that is not essential. About 1 small bag per person. I allow personal rods and reels but leave an equivilant of mine at the beach to compensate. I fish only 1 or 2 others for tuna (2-3 per trip) and do not have live bait ability, and won;t have on this boat.
This year I am also adding a cover for the bow (where the tote doesn't fill, trhe tote is a near perfect fit for the bow) and have added under floor fuel capacity that will free up some deck space for fishing. I figure that this boat will be optimised fopr tuna by the time I trade it after retirement! Three seasons more for that :smile:
I don't keep much of anything in the splash well, just the arm to connect the trolling motor, the gaff for any emergency situation, and a couple of odds and ends. I would think this is space I could use more efficiently. Maybe next year I will look at thus area more. I am going to bolt and seal the splah wall into place this year. I don't really need to drop it down for anything and the hinge leaks more than I like! I also added a hydrofoil to help with planeing on the way home (hard to plane whith a full load! Feel free to e-mail me with any additional questions or comments. I love my rig and have a lot of confidence in its sea keeping ability but it is still a small rig and requires attention to weather and I have yet to go tuna fishing alone...always in contact with another boat. Maybe we can get a trip in together this year!
Dave

id. painter · 01-07-2004, 06:26 AM

Thanks Dave. This helps much.
Bigger coolers sounds like the first place to start.
Im not a rich man and all that I do has to be filtered thru my pocket book first ,, it sounds like I can work things out ,,, it may not be the absolute best set up ,, Ill make it work.
I have no swim platform and no wash down pump. May have to live without for a bit. Thanks again ... id. painter

FullDeck · 01-07-2004, 07:18 AM

Wow!! Two guys with 20 ft Hewescraft searunners with TUNA on the brain. I'm new to the forum, but I'd love to see your rig Dave. Any chance to meet either of you at the TA mtg?
I've wanted to add a larger gas tank under deck, and the wash down sounds really useful, but I don't really know how to start. Guess I'd remove the flooring and measure for a new tank. What motor do you use (mine is a 90 Honda)and how much gas do you like to carry for a tuna trip?

WP · 01-07-2004, 08:25 AM

I have a Honda 130 on the back of mine FD. The deck wash fits in under the splash well. The new tank goes in where the underfloor storage was. Now storage is worse but fuel management is way better! I wanted to just change tanks to a 660-80 gallon tank but the cost was prohibitive. The worst part being the structural parts that had to be removed. This solution is relatively harmless and not too taxing. The cost was still too much but the peace of mind make it tolerable :smile:
We could have a fleet of Searunner 20's combing the seas!
TUNA!
Dave

id. painter · 01-07-2004, 10:00 AM

I have a 150 optimax on mine.
I also have the 52 gal tank.
Last summer I was getting right at 4 mpg, running around Vancouver Is. I have three extra cans that I can hook to my main line in about 10 seconds. gives me 70 gal. Should have close to 270 miles worth. I dont want to remove seats ,, I need solid seating with padding. I might be able to make use of the floor storage(live well) for ice .
Email me your phone Dave (WP) and ill call you . Thanks again ... id. painter

Mello-Yello · 01-07-2004, 10:22 AM

Dave's got a great setup. Something he didn't mention was the "roll bar". This gets a lot of poles out of the way, gaff, etc...and it looks pretty darn cool too! Seems like it would be something extra to grab onto during suprise swells too.

I want one...

id. painter · 01-07-2004, 01:18 PM

M.Y. I have already worn out the safety thing ...
I think she has resigned herself to not feeling guilty even if I kill myself boating.
First I needed a safer boat, extra 15K.
Then an extra V.H.F. and an extra G.P.S. then extra gas for a safe trip home,a live saving garment , an EPRIB for the boat ect,ect..... She finally glazed over ,,,, Maybe I went too fast. Hi Ho. id.painter

Birdnest · 01-07-2004, 01:36 PM

[img]graemlins/lurk.gif[/img]

20' Searunner, Honda 115/9.9, 52 gal.

Dave,

Do you have any pics of your arch? Material? Did you do it your self or have it done? How much if you don't mind? Anything you would do different concerning placement of rocket launchers, ect.? I really really want one for No Quater.

Joe

[ 01-07-2004, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Birdnest ]

WP · 01-07-2004, 03:15 PM

It is made of aluminum tubing and is heavier than I need. I would place it a few inches further forward , and will move it when I get done the other 100 projects! A friend did the construction and the materials were about $300. I figure the real cost is about $600 or so. I have 5 rod holders and two net holders. I use it to anchor my handlines and they ARE a great grab rail. I think I could lift the boat with them...really tough with backing plates bolted to the gunnel. I would also (and will) change the3 angle of the rocket tubes...the rods currently exrend over the cockpit too far...a high hook set when bottom fishing will allow rod contact. Generally I am very pleased with it. You will wonder how you got along without it...no rods to step on and nets out of the way but easy to get. I have thought about mounting my abtenae on the arch also but hate the idea of forgetting them and having them torn off. We will see :smile:
Dave

Birdnest · 01-07-2004, 06:02 PM

Dave,

Thanks for the info. Pics????? :grin:

Joe

WP · 01-07-2004, 07:30 PM

No pictures yet...I will take a couple when the weather improves, and post them.
Dave

id. painter · 01-07-2004, 11:15 PM

I want one also,, some day . I must remember Im sticking to the basics for now . $$$$$ " just a bit more stuff we NEED for the boat, sweetheart." She is catching on to me... As she roller her eyes, and walks away. Hi Ho . id. p.

Mello-Yello · 01-07-2004, 11:32 PM

Whenever you find yourself trying justify something...always try to put a "safety" twist on it.

"Honey, this thing could save my life!"....

FullDeck · 01-07-2004, 11:37 PM

This is great info! I love the vision of a pack of searunners heading into the west to do battle! My boat sounds underpowered, but its just the way its gonna be. It's always a work in progress. With such help as you offer here maybe can avoid the old three steps forward two steps back routine.
Any chance I could stop by to see you and your boat, Dave? I'm in Springfield. I'll e-mail you if I can figure out how to. Thanks again...
Walt

id. painter · 01-08-2004, 07:28 AM

WP, do you have radar ? id. p.

Miss B Haven · 01-08-2004, 09:08 AM

WP said: " I am thinking of going to an ocean dip (tying them off of lines) for the bleeding, this year."

Dave- I think you will make the sharks VERY, VERY happy if you do this.
Don't understand what this would gain you if you're using a bleed bucket on the swimstep. I do the same (30 gallon garbage can with a hole cut in the bottom) and cut the Tuna while hanging over the bleed bucket. Rinse them off over the bucket after 10 minutes or so. Works well except for the phsyco ones that hit the deck throwing blood everywhere.
I think that by the time you got a rope thru a Tuna gil lmost of the blood would be in the boat anyway!
Haven't figured out a way to gut/gill them without doing it in the cockpit either (and I won't keep Tuna without doing this after getting the Keta lesson last year). I'm thinking of making a hanging "vee" for that like the charters use for field dressing Salmon.
The pictures with the tuna blood all over the boat might be kinda fun but for the skipper who has to clean it up and/or crawl down in the lazzarette with day old Tuna blood it's not so fun.

id. painter · 01-08-2004, 12:09 PM

Thanks Dave . O.K. , no radar, but, a real cool "roll bar" .
Are you putting a hard cover on the front?

Ill keep thinkin of more ??? .
Thanks. id. painter

WP · 01-08-2004, 11:14 PM

No radar...not a huge fan of it. When I have had it, I found I believed it too much...a good tool but not a panacea for lack of diligence and caution. Someday I will have it again and I hope I use it wisely then.
Dave

WP · 01-10-2004, 02:36 AM

In am thinking about covering around the tote in the front. This would effectively close the bow to washing full. I am thinking of 3/4 ply sealed with vacuumed resin seal. A cut out for the tote, and aluminum angle iron to support the edges to the cabin front. Bolt this to the forward gunnels should give a pretty effective closure but one I can remove with the tote for river fishing or traveling to other fishing areas (Baja). Still working on this aspect of the project.
Dave

Bluefinn · 01-10-2004, 06:34 AM

Miss B Try tying 5' lengths of soft nylon rope to the handrail forward of your cockpit area.when you catch a tuna grab him by the tail remove hook with your left hand slide the loop over the fish tail then with your left hand grab and tear out the small piece between the head and body on the under side.This can all be done with the fish outside the boat drop the fish in the water.he is tied off and bleeding.tie several lines on each side of the boat for when things get hot and heavy.Let bleed ten minutes or so and then put in ice.works great! "tip wear gloves"