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Risks of importing
BOATING º Buyer beware! º Marine generators º Vindicator 7.2 And lots More ...
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Vindicator 7.2
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º Importing boats º Slimy mackerel º AFTCO drag butt º Fin-Nor Marquesa And lots More ...
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SNEAKY LEADERS
You’ll catch more wary tuna
PORT STEPHENS How to get hooked-up with thousands of striped marlin
BOB & DOLLY DYER
Issue
90
$12.95 NZ$14.90
Australia’s King and Queen of gamefishing
CAIRNS DELIVERS
Giant black marlin
The World of Gamefishing: How-to Expertise, Boats / Engines, Action, Destinations, Equipment, History, Special People, News and Techniques
contents fishing features
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BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing Issue 90 (MARCH-APRIL 2012)
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CAIRNS DELIVERS A CRACKER SEASON During the final months of 2011, this famous fishery for the world’s largest black marlin lived up to its reputation, delivering one of the best runs of huge fish in years. Kelly Fallon spent the season among the action. Her report and spectacular photos whet your appetite for the season ahead.
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PORT STEPHENS INSHORE BONANZA This gamefishing hotspot has recently been boiling with marlin. Discover how to beat the crowds to find your own billfish nirvana.
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LURE LORE – PART 8 Sneaky leaders for wary tuna Tuna are smarter than the average gamefish and demand special techniques to ensure success.
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BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing
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BOB & DOLLY DYER – AUSTRALIA’S KING AND QUEEN OF GAMEFISHING – PART 2 In this final installment of the incredible tale of the Dyers, gamefishing historian John McIntyre describes their adventures with marlin, particularly their part in the discovery of the Cairns giant black marlin grounds. Their extraordinary achievements were matched only by their ability to promote them.
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GAME CHANGER – AFTCO RDT This remarkable product is set to revolutionise gamefishing by providing accurate readings of the drag tension on your line.
PREY SPECIES – SLIMY MACKEREL This mighty baitfish is, in essence, a miniature tuna. They are also a vital food source for predatory species – and exceptional livebait.
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Classic Tomes Tales of Tahitian Waters Zane Grey’s classic describes his three expeditions to these virginal waters during the 1920s.
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CREATURES OF THE DEEP Phyllosoma larvae Guess which tasty treat these truly bizarre-looking creatures eventually metamorphose into!
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FIN-NOR MARQUESA REELS Fin-Nor’s new 2-Speed castable lever drag reels have been designed for performance fishing with even heavy braided lines.
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SMOKE AND MIRRORS Black Bart ‘San Sal Candy’ lure This versatile lure has low water drag for use with light tackle and also handles speeds to over 20kts.
contents boats and more
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BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing Issue 90 (MARCH-APRIL 2012)
Who’s Who
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARINE GENERATORS Essential information to save you money and help you select the best generator for your boat.
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WHEN A BOAT BARGAIN ISN’T A must-read article before you consider buying your next boat. Since the Global Financial Crisis and the meltdown of the US boat market there has been much talk about the bargains to be had by importing from overseas. The reality for many has been a minefield of heartache. Find out why...
C o lu m n s
And more ...
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Since her appointment as the IGFA’s librarian in 1991, Gail has been instrumental in the creation and management of the stunning E K Harry Library within the IGFA’s headquarters and museum in Florida. This collection has grown into the world’s most comprehensive treasury of books, periodicals and films, as well as historic tackle, photos and artifacts. Learn more at: www.igfa.org/Museum/IGFAMUSEUM-LIBRARY
CONTRIBUTOR: DANNY JOHNS Danny’s passion for catching and photographing billfish and giant trevally has lead him to Venezuela, Florida and Guatemala, as well as along Australia’s south-east coast and up on the Great Barrier Reef. His travel highlights include catching seven species of billfish – one of which was a broadbill. He now works as a deckie aboard Game Over during the Cairns heavy tackle season.
CAPTAIN: RODERICK WALMSLEY
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Born in South Africa, Roderick started fishing offshore at the age of three and has never stopped since. He has fished all over the world, representing his country in world championships at both senior and junior levels. He now calls Australia’s Gold Coast home, where he runs sport and gamefishing charters aboard his boat RU4REEL.
8 Editorial – Simpson
22 Newslines
98 Tournament News
Cover: © 2012 BlueWater
10 Pepperell
38 Hot Bites – Australasia
106 NZSFC Report
12 Butler
40 Hot Bites – International
108 IGFA Report
Sneaky leader catches yellowfin !
14 Saul
42 IGFA Rule Book
110 On the Waterfront
16 Boyce
42 BlueWater Calendar
128 Charter Operators
18 The IGFA
44 A Site to See
129 Advertisers’ Index
20 The Billfish Foundation 46 Rum Lines 6
THE SMOOTH TOUGHIE Vindicator 720 This tough, surprisingly quiet platealuminium fishing boat has been crafted with loving care in Gympie.
IGFA Librarian – Gail Morchower
BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing
130 Out of the Blue
Photo: Jon Schwartz SUBSCRIPTIONS (see page 5) www.mymagazines.com.au 1300 361 146 or +61 2 9901 6111 Post to Locked Bag 3355 St Leonards, NSW 1590
Out of the Blue
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BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing
Craig Smith’s sun-baked world of gamefishing
Rum Lines
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mefishing Pirate
The tall tales and true of a ga
The day of the psycho marlin! When you’re safely onboard a gameboat it can be too easy to forget the explosive, dangerous nature of the fish you target. And every now and then – according to some – the very critters you’re chasing can turn the tables and have you in their sights. Ken was one such unlucky fella.
THE PIRATE, aka Craig Smith, is an internationally recognised gamefishing artist and cameraman. He can be found lurking around gamefishing haunts across the Pacific, capturing inspiration for his paintings and cartoons. In many hotspots it’s well-known that to be caught by the mischief-seeking Pirate is to be lampooned in future editions of BlueWater.
“The marlin’s bill quivered ominously just short of Ken’s ghostly white face.”
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Author and Illustration: Craig Smith
A
fter viewing the highly dramatised incident that occurred off Panama recently, where an unfortunate angler had his dentistry intimately inspected by the bill of a leaping marlin, I commented to a group of seasoned anglers that TV shows like Untamed & Uncut do tend to exaggerate their incidents somewhat. I was actually a little more extreme in my criticism of the alleged ‘attack’ when I eloquently described it as a lot of old codswallop. One of my no-doubt enthralled listeners, an avid American biggame angler who has fished for decades around the globe on his own boat, told me that in his experience there were indeed times and places when the big fish seem to be more wild and extreme in their actions than at others (no doubt referring obliquely to the dull and docile billfish that I’ve had the misfortune to meet). He related the activities that unfolded on one particularly memorable day off the Great Barrier Reef. A friend of his, Ken, with no previous black marlin experience, had flown in specifically to remedy that situation. Steve told how
BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing
the first marlin of the day, a feisty 250-pounder, “went ballistic!”. It flipped over in the air and came hurtling at the boat, finally leaping right on to the transom covering board, much to Ken’s acute consternation. With the roll of the boat, the thrashing marlin flipped from the stern to the side covering-board and momentarily balanced there with its anal fin right in one of the rod holders (a point that still brings excitement to the on-hand witnesses). Ken was yelling, “Get it outta here – you’re gonna get me killed!” (Isn’t it wonderful how your fishing ‘mates’ get such delight from your own terrifying situations, especially when merrily relating them afterwards.) Fortunately for all concerned, the marlin then fell away from the cockpit and into the ocean. Steve swiftly advanced on to the next fish story – this time he was in the chair and it was a good 700pound black on the line. This beast simply, “Charges straight at the boat, my captain guns it and gets 80ft of Garlington out of the way as fast as he can – yet this fish just keeps charging at us through the wash at the back of the boat! We
couldn’t believe it didn’t actually hit us!” Which brings us to the third fish of the day (meanwhile I’m reaching for another cold beer – like Ken, I think I’m going to need it) – because once again it is Ken in the chair. He has cautiously returned to the cockpit, having had it explained that the earlier incidents are completely out of the norm, and is no doubt quietly relieved that the next fish to take his bait is a mere 200-pounder. That is until, in accordance with its immediate predecessors, it too comes hurtling at full speed straight at the boat (or in his own horrified belief, directly at the angler). With its final wild leap this marlin almost clears the transom and smashes directly into the now muchscarred covering board. Completely clear of the water and on a trajectory in line with the mortified angler, the marlin’s charge is only arrested by its lower jaw just failing to clear the covering board. The marlin’s bill quivered ominously just short of Ken’s ghostly white face. “They were eyeball to eyeball for what seemed like an eternity,” Steve chuckled. “For chrissake let it go!” Ken was screaming to the crew, oblivious to the fact that the leader was lying loose in the cockpit. Throughout his narrative the release aspects didn’t carry major significance, although I can assure the reader that all three marlin were freed without suffering any undue harm – which is certainly more than I can say for the psychological damage inflicted on Ken. So the next time I see Untamed & Uncut I may be a little less sceptical, and I can perhaps understand why Ken now finds lake fishing a more calming and pleasurable angling pastime than that he experienced off Australia’s northern reefs.
Cairns Delivers
Cairns delivers a cracker season The 2011 Cairns Giant Black Marlin season delivered one of the best runs of big fish in years. Kelly Fallon spent 70 days on the Reef working aboard one of the leading charter boats and reports on what went on amid the thick of the action. Author: Kelly Fallon Photography: Kelly Fallon; John Ashley; Capt Ross Finlayson; Andy Dow; Clayton Walters; Capt Dean Beech; Tim Simpson
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T
he fine line between light-tackle and heavytackle marlin fishing in north Queensland is often blurred. September is the transition month, but a distinct lack of small billfish in the waters off Townsville and Cairns in recent years has pushed the professional charter fleet to start their heavytackle seasons earlier than ever. Once again this year, by the last week of September most boats were already hooking big fish. While in general September can be a good month for small fish in numbers, this year some monsters also showed up nice and early, like the fish Capt Ross Finlayson on Top Shot encountered on September 20.
With Japanese fly-fisherman Susumu Ishikawa on board for his 12th year challenging the IGFA world record for black marlin on 10kg tippet (currently 220lb), they raised a big fish in the spread and were able to switch it on to his fly right at the back of the boat. Capt Ross said that it’s very rare to get jumps out of the big fish on light fly tackle, but this one did, giving eight or 10 big jumps, which allowed him the perfect opportunity to gauge her size. He put the fish at a massive 1100lb. Under IGFA flyfishing rules, an angler is allowed a shock tippet (protective leader connected to the fly) of no more than 12 inches (30.48cm), which must then be followed by a line-class tippet of at
Cairns Delivers
Peter Twiner, deckie aboard Top Shot, takes a wrap and braces himself in the corner for hand-to-fish battle with yet another explosive giant black marlin. www.bluewatermag.com.au
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Cairns Delivers
least 15 inches (38.1cm). Susumu fought his giant for a gruelling three-hour battle before his fragile 10kg tippet succumbed. Perhaps he’ll get his record next season.
WHERE THEY WERE
“No other destination records at least two grander black marlin every week of the season.”
Ben Bright struggles to control a wild fish at Kekoa’s transom.
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Generally, the best fishing in early October is towards the northern end of the Reef. The 2011 season was no exception and really fired for the Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic commencing on October 1. From the outset, most boats in the fleet were fishing the northern grounds, including off the edge of Number 10 Ribbon Reef, east of Lizard Island. Fortunately, this was where the bulk of the fish were, with well over half of the marlin released during the tournament caught on Number 10 Ribbon or further north. In fact, by my count, there were more than 100 black marlin released in the vicinity of Number 10 Ribbon during the first two weeks of October. So, by the third week of the month, if you weren’t fishing at Number 10 Ribbon, you were wishing you were! But by the end of October the fish had moved on. So abrupt was their departure I can name the exact date – October 29 – which is the last day I have a fish recorded being released on that part of the Reef. However, the professional fleet is very mobile, with operators for the most part offering extended liveaboard charters. Flights in and out were rearranged where necessary
BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing
and the boats turned south. There was a week of steady fishing in the middle grounds (Number 1 Ribbon and Lena Reef in particular) before the same dirty water that shut down the top of the Reef pushed through there as well. Then the bite went completely south and the fleet spent most of the remaining season fishing at Linden Bank, as they did in 2010. The fishing was great on the Bank, with lots of big fish caught for the entire month of November. Capt Jared Weir on Shaka enjoyed a particularly good run late in the month, with five from nine strikes, including one over 1000lb and another pretty close to it one day. He then weighed a fish of 1097lb for the same angler, Chris Morris, the very next day. Unless your name is Capt Daniel Carlson, the grounds off Jenny Louise Shoal and Euston Light did not really fire at all in 2011. Little Audrey was the exception to the rule, spending their season’s last couple of trips off the Light. In three days fishing they caught several big fish on those grounds, including three that Capt Dan reported at over 1000lb. The much anticipated offshore tuna-aggregation was a no show in 2011. The longliners were catching lots of tuna, but were too far out wide for the marlin fleet to venture there. As the black marlin cleared out at the end of November, fishing wide for blue marlin came into play.
All season the longliners had encountered plenty of big blue marlin out wide (in previous years, 90 per cent of the marlin they encountered would be blacks). On the morning of the 2nd of November, Capt Ross Finlayson and his team aboard Top Shot were in port (in this case Cooktown) making final preparations for a five-day trip when he received word that one his clients was still stuck on the tarmac in Darwin. The other angler was already in Cooktown, having driven up the day before with his family, including his 85-year-old motherin-law, Connie Laurie, who owns three boats and often fishes solo in her 30-footer off the Gold Coast. Capt Ross decided that he’d rather be out doing some type of fishing than waste a day in port and so they made the decision to head out for a day trip. Connie literally jumped at the chance to fish for a giant black marlin, staking her claim as first in the chair. After the baits were set, it took just a couple of passes before Connie was hooked to a fish estimated at 850lb! Ross said that when he saw the size of the fish as it greyhounded down-sea, at one stage tail-wrapping itself as it surfed down the swell, he thought they were going to be in a bit of a trouble. Fortunately, the fish stayed on the surface, making it easier for Connie. Ross also said the big female had four smaller males
Cairns Delivers
escorting her throughout the fight. She was released in great condition after an intense 15-minute fight. Connie’s only regret was that the fight hadn’t lasted longer! She is one tough senior angler!
NEW FACES
Once again many veterans returned to fish the Reef in 2011, such as Candace and Jay Meyer who fished the Reef for perhaps the 20th year on board Square Bear with Capt Craig ‘Sparra’ Denham. There were also a number of new faces. Many captains were buoyed by the number of European visitors to the Reef this year, in particular because of the decline in the number of guests from the USA (due to the GFC and a strong Australian dollar). A number of private boats (including Pebble Mouse – a custom-
built aluminium cruiser from Western Australia) joined the 30-odd professional charter-boat fleet in 2011. Two others ventured from overseas to fish the season. Mea Culpa, a US-based, 138-foot custom mega-gameboat, built in New Zealand, has been fishing all over the world in the past few years (New Zealand, Vanautu, Fiji, Samoa, French Polynesia and the US) and joined the party to fish the Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic. Another impressive super yacht, Valkyrie, returned to Australian waters as they have for most seasons since 2005. They enjoyed a particularly good late season out wide. On their final trip, they released four marlin to 500lb (two blues and two blacks) on the seamount off Cairns before heading off to fish New Zealand and the Whanganella Banks.
Above: With ferocious power, the massive, thrashing bulk of a big black marlin tears the head from a 15lb scaley mackerel skipbait.
Gold Coast angler Connie Laurie is an adventurous 85-year-old who jumped at the chance to battle an 850lb black, which she released 15 minutes later saying that she wished the fight had lasted longer!
www.bluewatermag.com.au
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Cairns Delivers
more that got away. On a day in late November, Capt Tim Dean on Calypso reported having the biggest marlin he’s ever seen come up for a look at his baits (and he’s seen some big fish!). He’d just put the lines in at Onyx Reef on the way out from Cairns when he saw a dark shape looming up behind a bait. At first he thought it was a school of fish so big was the shape underwater. But soon it became clear that it was a giant marlin when it ate a big skipbait. The line came tight, Tim held his breath, and then the bait pulled right back out of its enormous mouth. Tim steered the boat around again and this time it engulfed a skipping tuna out the back on the centre-rigger. Frustratingly, again the bait pulled from the cavernous mouth as the line came tight. Try as he might, Tim couldn’t raise it again. He said that this monster was not the only experience he had with giants in 2011. He released two granders, both estimated at 1100lb, and agreed that 2011 was right up there as one of his best years for huge fish.
These mackerel tuna seem like a ridiculously large bait until you see them slip like a small pill down the cavernous throat of a giant black marlin off Cairns.
RETURN TO GLORY BIG FISH
Overall, I recorded over 30 grander black marlin releases in 2011, as well as three more that were weighed. Captured on November 23, Capt Daniel Carlson’s black marlin on Little Audrey weighed 1038lb; Capt Jared Weir on Shaka weighed a 1097lb black on November 25; and Capt Tim Richardson’s Tradition weighed the biggest of the season at 1103lb, caught on October 7th. There is no other destination in the world that records at least two grander black marlin releases every week of the season, let alone recording multiple double 1000lb-black-marlin releases in a single day on a single boat. To my knowledge, this spectacular achievement occurred three times off Cairns during the 2011 season.
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Canberran angler Dave McPherson made up for an unsuccessful trip to the Reef in 2010 when he returned for a four-day solo trip aboard Viking II with Capt Bill Billson. He released two fish over 1000lb on the final day of his trip on October 1st (the second of which Bill put at well over 1200lb). On November 16, Capt Dean Beech on Castille III released three from eight strikes, including two estimated at 1050lb and 1150lb for his firsttime marlin anglers from South Australia. And on November 21st, Capt Daniel Carson on Little Audrey put his anglers from the Dominican Republic on to three fish, including two that he estimated at 1000lb and 1050lb on the very first day of their charter. As always, in addition to every big fish caught, there were quite a few
Capt Bob Jones on Iceman, a 27-year veteran of the Cairns season, commented that his 2011 season was 500 per cent better than those of the past few years. While Bob himself admits that’s a slight fisherman’s exaggeration, it is fair to say it was indeed a much better year, most certainly the best since 2006. While the numbers of big female fish fulfilled the dreams of many anglers, Bob was also enthusiastic about the appearance of good numbers of smaller male fish as well. As Bob pointed out, this is noteworthy as the season should lead to a good spawning season, and increase the number of fish for the future. Fishing success can be fickle – but sometimes the elements all align and you find yourself consistently in the right place at the right time. During the 2011 season the shining light seemed to be focused on Capt Luke Fallon and the charter boat
Cairns Delivers
Kekoa, which was indeed fortunate for me as Luke is my husband. We enjoyed perhaps the very best the season had to offer – with both big and small marlin. On eight different occasions we released four marlin in a single day – practically unheard of in recent years, where more than two fish was considered a particularly good day. In addition, Kekoa also scored several tripleheaders, including one spectacular day of fishing on November 25, which included a black of more than 1000lb.
BLUE MARLIN MISSION
In early December the team were joined on board by Bevan Williams from Tasmania. Despite losing both of his legs in an accident several years before, Bevan was on a mission to achieve his longtime goal of a catching a marlin. With two previous journeys canned because of bad weather, and the conditions of the first two days not ideal either, Capt Luke made the decision to head wide in search a blue marlin in the vicinity of Holmes Reef, which is close to 115 miles offshore. Bevan spent the bulk of the eight-hour trip out strapped into the gamechair waiting patiently for a bite. The next morning the entire boat rose early in order to get to the hot-spot where Luke had found blues the week prior. Bevan was once again strapped into the chair
at 6am, but this time the wait was short. A crashing strike took the stinger lure just on 6:30am. Bevan was straight on to his very first marlin. He used a modified fighting-chair arrangement – the footrest was removed and the rod strapped to the chair rather than the angler. This allowed Bevan to put his upper body to work and bring the estimated 200lb fish boatside in less than 10 minutes. On deck, Ben Bright and Braden Byrne briefly pulled the blue marlin on board so that Bevan could see his fish. From his position in the chair, Bevan couldn’t see the fish while it was beside the boat on the other side of the gunnel. It was then released for a very ecstatic angler. That wasn’t it for the day though, with another blue and a black marlin added within
the hour. That afternoon, the team headed back into the edge – mission accomplished!
NOWHERE BETTER
Of course, as Capt Ross Finlayson commented, there were also periods of tough fishing during the 2011 Cairns season, but when the fishing was good, it was excellent. And as many veterans will be quick to point out, even in its worst year, the reefs off Cairns are still the best grounds in the world to catch a giant black marlin – and always will be! If you haven’t yet put Cairns on your list of must-fish destinations, do it now. The Great Barrier Reef between Cairns and Lizard Island is like no other marlin fishery in the world – and it will come alive again with giants appearing from September this year...
Above: Capt Ross Finlayson thunders Top Shot backwards in pursuit of a hot black.
“If you haven’t yet put Cairns on your list of must-fish destinations, do it now.”
When boats head wide off the reef, as many do late in the season, particularly when a tuna aggregation is nearby, they often encounter blue marlin, like this one caught aboard Kekoa.
www.bluewatermag.com.au
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When a Boat Bargain Isn’t
When a boat bargain The recent Global Financial Crisis led to a meltdown of the US boat market and saw stock liquidated at fire-sale prices. This generated a frenzy of Australian bargain shoppers, and a slump in the domestic sales. The unfortunate trend now evident is that many of these purchases were far from a great deal. In fact, many cost their owners dearly and now lie in the Australian market as a trap for the unwary. Jeni Bone delivers the crucial facts you need to know before your next boat purchase. Author: Jeni Bone Photography: John Blumenthal; Fotosearch-Getty Images; Dockwise Yacht Transport; Nathan Ghosn; Sevenstar Yacht Transport
O
ne of the great things about the Internet is that reams of information are available from a myriad of global sources. The worst thing about the Internet is that reams of information are available from a myriad of unverifiable global sources. You’ll find bloggers presenting opinion as fact, with thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of followers. You’ll also discover people dotted around the world with slick websites flogging goods that entice and enthral, which may be dodgy, bogus or non-existent. When it comes to buying goods online, the popularity of online auctions and e-tail sites has increased our collective confidence to the point that many consumers are now equally comfortable buying a boat as they are buying a CD. During the recent meltdown of the US economy, and particularly the US boat market, the plethora of ‘fire-sale’ boat bargains led to the growth of one-off, unsecured, direct-from-owner sales into Australia. Some pundits believe this has created a giant chasm between boat dealer and customer and that this phenomenon of ‘grey imports’ is leading to the demise of the Australian industry.
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BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing
When a Boat Bargain Isn’t
isn’t
www.bluewatermag.com.au
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When a Boat Bargain Isn’t
“Boat owners now have to watch the resale value drop due to grey imports.”
Nathan Ghosn runs Sylvania Marina in Sydney and is Australia’s largest Caribbean dealer. He admits that this phenomenon of, “Any Joe Blow importing their own boat from overseas” fires him up. “It has all but destroyed the marine manufacturing industry in Australia, sections of the retail marine industry in Australia and has certainly done its best to destroy the used-boat market in Australia,” he says, with no qualms about blaming the government and industry itself for letting it get so far. Nathan feels the consumer is blinded by price and the perceived superiority of imported marques. “The general boat buyer, be it for fishing, cruising or water sport, does not seem to realise that Australian manufacturers produce the best boats for Australian conditions. We have the best boat builders in the world here, don’t people see that? We now have iconic builders such as International Marine, Steber, Maritimo and Riviera all struggling to compete with a strong Australian dollar, a US economy in the gutter and people hell-bent on bringing so-called ‘cheap boats’ into our country and on to our waters.” In his 20 years in the marine industry, Nathan says he has seen hundreds of people dazzled by a purchase price too good to be true on a boat thousands of kilometres and many time zones away. “Nine times out of 10, it turns out to be just that – not true! I have seen boats that have been sunk, cyclone damaged, roughly repaired after collisions and generally not maintained in general and then dumped on the Australian boat buyer. We now find our marinas and fishing tournaments full of cheap, overrated, unknown, unreliable crap.”
IMPORTED PROBLEMS
“It’s important to bear in mind that these boats were built for the US market and sold by US dealers and are all wired 110-Volt with 110Volt appliances on board,” Nathan explains, referring to an obvious, but certainly not the only problem facing customers who import their own boats. “Then there are the hundreds of boat owners all over Australia who have done the right thing and purchased new or second-hand boats from dealers in Australia and now have to watch the resale value of their boats drop hundreds of thousands of dollars due to grey imports.” As Nathan explains, “Australia now has two separate markets for used boats. First, there is the imported second-hand market, consisting of mostly unknown and mostly
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When a Boat Bargain Isn’t
unmaintained boats that are almost impossible to sell in this country due to the fact that most people think they can import one themselves cheaper. Then there are the legitimate Australian-built or delivered boats that have suffered dramatic drops in their price.” Reams of information, brochures and cautionary advice are devoted to this topic, which is much more than a commercial threat to the Australian boating industry. The Boating Industries Alliance of Australia (BIAA), which represents the collective State marine associations, is very vocal and active on the subject.
RISKY BUSINESS
Darren Vaux, BIAA Chairman, explains: “Technically it’s a parallel import and the act of such importing methods is not illegal. Essentially, anything you buy off the Internet from a source other than the local, ‘official’ dealer or Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) rep is parallel or grey. Many smaller consumer products will have worldwide warranties, which deal with the parallel market issue, but larger items, such as outboards and boats, would not normally have such global provision for warranty.” “Buying a boat is meant to be fun! A boat is meant to bring recreation and family bonding to your life, not a legal and logistical nightmare!” says Nathan. “Buyers don’t realise that dealers and brokers have years of experience dealing with reputable brands. They have the networks and systems in place, and because there are next to no margins in it these days, customers are getting the best prices along with the security of warranties and service.”
MORE COSTS
Buyers now adroit in purchasing goods online will often think: “How hard can it be?” when considering the importation of a boat. If only they knew! “If you haven’t done it before, importing a boat can be a minefield,” says Nathan, weary of counselling clients against the herculean task, then stifling an ‘I told you so’ when they turn up battle weary 18 months later with a horror story. “People forget that there are so many logistics involved in getting it from the US to Australia.” As the proud new owner, you will have to arrange transport from where you bought it to a wharf where the boat will be shipped from. Says Nathan: “They then need to store the boat until the next available ship. They need to organise shipping
cradles, travel lifts, lashings, wharfage fees, Customs clearance, fumigation, the ocean freight, then, when the boat gets to Australia, organise to get it off the ship and into the water, dispose of the cradle and of course repeat the Customs, quarantine and then pay the GST. This is all before they even get near converting the 110-Volt power and appliances to 240-Volt!” Darren adds that, “Prospective buyers also need assurance that the boat is free of any finance, has clear title, and that the seller will actually ship it once you’ve paid!” There is a great deal of trust involved in this transaction, which involves hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases, sent to foreign bank accounts of people who you’ve never met.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBILE
Darren advises there is also a mountain of legalities and complicated logistics associated with buying direct from overseas with no assistance from an authorised broker or dealer. “The importer (even private individuals) is legally responsible for the boat in Australia – for its technical and regulatory compliance, now and in the future,” he warns. “Any incident related to failure of any equipment of gear will be their responsibility: they are essentially undertaking the role of placing the boat on the market (this means making available to use as opposed to the market for sale) and therefore assuming the legal obligations usually carried by a dealer or manufacturer, even if it is for their own personal use. While most modern production boats are safe, the vast majority of them built to international standards and certification procedures, Darren warns there will be some quirks that could prove very costly. “If the boat is not from a major builder, or is a used boat, there could be a whole range of issues to be addressed. Buying sight unseen could be an extremely dangerous idea unless the boat is checked out on arrival for things that are out of sight, such as condition of electrical wiring, gas piping, buoyancy materials and structural integrity. The electrical system will almost certainly be not compliant with Australian regulations,” continues Darren. “And it will likely be incompatible with local systems and voltage and will need to be modified to ensure safe usage, especially if hooking-up to shore power. “All boats new to the market must be compliant with the Australian Builders Plate (ABP) standard – usually not really a problem, but if
you don’t have the data available to verify, this could cost a good sum to rectify,” says Darren. He cites the example of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the engine and associated electronics under ACMA emissions regulations. The road trailer of a trailerboat also needs to be compliant with the Australian Design Rules (ADR), which he adds, “is almost always not the case with imported trailers”.
HIDDEN COSTS
There is a litany of factors most buyers would overlook when buying an overseas boat. Darren points out, “People need to consider what US taxes might be applied by the seller. What are the transport costs to get the boat to a seaport? These can be significant. What is the real shipping cost? How much is the shipping insurance? Who is paying any Customs export dues? Are there likely to be quarantine costs –
Yacht broker John Blumenthal scrupulously checks every boat for his clients. He often finds hidden problems that would cost the purchaser dearly. The lower photo shows evidence that the boat was partially submerged for some time, leading to severe damage.
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When a Boat Bargain Isn’t
Below: Nathan Ghosn of Sydney’s Sylvania Marina takes meticulous care when evaluating boats. He has had many clients return for his expertise after suffering the costly nightmare of purchasing a ‘bargain’ overseas and trying to import it themselves.
over and above Customs duty and other import taxes, including GST, which will probably be applied on landed cost, which means including shipping and insurance? What about compliance costs when trying to register the boat? ABP data may need to be prepared: you may need to employ a naval architect or marine surveyor. You may need to modify buoyancy. You will almost certainly need to change the boat’s electrical systems to conform with
Australian standards, which could be a very significant cost.” Darren continues, “If you buy sight unseen, with no survey, how do you know the boat is structurally sound? It could be an insurance writeoff following a Florida hurricane! Then there are all the questions about the engine. Is the engine compliant with ACMA C-Tick EMC emissions regulation?”
PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE
Reputable brokers and all authorised dealers will take care of all relevant regulatory requirements and arrange for all payments for import costs. “Most importantly, they will have likely either seen the actual boat you are buying or will have a reputable contact in the local market overseas who can verify the condition,” says Darren. “The boat will comply with the ABP and, if imported, any modifications necessary will be managed by the dealer. There are legal obligations on brokers and dealers with regard to product fitness for purpose,
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What appears to be a bargain boat on the internet may have a hidden and very troubled history that will only become apparent when the purchase is delivered. Sadly, many unsuspecting Australian buyers have found to their horror that the great looking boat they bought sight-unseen has been previously sunk, hurricane damaged, or has dodgy repairs and other issues that will cost a considerable sum to rectify. BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing
warranty and clear title, to name but three.” The advice from the BIAA is to visit your local dealer, preferably one who is a member of the Boating Industry Association in your State or Territory. With a boat, the after sales service and service relationships can be equally as important as the purchase itself. There are many prudent reasons to purchase your boat from the local trade, but sometimes, to find a particularly specialised boat, you need to look at the world market. When that is the case, you will still find importing your boat much easier and safer if you utilise the expertise of a local dealer or a reputable, professional, international boat-broker.
USING A DEALER
Tony Poole from Bluewater Yachts, Australian importer of the Luhrs range of gameboats, has seen it all and heard all the claims from overseas sellers. “When people want to buy a boat, it’s an emotional purchase. Therefore, when someone sees their dream boat advertised, all fears about it being unseen and on the other side of the world are banished,” he says. The reality is, says Tony, “You’re about to send a lot of money to someone on the other side of the world for something you haven’t seen, to someone you’ll never meet, based on the say-so of someone else you’ll never meet (probably referred by the first person). People quickly see that the bargain-buy of their life turns out to be a pig that is nothing like the beautiful low-resolution photos they saw on the Internet!” One example Tony is happy to cite is a client, a successful businessman, besotted with a Luhrs 41 Open. “He was going to attempt to import the boat himself. Fortunately, he came to us for advice. When we dissected
When a Boat Bargain Isn’t
Recreational boats of all types are regularly shipped from the USA to Australia. While this makes purchasing an overseas boat seem simple, the exercise should not be considered without extreme care and the expert assistance of a local dealer or broker.
his budget versus the reality he was totally shocked. This from a person who had made his fortune importing and exporting! The sole reason: emotion. We ended up negotiating the deal for him and he’s very happy with it.” Tony reports seeing a lot of “cheap and nasty second-hand boats” coming into the country – the products of ambitious private importers. These grey imports often hit the resale market very quickly after arrival here, says Tony. “Either because the purchaser has dreams of making a quick buck or because the cheap boat quickly turns out to be a lot more expensive than budgeted and needs to be dumped.” Tony points out that there are different inclusions between boats sold on the US domestic market and
boats sold by Australian dealers. “The Australian price includes Australian standards electrics, fire-fighting systems, and options that the factory charges for. As a general rule, US prices seldom include commissioning or delivery charges, whereas our Australian prices do. The differences between going it alone and working with a dealer in value for money, security and ongoing relationship cannot be circumscribed in a dollar amount. We may not necessarily sell you the cheapest boat, but we will do our very best to make sure you own the best-value boat and one you can enjoy. It’s all about minimising risk and maximising enjoyment for our clients.”
USING A BROKER
Australian Luhrs distributor Tony Poole spends his life around boats. He regularly assists clients to safely import boats.
John Blumenthal is a sales agent for the US-based Dwight Tracy & Friends Yacht Sales. John has 30 years’ industry experience, having risen through the ranks from Cairns deckhand to captain (with licences in NZ, Australia and the US). Twenty years ago he moved to Florida, USA where he now has a Florida yacht broker’s licence. John works closely with his Australia-based associate, Capt Greg Edwards, another very experienced Aussie gamefishing charter captain and friend who, after many seasons off Cairns, has now
diversified his profession to yacht brokering. Together they provide a very personalised service. “I describe myself as an ‘allpurpose broker’, one who not only searches out the right vessel for my clients, but also participates in full from the survey, having deficiencies repaired, overseeing any other work my clients request, preparing the vessel for shipping, and I actually load the vessel on board the ship myself,” John says. John’s years of knowledge and gamefishing expertise assists his clients to find the perfect vessel. “Then, once a selection is made, I contact the seller or broker to preview the vessel, negotiate the purchase and arrange for shipping. If repairs are required after a survey, I oversee the work to be performed. I document all aspects of the process and keep the client apprised of all issues relating to their new purchase. With the Internet and phone, 75 per cent of my clients do not even leave Australia to purchase. I make it a very easy process. My customers are generally either repeat business or referrals from previous clients,” he adds. He too recommends against handling the process alone. “It is complicated,” John stresses. “There have been many situations where an Australian has been taken advantage of!”
Special boattransporting ships, like this one from Dockwise Yacht Transport, have been designed to partially submerge, allowing large boats to be floated on to fitted cradles before being refloated and then delivered around the world.
“We now find our marinas full of cheap, overrated, unknown, unreliable crap.” – Nathan Ghosn
To learn more about the important issues to be aware of when considering buying a boat, visit: www.biaa.com.au
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Smoke and Mirrors
Lure Review by Matt Gross
rt a B k c a l B
San Sal Candy Designed simply to catch fish, this latest range from Black Bart is no exception, with a very fish-like motion and angler-friendly design features.
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“They are a wellrespected brand that catches fish, simple as that.”
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lack Bart Lures really don’t need any introduction in Australia, or in most ports around the world. They are a well-respected brand that catches fish, simple as that. There is significant research and development that goes into each lure type to ensure that the angler has every opportunity of catching a record-class fish. In fact, given the prize money up for grabs in many tournaments in the USA and other countries, tournament wins and losses can make or break lure companies. The San Sal Candy that was supplied to BlueWater is a unique lure, in fact it was one I misjudged to start with. When you pick the lure up, the weight is immediately noticeable – here is when the first thought goes to high-speed trolling. To be fair, this is a very impressive high-speed lure, however, it has also caught a stack of blue marlin at normal trolling speeds. This lure swims deep at the normal 7- to 8-knot trolling speeds, and as you would expect, with speed it spends a lot more time on the surface. The San Sal Candy is part of a broader family designed for fishing with light tackle all the way through to heavy tackle. The Rum Cay Candy is a smaller version of the San Sal Candy with the design parameters being clearly targeted at light tackle. Run at normal speeds this is very true, however, with the capacity to still hold the water at 26kt, 8kg gear is simply not going to be strong enough to deal with the brutal strikes that occur. At the heavier end are the Crooked Island Candy and the Wahoo Candy, although the
BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing
latter does have a bullet head rather than the cupped face found on the aforementioned lures. The San Sal Candy has an overall length of 30cm (12 inches), with the narrow, round head being almost 10cm (4 inches) long with a cupped face that slowly tapers to a hexagonal neck section. It is suspected that it is this hexagonal section of the head, which starts halfway up, that gives the lure such stability in the water. In addition, the cupped head with its small diameter allows for grip in the water at higher speeds. At the rear of the lure’s head, the Black Bart team has attached a hook-securing bung that grips the hook’s eye. This allows the angler to ensure that the hook point is always facing up, where it can more easily secure a strong hold in the roof of the marlin’s mouth. If speed is your thing, then being able to troll this lure in calm conditions at 20-plus knots will have you covering a lot of ground fast until you locate the fish. Drop the throttles back and you now have a lure that will run deep at the back of your spread and take its fair share of the action. Two things that you will need to consider. If the conditions are choppy, it is very hard to get any lure to hang in at the high speeds this lure is capable of in calm conditions. Second, 24kg tackle is the absolute minimum strength at speed that this lure should be run with. Certainly, at speed this lure hits the surface like a missile, with water pushing forward in a big eruption. The San Sal Candy will excite fish, no question. Bart Miller describes the San Sal Candy attributes as, “One of the
most surprising benefits coupled to this modern lure is the absence of water-, wave- or weatherresistance; this feature enables freedom to troll, as you desire, without hindrance. One example would be extreme speed alterations to achieve position, chasing fish, birds, powering ahead of competition, seizing opportunities otherwise not available”. The quality of the Black Bart Lures is excellent. You really do get what you pay for, which unfortunately cannot be said for many of the skirted lures on the market today. The quality of the skirting material is typical of the brand, with a tapered thickness that reduces the closer you get to the tail. In clear water you can see the effect, which is very fish-like, as the tail swims in a shimmying manner similar to a baitfish. With the longer head and tapered skirt, it is the back third of the lure that moves, much like the tail of a fish. Put a solid 9/0 or 11/0 hook at the rear of the skirt and the picture is complete. It should be noted at this point (pardon the pun) that a single hook is the preferred rig if trolling faster than 10 knots. What is there to not like about the San Sal Candy? It is a mid-sized lure with a slim profile much like a saurie in shape that leaves a lot of the hook exposed. It operates with a very wide performance envelope. In Capt Bart Miller’s words, “A captain reported hooking and releasing 24 blue marlin from 24 bites. Just as amazing are reports of tuna, wahoo, mahi, sailfish and spearfish – banner days have been common for many. Just keep them wet, it’s that easy”.