Seeking: Fiberglass Troller and a change of pace
Anonymous
2008-02-20 08:22:00
Aloha, my wife and I are planning on switching over from guiding to trolling. We both have been captains the last 5 seasons in S.E. near Wrangell and out of Elfin Cove. We have also been guides in Hawaii and the Seychelles and are looking for a change. Some of our friends troll the Deer Harbor and Cross Sound areas. It has become too hard to guide guests that we don't really care for while we watch our friends and other trollers go by. We were hoping to find the right boat this winter but haven't yet. We live in Port Townsend and will be working in Juneau for 6 months this summer. I am on every boat broker website twice a day and have been for the last 8 months and have not found what we are looking for. Although I did find two, the Orion 48 ft. Rawson hull/Little Hoquiam $285.000, it sold before we could look at it and the Pioneer but it's priced out of our range. If anyone knows of a fiberglass troller in fairly good condition around 48 ft. give or take a few ft. I would sure appreciate it if you could contact us or forward a contact number. We just stumbled across this website a couple of weeks ago and have really enjoyed the postings.
Thank you for your time
John and Amber
Kaunolu
2008-02-21 20:28:14
Aloha Jon
Thank you for pointing out the Soulmate to us. We did look at the Soulmate while we were in Hoonah and it came in to Elfin Cove one day. It is a very clean boat however it doesn't seem to be made for trolling. We've been told the hull configuration isn't what we want for a troller. We keep getting told that 48ft. is a pretty good size boat. The Soulmate had a lot of deck space but not a lot of cabin space. People keep telling us to start with a smaller boat and work up. We are both sort-of perfectionist and don't want to spend a bunch of time getting a boat set-up how we want it to turn around and try to sell to get what we really want. We plan on spending the least amount of time at the docks as possible and are hoping to fish pretty hard once we find a boat. Any input you or anyone else has, would be appreciated. By the way, we won't be charter captains this season out of Juneau, just giving tours. :D
We believe you started this great forum, correct? Thank you. And the pictures of what you and Angie have done to the Gold Dust are amazing.
Aloha,
John and Amber
My dad told me to get the biggest/best boat I could afford to start with so I didn't end up dumping a lot of money into a boat I'd shortly outgrow... I bought a cheap wood boat instead, and he was right. Although, I'm still glad to have started with a small wood boat so when I move to a big fiberglass boat I'll *really* appreciate it.
That of course goes against the 'start small and work up' advice you've received. As long as you know you'll love trolling and want to do it for a few years, I would also suggest getting the best boat you can. It looks like you're already doing that :)
The Seamaster boats are good:
[url=http://www.pacificboatbrokers.com/details.asp?File_Number=LF2318][url]http://www.pacificboatbrokers.com/details.asp?File_Number=LF2318
[url=http://www.pacificboatbrokers.com/details.asp?File_Number=NF2266][url]http://www.pacificboatbrokers.com/details.asp?File_Number=NF2266
I like this one too: [url=http://www.pacificboatbrokers.com/details.asp?File_Number=LF1356][url]http://www.pacificboatbrokers.com/details.asp?File_Number=LF1356. :D
Kaunolu
2008-02-22 00:04:34
Jon,
You must be spending just as much time as I am on the boat broker sites. All three of the vessels you listed have interested Amber and I. We just haven't been sure about a Canadian flagged vessel and we have been putting off going up to Canada to look at them because of that. I think we will take a couple of days to check them out. Do you know if it is a hassle to register a Canadian boat to fish US waters?
Thank you for the good advice. What your dad told you is how we feel. We just spent the morning looking at vessels in the Port Townsend harbor and ship yard while discussing big/small, wood/fiberglass, etc. We are going to stick to our game plan and hold out for something in the hopefully upper 40ft fiberglass range and your email just helped confirm that. Thank you for your time and feedback.
John and Amber
It's not a big deal to get a Canadian boat ready to fish in the US. There's very little public information on doing so, which really bugs me... When we have our canadian boat I'm going to document the process step by step.
The first step is to unregister it in Canada (the broker may do this for you) and then it has to be measured by a special guy who's certified by the Coast Guard to measure boats to make sure it's at least 5 net tons (pretty much any boat 25' long or better is more than 5 net tons). This "ad-measure" process costs about $1500 and takes a few weeks (I've heard it's pretty much a scam but I've been told there's no other option). The de-registration is about $50.
At that point it should be a US Documented vessel (or ready to become one by filling out a CG-1258 form) and can then be licensed in AK to fish.
The canadian-US exchange rate is almost 1:1, so no discounts for us. However, the Canadian troll fishery is completely dead now and so there are a ton of relatively inexpensive boats for sale in Canada.
We've been to Vancouver Island twice now to look at boats - it seems to cost at least $500 each time, with all the ferries and hotels... and we were only able to see a handful of harbors. A few boats we liked were just too far and too many ferries away to go and see without adding at 3 days to our trip.
Yep, we went to Port Townsend and Port Angeles and all the ports on the Oregon coast too. There are easily 4 times as many boats for sale in Canada and we've found they are in much better condition than the US boats (especially the wood boats).
Kaunolu
2008-02-22 01:17:02
Jon
Its funny you mentioned that there is very little information about registering a Canadian boat to U.S. Amber spent a ton of time on the internet trying to find out more information. She wanted to ask you about it and I said no. I guess I did not want to look too green. Wife's are usually right I should have let her ask, you had the information. I noticed you are in Pelican do you know Don Nash we worked for him one season when he owned Cross Sound Lodge. He lived in Pelican quite while. He owns the Shinaku now.
Aloha
John
Yea, I know Don a little, fished around him and his sons last year and my Dad knows him from way back when... in fact my Dad used to own the Shinaku, it's an awesome boat.
yes, they are right a little too often... :D
Kaunolu
2008-02-22 19:33:32
Good morning Jon,
Thank you again for even more information. We might head up to Canada to check out those three boats. We were hoping for just a little bit bigger though. We figure we are going to be on it at least 6 months out of the year and really are looking for the biggest, most comfortable boat we can find and afford.
You got a new fiberglass boat! What is it? Were you able to find exactly what you were looking for? It sure is a small world, with us being friends with Don and his family and your dad once owning the boat he owns now. Jill and I fished on occasion around the Shinaku and the Eventide.
Since we are just running boats as tour guides basically, this summer out of Juneau, we will have to commit to renting a place any day now. We have committed to the job and were hoping to find a boat to live on while we did it and then try to go for the silvers at the end of the season. Maybe we'll stumble across one in Juneau that's exactly what we are looking for, if there is such a thing.
You have been a lot of help to us on this forum. We appreciate all of your feedback. If you come through Port Townsend, get in contact with us. If there is something you need from P.T. for your new boat, let us know; we're two minutes from the shipyard and harbor.
Aloha
John and Amber
It's my pleasure to help.
Thank you for your offer, perhaps we will see you somewhere in Washington when we get ready to go up the inside passage in late April (if all goes as planned).
We have our deposit in and the papers are all signed by both parties, but we are waiting to close on the boat so I don't want to jinx anything by counting our eggs already. I'll post a picture when it's in our name :)
Oh, if you check the admeasure thread again you'll see i was wrong, you do have to pay for the admeasure to get the boat *under* 5 net tons so the normal Documentation doesn't apply.
JYDPDX
2008-02-22 20:57:22
Hey Jack and Jill,
What is guiding in hawaii like? Did you guys do that in the winters? Sounds like a nice winter job. How do ya get into that?
Good luck finding a good vessel. I bought an old wood troller last year and I love it but it is a money pit. Mast, aft bullwarks, fuel tanks, glassed hold, wood repair, etc - I'll have > $40 into it by the time it is all solid and that will be a lot more than I paid for it. If you can afford to get one that is already done I think it's the way to go. Its seems like a choice between weathering high start up costs for a perfect boat or upgrade and repair as you go. Probably a lot cheaper in the long run to buy the perfect boat that is already done. Just a matter of being able to afford it up front.
Good luck,
Joe
Kaunolu
2008-02-22 21:01:27
Aloha Jon,
You are being a little tight-lipped about your soon to be new boat. :D Did you end up "signing" on the Pioneer, :mrgreen: it's off Dockstreet; he sure wouldn't budge on price for us. OR did you sign for the Foundation 50 ft Uniflite? Give me a clue..... At least tell me how many feet... :?:
Definitely let us know when you come through PT. Thank you for the update.
J & A
LOL. Yea well I sometimes say too much... :D
It's under 40 feet ;D
Kaunolu
2008-02-24 02:25:07
Aloha Joe,
Thank you for your advice and input on a boat. We thought it was going to be a little easier to find a good fiberglass boat but it will happen. What area do you fish out of?
As for guiding in Hawaii...I grew up in the Northwest basically right on Puget Sound and worked a little as a commercial diver. In the early nineties we had a summer of no sun so I moved to Hawaii. I started out working on boats as a scuba instructor and then moved up to captain which opened a lot of doors. My wife did the same thing. The company we worked for really liked us and were okay with us working summers in AK and winters in Hawaii. We just got to a point where we were tired of Hawaii (not rock fever it just started getting crowded, the vibe changed and we needed change). There are a lot of people that go back and forth between Alaska and Hawaii. You will hear a lot of exaggerated stories about the cost of milk and the cost of living, etc. in Hawaii. Don't let them detour you. We managed to save more money than ever while living in Hawaii. The wage is generally higher, a lot less places to drive to and your recreation is free. I really do miss the diving and spearfishing though. That's about it. Hawaii has a huge influx of people coming and going so there are always jobs available. Housing though, has become very expensive the last few years. You could feasibly have a job on a boat after two days of getting off the plane. The captains on the good boats, generally do stick around though. Fishing in Hawaii unlike Alaska, has it's good days and bad days. You get a group that pays a grand to go fishing and hit the dock with no fish ( no fault of your own) and there are not a lot of smiles. But tying into a marlin, mahi, ono (wahoo), and tuna in 80 degree weather wearing a pair of boardshorts, no shirt, no slippers...is hard to beat.
What actually got us to Alaska was, we were working on a small, private island in the Seychelles a few years ago with phenomenal fishing. It was non-stop action: tuna and wahoo, dual fighting chairs, six fish on at a time, guests and the boat covered in blood, 90 degrees and absolutely epic. We had a bungalow on the beach with a surf spot that we could see from our bed. Everything was good until I picked up a travel magazine which had an article on Alaska. I couldn't sleep at night because I couldn't stop thinking about Alaska and it brought back all the memories of fishing for salmon and halibut in the NW. So...Alaska and Hawaii it was and now Alaska and Port Townsend it is.
Jack
Kaunolu
2008-02-24 19:42:57
Jon
Amber and I spent some time looking through old postings. It seems to be a very small world. We recognize some of the people in the pictures, maybe from days people came into Elfin Cove. We have a few pictures of trollers,that we have taken while doing charters that we will try to post soon. Maybe someone will recognize them as their boats.
I am just starting to be "computer savvy" and this is the first forum I have used, so this is probably a dumb question: I don't quite understand the PM (private message). When I post a reply here, I have also been doing the PM which my wife says isn't necessary (is she right again?) :) If you could take a few minutes to explain the process and categories and the point of Private Messages, I would appreciate it. Am I even in the right category for this or should I have posted it under a different topic. We sure appreciate the acceptance we have encountered on this forum, being that we're soon to be ex-charter guides. Supposedly we are supposed to dislike each other, which I have never quite understood. Hope things are going well with the process of a new boat that's just under 40ft. :D I've scoured the internet and still haven't figured out which boat it is.
Aloha,
John
Amber is right about the Private Message's, they're redundant. The PM's are basically like an email in that they are private, but neither party has to give out their email address in order to communicate. When someone makes a post they automatically become subscribed to that topic, which means they will receive an email letting them know when someone else replies, so there's no point in also sending the same thing via a PM. You can also subscribe to entire forums and that way when there's a new post anywhere on the message board you'll get an email notification. I saw all your PM's and I knew you'd figure it out eventually :D
So, there are currently 4 forums (categories) on this message board, For Sale/Wanted, Troller Talk, Getting Started, and the Pictures/Movies forum. You can subscribe to each one by clicking the 'subscribe' link at the bottom of each forums main page.
As for where to post what - it's not always very straightforward. Your most recent post (the one I'm replying to) could have been sent via PM since it's meant only for me and would have kept your topic about looking for a fiberglass boat more 'on topic'. That in turn would make other folks feel like they could post on this thread without 'intruding' into a conversation. On the other hand, there's so little information on trolling out there right now that almost every post has some information inside it that could be useful to someone and isn't available anywhere else.
I can move posts or delete them, if they end up in the wrong area or don't add anything to a topic, it's not a big deal
You're doing pretty good if this is your first time in a forum, even with the PM fiasco, LOL. ;)
No one that I know dislikes charter guys. It's a mixed industry anyhow - ex trollers work in the charter fleet and vice versa. My family has a charter business and a commercial fishing side too, lots of other families are the same.
Here's the boat: [url=http://www.pacificboatbrokers.com/details.asp?ref=alpha&File_Number=NF2336][url]http://www.pacificboatbrokers.com/details.asp?ref=alpha&File_Number=NF2336. I think it's safe now, our deposit is in and all the papers are signed. :)
SilverFox
2008-03-01 22:03:54
Hello John/Amber. I may be selling my troller this year, its smaller than what you appear to be looking for but it has an extended wheelhouse therefore has the space normally found in a 45 footer. The boat is a 38' Sunnfjord, built in 1982, I'm the second owner and have owned it for almost 20 years. It has a Cat 3208 for power, all electronics, 3 station steering. The name of the boat is Silver Fox, and its located in Juneau Alaska. I'll leave it at that, if you have an e-mail address I could send a couple of photos. Best of luck in your search. Mike
tacorajim
2008-04-25 01:12:41
About Jon's previous link to the Dock Street listing.
I know the guy. I know the boat. Both are sterling with the best of reputations. First Cabin didn't build many boats before they learned they put way too much in them for what they could sell them for. I think Pat's 'Solstice' is the last one they built before folding with honor. FCMs are some of the few worth much more than they were new. As for Pat, he's right up there in years, probably wanting to build a cabin near Craig and sit by the fire now. He's had major boats in his life. Fussy. Great to deal with from what his friends tell me. I don't mean to cause you to detour the broker here. But I wouldn't feel right not offering first hand scoop if you decide to lurch into a discussion. http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/pls/webpls/cgv_pkg.vessel_id_list?vessel_id_in=981943
Salty
2008-06-08 01:29:39
The Ocean Raven is a 49' fiberglass Freezer troller made by Vega marine. It is located in sitka and there are some fliers up on billboards advertising the boat. He wasts 195,000. I don't have the number but the sellers name is Bobbie edenso.
Good luck, Karl Jordan
forestdoe
2009-02-24 07:56:30
If you are still looking you may want to look at the Candace M in Garibaldi Oregon
http://sunroomgifts.com/CandaceM.htm
A comfortable boat with a proven catch record. The owner lives in Sequim
sigrutter
2009-03-02 20:11:56
Hello, I think you contacted me once before. I have a 45ft Sunnfjord for sale. 907-738-8294, fv_nuts@mail.com
sneave
2011-09-28 01:28:09
We have a 37 foot Deltaga Commercial fishing boat for sale in Nanaimo Bc. We are open to offers. It is recently painted, has a marine survey completed on it . Has been insured by Mutual marine and there is a drum and gurdies and trolling poles that go with it. There are no nets, but other gear for trolling to go. We also have lots of other gear for trolling for sale.
We are open to offers. It has been out of the water and well maintained the past 4 years. It is a very seaworthy comfortable vessel.
Butch Neave loved gillneting in this vessel up until the year he passed and he was the best fisherman on the west coast!
I can send along some pictures if anyone is interested.
wilfish
2011-09-28 04:42:07
Hello sneave
pictures and price would be great. I am looking for a SE powertroller.
thanks for all the great postings from all.
Wifish