Ski-Boat July 2016 by Angler Publications

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The South African Deep Sea Angler July/August 2016 Vol. 32 No.4

SPARE YOURSELF THE PAIN How to avoid trailer traps

LONG WAY OFF COURSE Longbill spearfish in the Indian Ocean

CHASING TAIL A tale of two Cape islands www.africanangler.com

Seacat 565

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CONTENTS

July/August 2016 Volume 32 Number 4 COVER: SHINING BEAUTY Courtney Roberts with a fat yellowfin tuna caught off Durban. Photo by Daryl Bartho

FEATURES

Longbill Off Course A rare catch in the Indian Ocean — by Jonathan Booysen

Boat Test: Cobra Cat 525 Centre Console One of the best boats in this category — by Erwin Bursik

Rigged! Part 2: A closer look at bases and poles — by Paul Borcherds

Crocs Abound! Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival 2016 — by Mark Wilson

Chasing Tail A tale of two islands — by Ryan Nienaber

Buying Pre-Owned Boats & Trailers Part 1: Sorting the pre-loved from the pre-abused — by Nick Landzanakis

Own a Piece of your Dream Introducing Jesser Point Boat Lodge — by Paul Borcherds

Records all Round 2016 Furuno Offshore Classic

Gotcha! The “illegal” foreign fishing vessel story so far — by Craig Thomassen

Tech Savvy A day in the deep with Blue Diamond — by JP Groenewald

A tale of Two Sails Double hook-up on a jet-ski — by Gert Willemse

DEPARTMENTS 8 9 50 51 52 66

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik Postbox SADSAA News Subscribe and WIN! Kingfisher Award Rules & Winners Property Sales

35 71 73 75 80 81 82

Reel Kids Mercury Junior Anglers Marketplace & Ad Index Business Classifieds Charters & Destinations Directory Rapala Lip — Last Word from the Ladies

The official magazine of the South African Deep Sea Angling Association

Publisher: Erwin Bursik Editor: Sheena Carnie Advertising Executive: Mark Wilson Editorial Assistant: Vahini Pillay Advertising Consultant: Joan Wilson Accountant: Jane Harvey Executive Assistant: Kim Hook Boat Tests: Heinrich Kleyn Contributors: Daryl Bartho, Jonathan Booysen, Paul Borcherds, Erwin Bursik, JP Groenewald, Nick Lanzanakis, Ryan Nienaber, Craig Thomassen, Gert Willemse and Mark Wilson. ADVERTISING – NATIONAL SALES: Angler Publications Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 Joan Wilson (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 ADVERTISING – Gauteng & Mpumalanga: Paul Borcherds — 082 652 5659 Publishers: Angler Publications cc PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Fax: (031) 572-7891 e-mail: angler@mags.co.za Subscriptions to SKI-BOAT: R160 per annum (six issues). New subscriptions and renewals: SKI-BOAT Subscriptions Department, PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016. Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Fax: (031) 572-7891 • e-mail: safety@mags.co.za • Through www.africanangler.com, or • E-zine digital subscriptions — visit www.africanangler.com > SKIBOAT > SUBSCRIBE, then choose your option. • Click the E-zine short-cut on the magazine’s home page, www.africanangler.com, or visit www.zinio.com/SkiBoat. Reproduction: Hirt & Carter, Durban Printer: Robprint (Pty) Ltd, Durban Full production is done in-house by Angler Publications & Promotions on Apple Macintosh software and hardware for output directly to plate. SKI-BOAT Magazine, ISSN 0258-7297, is published six times a year by Angler Publications & Promotions cc, Reg. No. CK 88/05863/23, and is distributed by RNA, as well as directly by the publishers to retail stores throughout South Africa. • Copyright of all material is expressly reserved and nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the publishers. • While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this magazine, the publishers do not accept responsibility for omissions or errors or their consequences. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers, the managing editor, editor, editorial staff or the South African Deep Sea Angling Association.

8 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

EDITORIAL

DRAMA ON THE HIGH SEAS

E’RE in the midst of some interesting times here in South Africa in the realms of offshore fishing. Interesting, but at the same time extremely worrying. The two major issues at the moment are the proposed new Marine Protected Areas that the government is trying to bring into being which will affect all anglers, be they recreational, commercial or subsistence (see more details in the SADSAA President’s Report on page 50), and the invasion of Chinese trawlers which were allegedly illegally fishing in the waters off the Erwin Bursik South African coast (see Craig Thomassen’s artiPublisher cle on page 59). Although the threats are diametrically opposed, the end result will be the same — less fish for South African anglers. If they come into being, the proposed new MPAs will severely curtail South African anglers’ access to the bounty of the ocean surrounding our country, while the unbelievable number of Chinese trawlers which are raping our country’s territorial waters — some with permission to be fishing here, others fishing illegally — also dramatically reduce our catches. The above-mentioned articles will put our readers in a position to better understand the severity of these two potential threats. We, the offshore recreational anglers, will ultimately feel the brunt of these impingements on our democratic rights. Let’s face it, even with modern ski-boats’ extended capabilities recreational fishermen are limited in the distance they can travel at sea in ocean conditions determined by King Neptune. Confining as the proposed MPAs are, we will have our fishing grounds even further restricted than they already are. Now add to this the news of recent arrests of three Chinese fishing trawlers whose holds contained 500 tons of squid and other fish. Our national resource is being drastically tampered with. My simplistic view is that if three vessels can catch 500 tons of squid what is the tonnage amongst the 100-odd trawlers fishing our waters? When you take this food source out of our waters, where do the pelagic fish we all consider our target fishery find the food to survive? What about the bycatch that is killed and discarded by these trawlers — how many tons is that? We have to fight both these threats to our sport. Fortunately anglers don’t give up easily — we love our sport and are determined to protect it. Indeed, it’s thanks to vigilant anglers and other interested parties that some of these ships were arrested. In mid-May some recreational anglers along the Eastern Cape noticed the presence of a number of trawlers off the coast, and tracked them on MarineTraffic and other ship tracking apps and their Facebook posts and WhatsApp messages went viral, putting pressure on the authorities tasked with patrolling our waters. Unfortunately I have noted that the various Facebook and WhatsApp groups that stirred up the hornets nest have gone alarmingly quiet. Don’t let go of this, guys, it won’t be the last we see of this type of thing. Just have a look at MarineTraffic.com (screenshot alongside) — you’ll be alarmed at how many ships are in our waters. On a diferent subject, please join me in welcoming Paul Borcherds (left) to the SKI-BOAT magazine team. Paul will be representing us as a sales consultant for the Gauteng and Mpumalanga areas and will also be assisting us with boat reviews. He can be contacted on 082 652 5659. Till the next tide.

Erwin Bursik

POSTBOX

RAPALA LIP FAN CLUB Dear Editor My wife Sarah is not into fishing at all and I think I introduced the sport to her when we started dating. Despite that she never would stop me going on a fishing trip. She loves taking boat rides as long as there are no fishing rods on the boat and it is only for a sunset cruise. Having said that, I never get to read SKI-BOAT magazine before she does! The moment I arrive home with the magazine she gently asks for it, quickly pages through it and then gets caught up in the Rapala Lip article. She absolute loves it, and listening to her giggle when she reads it is heart warming. Of course that means I also have to read the article to make sure I don’t fall into any traps set in Rapala Lip! Thanks for a great magazine HERMAN LANGUAGE <hermanl@westvaal.co.za> Dear Herman and Sarah, Thank you for your letter. Rapala Lip was thrilled to hear she has a fan club. See her latest article on page 82 of this issue. — Ed THE GOOD OLD DAYS Dear Editor, This photo (right) was taken at The Haven near the Bashee River during April 1970, some 46 years ago, by my now-deceased mom. At that stage the resort was owned and run by the Mitchell family who eventually sold it to the Transkei government. Back then in the holidays three families from the Free State fished at the mouth on most evenings. On this occasion, through perseverance, they hammered the kob on both the incoming and outgoing tides using silver Tiger spoons. All the large kob were donated to the locals and the fishermen only

Something on your mind? Write to The Editor <sheena@mags.co.za>

THANK YOU FOR SPONSORSHIP Dear Editor On behalf of the Sundays River Angling Club Committee, the members and the anglers, we hereby thank you for your kind and generous support towards our prestigious angling competition this year. We had a record number of entries, with 423 anglers participating — a 44% increase on the 2015 event. We could not have done it without your support and commitment, so thank you again for your generosity in these tough times and we look forward to your continued support of our future events. KENNY BROWN Chairman, Sundays River Angling Club <kennybrown@gm.com>

took fish which weighed 5- to 15 lb because they maintained that large kob developed worms. Most fishermen, like myself, obviously see this as a slaughter, but we have to remember that this was not an everyday occurrence and was a dream come true for most surf fishermen. I personally would have released these, but perhaps that’s because today we know that our fish reserves are under immense pressure. My annual holiday is still to the Wild Coast (mostly to Umngazi) and what is

disturbing and difficult to accept is how during the day one notices the odd passing ship, yet at midnight the horizon lights up and it looks like there’s an armada of offshore fishing vessels freely raping and plundering the fish reserves. Hopefully one day our navy will sink one of these Chinese vessels and save what little remains. Regardless, there are few places in the world with such beautiful, unspoilt coastlines — long may it remain WILD! JOHN SNELL <john@evoltech.co.za> SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 9

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TOP CATCHES

A rare catch in the Indian Ocean By Jonathan Booysen

N early May, while fishing off Richards Bay on board Wayne Ritchie’s Galavant we were lucky to make a very rare catch. We were fishing for billfish, trolling lures in the deep water straight off the harbour. Earlier that morning we had released a small blue marlin and were looking for our second. Around 1pm the centre rigger popped and we were onto another small billfish. The fish jumped a few times and we managed to get a look at it, but noticed that something seemed different about this fish — it looked like a massive spearfish… It was my turn in the chair and I took the strike. About 20 minutes later when the leader came up Wayne came to assist and take the leader. When the fish was alongside we could see that it was indeed a spearfish and a monster at that. We decided to load the fish for the record books and only then did we see how big it really was. Something still seemed off though — the bill and dorsal fins looked a bit odd. Realising that this fish was something out of the ordinary, I decided to take a number of photographs of identifying features. I also knew about Johan Smal’s striped marlin sampling project that is currently underway so I decided to take a fin clipping too just in case anyone was interested. Little did I

The author with a 40,6kg longbill spearfish caught off Richards Bay. This is the first known instance of one being found outside the Atlantic Ocean so it took some time to get a positive identification. It’s not known yet what causes fish to move so far out of their usual territory.

know what interest this billfish would attract. That evening I logged onto a social media group and my phone went berserk with notifications and messages regarding the photos that had been posted. Along with the congratulatory messages and inevitable slander from the uninformed, there was an overwhelming interest from angling groups around the globe. There was obviously something ver y special about this catch. The next day I put together an email containing the photographs which I thought were suitable to get a positive identification of the species, as well as the measurements and sent it off to several people who have had dealings with billfish identification in the past. This is where things went a bit pear-shaped as most agreed that this was a spearfish of some kind, but could not positively identify the sub species. The length of the bill and rounded dorsal fin put doubt into everyone’s minds. There are several different species of spearfish (genus Tetrapturus) including shortbill, longbill, roundscale (hatchet marlin) and Mediterranean. There was also a murmur that it might be a white marlin like the one caught in Struisbaai (see July/August 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT). With all this uncertainty, the emails were forwarded to other researchers including Dr Bruce Mann and Prof Rudi van der Elst (OceanoSKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 11

Pointed anal fin. graphic Research Institute) as well as Jason Schratwieser and Jack Vitek (International Game Fishing Association). Most of the features lined up with it being identified as a longbill spearfish, but the uncertainty remained because the capture site was way out of their usual geographical range — longbills are only known to occur in the Atlantic Ocean. Finally there was a light at the end of the tunnel when we made contact with Nadya Mamoozadeh, a PHD Student of the Fisheries Department at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) in the States. She and Prof John Graves are currently busy with a study looking at the genus Tetrapturus globally and are in the process of mapping the DNA samples from this Indian Ocean specimen to those of known spearfish species. Hopefully they will confirm the species shortly. Meanwhile, over in Australia, Samual Williams from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland made contact with me after seeing the photos online. He indicated that if the fish had been caught in the Atlantic Ocean he would have had no problem formally identifying it as a longbill spearfish. The reason it is so difficult for a billfish researcher to be 100% sure that this fish is a longbill is because it will most likely be the first record of one outside the Atlantic Ocean. As a result the scrutiny is notched up a level or two. In addition, some current genetics work is showing that the spearfishes are so genetically similar that it is likely 12 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

Rounded dorsal fin. that interbreeding and hybridisation could occur. Samual has joined forces with researchers from VIMS and this will further add to the knowledge bases of fisheries studies around the world. The major challenge is getting enough samples from each of the spearfish species to really see what might be going on genetics-wise. To answer the question of how the morphology of spearfishes differs from other billfish, the following is a rule of thumb. The bill of the shortbill spearfish barely extends past its lower jaw, whereas in the longbill spearfish it is about twice as long, but it is still noticeably shorter when compared to that of other billfish. The longbill and shortbill spearfish both have pointed anal fins which sets them apart from the white marlin and roundscale spearfish.

The branchiostegals (flaps of skin under the gill plates) of a spearfish are longer than those of sailfish and marlin and extend almost to the edge of the gill cover. The most reliable characteristic that separates spearfish from other billfish is the location of the anal vent. In spearfish, the vent is five to six inches forward of the anal fin, while in marlin the vent is less than two inches forward. In the past the main way to distinguish between longbill, shortbill and Mediterranean spearfishes was geographic location. Longbills occur in the Atlantic, shortbills in all three of the oceans while the Mediterranean spearfish are known to occur only in the Mediterranean Sea. For positive confirmation of the species it is suggested that several high resolution photographs are taken of the fish, namely all the fully extended fins, the head, tail and underside. A thumbnail size piece of the fins or a piece of the flesh should also be taken so that it can be genetically tested for further confirmation of the species. Overall there is very little information about spearfish which makes it difficult to understand their growth rates and migratory patterns. Whether global warming and El Nino are affecting the normal ocean cycles or if some individual fish are just making a wrong turn and following the current is a question that remains unanswered. It just goes to show that you never know what’s going to be on the end of your line.

BOAT TEST

14 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

SPECIFICATIONS Length: 5.25m Beam: 2.35m Approx weight: 780kg Fuel capacity: 6 x 25 litres Rated max hp: 2 x 90hp Rated min hp: 2x 60hp Power as tested: 2 x 70hp four-stroke Suzukis Buoyancy: Closed cell foam and Sondor foam

EETING up with the Cobra Cat 525 centre console at the Rod and Reel Club slipway on the designated day for the review was much like meeting up with an old friend. I was filled with anticipation, a degree of nostalgia, excitement and a feeling of “I wonder what changes time has added to the memory of the past?” Nick Landzanakis of Natal Power Boats arrived towing this beautifully presented craft on its high speed trailer together with its owner, Dale Chadwick — a Sharks player who had just returned from Argentina where they’d beaten the Jaguares. Only when I boarded the craft did I realize it wasn’t straight out of the box but had already been taken out to sea by Dale (pictured below) and his team mates a few times. No doubt land sharks versus ocean sharks! All credit to Dale, the craft was immaculate, proving that there is a softer side to Dale than the one we witness when he is on the rugby field. His “baby” is very tenderly cared for. GENERAL IMPRESSIONS As I said earlier, the Cobra 525 is not new to me, but the centre console version was. I do not recollect ever seeing one, even on the water while out fishing, so I allowed my eyes to feast on all the aspects I hadn’t seen before. In profile she is an extremely streamlined craft and the conformity of her top deck bow area running aft to a full transom with the centre console blends in well with these sleek lines. When I first saw the boat she had no windscreen because the console windscreen can be easily dismantled for easier towing and to enable Dale to reverse the craft into his garage at home. When Nick fitted the windscreen before we set out to sea it immediately added to the craft’s overall appearance. I was very excited to get the craft onto the water and to figure out if there were any differences in the overall ride and comfort of the centre console as opposed to the Cobra 525 forward console that I know so well.

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 15

CONDITIONS FOR TEST With time constraints on my side, Nick preparing for a trip to Japan and Dale’s Sharks’ commitments, we had only one day to do this review. After the previous day’s beautiful sea we launched into a north-easter that was predicted to blow at up to 40 knots. Indeed that’s what it did — the strongest north-easter we have experienced this year. The wind was just starting to blow as I exited Durban harbour, and it continued to strengthen as the review progressed, to the point where it was an ugly sea with a lot of chop over a moderate swell — not ideal conditions for a boat review, but the Cobra 525 came through it with flying colours. LAUNCHING AND TRAILERING Having previously towed a Cobra 525 forward console on a Swift single axle trailer and, as they say, “enjoyed the ride”, I have no reason to believe that this centre console version with a lot less wind resistance should not be even easier to tow. I didn’t get to tow her myself because Nick had towed the rig to the Rod and Reel Club slip, but I questioned Dale about his towing experiences. He tows his craft with an older model Landrover and says that he has no problem and hardly feels the difference when towing her from his home in Mount Edgecombe to where he launches at Bluff Yacht Club. The Swift Trailer on which the Cobra 525 was being towed has proved itself more than equal to the task. This model of trailer has been around for the last 16 years since the Cobra 525 was first manufactured and has carried these boats all over the country and to Moçambique, launching them from beaches and slipways

with no problem. The sub-chassis of the Swift Trailer can be adjustable longitudinally by simply unbolting it, sliding it to a different position and then re-bolting. Dale says that initially he found that the rig snaked a tad, but since the sub-chassis was moved aft a bit it’s perfect even at high speed. MOTORS AND CONTROLS Dale has chosen twin 70hp Suzuki four-stroke motors to power his craft and he is delighted with them. It was my first experience with those specific motors, and after listening to Dale I was eager to get out and see how they performed in the demanding performances I put them through. The Suzuki 70hp four-stroke motors spinning 17-pitch, three-bladed aluminium props performed beautifully, as you’ll gather when you read further. Even though I found the throttle controls a tad stiff while manoeuvring, the motors themselves never missed a beat and were very responsive, providing instant power against immense load on the props when I pulled her out of an extremely tight turn and floored the throttles. Only once, when I had her incorrectly trimmed for such an exercise, did the port motor cavitate, the rest of the hours we spent at sea there was no cavitation. HANDLING I have some ver y fond memories of the Cobra Cat 525 in its original forward console configuration and the numerous days I’ve

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 17

version, especially if the crew — in our case “substantial crew” — are standing at or behind the helm station. Dale and Nick, both experienced boaters, instinctively moved into position during numerous trials ensuring that their positioning enhanced the ride and performance of the craft. During my extensive runs both in beam seas and a following sea, I was able to maintain a comfortable 17 to 19 knots which surprised me in the mushy sea conditions. Furthermore, we all remained surprisingly dry. Running directly into the north-east at a slightly lower speed but still on the plane, I was able to trim up her bow marginally to hold speed and minimise the over crest jumping and slamming so often experienced when facing a head sea. The sea was standing up over Limestone Reef, enabling me to seriously test her tight turning ability to both port and starboard. More importantly, I was also able to test how quickly she was able to pull out of the turn and dig herself out of a hole and face whatever was approaching us. Testing her takeoff after holding in semi-sheltered water off Vetch’s, bouncing a foamy and then powering out in front of a starboard side oncoming wave proved very interesting. Holding position in the strong wind and chop with a relatively small craft was a little difficult, but once a decision was made to get up and go she was electric. She stabilised quickly after an initial jump and achieved a good speed to get over the shoulder of the approaching swell. The last relatively high speed test was in a big following sea. With the crew well aft, she rode it beautifully and I felt I had full control even when racing down the face of a big following cresting swell. Under fishing conditions — low speed and lure trolling speed as well as drifting — she felt stable and was relatively dry. The seas we had were certainly not conducive to fishing, but we tried all the same! In the flat water of the harbour I tried her with one motor, the other tilted up, and got her to plane and maintain that speed by shuffling the crew towards the bow.

spent fishing on those craft, and I was extremely curious about how I would find this centre console model. After leaving the no-wake zone I trimmed in both motors and started to push forward on the twin throttles of the 70hp Suzukis. As I felt the 17-pitch props bite and the Cobra 525 coming onto the plane I began experimenting with the power trims to establish not only when and how she got onto the plane, but also how I could control her lateral stability and attack stance. The flat bay water enabled me to get acquainted with her ride and crew positioning before we faced the rough stuff I knew was waiting for us out at sea. Once we were out in the open I would be unable to play with unrealistic trim positions and had to figure out how the craft would react to these trims under reasonable sea conditions. I soon established the difference between this craft and the forward console version I have become so accustomed to. Whilst this model is very fast out of the starting blocks, she has to be controlled more carefully than the forward console 18 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

DECK LAYOUT It is obvious that an enormous amount of thought has gone into the deck layout and centre console configuration of this Cobra 525. The aft section is very similar to the first 525 I tested in 2000, with the full transom containing accessible above-deck battery hatches and a livebait well. An addition in the starboard transom is a luna tube for “jub-jub” sized bonnies. It is, of course, the centre console on this craft that is of prime importance — its situation, its size and its ability to afford the skipper a comfortable stance with easy access to all his instrumentation, steering and throttles. I liked it and did not feel that I was restricted despite having Dale on one side and Nick on the other. The walk-around was sufficiently wide enough to allow even us big guys to move freely from the bow area to fish deck without hindrance. FINISH I raved about the finish of the Cobra 525 I reviewed in 2000 and, if possible, the top deck finishes and hardware are now even better than before. The new style of manufacturing boats without using any wood in the entire construction necessitates high quality moulds and superior laminate construction. This certainly shows, with another benefit being that the completed craft is at least 80kg lighter. CONCLUSION I have been enamoured with the Cobra 525 since my original review and I am more than happy to say my morning aboard Dale’s craft in horrendous seas has only led me to conclude that this craft is indeed one of the best of this category of skiboats manufactured in South Africa.

20 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

BACK TO BASICS

By Paul Borcherds

Part 2:A closer look at bases and poles BASES

N Part 1 of this series I discussed the role that outriggers play on skiboats and sportfishing vessels, and provided a very basic rigging set-up illustration. To quickly recap: Outriggers offer distinct benefits for offshore trolling applications. Firstly they spread your baits over a greater area of water without crowding or tangling the trolled baits and lures. Secondly they enhance the action and visibility of baits and lures due to the pulling angles and by keeping them in clear water away from the prop wash. Thirdly they facilitate in the drop-back on the strike, thus enabling a positive hook-up. In Part 2 we will discuss some guidelines for choosing the right type of bases and outriggers for different size and types of vessels.

There are literally dozens of different makes, models and manufacturers of outrigger mounting bases on the market. They range from the very basic banana-bend stainless bars right up to the hydraulic fold-out aluminium types used on large sportfishers. Despite all these variations the principle remains the same — the mounting base supports and secures the outrigger pole to the craft. It also assists in setting the outrigger pole to the right height and angle from the boat to enable the lure to perform at its full potential, imitating a fleeing livebait. Due to the severe strain generated by the outrigger poles on the mounting base and the craft’s construction, it is essential that you select the right type of mounting base. Ensure you pick one that is robust, can be securely mounted, and which suits your vessel’s size and

the weight of the pole it must support. To keep this article simple we will focus on the three most popular types used by most of the ski-boaters and smaller sportfisher fraternity and which are available and manufactured in South Africa. MULTI-PIN (90 OR 45 DEGREE) STAINLESS MOUNTING BASES These are generally the most popular type used on ski-boats. They can be mounted on the gunnel, forward/centre console, wheelhouse, hard-top and Ttop. These bases are usually made from rust-resistant 316 grade stainless steel with an arc and a number of holes on one side and a spring-based plunger release pin through the arc and holes. This allows the poles to be set either upright for launching and beaching or to be dropped down to 90 or 45 degree trolling angles. SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 21

Positives: • Due to their simplicity and practicality these bases allow for the outrigger poles to be easily mounted on a number of places on the vessel. • Suitable for most ski-boats and pontoon boats from 4.5m to 8m lengths. • Able to be mounted without professional assistance. • Less expensive than U-frame or swivel-mount mounting bases. • Lightweight construction allows it to be fitted on smaller craft and pontoon boats with or without minimal extra reinforcing. • Suitable for fixed and telescopic carbon fibre poles up to 7m, and anodised aluminium telescopic or fixed outrigger poles up to 6m in length. • Allows for two or three trolling height positions and one launching and beaching position. Negatives: • Restricted in trolling height and angle positions. • Cannot be used with heavy poles. • Plunger pin may wear out with continued use over time, especially if you’re trolling in rough seas. • More popular for live-baiting and sailfish type lures than trolling with heavier marlin lures. When targeting marlin with heavier lures, the use of tag-lines is encouraged to compensate for the 90 degree angle. That may be an extra cost. U-FRAME (WISHBONE) FOLD–OUT MOUNTING BASES The second base system which is primarily used on sportfishers and skiboats over 5m and which is able to support most heavier outriggers and lengths up to 8m, is the three-stayed sliding system.

With this system the gunnel, console/cabin bulkheads or extra built-in plates or wood are used to anchor this support base. These types of bases manufactured from either anodised aluminium or 316 grade stainless steel, and incorporate a three-point mounting system that provides maximum strength and distributes the stress to the mounting surface over a wide area. Typically they are mounted at a 2035 degree angle toward the stern which brings the tip of the riggers in-line with the transom or outboards of the craft. This is a better trolling position and a better hook-up rate is thus achieved without the use of tag-lines. Positives: • Supports most weights and lengths of outrigger poles. • Not restricted to any trolling height — fully adjustable. • No wear on any part of the bases even in rough seas — providing it is well manufactured and well secured to the craft. Negatives: • Specialised engineering and professional fitting procedure is necessary due to the angled positioning required. • More expensive than multi-pin bases. • Needs reinforcing on cabin, console or gunnel due to pole and base weight. • Better suited for boats over 5m in length due to the area needed to mount the bases. SWIVEL BASE MOUNTING BASES These mounting bases are precision engineered and manufactured from either 316 grade stainless steel or solid bar anodised aluminium. This mount lets you adjust the vertical position by pulling down on a handle mechanism; swinging the handle to the side the base enables it to swivel to adjust the horizontal angles of an outrigger pole. Once the outrigger is where you want it, you release the handle to lock it in position.

Above: Taco Marine Grand Slam 380 Outrigger Mount. Picture courtesy of TACO Marine This mounting base is especially popular on centre console boats because it can be mounted and adjusted from under the hardtop or on the frame rail of a T-top, eliminating the need for someone to stand on the gunnel to adjust the outrigger. Positives: • This mounting base lets you deploy an outrigger with one hand. • No gunnel mount — very useful on centre console boats. • Halyard stays can be attached to hardtop or T-top — easy walk around clears deck for easy walk around whilst fighting a fish on centre console boats. Negatives: • Specialised engineering and professional fitting procedure required. • More expensive than multi-pin bases. • Needs reinforcing on certain hardtop or T-top frame rails. • Not as readily available locally.

OUTRIGGER POLES CARBON FIBRE — FIXED (TWO-PIECE) TELESCOPIC (MULTI-PIECE) Great strides have been made in recent years with advances in carbon fibre fixed and telescopic poles. With advances in carbon technologies and the construction process carbon fibre poles are now a lot stiffer than the older “whippier” types that were better suited for live-bait or small lure applications. A stiffer pole ensures that the lure is not “whipped” about in the swell and waves behind the boat at trolling speed as there is less bend in the pole. The more natural and alive the lure performs, the better the chance of a resulting strike and positive hook-up. As the poles are stiffer, longer pole lengths SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 23

• 5.5m – 7m fixed only poles suited to 7m – 9m forward console and cabin boats. (May be used with multi-pin and U-frame mounting bases.) Please note: • You should not deploy telescopic carbon fibre poles longer than 5.5m without forward stays as they will start to f lex and bend whilst trolling. • Refrain from fitting longer poles than mentioned in the guidelines above — a longer pole on a smaller sized craft may cause the pole to dip too far whilst trolling, beaching or launching and may result in a cracked or broken pole.

may be used which ensures baits and lures can be spread further to the sides of the boat. The additional length also allows more space for the second or short outrigger bait, lure or teaser to swim in clean water out of the prop wash. The length of the pole hinges largely on the size of the craft and number of release clips or tag-lines to fish with. General outrigger pole to boat type and length rule: • 4m – 4.5m fixed or telescopic poles suited to 4.5m – 5m centre- or forward console, hardtop or T-top boats. (May be used with multi-pin, U-frame or swivel base mounting bases.) • 5m – 5.5m fixed or telescopic poles suited to 5m – 7m centre- or forward console, cabin or hard top boats. (May be used with multi-pin, U-frame or swivel base mounting bases.)

24 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

Positives: • Cheaper than anodised aluminium poles. • Available in fixed or telescopic models. • Readily available. • Shorter, lightweight, fixed and telescopic types may be used on smaller craft. Negatives: • Once cracked or broken they are difficult to repair or may not be repairable at all. • Not recommended for boats over 9m. • Not quite as stiff overall as aluminium poles with tower tension stays. • Not quite as UV resistant compared to anodised aluminium poles and may fade over time with extended usage. ANODISED ALUMINIUM — TELESCOPIC (MULTI-PIECE) FIXED (TWO-PIECE) FIXED (TENSION TOWERS) FOR many years anodised aluminium

outrigger poles were the preferred type used by the discerning ski-boat and sportfisher owners and outfitters worldwide. This was mainly because stiffer carbon poles were not available and larger vessels needed a longer pole with tensioned wire towers to stiffen the poles to effectively troll larger lures and livebaits. Although carbon fibre poles have made great strides in stiffness, weight and lengths, the aluminium poles still have a major role to play. Anodised aluminium poles are available in telescopic, fixed and fixed with tension towers models in a variety of lengths and weights. The lighter telescopic and fixed poles are largely used on centre console boats with swivelmount or multi-pin mounting bases. The fixed poles with tension towers are only used on forward consoles and cabin craft combined with U-frame and other types of fold-out bases depending on the size of the vessel. Due to the engineering process required to turn and fit the numerous components aluminium poles are more expensive than carbon poles, but more than makes up for this when they’re utilised for the right application, especially when total stiffness is a priority. General outrigger pole to boat type and length rule: • 4m – 4.5m fixed or telescopic poles are suited to 4.5m – 5m forward/centre console, hard top or T-top boats. (May be used with multi-pin, U-frame or swivel base mounting bases.) • 4.5m fixed (with tension tower) are suited to 5m – 6m forward console and cabin boats. (May be used with multi-pin and U-frame mounting bases.) • 5m – 5.5m fixed or telescopic poles are suited to 5m – 7m forward/centre console, hard top or T-top boats. (May be used with multi-pin, U-

•

frame or swivel base mounting bases.) 5m – 5.5m fixed (with tension tower) are suited to 5m – 8m forward console and cabin boats. (May be used with U-Frame and other heavy duty fold-out mounting bases.) 6m – 8m fixed (with tension tower) are suited to 7m+ forward console and cabin boats. (May be used with U-frame and other heavy duty foldout bases mounting bases.) Please note: You should not deploy anodised aluminium telescopic or fixed (without tension tower) poles longer than 5m as they will tend to bend and whip. Refrain from fitting longer poles than the guidelines above as a longer pole on a smaller craft may cause the pole to dip too far whilst trolling, beaching or launching, resulting in a bent or broken pole.

Positives: • Available in most weights, stiffness and lengths.

• UV-resistant due to anodising. • Poles with tension towers are stiffer than the equivalent length carbon fibre poles. • Repairable because bent or broken parts may be re-fitted. • Length to stiffness is possible over 7m lengths. Negatives: • Relative set-up is more expensive than with carbon poles due to engineering costs. • Poles and parts not as readily available as with carbon poles. • Big name brands must be imported, although certain lengths and types are available locally. In Part 3 we will discuss centre riggers and the different types of rigging accessories used in setting-up the outriggers and centre riggers. For more information contact Paul Borcherds on 082 652 5659, follow PRO RIG Sportfishing Tackle on Facebook , email info@prorig.com or visit <www.prorigfishing.co.za>. SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 25

FESTIVALS

by Mark Wilson

HE Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival took place from 30th April to 2nd May this year and, as always, delivered what it had promised. The organisers once again managed to attract some big players in the sponsorship category, its title sponsors including the likes of Landrover, WesBank and MProjects. Yamaha in collaboration with Durban Yamaha, Natal Caravans & Marine and Outdoor Marine put up a mighty prize for the heaviest ’cuda at this year’s festival, a Seacat 510

28 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

with twin 60hp 2-stroke motors worth R350 000. Coupled with all the other sponsors that supported this festival, the collective R1.5-million in prizes on offer makes this the richest offshore fishing festival in Southern Africa. Traditionally the festival commences at a skippers’ meeting on the Friday night followed by two days on the water, culminating in a prize-giving on the Sunday evening. This year, however, because of what only could be termed “wicked winds” on the Saturday, the committee decided to extend the festi-

val until Monday 2nd May. This announcement was greeted by loud cheers from the jubilant anglers and proved to be a brilliant move as the ’cuda really came on the bite on both days. The anglers were also thrilled that many of the larger specimens came out as opposed to the “rats” which have sometimes been the order of the day. I was among the armada of vessels parked just off the launch site at Durban Ski-Boat Club, all anxiously waiting for the signal to head off to the popular bait locations and then, with

some livies in the livebait well, race off to their pre-determined way-points to hopefully nab a crocodile of a ’cuda. As is tradition, Hilton Kidger, Commodore of Durban Ski-Boat Club, visited all the well known bait areas to check on the action before heading back to the beach for breakfast with the sponsors on board. Unfortunately baitfish seemed scarce from what we observed during that morning’s session. The NSRI’s involvement in this festival is something the organisers take

great pride in nurturing, and these ladies and gentlemen who volunteer their time and often risk their lives put on an amazing display for all those who were beach bound. The helicopter rescue re-enactment literally a hundred metres offshore was watched by a rapt audience. Back on the beach families and visitors had a great time in the sunshine while the crews were out at sea chasing ’cuda. Food and beverages were on sale and it really takes a lot to top a day at

the beach with great company and a great atmosphere which is always prevalent at this festival. After the final minutes had ticked by at the weigh station on the Monday and all the results were carefully checked they were doubled checked for good measure. Eventually it was Gerhard Blignaut whose 28.15kg ’cuda allowed him to walk away with the Seacat 510 with twin 60hp 2-stroke motors worth R350 000. Congratulations, Gerhard, on your catch!

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 29

Commodore’s Report

Gerhard Blignaut’s 28.15kg ’cuda (below) netted him the prize of a Yamaha-powered Seacat 510 which was handed over by Ryan Hansen of Durban Yamaha and Bill Harrison of Natal Caravans and Marine. There were loads of other prizes handed out too (above).

By Hilton Kidger

ELL, the DSBC Festival has come and gone and once again many anglers enjoyed the spoils of their endeavours, whether they were earned by fish that qualified for prizes or through the lucky draw offerings that were plentiful and generous. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our many sponsors and supporters for their generosity towards prizes and financial support. The Sealed Weight prize of R25 000 cash also surprised all the anglers — it was set at 13.8kg. This is a must for next year and in fact next year we will probably have two sealed weight prizes to add to the array of offerings. The foul weather anticipated by Windguru arrived as promised on the Saturday and the decision to include Monday as a fishing day seemed to be very popular. In the end we got in two fantastic weather days that gave everyone a fighting chance and kept the sponsors happy! There is no doubt that the festival weekend heralded the opening of the ’cuda season, and this has continued with quality fish being caught north and south of Durban Ski-Boat Club. It’s certainly about time that we had our fair share!

RESULTS Top placed ’cuda 1. Gerhard Blignaut 2. Rowan Coleman 3. Pat White 4. Henry Landman 5. Henry Landman 6. Dwayne Boshoff 7. Kevin Coull 8. Justin Mccabe 9. Henry Mitchel 10. Guy Milstead 11. Neil Barnes 12. Mike Longhurst 13. Jan Faul 14. Jeff McKenzie 15. Peter Flanagan

28.15kg 26.20kg 24.45kg 24.40kg 24.35kg 24.00kg 22.80kg 22.55kg 22.10kg 21.95kg 20.95kg 20.70kg 20.35kg 20.30kg 20.20kg

Top Junior: Frans Badenhorst — 16.85kg Top lady: Fahmida Shaik — 13.50kg Top junior lady: Courtney Aspden — 12.65kg Species prizes: Leighton Green — 6.80kg dorado Barry Vincent — 10.85kg queenfish Kyle Walsh — 26.70kg yellowfin tuna Species ’Cuda Bonito Yellowfin tuna Queenfish Dorado Total

No. Caught 87 10 12 6 1 116

Total Weight (kg) 1296.00 58.75 214.8 54.10 6.80 1630.45

Average Weight (kg) 14.90 5.90 17.90 9.00 6.80 14.10

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 31

Land Rover were on hand to assist where necessary.

The beach teemed with friends and family of the anglers.

Some of the good catches that came to the gantry.

32 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

Besides the fishing element, this event has always had a strong family bias and it was a pleasure to see the moms, grandparents and kids so enjoying themselves. The NSRI’s simulated helicopter rescue which made use of the Portnet helicopter was very interesting and once again demonstrated the commitment and dedication of the NSRI team in Durban, all of whom are volunteers. The participating anglers contributed R15 000 to the NSRI kitty which was very well received. Next year the festival weekend falls on 29th and 30th April, and with Monday 1st May being a holiday we will certainly use it as a fishing option should the weather prove dicey. After the event we received some kind words from the winning team of François Malan and Gerhard Blignaut. I’ve included François letter here as it really embraces the appreciation that the anglers have of this event ... “Thank you DSBC! It is an absolute dream come true! The irony is that Gerhard and I have been friends for some 13 years and lived together in Cape Town. Now that I’ve also moved to Durban we planned to buy a cat together in 50:50 partnership. “On the morning of the event we agreed to split any winnings — as per usual — although it’s usually me that has the luck when it comes to catching fish. This time, when it really counted, it was Gerhard’s turn and we are just over the moon with the event and the prize, it is truly unbelievable. We are both still in shock I think. “The prize is truly life changing for both of us. If it was not for you guys and your pull on sponsors and a great event, none of this would have transpired and we are truly grateful.” Well done, François and Gerhard, and thank you for your kind words. My sincere thanks also to our many friends who sent words of thanks and appreciation for the efforts the DSBC team went to to make this an event to remember. We really appreciate the feedback. In closing, a word of thanks to all the participants — it is your Festival and we at the DSBC are proud to be able to host this on your behalf. See you next year.

34 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

PLACES

Ryan Nienaber with a 5.5kg yellowtail caught against a backdrop of Table Mountain.

A tale of two islands By Ryan Nienaber

AVING been lucky enough to grow up at the foot of beautiful Table Mountain, I learned to fish up and down the west coast. The two places that I spent most of my days were Dassen and Robben Island. With Robben Island being a stone’s throw from where I lived, one of my

fondest memories is of a day when I raced home after class to launch my tiller arm rubber duck off the beach at Melkbos Strand and spent the afternoon chasing yellowtail. FISHING ROBBEN ISLAND If you plan to fish around Robben Island, the most common spot to launch is Oceana Power Boat Club situated next to the Waterfront in Cape

Town. This is a great facility that has a harbour-style slipway launch and all the comforts of a jetty to meet your crew, as well as the club house that sells light meals and a great bar for when the day is done. It’s a fairly easy and safe launching site, but a launch fee is required for non-members. Be sure to have your paper work up to date as it will be checked prior to launching. From this site the two most com-

Chris Pike with a yellowtail caught on a pink top water plug and Tolani Kondowe with his first yellowtail caught off Dassen Island. SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 35

mon places to run to are around the corner to Sea Point (mostly for snoek and hotties) — a good idea if the southeasterly is blowing as you’re sheltered by the mountain — or a five mile run to Robben Island. This is where I spend most of my time. Robben Island can be a tricky place to fish and if you haven’t had a lot of practice you can find yourself going home with fewer fish than you would like. However, when the fishing is on it can be a very exciting fishery. I have caught numerous species there including yellowtail, snoek, Cape salmon, slender tuna, katonkel, hotentot, gurnard,

jacopever and panga. The island can be divided up into four main fishing areas: • Whale Rock is well known for producing yellowtail, but be careful of this area in a large swell as it breaks heavily. Often you will see the birds picking off the surface with not much happening below, but it is always worth investigating. • In front of the Robben Island harbour and the north side is where commercials often hang around and where guys anchor and catch snoek. Unfortunately the snoek catches have been poor over the past few

seasons and big tallies are not heard of as often anymore. • The west side offers deeper water and is well known for producing both yellowtail and snoek. Bear in mind that Robben Island has a marine reserve that stretches one mile right around the island. Be sure to have your fishing permits on you as the authorities regularly come out to check the anglers on the water. If you’re fishing around Robben Island and see mist rolling in, be very careful as the mist can get very thick in this area and you’ll be crossing the shipping lanes and dodging container ships SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 37

on your run home. I always feel we fish for fun and no fishing is worth taking a chance with my life. My favourite quarry is yellowtail, and to catch them at Robben Island you need to wait for a few westerly winds which generally raise the water temperature. The water needs to be at least 14.5°C to start looking for ‘tail, but 17°c is the best possible temperature if you can find it. I have moved away from trolling and only throw spinners and plugs nowadays. Trolling will work, though, and any feather or skirt and a couple of Rapalas will do the trick. For some reason Cape Town anglers are crazy about pink Rapalas at the moment. I stick to simply finding a good line upwind of where I have seen the fish, cutting the motors and drifting, waiting for a piece to pop up next to me and then I spin into the schools. For me the excitement of catching one yellowtail on top water with light gear outweighs catching ten while trolling where you don’t see the take.

Top: Ryan Nienaber with a snoek caught in Table Bay. Centre: Andrew Nienaber with two yellowtail caught off Robben Island. Bottom: Ryan Nienaber displays Nicole Nienaber’s first snoek caught off Seapoint.

FISHING DASSEN ISLAND I normally leave my boat in Yzerfontein at a friend’s house and just drive up there for the day when I know the ’tail are around. I always remember the ’tail fishing really happening from June onwards, but they can come sooner than that. Yzerfontein is less than 100km from the CBD and it’s an easy road to travel even if you’re towing a boat. There’s a public harbour there with two slipways and plenty of parking, and there’s a boat washing and fish cleaning facility five minutes away which one can use for no extra charge if you have paid your launching fee. Recently a new NSRI building has also been built in the harbour which always gives one peace of mind. Yzerfontein’s slipway will certainly test your ability to launch and retrieve, and its heavy surge has been responsible for many bakkies taking a dip in the Atlantic, so be careful. If the swell is up and there are big westerly winds predicted it’s best to eat your sarmies on the slipway, go home, mow the lawn and come back another day. Once you’ve launched, as you exit the harbour you will see Meeurots. You will run between this outcrop of rocks and the harbor wall. I normally aim slightly north of the island while heading out to miss the blinders that lie beneath. This is a dangerous section and many people have drowned there when the big swells are breaking. The monuments of remembrance at the slipways serve as a reminder of just how dangerous it is. Bear in mind that this section is normally worse at low tide. From the harbour to Dassen is about six miles. Dassen offers many places for SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 39

The waters around Dassen and Robben islands hold numerous species. Richard Fourie and Andrew Nienaber (top left) are jockeys who love catching snoek in Table Bay; Ryan Nienaber shows off a snoek (top right) and a hottentot (bottom left) which were both caught around Dassen Island, and Kurt Santer (bottom right) was pleased with the katonkel he caught off Dassen. the fish to congregate and can be broken up into several main fishing areas: • Die Dop and Huis Baai Die Dop is an overturned shipwreck that has been “dopped om” by the sea; it is the first thing you see when you get to the island and is a well known landmark. Huis Baai is a lovely anchorage for yachts that are passing by. It is easly recognised by its sandy beach, long wooden jetty and the couple of white houses near the shore. This is the access point for the lighthouse keeper. Remember that the public are not allowed to access the island as it acts as a nesting ground for many seabirds. • East side of the island, Kalkoende This area often has yellowtail up and down the kelp beds, and a little deeper out one often sees the commercial ski-boats lying on anchor 40 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

catching snoek. It’s a fairly safe area with no unseen obstacles. • South Point, Sisters and Pike Rock This is a minefield of breakers, blinders and rough waves, but it’s often just what the yellowtail want. • Back of the Island (west side), Blomtuin and the Gaang. Leading around the island from the south point is a small, deep channel that makes for safe passage without having to go around the large area of kelp and rocks. It’s a good short cut to know. • First, Second and Third reefs and Protea Rock First reef, also know as southwesterly reef, is a very popular spot for the ’tail. From there one can work Second and Third reefs, down to Protea Rock. I believe the yellowtail bounce between Robben and Dassen island so

one is always on the chase to work out where they are. When moving between the two islands, they are often on the reefs south of Dassen. Dassen seems to have more spots for the fish to hold on so they often seem to be more at Dassen than they are at Robben. However, when they are at Robben, because of the lack of structure you can find them in massive numbers and might well have the best fishing day of your life. Sadly, it can be a case of here today gone tomorrow. Even if the fish aren’t playing ball, if you’re on the water around the islands you will normally see lots of sea life including whales, dolphins, penguins, sunfish, seals and birds. Seeing all that wildlife with a backdrop of Table Mountain is simply breathtaking and makes you feel as though you’re miles away although you’re really only a few minutes from home.

72 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

TOP TIPS

by Nick Landzanakis

NOWLEDGE is power, and in the interests of prospective offshore anglers who want to make a foray into this incredible sport, we at SKI-BOAT magazine are putting together a series of articles to enlighten prospective boat owners on what they need to look out for. One of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to boats for offshore angling — both new and pre-owned — is Nick Landzanakis, Managing Director of Natal PowerBoats based in Durban.

His experience stems from 20 years spent trading preowned craft, with plenty of hands on experience, and Nick has agreed to share the knowledge he has acquired with our readers. Nick will be writing a comprehensive series covering various aspects of “offshore craft for sale” and setting out detailed areas to look out for to ensure that what you buying will bring you much pleasure and not heartache. Over to Nick ...

The perfect example of a well-tended pre-loved boat. Please note this one is not for sale.

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 43

T the very outset of this series I must emphatically state that the Afrikaans saying “goedkoop is duurkoop” is spot on, whether you’re buying a new boat or a second-hand one. When you start looking for a boat to buy you must be 100% sure whether you want to hitch up the craft you are buying and head straight out to sea for a trouble-free day on the ocean or, alternatively, if you have the time, ability and extra cash to buy a well used craft (elcheapo) in desperate need of TLC. Just bear in mind that with the second option you are going to spend time and a lot more money to get it onto the water before you start getting the enjoyment you are seeking. I intend highlighting the many aspects a prospective buyer needs to look out for; armed with this knowledge you’ll be more confident that you’re getting what you want when you put pen to paper and sign a purchase agreement.

PART ONE — THE TRAILER I have chosen to start with the trailer, firstly because it’s absolutely essential if you want to get your prospective craft onto the water, and secondly because it is often the single most neglected item of the entire offshore fishing rig and the major item most buyers hardly ever look at. To begin with you need to assess whether the single- or double-axle trailer is correctly suited to the craft. Bear in mind that a double-axle trailer is necessary to carry the weight of the longer rigs, but it is far more difficult to manoeuvre, both on the beach and when you’re getting it into a tight parking. There are trailers and then there are “trailers” — some are professionally made while others are made to a standard that restricts their application. And then there are the nightmare trailers where a boat owner got a mate to weld a few pipes together to save costs. A R300 000 craft on a R15 000 trailer is just never going to work. I’ve heard potential boat buyers (both of new and preowned craft) saying, “But I only tow it six kilometres to the slipway and back...” Well, your back-street trailer might handle that, but invariably a while later over-confidence will encourage you to tow it to Sodwana for a beach launch or, worse still, to Moçambique and I guarantee the wheels will come off in one way or another. Even if the original buyer sticks to his short tow scenario, when he comes to sell the craft he’ll often conveniently fail to tell the buyer about the limitations of the trailer, and if the new buyer doesn’t pick up on that and tries to tow it over a long distance he’s bound to come short.

Your choice — the good, the bad or the ugly.

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 45

Picture A

Picture B

Picture C Suspension is critical and must be very carefuly inspected. In Picture A there is no suspension. In Picture B you can see the rusty disk brakes of a suspect trailer. In Picture C you see the suspension and disk brakes of a brand new trailer. A trailer must be built for and suited to the craft it has to carry. The bigger the craft the more sturdy the trailer has to be, not only for safety reasons, but also because there are certain legal requirements laid down by Traffic Ordinances and which most insurance companies that cover trailerable craft require you to adhere to. The next aspect is to ensure the trailer you are looking at is suitable for all the launch sites you plan to operate from. If there is any likelihood of the rig being surf launched — even if it will be slip launched 90% of the time — you will require a breakneck trailer. Furthermore, any breakneck trailer must be specifically engineered to withstand the immense pressures that are exerted on it, especially during the retrieval of a craft on a steep, soft, sandy beach. Be very wary if the boat you are looking at is reasonably old and the trailer has recently been painted with silver or black paint. Ensure it’s a spruce up not a cover up. Here are a few really important aspects of a trailer that I have found cause residual problems over time. Trailer wheel bearings You’ll be left with a major headache if a bearing seizes or disintegrates and leaves you stranded on the side of the road and you have to deal with a hefty repair bill, frustration and a huge amount of time wasted. Regardless of what the seller says, before you take your trailer on the road, service the bearings! Overall trailer steel construction Even if you, the buyer, are not mechanically inclined, look at 46 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

the trailer’s construction. It must look like it’s well engineered and the longitudinal main section must be straight, not bent or twisted. Check the viable welds to ensure they are not badly rusted. Springs and shackles These are extremely important parts, especially if you tow to Moçambique, so make sure your springs and shackles are thoroughly checked. A trailer that is subject to saltwater dunkings and is used to traverse rough roads needs its springs checked every four years to ensure the tension has not been lost and that corrosion between the leaves has not reduced its strength. The shackles and shackle bolt are especially important; although they’re made of high tensile steel they can still rust. Trailer braking system Good brakes are essential for towing and this system is the most demanding of all aspects of the trailer because it needs constant service and maintenance. Whether you have hydraulic or wire cable connections, drum brakes or discs, ensure they are thoroughly serviced before you take your rig on the road. Trailer tyres Trailer tyres, especially those used for beach work, are often abused and neglected. Although they don’t experience that much road wear, be very careful if they are old tyres. Ensure that the correct tyres have been fitted — take note

Picture A

Picture B

Picture C

Picture D

Again new versus old. This is what keeps your rig securely attached to your tow vehicle. Picture A — as perfect as it gets. Picture B and C — can’t get much worse. Picture D — It’s okay but will need some TLC. of the make of the tyres and the numbering on the sidewalls (see the May/June 2016 issue of SKI-BOAT) to ensure the tyres are designed to carry the weight of the trailer and craft you are towing. Trailer electrics It is absolutely essential that you check that the trailer lights work before you tow it away after purchase. Whether they’re the built in type that are submergible or the standard chevron

style type ensure that the cabling and connections look solid and have not had a patch-up job. Check that tail lights, indicators, reverse, brake and number plate lights work. Trailer hitch The tow hitch must suit the size and weight of the rig you’re towing. Aside from checking for excessive wear and ensuring the bolts holding the hitch to the main trailer “disselboom” are not rusted this area should not present any problems. SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 47

Trailer/rig weight Many trailers are licensed at lower weight ratings than they should be so that the owners pay lower annual license fees than they should. The correct weight must be shown on the license disc and on the information plaque attached to the trailer to avoid both traffic and insurance problems. Hand winch and tie down chains/straps The hand winch and post must be sturdy, well-positioned and in good working condition. The forward and aft tie-downs (preferably chains) must secure the craft adequately while ensuring the craft does not act as a rigid support to the trailer. In other words you don’t want the flexing of the trailer to transfer the road-caused stresses and strains onto the boat. Trailer rollers A good trailer has to have a large number of substantial rollers that have not seized with age — remember they’re supposed to turn freely on the shaft Make sure there are sufficient rollers to support the craft, especially cat-style craft. In the case of large monohulls more substantial rollers are required and you must check that docking planks of side braces are in position to stop the craft from keeling to one side when being towed. Conclusion If you as a prospective purchaser look carefully at the rig you are proposing to buy and take note of all the points I have mentioned above, you should not have any residual problems as far as the trailer is concerned. Safe and happy boating! • In the August/September 2016 issue of SKI-BOAT I will discuss the boat itself.

48 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

SADSAA NEWS & VIEWS

Geoffrey Wanvig, SADSAA President

HE proposed implementation of the Draft Regulations for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along the South African coastline as published in the Government Gazette in February 2016 has vast and far-reaching implications for us, the offshore anglers in South Africa. As I said in my report in the previous issue of SKI-BOAT magazine, Mark Beyl, SADSAA’s Environmental Officer, after consultation with all of SADSAA’s provincial environment officers, has submitted a very detailed representation to Government outlining areas of concern where the proposed MPAs will have a detrimental effect on the traditional areas fished by our members. Zululand Deep Sea Angling Association — in conjunction with SADSAA’s Provincial Associations in Southern Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, Natal, Gauteng and North West — whose specific interest is in the areas controlled by iSimangaliso, such as Sodwana Bay, Cape Vidal and Mapelane, submitted another representation over and above the combined SADSAA document. The reason for this being that the entire Zululand coast is utilised by the majority of the anglers affiliated to the seven abovementioned provinces that comprise a substantial percentage of the association’s inland membership. Below I have highlighted the main points raised to provide readers with an idea of what our members would like to achieve and thereby ensure that we as offshore anglers can continue to practice our sport at social, inter-club, inter-association, inter-provincial and international levels. • There is recognition of the need to expand and introduce new protected areas. • We propose that offshore zones of a three nautical mile boundary be extended to 15 nautical miles to enable the targeting of the gameand billfish inside the 1000 metre contour. • The southern boundary of the park should be aligned to the terrestrial boundary of iSimangaliso. • There should be safeguards against arbitrary imposition of restrictions by way of park rules.

50 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

PRESIDENT’S REPORT • We propose the removal of intertidal zone traversing as craft cannot operate in these areas. • A permit system should be allowed for night fishing to target broadbill swordfish. • Vessels should be allowed to traverse sanctuar y and wilderness areas carrying livebait as well as returning with pelagic fish aboard. • We submit that the proposed request that vessels passing through sanctuary and wilderness areas be equipped with a GPS mapping device storing trails be deleted. • We think there’s a need for iSimangaliso to establish an adhoc committee with representatives of the deep sea angling fraternity. We will keep readers updated on any progress with regard to this issue. COMPETITIVE ANGLING Some of the primary aims and objectives of SADSAA, as contained in its constitution, are as follows: • To promote, control and foster the act of sportfish angling in conformity with national and international rules and regulations; • To encourage and approve interprovincial, national and international competition; • To select qualified anglers to represent the Republic of South Africa and the association in international, national and other sportfish angling competitions. Within SADSAA the responsibility regarding the promotion of these objectives lies heavily on the shoulders of the National Tournaments’ Officer. He has to source and justify the standards of such events on an international basis to justify the requirements necessary to promote a team carrying full national colours to attend and then to call for nominations of suitably qualified anglers. Once that’s done SADSAA’s national selectors — six elected individuals — meet, evaluate the nominations received via the provincial structures, and select the team that will participate in a particular event. This team has to be approved by the

South African Sports Council before the anglers are awarded Protea Colours. The selectors also choose competent, nominated anglers to represent our association in SADSAA colours in every one of the five separate disciplines — marlin, sailfish, gamefish, tuna and bottomfish — for the tournaments that are held annually in South African waters. An under 19 SADSAA team is also selected for each of these events. In order to progress through the ranks of competitive offshore angling within the national association, an angler has to follow the route set out below, entering: 1) Club competitions 2) Interclub competitions 3) Interzonal competitions 4) Interprovincial competitions Thereafter, under certain conditions, an angler can nominate for SADSAA colours. Only once an angler has obtained their SADSAA colours can they be nominated for Protea colours. The following teams have been chosen to represent SADSAA at some upcoming tournaments: • Junior Nationals — Shelly Beach July 2016; 3-man SADSAA U19 team — Juandre Geldenhuys, Western Province (Capt), Jan Hendriksz, Gauteng and Hendrik van Vuuren, Mpumalanga. • EFSA Game Championship — Mexico, 4-9 December; 4-man Protea team — Michael Riley, Griquas (capt), Jaco Hendriksz, Gauteng, Colin Barris, Eastern Province and Frank Sykes, Natal. • 57th Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament — Hawaii, 30 July – 6 August; 3-man Protea team — Phillip Marx, Zululand (capt), Michel de Kock, Mpumalanga and Robin Vermaal, Zululand. • EFSA Boat Angling Championship — Ireland, 16-23 September 2016; 5-man Protea team — Martin Gierz, Eastern Province (capt), John Luef, Border, Rory Leonard, Border, Keith Lowes, Natal and Daniel Hughes,Western Province. I — and no doubt all the deep sea anglers in SADSAA — congratulate them all and wish them the very best as they carry their national and association colours to the events they’re participating in. We know you’ll make us proud.

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SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 51

OUR favourite offshore angling magazine, SKI-BOAT, in conjunction with The Kingfisher and the South African Deep Sea Angling Association, is proud to offer all South African skiboaters the unique opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. All deep sea anglers who achieve laid down prestigious standards of excellence will be entitled to apply for the KINGFISHER AWARD. Upon ratification by a panel of adjudicators, the angler will receive a handsome certificate, suitably inscribed, PLUS a hand-embroidered cloth badge – both confirming the catch achievement.

Complementing this section is the second award category: 2) Kingfisher Award - Outstanding Catch To satisfy the requirements for this award, anglers can catch any recognised fish and the weight of that fish must equal or exceed certain laid down fish weight:line class ratios. Awards will be made in the following ratio categories: 3:1 – Bronze Award 5:1 – Silver Award 7:1 – Silver Award 10:1 – Gold Award. Applies to IGFA line class 1kg , 2kg, 4kg, 6kg, 10kg, 15kg, 24kg, 37kg and 60kg. Certificates Certificates will carry all the information about the catch (fish, weight, line class and ratio), the successful angler's name and the date on which the catch was made. Digital emailed photographs should be high-resolution.

RELEASED BILLFISH AND GT (Ignobilis) KINGFISH With the strong trend towards releasing these and other fish, we have decided to amend the Kingfisher Award rules to provide for acknowledgement of all released fish. All we need is a photo of the fish being released or prior to release (e.g. GT held on boat) and the approximate weight of the fish which should fall in line with the stipulated weights set out below.

SPECIES Gamefish: Barracuda Dorado Kingfish (Ignobilis) Garrick (Leervis) King Mackerel (’Cuda) Black Marlin Blue Marlin Striped Marlin

NOMINATED WEIGHT 20kg 15kg 20kg 15kg 24kg 225kg 150kg 75kg

SPECIES Gamefish: Prodigal Son Sailfish (Pacific) Spearfish (Longbill) Spearfish (Shortbill) Tuna (Big Eye) Tuna (Longfin) Tuna (Yellowfin) Wahoo

RULES: 1) There is no restriction on the number of awards which can be applied for. 2) Award-applicants must submit a photograph of the relevant fish with the application form, preferably a photograph of the angler holding the fish. 3) SKI-BOAT reserves the right to use the photograph as it sees fit. 4) Entries must be on the official form which is included in all issues of the magazine. 5) Entries must be received within 45 days of capture. 6) Certificates awarded will be as follows: Meritorious Fish - Gold

Kingfisher Award Application Form I hereby apply for the Kingfisher Award in the category:

Meritorious Fish

Outanding Catch

Tick the appropriate box and supply us with the following information. Please remember to print clearly.

Applicant's Details: Name: .................................................................................. Address: .............................................................................. .......................................................... Code: ........................ Tel No: ................................................................................. E-mail: ................................................................................. Club (if member): .................................................................................... I, the undersigned, agree to abide by the rules of this award. Signature: .............................................................................

NOMINATED WEIGHT 18kg 35kg 20kg 20kg 30kg 25kg 50kg 20kg

SPECIES Gamefish: Yellowtail Shark (Hammerhead) Shark (Mako) Shark (Thresher) Shark (Tiger) Bottom Fish: Kob (Daga) Musselcracker (Black)

NEW!

The Kingfisher Award will be made for fish caught in two sections: 1) The Kingfisher Award - Meritorious Fish To satisfy the requirements for this award, anglers are required to catch a fish included in the list detailed hereunder, equal to or better than the nominated weight. Tackle used is of no consideration here, the fish's weight being the main criterion. The different eligible fish and their corresponding minimum nominated weights are as in the accompanying list below.

A gold certificate and a hand-embroidered cloth badge will be awarded for this achievement.

NOMINATED WEIGHT 18kg 200kg 80kg 110kg 200kg 30kg 27kg

Outstanding Catch 3: 1 - Bronze; 5: 1 and 7: 1 - Silver; 10:1 - Gold. Cloth embroidered badges will be awarded in all categories. 8)

No witnesses of the catch are required. The award is made in the true spirit of sportsmanship and relies on the integrity of the angler to make a just claim. 9) A selection of award winners’ names will be announced in future issues of SKI-BOAT, along with relevant photographs. 10) Award applicants should allow 30-45 days for processing of applicants. 11) There is no charge for Kingfisher Awards.

Meritorious Fish Species: ....................................................................... Weight: ........................................................................ Date of Capture: .......................................................... Where Caught: ............................................................ Skipper's Name: .......................................................... Outstanding catch Category applied for (tick appropriate box): 3:1

5:1

7:1

10:1

Species: ...................................................................... Weight: ........................................................................ Line class: ................................................................... Date of Capture: ......................................................... Where Caught: ........................................................... Skipper's Name: ..........................................................

PLACES

Jesser Point Boat Lodge, Sodwana Bay

OWN A PIECE OF YOUR DREAM By Paul Borcherds

ODWANA Bay truly is an angler’s paradise, with deep water and large numbers of canyons and offshore reefs close to shore. This offers the perfect habitat for pelagic game- and billfish such as king mackerel, wahoo, dorado, tuna species, sailfish and marlin all year round. Where better then to enjoy your beloved sport and experience luxury living in the perfect tropical setting. Jesser Point Boat Lodge takes the essence of great fishing and perfects it. This is where lifelong friendships are formed and fishing dreams become a reality — a home away from home and a great investment that the whole family can enjoy. Jesser Point Boat Lodge was developed with comfort and ease in mind and offers you the best of Sodwana Bay with luxurious upmarket accommodation combined with boat storage. Here you can arrive and immediately start enjoying everything that’s on offer. The recreational areas cater for the whole family and everyone will be impressed by all the entertainment facilities. Your family can lounge in the sun, enjoying the play and pool area while you and the crew discuss the glory days of fishing and plan your future trips. At night you can retire comfortably

2 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

in your air-conditioned luxury apartment, with your safety assured by 24hour security. The units offer immaculate decor, en-suite bathrooms, a flat screen television, designer kitchen, comfortable lounge, a private semi-fenced garden, patio and built-in braai area. Last, but not least, you have your own spacious boat and vehicle storage area adjacent to the apartment. Jesser Point Boat Lodge makes owning a part of one of Africa’s gems hasslefree and affordable by offering fractional property ownership, full ownership and holiday rental options. The management team will tailor-make your package to suit your needs and take care of your sound life-time investment whether you opt for full- or fractional title. Fractional property ownership is an ideal opportunity because it’s flexible and you don’t carry the full commitment of a permanent residence. Properties are currently available in phase three for fractional property ownership which provides investors with the opportunity to acquire an interest in one of Sodwana’s exclusive fractional property ownership residences. You can choose from three- and four-bedroom options that include all the wellestablished amenities mentioned above and boat storage all under one roof. This option is based on a fixed calendar period that will prove to be a once in a

lifetime investment opportunity. Tailored options start from only R400 000 for a minimum of four weeks per annum, with a 10% discount offered on payment of the full purchase price. Alternatively opt for an interest free finance option that requires a 50% deposit with the balance payable up until 60 months from purchase. Full property ownership options are available for the spacious two-bedroom units priced from only R1.59-million up to R2.95-million for a luxurious threebedroom apartment. One ultra spacious four-bedroom apartment is also on offer at R3.5-million. Finance options are available and a deposit of 30% secures your investment. The lodge also offers holiday rental accommodation at reasonable daily tariffs all year round. Fulfill your dream to own a home away from home in a perfect setting which also provides a great financial investment that the whole family will enjoy year after year. For fractional and full property ownership, contact Vivian De Villiers on +27 82 952 9934 or Pierre De Villiers on +27 82 445 9946. For rental options, please contact Linda van Niekerk on +27 (0) 83 463 3694. For further information visit <www.jesserpoint.co.za> or email on <info@jesserpoint.co.za>.

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 3

COMPETITIONS

RECORDS ALL ROUND 2016 Furuno Offshore Classic

HE 2016 Furuno Offshore Classic, powered by Radio Holland, was hosted by Gordon’s Bay Boat Angling Club and took place from 29th April to 7th May. This year, with prizes to the value of R500 000, including a first prize of R100 000 cash and a Furuno TZtouch2 system as second prize, the competition was fierce among the 40 boats and almost 200 anglers who converged from across Southern Africa. The opening ceremony at Harbour Island on the Friday evening was extraordinary and even included bidding whereby boats were “auctioned”. The auction proved to be a great initiative with the pot eventually growing to R150 000 which would be distributed between the top three winners, as well as a donation towards youth development at the club. Unfortunately day one was a blowout but the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were absolute pearlers and delivered some incredible catches. The weather took a turn for the worse from Wednesday to Saturday and brought an abrupt end to an epic week of fishing. It has been an exciting year of record-breakers for this competition — participation doubled from 19 boats in 2015, to 40 boats this year, making it the biggest Offshore Classic. We also saw more big eye- and bluefin tuna than any other year and had an Offshore Classic record-breaking yellowfin weighing in at a whopping 105kg. The prize-giving ceremony on 7th May was presided over by Ron Penninkhof (GBBAC Club committee

56 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

member and owner of Smart Fishing Charters) at the clubhouse. The evening began with an action-packed video showing footage and photos from the week’s fishing. Finally it was time to announce the winner of the 2016 Furuno Offshore Classic — it was Philip van der Walt (Team Bad Romanzz, skippered by Colin Joubert). The top ten results were as follows: • Phillip Van Der Walt 105kg yellowfin tuna Bad Romanzz • Ockie Vermeulen 97.3kg yellowfin tuna Deep Fry’d • Bob 90.55kg bluefin tuna Extravagence • Louis Becker 89.3kg yellowfin tuna Magoofter • Sean Amor 85.1kg bluefin tuna Extravagence • Mike Casserley 80.25kg bluefin tuna Deep Fry’d • Dale Hattingh 79.8kg bigeye tuna Swanie Zero • Gordon Galley 73.45kg bigeye tuna Big Catch • John Burns 73.25kg bigeye tuna Big Catch • Warren Gilliam 67.85kg bigeye tuna Teemani

Radio Holland was represented by their very own Furuno crew aboard Blue Diamond, consisting of two pro staff members — JP Groenewald and Hugo Lochner — as well as pro angler Rui de Freitas, crew member Francois Fourie and Furuno brand ambassador, George Breedt from St Lucia. The crew took sixth place in the top boat category, as well as sixth and seventh in the longfin tuna category. They also caught a beautiful bigeye weighing 63.55kg. Bron Sykstus, Director of Services Africa, Radio Holland South Africa congratulated the Gordon’s Bay Boat Angling Club, Louis Bekker, Philip van der Walt and the entire GBBAC team on another well organised, hugely successful Offshore Classic. “We are honoured to be part of this prestigious event,” Bron said. “I would like to thank all the skippers and anglers for their participation and support; without their commitment to the sport as well as the club this competition wouldn’t be the success that it is today. “As the exclusive sales and service agent for Furuno marine electronics in South Africa, I’m pleased to announce that Radio Holland has signed an agreement with GBBAC to sponsor the Offshore Classic for the next two years.” For more information or to receive updates on upcoming competitions, please contact Radio Holland on 0861 123 555, email <info@radioholland. co.za> or visit the RadioHollandSA page on Facebook.

INFORMATION

Below: Some of the articles about the arrest of Chinese trawlers in SA waters.

The “illegal”foreign fishing vessel story so far By Craig Thomassen

ITH the recent arrest of some foreign fishing vessels in South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in May there has been much speculation both in the press and on social media as to what is going on. Unfortunately the various departments involved have not been forthcoming with hard facts and the whole thing appears to have been shrouded in secrecy. I decided to research the issue, hop-

ing to write a good news story about how our navy, South African Maritime Safety Authority and Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries are collaborating and protecting our waters from plunder by unscrupulous foreign fishing companies. After spending a few days on the phone being sent from one contact to another, I have reached the conclusion that nobody is willing to talk about these incidents and that carefully sanitised statements are all that the public of South Africa is going to be getting from the various role players. According to my sources, the Hawks

have taken over the investigation into the three foreign vessels which were being held in the East London harbour in late May. I managed to chat to someone who has been aboard the vessels, but he has remained tight-lipped and I am unable to get answers to key questions. The main question is: Has the catch on the boats been analysed and has it been established that it — in total or in part — is comprised of species of squid and/or fish that are endemic to South African waters? This analysis would confirm whether the vessels were

indeed engaged in fishing activity in South African waters. They claim to have been returning from legally fishing the high seas in the southwest Atlantic when they needed to enter South African waters — without a permit — due to bad weather. It is not impossible that the boats are carrying left over legal catch from their trip to the Falklands. They could be using it for ballast to give themselves a more comfortable ride, they could be carrying it for baiting long lines, for sale by crew when they get home or for a number of other reasons. It is simply a matter of identifying the species of squid, because the squid found off the Falklands belong to a different species to the squid found in our local waters. I find it interesting that the Hawks have taken over this investigation. The Hawks’ official title is The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation and its mandate is to target organised crime, economic crime and other serious crime referred to it by the National Commissioner of the SAPS. This is hardly the unit one would expect to be investigating a simple trespassing charge. Clearly the fact that two of these vessels are Chinese — our country’s BRICS partner — is having some impact in government circles. At the time of writing this article, the three vessels have been docked in East London Harbour for four full days which should have been ample time to inspect the catch and establish whether any of it originates from South African waters. This leads one to wonder why there has been no formal statement forthcoming from DAFF as to the origin of the catch. Hopefully they’ll make such a statement soon. All that we have been given at this stage is a statement, which tells us that possible charges to be laid include: • Possession of gear on board without a gear permit. • Not complying with lawful instructions from the Fisher y Control Officer. • Possible infringements in terms of the International Conservation and Management measures inside or outside South African waters. SAMSA is also conducting a survey on the vessels to establish whether they comply with safety standards etc. Most of these charges are pretty minor and not newsworthy, apart from the third possible charge. The evasive action taken by these vessels when they were approached by our authorities and instructed to report to the nearest port suggests some

FaceBook groups helped break the story. acknowledgement of guilt on their part. Whether this was guilt at not having the correct permits to pass through our waters or something more sinister than that is open to speculation. I have it on good authority that it is an arduous process to secure the permit necessary to pass through our waters with gear on board. It is therefore not inconceivable that the boats may well have been taking a chance, shaving a couple of hundred sea miles off their journey. There has been some irresponsible reporting on the whole incident in the press along with various opinions and conspiracy theories gaining traction on social media which are creating a lot of confusion around the story. Sowing further confusion is the fact that another vessel was arrested and taken to Cape Town harbour a week earlier in a completely separate incident. People are mixing parts of both stories together and the result is a lot of noise about a lot of assumed crimes. Allegations and headlines have already appeared stating that the Chinese trawler captains have been charged with fishing in South African waters. That is actually not true at this stage. They appeared in court in late May and were charged with being in South African EEZ waters with fishing gear and no permit, and disobeying a lawful order from a fisheries officer. They were due back in court in midJune. The Chairman of the SA Squid Management Industrial Association, Dino Moodley, has reportedly valued the squid at between R70-million and R80-million, which he says is being lost to our economy. He too is obviously assuming that the squid were caught locally. No wonder people are getting worked up. The assumption that someone is guilty based purely on some sketchy facts and some preconceived ideas is dangerous. Some members of

the public are even calling for our navy, to destroy vessels like these by blowing them out of the water. Things are getting out of hand. So yes, the authorities are being cautious about what they say to the public. We can also assume that there is some pressure from China on our government to get this issue sorted out quickly. We all know that some illegal fishing does occur in our water, and now these boats are a target for the public’s frustrations. We need to take a step back and wait to hear the results of the catch inspection before passing public sentence. The good news for us as South Africans is that our authorities are taking the initiative and are in fact taking action against suspicious foreign vessels in our waters. We can only hope they show the same enthusiasm when it comes to defending our crayfish, abalone and hake fisheries from some local threats. Allegations of under reporting of hake quotas by local fishing companies are rife, and it is common knowledge that the abalone and crayfish stocks are under massive pressure from locally-based poachers. Many South African fishermen believe that our fishing has declined due to illegal fishing by foreign trawlers and longliners in our waters. It is important to retain perspective and to acknowledge that most offshore fishing activity has little to no impact on our inshore fisheries. Recreational fishermen have to shoulder some of the blame for the decline of our fish stocks. Having said that, it is also important to note that our law enforcement authorities are stretched, under-staffed and under-equipped to effectively manage our long coastline and ocean. Public assistance in reporting suspicious behaviour of any marine users is invaluable to the authorities and contributes enormously to the successful apprehension of wrong doers. The highlighting of this particular issue is in large part thanks to members of the public who questioned the actions of foreign fishing vessels behaving suspiciously in our waters. Whether they were indeed fishing in our waters or not, the authorities have shown that they will react, and for that we can be thankful. Hopefully the word will spread to any chancers out there. The time has come for all of us as citizens to help protect our marine resources. We need to educate those who are ignorant of the law, report transgressors and also modify our own behaviour when it comes to filling our hatches.

MARKETPLACE

X-BOATS HAVE ARRIVED! Advertorial

IGH And Dr y Boatlifts is proud to announce the recent launch of its boating division — X-Boats. Last year X-Boats launched its first X-28 Walkaround, while hull number six is currently under construction. The X-28 Walkaround was designed to facilitate some serious offshore angling. Built to perform, this boat is ideal for running longer distances and comes with an optional hydrofoil support system to reduce fuel consumption and improve ride quality. The wide 2.8m beam of this craft maximises the available onboard space with three distinct areas — aft cockpit, cabin and forward cockpit. Cushioned seating provides space for four people to relax inside the cabin. The Australian market has shown a great deal of interest in this type of fish-

ing vessel and as well as the dual-console 36 foot version which will also be available in a walkaround configuration. Great care has been taken to build a high quality boat, and the next boat coming off the f loor is destined to make its debut at the Sydney International Boat Show in August. Watch this space as X-Boats also stables an X-36 Dual Console, X-16 Poling Skiff, X-17 Centre Console as well as the first X-33 Walkaround currently under construction. A full boat test and review of the X28 Walkaround will appear in the next issue of SKI-BOAT. High And Dry Boatlifts has lifts at sites throughout the countr y, from Richards Bay on the east coast all the way to Port Owen on the west coast, while inland boaters might have spotted the lifts situated on the Vaal River. High And Dr y Boatlifts has also expanded into the USA where it now

has an assembly plant for the US boatlift market. With an initial order of 36 boatlifts to the US comprised of the 3 000kg, 4 000kg and 5 000kg models, there will soon be a lot more High And Dry Boatlifts in US waters. High And Dry also has dealers on both the eastern and western shores of Australia. If you wish to take a look at a lift firsthand, High And Dry Boatlifts recently launched their flagship boatlift which is able to lift a staggering 12 000kg. This lift is currently moored in Granger Bay, Cape Town. The current range boasts lifts that are capable of carr ying 2 000kg, 3 000kg, 4 000kg, 5 000kg, 6 000kg, 7 500kg, 9 000kg and 12 000kg loads. Order an X-Boats vessel together with a High And Dry Boatlift and get a bundle discount. For further information visit <www.x-boats.com> and <www. highanddryboatlifts.com>.

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 61

ELECTRONICS

By JP Groenewald

’VE been an avid fisherman virtually all my life and my craft is an old LeeCat 800 centre console custom, powered by two 150hp Mercury Optimax 2-strokes, but electronics-wise I’m right up to date. My boat is fully kitted out with the new Furuno TZTouch2 12”, Furuno DRS2D 28nm UHD Radar, Easy AIS, 600w 50/200 transom mount transducer, Furuno FCV-620 standalone echo sounder and a Furuno GP-1670F backup plotter, and a typical day involves me using all of them to ensure a good catch. I use every piece of technology on my boat, whether I’m fishing inshore for snoek and yellowtail or offshore chasing the big Cape yellowfin tuna. Marine electronics have come a long way in the last decade and have become so advanced, that the technology now allows us to spend more time fishing and less time looking at a screen. Chances are you don’t really understand everything the screen is showing anyway. The first thing that I do when I get to the boat in the morning is create a mobile WiFi hotspot with my phone and connect my main unit (TZTouch2) to the WiFi. I then download the latest MaxSea weather file onto my unit and plan my day — firstly according to where the warmer water is located and secondly where the highest percentage of krill is found. I also look at where the closest drop-off is on the chart, because that’s where you’ll find the thermocline which is created by an upwelling of warmer water. The thermocline traps the baitfish and if you find the baitfish you will find the pelagic predator fish such as tuna, dorado, ’cuda, marlin and sailfish. Once I’ve decided on the marks I’ll be working for the day, we start the 40nm run from Harbour Island, Gordon’s Bay. As we run out we always make a stop at Rocky Banks or Bellows to have a look for some yellowtail or a couple of Cape snoek. Once we’re in the area I switch on my echo sounder, set it to “auto depth” and start trolling the area at six knots with my X-Rap20 Rapalas.

The latest equipment makes it easy to find the perfect spot showing the size of the fish and telling the skipper what type of bottom he’s on.

Brilliant bottom definition and target seperation which shows the size of fish in centimetres makes fishing a pleasure!

Furuno equipment doing its magic to find the fish.

Showing you the way and finding the fish is no problem for this skipper. Vessel: Blue Diamond. SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 63

Hugo Lochner with a yellowfin tuna of 50kg on product testing day.

Sometimes a big red ball appears on the screen but no reels whiz, so I switch on the ACCU-Fish function, scroll back on the fishfinder screen, tap on the red ball and select “go to”. Immediately a mark appears on my plotter. I troll over the same ball and this is where the ACCU-Fish does its magic and shows me the length of the fish within the ball. If I see it’s all 1020cm mackerel I move on until I come to another bait ball with bigger fish — between 60cm and 110cm. Usually the reels all start to whiz and we manage to land a nice mix of snoek and yellowtail! When that happens the guys get to work with the jigging rods and its absolute mayhem on deck! Once we have a couple of fish in the boat the “mombak” is off and we can head out to do what we planned for. About eight miles out, I’ll switch on my radar and AIS. As soon as the AIS is on it starts picking up vessels and I’ll look through the list of vessels to see if there are any longliners; almost 90% of the time they hold tuna below them. The AIS Vessel Information will also tell me if the boat is active and working. If it is, I’ll mark the boat and set my unit to track that specific vessel for the day. We then begin to move on to the marks and I’ll switch my radar over to “bird mode”. If my radar picks up a big f lock of birds working I’ll mark my radar to track them. Usually when we Rui De Freitas with a wopper longfin tuna weighing 23kg.

Happy anglers, JP Groenewald, Jomari Groenewald, Rui De Freitas and Martyn Groenewald with a full quota of snoek for the day. 64 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

get closer we see that the birds are diving on baitfish and the tuna are smashing the baitfish all over the show, so out comes the plugging and popping gear! On one day in particular as soon as the first popper hit the water it was nailed by a 50kg+ yellowfin, so while the boys were having fun with the spinning gear, I setup my echo sounder. To begin with I switched off the auto depth on the low frequency (50khz) because low frequency gives you a wider beam angle under water. I set my depth at 0-60m and changed my gain to 75%, where I could see just a little bit of clutter on the screen, as well as the thermocline at 20m to 25m. I also set my TVG (Time Varied Gain) to “low” as the TVG will make echoes that appear in the 50m to 60m water column display the same in size and colour as in the upper water column. This makes it easier for me to distinguish between longfin and yellowfin tuna just by looking at the colour it is displayed on the unit. Different fish display in different colours on an echo sounder so that you can identify the species you want to target. Once we’d done all that we started our chum line. Within ten minutes the fish alarm went off and I immediately identified a yellowfin by the red “worm” on 30m on the screen. As we continued chumming bait into the water the marks began to multiply and move up to 15m. All hell broke loose with the odd green mark appearing on the display and which I identified as longfin tuna. After a couple of hours of battle, the fish went off the bite. I opened my list of AIS targets that I had chosen to track and I saw that the vessel I was tracking had moved off about ten miles from us. There wasn’t much fishing time left for the day, so we ran directly towards the longliner. When we reached it I circled the vessel and spotted a couple of tuna underneath. We dropped the lines and not even ten seconds passed before the reels began spinning. After a little more chumming we managed three more yellows from our longliner friend. By that stage it was time to head home, so I set my heading for Harbour Island and selected a split screen with dual radar. I zoom one screen in at 15nm and the other at 1.5nm — I like to know that I won’t miss anything that could be a potential danger to my boat or my crew, as not all vessels have AIS transmitting devices. After a rewarding day on the water we returned to the harbour with smiles all around. In my opinion, success at sea requires the right combination of experience as a fisherman as well as sufficient knowledge to be able to maximise the potential of today’s innovative technologies which simply help us fish smarter.

PROPERTY SALES

66 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

FISHING STORIES

DOUBLE HOOK-UP ON A JET-SKI Gert Willemse celebrates landing both sailfish from a double hook-up on his jet-ski while fishing off Barra, Moçambique.

By Gert Willemse

T is with great pleasure, pride and honour that I share my latest fishing excitement — a definite number one on my list of top ten fishing experiences. Call it lucky, call it being at the right place at the right time — I don’t care what you call it, I just say “Hell yeah!” A double hook-up on sailfish off a jet-ski? Sounds like a really fishy story, but fortunately for me my capture of the sailies was witnessed by two different boats. The setting for this grand tale was a well organised interclub fishing competition in Barra, Moçambique, that was presented by Platinum Ski-Boat Club which is based in Rustenburg. The fiveday event started on Monday 28th March and we were blessed with five days of fishable weather — already a success. Thirteen boats and one jet-ski started the competition, but due to some outboard issues only 11 boats and the jet-ski finished day five.

The fishing overall was good. Points scoring worked on the basis of total weight of fish per day per angler multiplied by the number of species. For me on the ski it was not exactly fireworks — I had accumulated a few points on the Monday and Tuesday, but not a single fish on the Wednesday and Thursday. Launching in the mornings was at first light — around 5.15am — in 29° Celsius water, and cut off at the scale was at 3.30pm. Fishing for nine to ten hours a day in the hot sun is no joke, especially when you’re not hearing a single scream from any of the three reels — for two days! It felt like I was living a nightmare, but that was all about to change ... Friday morning started off much the same. I launched at Barra Point and trolled towards Tofino to the south. I tried every trick I knew — slow troll, fast troll, deep divers, surface lures, Rapalas. You name it I tried it. Eventually I went back to the same setup I’d started with that morning — a

halfbeak with a blue and white skirt running just aft of the white water from the wake, and two SpeedPro lures running just aft of the ski, one a rainbow runner and the other a golden tiger. I don’t think those are their real names, but it’s what I call them. Just after 8am, right in front of Tofo in about 50m of water all hell broke loose. The first reel to scream was the one attached to the rainbow runner — yahoo, a sailfish tailwalking! About five seconds after that the reel attached to the halfbeak started singing too. At first I thought that it was only one sailfish that had crossed the lines and got tangled, after all, we all know the speed at which these fish operate. Then I had another lovely display of tailwailking. It was only when the lines took off in different directions that I realised I was attached to two different fish travelling in different directions. Panic stations! I quickly had to turn my panic into action. First things first — a quick burst of the throttle to secure both hooks, but not too much because I didn’t want

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 67

to break the lines. Then I powered off the jet-ski and turned around trying to figure out where I was and what had just happened. The first thing I noticed was that the lines crossed each other about two metres from the rod tips and I needed to untangle that quickly. The third line was also still in the water so I quickly retrieved that while deciding which sailie to tackle first. Some anglers would say one should tackle the one hooked on the Rapala first because that’s a smaller hook, while others would suggest reeling them in at the same time, a little bit here and a little bit there so as to keep both lines tight so that the fish couldn’t unhook itself. In this instance I had one fish heading out to sea and the other heading towards land and I decided to take on the one hooked on the heavier rig — the halfbeak. That was also the first reel to stop screaming. Lucky for me the other reel just kept on screaming for a while which gave me a bit of time to take control of the situation. If you think space is limited on a boat, try a double hook-up on a jet-ski; I don’t even know how to describe how limited space becomes when such a moment occurs — rods bending and reels singing as if in a choir. I was determined to get that first

68 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

sailie to the ski, and about 20 minutes after the strike I managed that. In our competition you only get points for sailfish if they’re released, no points for taking them to the scale, but the catch still has to be verified, either by a witness boat or by taking a photo with the fish and a specific coloured band. Even doing simple things like putting on a glove to hold the bill become major tasks on a jetski, so I struggled a bit to pull the fish onboard, get the camera out of the plastic bag, take the photo, remove the hook, show the fish to the witness boat, put fish back in water — and then grab hold of the second rod! If you think it sounds well coordinated you’d be wrong. Eventually I had the first fish back in the water and the second reel secure, ready to start the next fight. I think this was also about the time I remembered to breathe again. For the first time it felt like I had control of the situation. The first fish had swum off again and the second fish was secured and giving a lovely display of tailwailking as it tried to dislodge the hook from its mouth. This fish was a bit more lively, and as soon as I got it close to the jet-ski it turned on the thrilling colour display on its body as it passed by and took off another 100m of line just like that. It did that three or four times before I got the better of it. Eventually I got the sec-

ond fish to the ski too. I was lucky enough to have another witness boat nearby because I did not have the strength to even look for the camera to take a picture! After reviving and releasing the second sailie I noticed I was missing a rod. I had a quick look and figured out that it was the one that had caught the first saile that was missing. Looking backwards I saw the blue and white skirt from the first fish hooked on the tubby — with the line going straight down to the bottom. I had to pull that reel and rod back up from the lure’s side; what a mess, there was line everywhere you looked! After quite some time the rod and reel were back onboard, but as I reeled in all the line again I discovered that the swivel from the lure that attached to my leader was not even closed. The whole time I was fighting the second fish I’d had a line in the water going from the ski to ocean floor! I did a lot of things wrong on the day, but luck was clearly on my side for me to have been able to land both fish. To sum it all up, until the last day I was nowhere in the competition, then I had a double hook-up on sailfish which earned me the title of Angler of the Week and fifth overall in the competition! Now that’s what I call magic.

FISHING IS MY LIFE by Slade Jesson (10)

ISHING is my life and I love fishing for any species. The first fish I ever caught was a black musselcracker and I was really proud of myself. The first time I went dorado fishing I wasn’t so lucky. I was on with a 5-6kg dorado when all of a sudden we saw a huge fin and a splash — a 15-20kg hammerhead shark ate my dorado! My dad tried to get the dorado away from the shark but it was too late; by the time we got it to the boat only half was left. Another time we went trolling for dorado on the backline with two live mackerel. After two hours of nothing we hooked a fish. At first we thought we had a dorado but then we saw that it was a ’cuda. We eventually landed it after half an hour. It was really big and when we got to land it weighed 21.7kg. The first time I went tuna fishing I saw my dad was putting on the Rapala and I asked him what he used a plug for. He said you’re supposed to throw it as far as you can and then reel it in. I threw it as far as I could, began to reel it in and saw a huge fish jump at it! I struck and I was on so I reeled it in as fast as I could. It was a real beauty — a 12.8kg yellowfin tuna. Another time my dad and I were both on with small tuna. My dad got his out and I was still busy fighting mine when suddenly a huge marlin took it! We’d hooked it on the northen Protea Banks and it dragged us far out to sea; eventually we ended up in 1 700m of water — off the continental shelf! I fought it for 25 minutes and then my dad took over. We fought it for five hours but eventually it was late and we had to break it off. I’ve been to Protea many more times but I keep being bitten off by sharks. My dad says it’s because our reels can’t crank the fish in fast enough. If only I had that Tiagra I’m sure I wouldn’t lose all my fish to sharks!

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BITS & PIECES

NEW VIEW FOR NATAL CARAVANS & MARINE

ATAL Caravans & Marine, the well-known caravan, camping and boat dealership, who have owned and occupied their landmark premises in Kirk Road, at the foot of Field’s Hill, Pinetown, for the past 56 years are moving. From 1 August 2016 Natal Caravans & Marine will be situated at 1 Wareing Road, Pinetown (opposite Gelofte High School), previously the home of Dales Auctioneers. In making the announcement, Geoff Courtis, Managing Director of the company, said there were a number of factors contributing to this decision. “The most important among these were logistical considerations in terms of operating a modern outdoor leisure store,” said Geoff. “With the growth in popularity of off-road trailers it is important for the various models to be displayed with their canvas components fully erected to enable customers to evaluate and compare features. The market for camping tents has also increased substantially, and with this growth, the range has also grown and needs to be displayed. “Our present facility has limited indoor display space and we often regret our inability to permanently display even just one conventional caravan indoors, with its tent fully erected. Furthermore, the positioning of our buildings is very disjointed, with our two busy workshops, servicing both caravans and boats, being remote from our Campworld store and main office facility. Compromise of efficiency and customer convenience is a Tweaking the layout of the new premises. Karam Soorjbully, potential consequence, and Wikus Radley, Bill Harrison and (front) Brian Courtis, overcoming this is a constant Veronica Dippnall and Geoff Courtis. challenge,” he added. The new premises will provide a perfect all-under-one-roof facility with ample safe parking. Clients bringing in a boat or caravan for service, repair or valuation will see prominent signage directing them to the appropriate drop-off location. Just a few paces from the parking area is the main entrance to the building and a wonderland of Campworld outdoor products including the Jurgens, Sprite and Safari caravans and trailers together with the boats all fully rigged with their Yamaha engines. Under the same roof and on the same level is the entrance and reception to the two fully equipped and competently staffed caravan and marine workshops. Just one floor up will be another wonderland — 250m2 devoted entirely to what will be the largest display of camping tents in KZN — and quite likely in South Africa. In summing up his and the company’s position going forward, Geoff emphasised that only the location of the business will change. Ownership, which has been in the hands of the Courtis family for the past 50 years, will remain the same. The Courtis’ well-known and highly regarded commitment to good, old-fashioned customer service and fair dealing, facilitated by their popular and highly experienced team of loyal staff members, will not change. The long standing franchise arrangements with the Jurgens CI group, for the Campworld, Jurgens, Gypsey, Sprite and Safari brands, and with Yamaha for their marine products will continue. Arrangements with all other suppliers with whom the company has enjoyed long standing relationships, will also be unchanged. The telephone number — 031 702-7291 — and the email address <info@natal caravans.co.za> already punched into your phones and PCs, will remain unchanged. Hopefully their website <www.natalcaravans.co.za> is already at the top of your favourites list! Now all you have to do is punch 1 Wareing Road, Pinetown into your GPS and enjoy the surprise when you land there after 1 August 2016! In the meantime the staff of Natal Caravans & Marine look forward to meeting up with all their friends and customers at the East Coast Radio House & Garden show from 1st to 10th July.

LOWRANCE SA WELCOMES STEPH

TEPHANIE (Steph) Geel is the newly appointed Inhouse Sales Consultant at Lowrance South Africa’s head office in Durban. She is responsible for client liaison and sales of all Lowrance products and accessories including Waterwolf, OceanLed lights, Parking Trolley and more. This multi-talented outdoor lover is excited to be back among family and friends in KwaZuluNatal after spending 11 years in Gauteng. “I am thrilled to be living in Durban again (especially in winter) and meeting so many Lowrance users in this part of the country,” she said. After completing her schooling in Newcastle, Steph ventured into graphic design and when she moved to Johannesburg she had a stint in private teaching and photography before finding her sweet spot in sales. Bubbly and friendly, many boaters will recognize her from Boating International’s accessories department where she sold Lowrance products and was also involved in the marketing and development of their online store. Steph’s love of boating, experience in sales and her knowledge of the full range of Lowrance fishfinders and GPS units will undoubtedly prove invaluable to anglers and watersport enthusiasts. For more information contact Steph on (031) 368-6649 or email <steph@ lowrancesa.co.za>.

NEW DEALER LIAISON FOR LOWRANCE

OWRANCE South Africa has another new team member, Marc Kruger, who will soon become a familiar face as the company’s Dealer Liaison for Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North-West. He is responsible for keeping dealers up-to-date with all the latest products and developments available to anglers from Lowrance. Marc grew up in Randpark Ridge and went to the University of Johannesburg where he read for his B Com Sports Management degree. Since graduating, this enthusiastic sport lover has worked as a sales consultant in the health and fitness industry. When he’s not gym training, Marc spends as much spare time as possible outdoors either fishing or playing golf. For further details on Lowrance products visit <www.lowrance.co.za>.

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 75

76 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2016

LIGHTHOUSE II UPDATE NOW OUT

MERCURY BACKS FISHING DEVELOPMENT

ERCURY has positioned itself solidly behind the development of the women’s and junior side of fishing through a new initiative that’s being facilitated by Rutherford Marine Durban. They have made available a Kosi Cat 17 — one of the range of boats they are promoting — powered by twin 75hp Mercury SeaPro 4-stroke outboard motors for use on the KwaZulu-Natal coast for development purposes. Myles Osborne, Rutherford Marine Durban’s Manager, says the plan is to make the craft available for use by ski-boat clubs for junior’s and ladies’ development competitions as well as interclub, interprovincial and national competitions. A qualified skipper appointed by the host club will take charge of the Mercury-powered Kosi Cat 17 (pictured above) for the duration of the event. This initiative was launched at the prestigious Umhlanga Ski-Boat Club Interclub

Competition where the boat was skippered by Rudi McNeil. By all accounts this stunning, fully-equipped rig was admired by all and greatly appreciated by the team which fished aboard her. Any of the registered boating clubs in the region that believe they could make use of this Mercury-powered Kosi Cat for its designated purpose should contact Myles to discuss its availability and the conditions of use. For further information on this initiative or new Mercury motors and Kosi Cat boats contact Myles Osborne at Rutherford Marine, Pinetown, on (031) 7176400 or 082 570 6362 or email <osbornemy@rutherford.co.za>. Regular boaters who would like a closer look at Mercury’s wide range of motors can visit one of their megastores at either 12 Halifax Road Pinetown, Durban or on the corner of Riebeeck and Jan Smuts Avenue, Beaconvale, Cape Town.

AYMARINE is pleased to announce the launch of their Lighthouse II Release 17 software for multifunction displays. The free update brings a number of new and exciting features to the Raymarine multifunction display line. The software is available for download on <www.raymarine.com> and by internet delivery to Wi-Fi enabled MFDs. What’s new? • Navionics Dock-to-Dock Autorouting provides the most accurate and advanced automatic route building available on any MFD platform to customers running Navionics electronic charts. • Navionics SonarChart Live enables boaters to build highly detailed personal bathymetric charts with 1-foot contour intervals, in real time, right on their MFDs. • GRIB View Global Weather by Theyr brings accurate and up-to-date weather forecast data to boaters around the world via the internet and the MFD’s Wi-Fi connection. • C-Map ActiveCaptain Content brings the powerful ActiveCaptain cruising guide and local knowledge database right to your Raymarine MFD on the latest C-MAP 4D MAX and MAX+ charts. Lighthouse II Release 17 also includes numerous other enchancements and updates including NMEA2000 Audio control for Rockford Fosgate marine entertainment systems, enhanced support for the latest components for FUSION, automatic chart selection to make sure your chartplotter always has a map in view, CHIRP SideVision precision waypoint placement, enhancements to EmpirBus Digital Switching and control as well as Dynamic Search and Rescue patterns for first responder craft. Raymarine products are distributed in South Africa by MDM Marine Services based in Cape Town. For further information email <info@mdmservices.co.za> or phone them on (021) 671-6751.

A LIFETIME OF FISHING BY JACK WALSH Reviewed by Erwin Bursik

HEY say you don’t know a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins. For me at this time it should read “You don’t know Jack Walsh until you have read his book”. Jack the fisherman, Jack the angler, Jack the commercial has been my friend since before 1980 when a mutual friend, Allan Cunningham of Purglas fame, introduced me to his mate Jack Walsh. “He’s contraversial,” warned Allan,“but he’s a good bloke!” Al and I were then co-owners of Sea Lord I and soon after meeting me, Jack started to bait me with his razor-sharp intellect and we debated all things fishing. His ability to sprout the king’s English intelligently with facts stacked to the hilt would have had me going for a six-shooter had Allan not warned me to stay cool. Jack’s personality comes shining through in the book as I tracked the formative years of his life, of which I knew nothing, and followed his forays into recreational angling on one hand and commercial fishing on the other. “But Jack,” I used to say, “you commercials rape the ocean!” He would look at me with “that smile” on his face and a war of words would begin that left me gasping for breath almost every time. I was not erudite enough to counter what can only be described as a wall of words separating the two very distinct sides of angling. Jack used to love this verbal sparring, and often engaged in it with my late partner, David Rorke, who was also not averse to verbal warfare. So, through the pages of SKI-BOAT magazine, Jack and Dave clashed, with the love-hate

relationship evident in each clash. This controversial streak of Jack’s flows throughout A Lifetime of Fishing and, to a limited degree, exposes Jack’s immense knowledge of marine biology. It was always this knowledge and the way he was able to separate the recreational from the commercial that impressed me. He’s the only man of the many old timers I have known who turned from recreational to full-time commercial fishing and was able to separate the two. What’s more, his in-depth knowledge and experience of a wide variety of craft from small dories to large trawlers is, I think, unequalled by any other in the piscatorial history of fishing South African waters. Jack’s intellect and intelligence enabled him to ride the life of uneven roads from high profile insurance broking and flying aeroplanes to fighting big seas in small boats and even bigger seas in large trawlers, along the way playing in the financial commercial jungle of the high finance big companies and even the JSE. Despite having such a varied career, as I knew Jack then and as I know him today, at heart he is still Jack the fisherman. A Lifetime of Fishing is an excellent read and anyone interested in ordering the book can do so at <www.jackwalsh.co.za>. Finally, Mr Walsh, now that I know more about your background I’ll be far better prepared to cross swords with you the next time we meet over a good few Captains — hopefully I’ll win the debate this time!

SKI-BOAT July/August 2016 • 77

BOOK YOUR SRC COURSE NOW S most skippers know, the marine notice 4 of 2016 stipulates that as from 1 January 2017 skippers taking small vessels to sea must be in possession of an SRC licence. A SAMSA acredited station has now opened at Nwabu Lodge, Sodwana Bay where the full SRC course will be presented over two days. If you just need to cross over from VHF to DSC the course will only be one day long. Accommodation is available at Nwabu Lodge. For bookings contact Arthur on 082 456 9428 or email <arthur@makodiving.co.za>.

FISHING’S FINEST NOW OPEN

INTRODUCING THE DAIWA PROCASTER A SERIES

ITH a power and pace that belies its size, and a quality and precision that belies its price, the Procaster from Daiwa is a force to be reckoned with. The Procaster’s compact body utilises seven ball bearings to make everything silky smooth and contains Daiwa’s Digigear gear technology, delivering up to 6kg of drag right when you need it. The reel is enhanced by the presence of an Air Bail and Twist Buster as well as a one touch folding handle. The 2 500 model is excellent for light lure and small plugging work whereas the 3 000 lets you “step up” where bigger quarry demand more power. At the top of the scale the 4 000 model will eat up 94cm of line per handle turn. Features: • Lightweight graphite body construction • One touch folding handle with T-shape knob • Infinite anti-reverse • Spare spool • Digigear • Twist Buster • ABS aluminium spool. These and other Daiwa products are available from tackle dealers countrywide. For details of your closest dealer contact The Kingfisher on (031) 368-3903 or visit <www.kingfisher.co.za>.

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HE long wait is finally over — Fishing’s Finest opened on 1 June 2016. The store is located at the upmarket Lynnwood Bridge in Pretoria, offering a convenient one-stop resource catering for all types of fishing and providing only the finest fishing products. Philip Kruger, Tasmin Kruger, Arno Morton and Sune Fishing’s Finest stocks a wide Morton at the opening of Fishing’s Finest on 1 June. selection of quality, high-end fishing tackle and accessories from major brands such as Shimano, Penn, Daiwa, G. Loomis, Quantum, Hatch, Hardy, Greys, Bass Pro Shops and many more. The company has also partnered with and is the sole provider and agent of PELAGIC GEAR® in South Africa and wholesale opportunities will be available. Fishing’s Finest further offers great fishing tour packages all around the world, helping you experience the sport like never before. Look out for the launch of their online shopping experience where you will be able to choose and order from a great selection at your own convenience, 24/7. For further information visit <www.fishingsfinest.co.za>, phone them on (021) 991-0603 or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram because they’re all about fishing.

THE NXT GENERATION OF MARINE RADAR

URUNO is world renowned for their exceptional radar technology, as illustrated when they recently won the NMEA’s Best Radar Award for the 40th year in a row. Now Furuno has introduced a compact, Solid-State Radar that incorporates Doppler technology. The DRS4D-NXT is a Solid-State Radar with pulse compression and Doppler frequency shift sensing technology, built into a compact 24” Radome. This “NXT” (read “next”) generation Radar is designed for use with both NavNet TZtouch and TZtouch2 MFDs. The DRS4D-NXT is packed with new features, but perhaps the most innovative and revolutionary is the Doppler Target Analyzer™ which will automatically change the colour of targets approaching your boat to clearly show any potential collision hazards. Green echoes are stationary targets, land, targets moving away from you or approaching targets moving at a velocity of less than three knots. Echoes dynamically turn red when targets are approaching your vessel at a speed of 3 knots or faster. It works the same when you are following another vessel; if the target is getting closer at a speed of 3 knots or more, the echo will be depicted in red on the screen. Incredibly, Target Analyzer™ works independently of one’s own vessel speed.

Tracking and interpreting threats is now easier than ever with the Fast Target Tracking™ feature of the DRS4D-NXT Radar. You will quickly see other target vessels’ speed and course vector and if the target seems to pose a danger it will be displayed in red, making it easier to identify and predict its course. The NXT Radar’s incredible ARPA signal processor will automatically acquire and track up to 40 targets in a single sweep without the need to set any kind of acquisition zone. Up to 100 ARPA targets can be displayed and tracked simultaneously. The resolution of this dome Radar is impressive, with a 3.9-degree horizontal beam width. FURUNO’s exclusive RezBoost™ beam sharpening technology has further enhanced performance. With RezBoost™ set to the maximum, the NXT Radome’s beamwidth is sharpened to the equivalent of 2 degrees, providing enhanced target separation previously only available on larger, open array Radar antennas. An all-new “Bird Mode” is yet another unparalleled feature of the DRS4D-NXT. With a single selection on the MFD the Radar automatically adjusts settings for echo enhancement to help you locate birds. For more details visit <www.furuno.com/ drs4d-nxt> or contact Radio Holland on 0861 123 555 or email <info@radioholland.co.za>.

Photo by Prof Nadine Strydom

NOW LAUNCHING: THE AFRICAN MARINE WASTE NETWORK

LASTIC Pollution will be in the spotlight on 25 and 26 July in Port Elizabeth. During these two days the Sustainable Seas Trust, Plastics SA and other partners will launch the African Marine Waste Network. The need for the network was recognised some years back by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and a number of government departments, universities, research institutions, NGOs and concerned citizens, but a decision to launch the network was only made in 2015 with a view to building on the back of the South African Hope Spot Network, launched by Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) and Dr Sylvia Earle of Mission Blue. Dr Earle is also one of the patrons of SST. Appropriately, the Network will be launched in Port Elizabeth as Algoa Bay is one of South Africa’s six Hope Spots. Although the launch will take place in South Africa, the African Marine Waste Network will be the first to address marine waste at a Pan-African level. The SST has emphasised the enormous contribution of Plastics South Africa to this initiative. Two days have been dedicated to the launch in order to set aside time for national and international experts to participate in a planning workshop, for public lectures and the first meeting of the Network’s Advisory Panel as well as to provide an opportunity for celebrations to mark the official launch. Pollution of all kinds is a major global problem; it causes 40% of premature human deaths globally, costs US$13.8 trillion annually and is influencing climate on the planet. An exceedingly important part of the pollution problem, marine waste, is the focus of the Network. Debris and solid waste enter the sea in ever increasing amounts every moment of every day. About 270kg of plastic enters our seas every second; that is a little over 15 tons every minute or 900 tons every hour. Plastic washed into rivers and estuaries which is then carried

to the sea, beaches and rocky-shores is the major contributor to this form of pollution. The remainder comes from ships and boats. At this rate by 2045 the flow of plastic into the sea will be 600kg per second, 36 tons per minute or 2160 tons an hour. This situation poses a serious threat to humans, animals and plants and ecosystems in general. It has been estimated that there are 150-million tons of plastic in the sea at the moment. If present trends continue, there will be more than 700 million tons in the ocean by 2050, outstripping the total weight of fish in the sea. The exact amount of debris entering the sea from South Africa or any other African country is not known, but what is known is that the rapid development of Africa, coupled with poverty, has seen waste accumulation outpace mana g e m e n t . International organisations now fear that Africa may soon become as badly polluted as South East Asia which has the foulest record on the planet. The Network urgently needs to find out how serious the African problems are, where they are and how to address them. In his message to the 5th International Marine Debris Conference,Achim Steiner, in his capacity as the United Nations Under-SecretaryGeneral and UNEP Executive Director, emphasised that the threat of marine pollution can only be tackled effectively by means of a transnational initiative actively supported by the private sector. The African Marine Waste Network is an African cross-boundary initiative supported by the private sector which aims to make a contribution to solving a global crisis. The organisers of the launch expressed the hope that all South Africans will join this initiative to help Africa play its role in ensuring that the children of our planet have a better tomorrow. For further information on the initiative email <info@sst.org.za>.

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DEADLINE for the September/October 2016 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine is 20th July 2016.

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