September/October 2014 | www.gulfcoastmariner.com
Celebrating Coastal Life
[Letter from the Publisher] Admiral (Publisher) Charles Milby
Day Sailing On Galveston Bay
Vice Admiral (President) Rick Clapp Rear Admiral (Editor) Mary Alys Cherry Captain (Director of Art) Brandon Rowan Commodore (Graphic Designer) Kelly Groce Sales Commodore (Director of Sales) Patty Kane Sales Crew (Advertising Executives) Shannon Alexander Judy Gaines Debbie Salisbury Editorial Don Armstrong Patty Kane Capt. Joe Kent Betha Merit Charles Milby Jarred Roberts Brandon Rowan Photography Patty Kane Meagan McDowell Charles Milby Brandon Rowan
Ashley Walker’s Alerion Express 38.
N
o time for extended cruising? Never fear, a daily sail is the perfect solution. Galveston Bay isn’t the coast of Maine nor the Chesapeake Bay. It is though, in my opinion, one of the best places in the country to go for a sail. Get the family. Pack a lunch. Sail on the bay for three hours. Then head home and sleep in your own bed. We may not have an abundance of protected anchorages where you can spend a few days, but our sailing season lasts all year long. Cross over the Houston Ship Channel at Five Mile Cut and sail over to Trinity Bay.
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine
September/October 2014
It’s deep enough for most boats and wide open the entire year. We are blessed with this great sailing bay, so get out there and have some fun. While the sailors in Chicago and Newport are winding down their season, we are just getting started. Let’s go for a day sail, see you on the bay.
Charles Milby Publisher
Distribution Timothy Shinkle Company
Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine P.O. Box 1032 Seabrook, TX 77586 For information on advertising: Phone: 281.474.5875 Fax: 281.474.1443 r.clapp@baygroupmedia.com www.GulfCoastMariner.com
September/October 2014
Each year large numbers of anglers look forward to this holiday. It signals the end of the busy tourist season and crowds on the water begin to thin. By Capt. Joe Kent
16|California Jetty Fishing, Texas Style
Texas rigged weedless flukes and soft plastics allow you to fish tight to structure no matter what state you find yourself in. By Brandon Rowan
18|Janiece M. Longoria
Must-have fishing and boating apparel and accessories for anyone spending time on the water. By Patty Kane
30|All-new Chevy Colorado
This trophy catch of a truck returns to the Gulf Coast and is another consideration when shopping around for a mid-size truck. By Don Armstrong
Contents Letters to the editor Texas billfish tournament results 2014 Miss Kemah Pageant
ON THE COVER
Nautical trivia Nautical numbers
20|Gina Nesloney
Snapshots!
We talk history, personal favorites and redfish with the Redfish Rodeo founder and CEO. The 20th annual Redfish Rodeo Tournament is Sept. 18-21 in Galveston.
Get together all of your best friends and loved ones and enjoy an evening on the water with this great recipe for cioppino. Wine pairing suggestions are included for every course of the meal. By Betha Merit
CO
26|What’s In Your Bag?
The first woman to be appointed as chairman of the Port of Houston Authority Commission is also an avid angler. By Charles Milby
22|The Galley: Italian Night Dinner Cruise
LF
ST
14|Hooray For Labor Day
24|Boating With Cats
No, we don’t mean catamarans. As rare as it may seem, more and more boat owners are bringing their feline friends onboard. Keep your cat safe and prepared for time on the water.
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Everything you’d want to know about the blue marlin, including life cycle, diet and behavior. By Jarred Roberts
U
12|All About Big Blue
G
FEATURES
Seafood recipes GBCA rum racing HYC Hood Regatta Fishing is still hot after labor day. Don’t be afraid to wet a line!
Harvest Moon Regatta Galveston Bay tides www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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Letters to the Editor You published a stand-out issue in your July/August 2014 MARINER, leading all land-lubbers to salivate with lust to chase the creatures of the deep. The issue is a real find for people who have only heard tales about the kinds of fish you picture and describe in the magazine, as well as people who know how to seek and identify all things wet. With instructions for finding and keeping the catch, your publication is an education in fishing for those who hope to join the knowledgeable fishermen of the Gulf Coast area. Beautiful magazine! -James Malone Send your emails, questions and comments to art@baygroupmedia.com
Texas Billfish Tournament Results
BASTANTE 1st Place Legacy 2nd Place Buck-N-Bills 3rd Place Port A Fino
LONE STAR SHOOTOUT 1st Place Done Deal 2nd Place Got M On 3rd Place Mojo
TEXAS LEGENDS
Big Blue Breaks Record Capt. Kevin Deerman, left, and good friend Capt. Darrell Weigelt celebrate the new Texas state record blue marlin caught on a live tuna during the Bastante John Uhr Memorial Billfish Tournament. The 972.7 pound billfish put Deerman and the Legacy Fishing Team in first place. Congratulations to angler Richard B. Richardson Jr. and everyone involved with Legacy!
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine
September/October 2014
1st Place Bandit 2nd Place Rebecca 3rd Place Mine Time
TEXAS BILLFISH CHAMPIONSHIP 1st Place Rehab 2nd Place Challenger 3rd Place Dorado
NAUTICAL NUMBERS
2014 MISS
KEMAH PAGEANT Kenda Carroll, a beautiful blonde University of HoustonDowntown student, was named the 2014 Miss Kemah. She will represent our area in the Miss Texas USA Pageant. Livia Lavender, a lovely young brunette who attends the High School for the Performing Arts, was selected as the 2014 Miss Kemah Teen and will go on to compete in the Miss Texas Teen USA Pageant. Congratulations Kenda and Livia!
82% Gulf of Mexico landings of shrimp lead the nation with 82% of the U.S. total.
2,300 lbs Great white sharks can be found in all the major oceans, but have been migrating to the Gulf of Mexico more recently. The great white that researchers named Katherine weighs 2,300 pounds and is being tracked in the Gulf of Mexico.
90% Boaters wanting top speeds usually select stainless steel over aluminum. Experts say that the material of the prop accounts for only about 10% of the prop’s performance. The other 90% comes from the prop’s geometry.
www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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S N A P S H O T S
Booby Trap Fishing Team’s Matt Reed with guest angler Johnathon Lourigan’s first daytime sword on a recent trip out of Surfside, TX with four Holden Roofing sales reps. Photo by www.boobytrapfishingteam.com.
A heavy storm rolls ominously across the water near Redfish island. Photo by Lindsay Groce.
Rachel Dare caught this black drum while spending the day on Galveston beach with her family.
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
Jenna Foshee reeled in her first black drum while wade fishing the Bolivar Flats.
SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO ART@BAYGROUPMEDIA.COM
Capt. Mike Williams caught this large shark in Tarpon Alley off Galveston, TX. An even larger shark took a big bite off the fish before it could be brought on board.
Colie Blumenshine caught this 26-inch redfish in Aransas Pass on a freelined piggy perch.
A hooked up sailfish dances on the water’s surface. Photo by David Pibrac.
www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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BLUE
MARLIN All About Big Blue
Story by Jarred Roberts | Illustration by Brandon Rowan
Photo: Dr. Jay Rooker
BLUE MARLIN Scientific name: Makaira Nigricans Length: 16 ft Weight: 1800 lbs Speed: 50 mph Diet: Squid, tuna, mackerel and many other species of fish Endangered status: Threatened
The blue marlin is one of the most iconic catches in sports fishing and with a length of 16 feet, and record weight of nearly one ton, it’s for good reason.
A big blue tries to shake loose a Makaira Pulling Lure.
B
lue marlin territory in the Atlantic reaches as far north as Maine and as far south as the tip of Africa. There are also Pacific blue marlin, debated to be a separate species, that will sometimes migrate and breed with their Atlantic relatives. Spawning occurs in late summer during the warmest months, but nearer the equator with constant high temperatures, spawning can last much longer. During this period the female lays millions of eggs for males to fertilize. Those eggs that don’t get eaten will float with the current until they hatch. Upon hatching, marlin larvae eat anything they can fit in their mouths, including each other. A few weeks later when they’ve grown a few inches the marlins become more active hunters. Unfortunately, little is known about the period of time when marlins mature about four years later. These younger marlins slip through nets and quickly dart away from boats and researchers. Once they have matured, the females can be up to four times larger than the males with lengths up to 16 feet and a record weight of almost one ton. To sustain this size, marlins have been known to eat nearly anything with local reports of fisherman catching them eating plastic sandals, though a favorite food of theirs is squid. Marlin will dive down to 2,000 feet and skewer the squid on their bill, sometimes slicing them in half. Their size and natural body heat allow them to dive farther and longer than many other
This tiny blue marlin larva won’t reach maturity until it is around four years of age.
species, with the females going even deeper due to their larger size. Marlin also commonly eat mackerel, tuna and can take down white marlin as well. Marlins have been around a long time with fossils found in Baja California dated to just over three million years ago showing little change since then. These records also support that blue marlin are more closely related to sailfish, as opposed to the similarly named black marlin, who are closer relatives to swordfish.
“A favorite food of theirs is squid.” Despite this long legacy blue marlin are currently a threatened species. Though many nations and sport fishing competitions and organizations have adapted to these numbers and work to make sure marlin populations stay healthy and off the endangered species list. Any females that aren’t caught almost always outlive the males. Males live until about 18 while females live until 27 with reports of a few females reaching 40. www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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FI
TS
Y FAC SH
Most fish are cold blooded, however tuna are warm blooded. Heat supplied to the muscles results in extra power and speed.
By Capt. Joe Kent The black marlin is the only marlin with nonretractable fins. They also have the lowest dorsal fin of all the billfish.
Grouper mature only as females and have the ability to change sex after sexual maturity.
Tarpon have been around for 125 million years. They have survived since prehistoric times due to their amazing ability to adapt to various environments.
Sharks are the only fish that can’t swim backwards.
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E
ach year large numbers
of anglers look forward to the Labor Day Holiday. While you might think it is because it is a holiday and a day to go fishing that is not the case. It signals the end of the busy tourist season and takes hordes of visitors off of the water and sends them back to work, school and other activities. Following the first Monday in September, there begins a lot of competition for sportsmen’s time. Dove season starts right away, football games and school activities begin taking the attention of anglers and, as the year progresses, more hunting seasons crop up. All of this is music to the ears of serious anglers who love to see the early September exodus. For many seasonal visitors to the Texas Coast, there is a mentality that fishing starts to slow after Labor Day with offshore fishing nearing the end of its prime time and trout beginning to depart the jetties and surf. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons so many are enthused about the last big holiday of the summer. While September is known as a transition month for fishing, meaning trout, reds and flounder begin to start changing their patterns, there is a lot of excellent fishing that month and the action just continues to get better as we get into fall. The days are not so hot and most of the migratory pelagic fish continue to roam the near Gulf waters. September is one of the best months for tarpon fishing and the jetties and surf begin to come alive with redfish of all sizes.
Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
“Several of my best catches of ling and dorado have occurred during September and October.”
Halco Roosta Popper
FISH TIP Use a loud flashy lure, like a popper, to entice larger dorado to bite when natural baits, like squid or sardines, are ignored or seized upon first by smaller fish. Try subsurface lures like speed jigs, bucktail jigs or Snapper Slappers if the big one won’t come to the surface. If all else fails, catch a small chicken dorado and put it back out on heavier tackle.You might hook a trophy.
Some of the best offshore fishing takes place during September. Until the first cool spell sets in, just about all of the popular pelagic fish are within easy reach for the sports fishing fleet including one of its components, the Mosquito Fleet of smaller seaworthy boats. Several of my best catches of ling and dorado have occurred during September and October. While trout begin their transition back into the bays from deeper waters, reds start stacking up at the jetties, with the larger reds preparing to make their annual spawn. All of this has the added attraction of taking place during mild to warm weather and not the stifling heat of July and August. Baring an event in the Gulf of Mexico or a cold front, September through early October the weather tends to be quite stable. Light winds and calm conditions tend to be the norm. One change that I have noticed over the past 10 years is that our summer has tended to be extended with the beach water temperature remaining in the 80-degree range throughout much of October. Several decades ago, summer ended earlier and the fall fishing patterns began in early October, usually by Columbus Day. Recently, it has been late October before any significant cooling has taken place. For now, let’s plan on taking advantage of the extended summer without the huge crowds. By the time the next edition of Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine is off the press, our fall fishing patterns should be in full swing and we will take a look where the action is taking place.
www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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Humboldt Bay
Rig Your Fluke Weedless Pass hook through the top and embed point back in the lure.
hooks fell by the wayside when I discovered flounder, trout and redfish. I was able to do some jetty fishing on the northern California coast this summer. In anticipation of my trip, I searched the internet high and low and learned as much as I could about how the locals pull rockfish, cabezon and lingcod from their rocky homes. Interestingly enough, Texas rigged flukes seemed to be the preferred method of catching fish without snagging the jetty. Tungsten bullet weights, half the size of lead and much more expensive, keep a lure’s profile small and less likely to get hung up.
I brought a whole bag of Gulp!® Jerk Shads to the Humboldt Bay south jetty but only needed one. I caught ten black rockfish in an hour, without a single snag, in what turned out to be a beautiful day on the water. Short shank lead head jigs are often the norm for saltwater soft plastics here in Texas but I’m going to get back to my roots and toss something Texas rigged the next time I’m confronted with a jetty. This set up allows you to fish closer to structure, like rocks or shell, without fear of losing your lure. Give the Texas rig a try next time you’re on the water and remember to really set the hook!
Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops)
By Brandon Rowan
I
s it weird that I had to travel over 2,000 miles, to California of all places, to reacquaint myself with Texas rigged plastics? Yeah, I think so too. 3/8 oz. Tungsten Weight
I’m no stranger to fishing weedless plastics. As a kid, I pitched many a Texas rigged lizard or worm into the weedy lairs of hidden pond bass. But the bullet weights, plastic beads and worm
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
Owner® 3/0 Worm Hook Berkley Gulp!® 5” Jerk Shad Watermelon Red Glitter Small Plastic Bead (not visible)
www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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JANIECE M. LONGORIA By Charles Milby
J
aniece Longoria was appointed
Janiece M. Longoria Port Commission Chairman
Janiece Longoria is an honors graduate of the University of Texas, and received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1979. She is a partner with the Houston law firm of Ogden Gibson Broocks Longoria & Hall LLP. On January 8, 2013, she was unanimously appointed by the City of Houston and County of Harris as the Chair of the Port of Houston Authority, the leading economic engine for the greater Houston region. She is the first woman to hold this position in the 100 year history of the Port of Houston. She served as a commissioner for 10 years before becoming its first female chair. She has been active in many non-profit organizations, and has served on the Board of Directors and the executive committee of the Board of Visitors of the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. She currently serves on the board of directors of the University of Texas Law School Foundation, the Greater Houston Partnership, and the Texas Medical Center, among others. She is also a founder of the Center for Women in Law, and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Business And Energy at the University of Texas School of Law. She received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013, which is an award granted to UT alumni who have distinguished themselves professionally and through service to the University of Texas.
chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority on January 8, 2013, at a joint session of the Harris County Commissioners Court and the Houston City Council. She has served on the Port Commission since first appointed by the City of Houston in September 2002. Longoria is an honors graduate of the University of Texas and received her law degree from the University Of Texas School Of Law in 1979. She is a partner with the firm of Ogden, Gibson, Brooks, Longoria & Hall LLP. She likes to fish and we like to fish. We were wondering what was on her mind regarding the Houston Ship Channel and she was kind enough to give us this interview, we hope you like it.
What are two things the Port of Houston can do to cut down on the water and air pollution? The Houston Port Authority retrofitted and The Houston Ship Channel will celebrate replaced diesel engines and is working with 100 years of service this fall. Do you plan to truckers and tenants to do the same. With the recognize this event with a special party? supply of natural gas from shale, we can switch There will be a series of commemorative to a cleaner burning fuel to power the projects and events promoting the trucks that move freight to and from historic significance of the ship the PHA facilities. The Port Authority “Take a channel’s contribution to the city pioneered the environmentally of Houston. This will include a fly fishing beneficial use of dredge materials documentary produced by the create marsh and wildlife habitat lesson from to Texas Foundation for the Arts and in the Galveston Bay system. New created for broadcast on Houston’s technology and infrastructure someone PBS affiliate, and a Centennial investments have improved efficiency other Curriculum Guide for Houston area for customers, reduced truck idling students and educators. The major time, and lowered emissions for than your exhibition “Stories of Workforce: our region. The Port Authority will Celebrating the Centennial of the spouse.” continue to stay at the forefront Houston Ship Channel,” will be of technology advancements and on display at the Houston Public innovation to assure that we remain Library. Another special event will be a private competitive, while continuing our focus on the rededication ceremony on November 10, 2014 to environment. commemorate the historic date when President Woodrow Wilson fired a cannon via remote Are you planning any fishing trips in the control from his office in Washington D.C. to near future? officially open the deep-water Houston Ship My husband and I will be going on our Channel for operation on November 10, 1914. annual fishing trip to Alaska. The Panama Canal expansion is almost completed. What will this mean for the Port of Houston? Opportunities for all-water service into the Port of Houston will certainly expand. More distribution facilities here locally will attract major retailers to the area because the expansion will allow larger vessels with greater capacity to now dock at the Port of Houston.
What’s the biggest fish you ever caught? A 30-inch Rainbow Trout. Caught and released, and not yet repeated. Do you have any advice for anyone who is thinking of getting into fishing for the first time? Take a fly fishing lesson from someone other than your spouse. Read the full, in-detail interview at www.gulfcoastmariner.com
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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During your exciting career what job prepared you the most for what you are doing today? When I look back over my professional life, no one job prepared me for this, but one person did, Sharon Ward. When I was a third grader, I loved putting on shows and pageants in my neighborhood. Miss Ward’s creative music background taught me a lot, and she fed my passion for the production side of entertainment. How did you get started in fishing tournaments?
Meet our Mariner of the Month
Gina Nesloney Where are you from? What brought you here and where are you now? I’m originally from Houston, but graduated from high school in the small East Texas town of Livingston. After graduating from Texas State University in 1979, I moved to Rockport, married, divorced and moved to Seabrook in the early 80’s. In 1995 I was in Kemah working for
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Sealink Helicopters at the now closed Houston Gulf Airport, and started my own special events company along with the Redfish Rodeo. There were two separate phone lines, one for Sealink, and one for Gina’s Special Events. After five years in business, I landed a lucrative contract with Texas Parks & Wildlife and relocated closer to Austin, where I currently live
Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
The idea for the RRT started in 1993 after attending a cattle drive with 23 other women in Amarillo. Two years later I started Redfish Rodeo in Rockport, Texas with a group of 24. In 2000, Redfish Rodeo relocated to South Padre Island with 36 teams, and last year Galveston became the home for Redfish Rodeo with 38. This year, we have 42 teams with 168 women from around the country. Mostly are Texas gals from the Austin and Houston areas. Big plans are in the works for the future of Redfish Rodeo and our goal for Galveston is 50 teams, if we have support from the guide community. Did any of these women fish in your first tournament 20 years ago? Only two of the original 24 women are still fishing the Redfish Rodeo, Janice Greene Hurst, from Austin, and Dawn Messina, from Kemah. Janice’s team of four sisters, known as the “Greene Girls” from Smithville, actually have been fishing as a team for 19 years. If you could have dinner and drinks with anyone, who would that be and why? People inspire me. Strong women encourage me and smart men motivate
Redfish Rodeo Legends.
“RRT is the only tournament that holds the bragging rights for having a Texas governor fish in a ladies tournament since Governor Ann Richards participated in 2004.”
Redfish Rodeo Founder/CEO Gina Nesloney, center, with Team 1, the Greene Sisters. This team has fished the tournament for 19 consecutive years.
me. If I could have an hour with one person, it would be Barbara Corcoran from the TV series, “Shark Tank.” She could take the Redfish Rodeo to places I never imagined. No doubt about it. Favorite book or movie? My favorite books are: Selections From Gift From the Sea by the late Anne Morrow Lindberger. It should be required reading for every graduating senior, girls and guy alike. The second is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Morrison. My all time favorite movie is Auntie Mame with RosalindRussell. What is it about this tournament that separates it from other fishing tournaments? Over the past 20 years, there has been a lot of new women’s fishing tournaments up and down the Texas coast , each one unique in its own right. What sets the RRT Redfish Rodeo apart is that it’s invite
Redfish Rodeo Team 16. Becky Drake, from left, Kimberly Harding, Sharon Williams and Luanne Bozeman.
only. It’s also the only 2-day guide-draw. Guides are our biggest expense with over $52,800 guided division, but this tournament is guided only with a shotgun start. No other tournament does this. The entry fee includes two days of tournament fishing with licensed charter guides, seated dinners, breakfasts and lunches and a 64-page glossy magazine profiling
all 168 women with custom team sponsor ads. RRT is the only tournament that holds the bragging rights for having a Texas governor fish in a ladies tournament since Gov. Ann Richards participated in 2004 and, to our surprise, asked to speak at the Saturday dinner. It truly was a highlight in the RRT’s history. www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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C I O P P I NO Serves 12 • ¾ cup butter • 2 onions, chopped • 6 to 8 minced garlic cloves • 1 bunch of parsley, fresh chopped • 28 oz can diced tomatoes • 3 ½ cups chicken broth • 2 bay leaves • 1 tablespoon dried basil • ½ tablespoon dried thyme • ½ tablespoon dried oregano • cayenne and black pepper to taste • 1 cup water • 1 ½ cups dry white wine • 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1 ½ pounds bay scallops • 18 small clams • 18 mussels, cleaned • 1 ½ cups crabmeat • 1 ½ pounds redfish or similar Melt butter in large stockpot, add onions, garlic, and parsley. Slowly cook over medium-low heat until onions are soft, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, making sure to break them into chunks. Add chicken broth, all spices, water, and wine. Mix well. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Stir in all seafood and bring to boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer five to seven minutes or until mussels and clams open. Serve in bowls with crusty warm bread for dipping in the broth.
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Italian Night Dinner Cruise “This dish originated in the late 1800’s by ItalianAmerican fisherman living in San Francisco.”
By Betha Merit
W
e all have
our favorite little Italian restaurant. From bistro-style casual to white tablecloth formal dining, something special draws us back. Usually, that something is the food. Often that something includes the ambience. Always that something is about the people. For your own Italian night dinner cruise, you can select which friends and family get to share the experience. Being on the water and on a vessel is already the perfect setting. As a main dish, Cioppino will fit the menu perfectly. Cioppino is a tomato-based one-pot stew chock-full of shellfish and seafood with Italian spices, garlic, and onion. It is served with crusty bread to sop up the flavorful broth, and lots of napkins. This dish originated in the late 1800’s by ItalianAmerican fisherman living in San Francisco (that other Bay Area) who often cooked it on their boats while out at sea using fresh catch. Antipasti (literally, “before the meal”) will set the tone. A
Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
variety of stuffed deli olives, marinated baby artichokes and mushrooms provide an easy, colorful, and delicious presentation. For dessert, if a classic tiramisu or ricotta cheesecake sounds too heavy, you can select a variety of
Italian cookies or biscotti, served with espresso roast coffee. Selecting your wines will be fun. For Antipasti, a young fruit-forward wine is best, perhaps a Pinot Grigio or Rosato or even a Prosecco if you like bubbles. Cioppino is a challenging dish to pair. A Barbera is a great red option that will stand up to the spices and tomato flavor. White is not consistently recommended, however, Sauvignon Blanc or perhaps a dry Riesling would work. For dessert, biscotti are traditionally dunked in Vin Santo, a late harvest Italian dessert wine. A Moscato will also pair nicely with any dessert choice. Mangia! Mangia!
www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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BOATING WITH CATS And no, we don’t mean catamarans
A
s rare as it may seem, more and more boat owners are bringing their feline friends onboard. Having dogs on a boat is quite common. But unlike their canine counterparts, cats do not have a natural ability to adapt to a water environment. Generally, domestic cats have not been bred to be on the water so they do not typically swim and or enjoy being near water. Yet, avid boaters – who also happen to be avid cat lovers – may still wish to overcome these laws of nature, and take their cat along with them.
Preparing Cats for Boat Time It is best to slowly introduce your cat or cats to the water environment, and your boat. Some cats have an innate fear of water and will tremble at the mere sight of it. In more difficult cases, such as with older cats, adapting could prove more challenging than with younger ones. Once on the boat, it is best to help cats become familiar with the vessel while docked. Loud boat engines on powerboats may be startling or hurt your cat’s sensitive ears. The speed and wind produced by powerboats
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
might also be hard for cats to handle. These may be reasons why cats are most often seen on sailboats.
Keeping Cats Safe on Boats Cats are known to be very well-balanced and good on their feet. Many boaters that observe cats on boats are surprised to see how nimble they are walking around the edges of boat decks and marina docks. Despite their ability to gracefully walk boat decks, BoatSafe.com suggests you have your cat fitted with a special pet life jacket for water safety. A slip into the water could be disastrous for cats that do not know how to swim. When packing provisions for weekend or long distance cruising, be sure to include plenty of fresh water and food for kitty. Keeping your cat cool in hot weather and protecting delicate paws on hot boat decks is important to ensure their health and wellbeing. And don’t forget the kitty litter! With the right preparation and careful attention to special accommodations, your fluffy ball of fur will purr with pleasure at not being left behind when you spend time onboard.
What’s in Your Bag? B y
Patty
Kane
WEATHERRITE® 610 Lumen LED Lantern is portable, reliable and uses a high-powered LED to output 610 lumens. It has 3 lighting modes and a carry handle located at the top for easy mobility or hanging. The power button is made of glow-in-the-dark material for easy locating in the dark.
All items are available at Batteries Plus Bulbs 599 West Bay Area Blvd, Webster, TX 281-332-1150 • www.battteriesplus.com
This Quarrow brand handsfree neck light features four bright LED lights with flex-arms that bend and maintain any shape. The viewing distance is ten meters with a run time of 20 hours. Water resistant and powered by 3 AAA batteries, the hands free neck light is light weight and a must to have for night fishing or making boat repairs.
This handy thermometer mounts on wall or navigation desk. Features include wireless outdoor temperature (°F or °C) and monitors indoor temperature (°F or °C). It has wall hanging or free standing capability and receives up to 3 sensors including time display, 12/24 hour time display and has a low battery indicator icon for both units.
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
It’s time to think about autumn onboard entertaining and relaxing. Set the atmosphere with the latest in candles. Once you use these LED pillar and tea light candles you will never go back to the old wax ones. Sea breezes will not blow these out and there is no waxy clean up! They are smoke free, flame free and flicker just like a real candle.
X2Power batteries’ pure lead dual-purpose design has the high-cranking power needed to start boat motors and on-board accessories such as depth finders, fish finders, radios, radar, lights and coolers. Just one X2Power battery does the job of two separate starting and deep-cycle batteries.
www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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M y K ind of R acing ! Galveston Bay Cruising Association Saturday Night Rum Races The GBCA rum races are pursuit style, fixed mark and run a 13.4 nautical mile course around Galveston Bay. For more information, visit www.gbca.org.
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
HYC HOOD REGATTA
T
he 5th Annual Houston Open One Design Regatta (HOOD) will be held at the Houston Yacht Club Sept. 20-21. Our title sponsors for this years’ regatta are Mount Gay Rum, TagHeuer, J Boats Southwest, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Wells Fargo Mortgage,
Seabrook Classic Café, and OJ’s Marine. This event hosted 105 boats in 2013, and we hope to top that number this year. Please mark your calendars to join us for this prestigious event. There will be a competitor’s briefing Friday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. Racing will be
held Saturday and Sunday. There will be three racing areas with nationally ranked PRO’s . The last race on Sunday will be in conjunction with Barts Bash honoring America Cup sailor Andrew Simpson. The registration fee includes a fleece vest for the skipper, a Mount Gay Rum cocktail party, and two tickets for the TagHeuer sponsored dinner Saturday night. Daily first awards and door prizes will be given Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The regatta is open to all one design classes. Yachts of similar PHRF ratings may form a Level Rating class with prior notice (see the Notice of Race). The NOR is posted at www.houstonyachtclub.com. For more information, contact regatta chair Sandra Baldridge, srbaldridge@aol. com.
www.GulfCoastMariner.com
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Trophy Catch All-new Chevrolet Colorado returns to Gulf Coast By Don Armstrong
A
merican-made is set
to battle the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier in the midsize truck segment, with the return of the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado, but this time with swagger and stats that will bring outdoorsmen back to the showroom. Starting with a clean sheet of paper, GM engineers and designers were tasked with delivering a mid-size truck with guts, capability and visual appeal. Something that wasn’t part of the old Colorado DNA, it’s now at a price that starts below its fullsize stable mate, Silverado. This all-new Colorado is available in 3-trim levels, WT, LT or Z71. It comes in extended and crew cab models, with 5 or 6-foot beds – depending on cab style - and 2 or 4-wheel drive. You’ll also select from 2 power plants; a
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2.5-liter I-4 that delivers 200HP and 191-lb.-ft. of torque or a 3.6-liter V-6 that generates 305-HP and 269-lb.-ft. of torque. A 6-speed automatic transmission is standard on most Colorado’s. A manual is available on the 4-cylinder work truck. Available towing capacity is 7,000-lbs when properly equipped with automatic grade braking and tow/haul mode. Like the full-size Silverado, the Colorado comes with triple-seal doors. Now this may not mean much to you, but it makes a noticeable difference in interior quietness. Coupled with active grille shutters, both help improve fuel economy. Not only is the interior considerably quieter than past models, it has all the modern features we’ve come to love in passenger cars, including an optional eight-inch diagonal color
Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
“This all-new Colorado is available in 3-trim levels, WT, LT or Z71.” touch screen and multiple USB drives and a 3.4-inch diagonal driver information screen in the instrument cluster. Also available are the next-generation OnStar and MyLink enhancements with gesture recognition, natural language voice recognition and navigation. Other options include 4G LTE with a built-in
WiFi hotspot; Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning; and the GearOn™ accessory system for organizing and carrying bikes, paddle boards and other equipment. Granted, as with anything these days, start piling on the options and there goes that bargain price. In fact, it’s pretty easy to get the Colorado up into the Silverado price range when option-adding overcomes you. For those that have a smaller rig to tow, or perhaps an older garage that just doesn’t accommodate a full-size truck, the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado may be just ticket. It arrives at dealers in the fourth quarter of 2014 with a base price of $20,995.
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
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Galveston Bay Tides EAGLE POINT, TX NOAA Station Id: 8771013
SEPTEMBER Mon 9/1 08:03 AM 06:42 PM
1.5 H 0.4 L
1.7 H 0.5 L
Fri 10/17 06:39 AM 09:39 PM
1.5 H 0.7 L
Wed 9/17 07:43 AM 09:26 PM
1.5 H 0.5 L
Thu 10/2 07:13 AM 08:20 PM
1.7 H 0.5 L
Sat 10/18 06:37 AM 10:33 PM
1.4 H 0.8 L
1.4 H 0.2 L
Thu 9/18 08:10 AM 10:27 PM
1.5 H 0.5 L
Fri 10/3 07:19 AM 09:28 PM
1.6 H 0.5 L
1.4 H 0.6 L
Sat 10/4 07:10 AM 10:32 PM
1.5 H 0.6 L
1.3 H 1.1 L 1.2 H 0.9 L
1.5 H 0.2 L
Fri 9/19 08:25 AM 11:20 PM
Sun 10/19 06:25 AM 12:32 PM 04:43 PM 11:21 PM
Sun 10/5 06:55 AM 12:31 PM 03:58 PM 11:31 PM
1.4 H 1.2 L 1.3 H 0.8 L
Mon 10/6 06:40 AM 12:32 PM 06:13 PM
1.4 H 1.0 L 1.3 H
1.3 H 0.3 L
Tue 9/2 08:10 AM 07:45 PM
1.4 H 0.3 L
Wed 7/3 08:33 AM 08:51 PM Thu 9/4 09:01 AM 09:56 PM Fri 9/5 09:23 AM 10:57 PM
1.5 H 0.2 L
Sat 9/6 09:20 AM 11:53 PM
1.4 H 0.3 L
Sun 9/7 09:01 AM 01:05 PM 03:54 PM
1.3 H 1.2 L 1.3 H
Mon 9/8 12:46 AM 08:42 AM 01:21 PM 06:11 PM
0.4 L 1.2 H 1.1 L 1.2 H
Tue 9/9 01:35 AM 08:27 AM 01:58 PM 08:01 PM
0.6 L 1.2 H 0.9 L 1.2 H
Wed 9/10 02:22 AM 08:13 AM 02:41 PM 09:47 PM
0.8 L 1.2 H 0.7 L 1.2 H
Thu 9/11 03:06 AM 07:58 AM 03:27 PM 11:40 PM
1.0 L 1.2 H 0.5 L 1.3 H
Fri 9/12 03:44 AM 07:40 AM 04:15 PM
1.2 L 1.3 H 0.4 L
Sat 9/13 07:10 AM 05:08 PM
1.4 H 0.4 L
Sun 9/14 06:30 AM 06:05 PM
1.5 H 0.4 L
Mon 9/15 06:40 AM 07:09 PM
1.5 H 0.4 L
Sat 9/20 08:28 AM
1.4 H
Sun 9/21 12:04 AM 08:20 AM 01:14 PM 04:54 PM
0.7 L 1.3 H 1.2 L 1.2 H
Mon 9/22 12:42 AM 08:05 AM 01:18 PM 06:26 PM
0.8 L 1.3 H 1.1 L 1.2 H
Tue 10/7 12:26 AM 06:27 AM 12:59 PM 07:56 PM
1.0 L 1.3 H 0.8 L 1.4 H
Tue 9/23 01:16 AM 07:47 AM 01:35 PM 07:43 PM
0.9 L 1.2 H 1.0 L 1.3 H
Wed 10/8 01:18 AM 06:14 AM 01:33 PM 09:29 PM
1.1 L 1.3 H 0.7 L 1.5 H
Wed 9/24 01:46 AM 07:28 AM 01:58 PM 08:56 PM
1.0 L 1.2 H 0.9 L 1.3 H
Thu 10/9 02:09 AM 05:58 AM 02:12 PM 11:04 PM
1.3 L 1.4 H 0.5 L 1.5 H
Thu 9/25 02:13 AM 07:07 AM 02:24 PM 10:13 PM
1.1 L 1.3 H 0.8 L 1.3 H
Fri 10/10 03:00 AM 05:33 AM 02:53 PM
1.5 L 1.5 H 0.4 L
Sat 10/11 01:02 AM 03:38 PM
1.6 H 0.4 L
Sun 10/12 04:07 AM 04:26 PM
1.6 H 0.4 L
Fri 9/26 02:35 AM 06:46 AM 02:54 PM 11:49 PM
1.2 L 1.3 H 0.7 L 1.4 H
Sat 9/27 02:42 AM 06:25 AM 03:29 PM
1.3 L 1.4 H 0.6 L
Sun 9/28 06:10 AM 04:12 PM
1.5 H 0.5 L
Mon 9/29 06:10 AM 05:02 PM Tue 9/30 06:28 AM 06:02 PM
1.6 H 0.5 L 1.6 H 0.5 L
NOAA GULF COAST TIDAL PREDICTIONS www.tidesandcurrents. noaa.gov/tide_ predictions.shtml?gid=225
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Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine September/October 2014
OCTOBER Wed 10/1 06:53 AM 07:09 PM
Tue 9/16 07:12 AM 08:18 PM
Mon 10/13 04:59 AM 1.6 H 05:20 PM 0.4 L Tue 10/14 05:38 AM 06:21 PM
1.6 H 0.5 L
Wed 10/15 06:09 AM 1.6 H 07:29 PM 0.6 L Thu 10/16 06:30 AM 08:37 PM
1.6 H 0.6 L
Mon 10/20 06:09 AM 1.3 H 12:24 PM 1.0 L 06:22 PM 1.2 H Tue 10/21 12:03 AM 05:50 AM 12:36 PM 07:40 PM
1.0 L 1.2 H 0.8 L 1.3 H
Wed 10/22 12:43 AM 05:29 AM 12:56 PM 08:51 PM
1.1 L 1.3 H 0.7 L 1.3 H
Thu 10/23 01:19 AM 05:06 AM 01:20 PM 10:05 PM
1.2 L 1.3 H 0.6 L 1.4 H
Fri 10/24 01:52 AM 04:42 AM 01:49 PM 11:37 PM
1.3 L 1.3 H 0.5 L 1.4 H
Sat 10/25 02:05 AM 04:18 AM 02:23 PM
1.4 L 1.4 H 0.4 L
Sun 10/26 04:12 AM 03:02 PM
1.5 H 0.3 L
Mon 10/27 04:33 AM 1.6 H 03:48 PM 0.3 L Tue 10/28 05:02 AM 04:39 PM
1.6 H 0.3 L
Wed 10/29 05:27 AM 1.6 H 05:37 PM 0.3 L Thu 10/30 05:39 AM 06:39 PM
1.6 H 0.4 L
Fri 10/31 05:34 AM 07:45 PM
1.5 H 0.5 L
NOAA GULF COAST MARINE FORECAST www.nws.noaa.gov/ om/marine/zone/ gulf/gulfmz.htm