BLUEFIN 50mi. OFF? BOAT AND CAPTAIN CAPABILITIES

[Capt Sal]

1. How big is your vessel.

2. What is the range of your vessel.

3. Do you have the experience to go 50 off.

First of all, bluefin tuna mid-range would be 40 to 60 miles one way. Some of the posts i have read are absolutely correct and informative. Fuel-1/3 out & 1/3 in and 1/3 reserve. If you have to calculate your fuel to the bare minimum,
don't go! I am not trying to be a know it all, i am just trying to post something about common sense. There are many variables in going 50 miles off shore in a mid size vessel (under 30 ft.). First of all, you can't beat experience. Many of the 24 to 26 ft boats on the market today say 'bluewater off shore' in reality they don't have the fuel capacity and or not meant for a crew of 5 anglers and all the weight. In my opinion one of the worst things you could do is to go 50 miles off with an inexperience crew & captain. Don't get me wrong, you don't have to be a license capt. to have the experience to do this. When something goes wrong and inexperienced crew might panic. A float plan is a must along with an epirb and raft.
Don't worry about getting out there, worry about getting back. Coming home in a strong west wind taking them on the chin might be a lesson in humility. No fish is worth dying for. Know your capabilities and the capabilities of your crew (keep the crew small). If you have not done it before on your own vessel, take a trip with the professional first. Everything is cool in calm seas, when it kicks up things change. Doing high RPM and not
covering speed over ground might cause you to run out of fuel. I could go on & on but let's just leave it like this. Discretion is the better part of valor.
Be safe and do the right thing. If you own the right vessel and have the capabilities as a capt. by all means go get yourself a nice bluefin tuna.

Old school navigation is a must. If you lose your GPS, go to plan B don't panic. Steer a straight course. Good luck to all and be safe.

p.s. if you don't own the proper tuna equipment, you are just wasting your time.

Capt. Sal Cursi

[sportfishingusa]

Very Very Very well said sal..

It is all true..

100% correct. I'm not going to lie I have made some daring decisions before, such as going out monday on a 23 foot mako. It's a great boat that holds 160 gallons of fuel but it still is not the smartest idea. Me and the captain of the boat are very experienced anglers and had no problems on the way out or in but when I am 40 years old with a wife and kids, you aint catchin me out there in anything less than a 30 footer

[captnvinny]

Originally Posted by stugots

I'm not going to lie I have made some daring decisions before, such as going out monday on a 23 foot mako.

NEXT EPISODE OF "THE DEADLIEST BFT RUN" !

[Gerry Zagorski]

Right on Sal.....

Plus you need to think about what you need to properly care for your catch if your are fortuneate enough to get some Tuna in the boat... A decent fish box with at least 50 pounds of ice.

You also need a permit and should have a life raft and epirb to be on the safe side.

You really do need to prepare for these sorts of trips... Not trying to deter anyone from trying it on their private boat, just want to make sure they go into it with open eyes and are prepared.

[JonDevin]

Great post... I actually read this thinking about it from my kayak perspective, where my energy = fuel capacity. I always think about how much energy it would take to get back if the wind kicks up. I also apply the 1/3 rule in that whatever distance I'm headed out in, I best be able to do twice more that distance. I remember a time where I was out with three others and I saw a storm kicking up in the distance. I bailed, but they wanted to stay longer. Instead of going straight in, I thought the safest thing to do was hug the coast so that I could be on land at a moments notice. This ended up taking longer, but would've been important if I got into trouble. Turned out that the group I was with got caught in the rough weather. One of the guys couldn't handle it and Sea Tow had to get him. Bottom line, it's all relative.

I also always let my wife know where i'm launching from and where i'm headed. I have a GPS, marine radio and sonar. Also have some other things to grab people's attention.

Be smart and safe out there, whether it's a 140ft, 34ft, or 14ft vessel.

[BottomBouncer13]

A very helpful post for people who are new to boating and/or their boats capabilities...When going off shore it is important to take alot into consideration to avoid putting yourself into a bad situation...

[Stumpy]

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Be smart and safe out there, whether it's a 140ft, 34ft, or 14ft vessel.[/QUOTE]

Jon,

You hit the nail on the head. No matter what size the craft is, Fishing is secondary.......Safety is always number one. A good dose of commen sense doesn't hurt either.

Capt Sal, GREAT POST!!!!!!

[howarda780]

Sal:

I am impressed with that post. Good stuff.

[Quanman]

I'll bet those football players from Florida would have benefitted from reading that post. Nice post Capt.