Crossing the Gulf of Mexico, and One Off the Bucket - Grady

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IN THIS ISSUE: The New 251 CE | Owners’ Club News | Letters & Photos | Grady Buddies
When It’s the Journey, Not the “Recreation”
Crossing the Gulf of Mexico, and
One Off the Bucket List By Charlie Hamaker, Chase 263, Reel Therapy
A close friend, Joe Clardy, and I were returning from a wahoo trip out of the St. John’s River, Jacksonville, FL, back in
2012. It was a 70-mile run to the inlet, and we were passing the time talking when I mentioned, “One of the things I’ve
always wanted to do is cross the Gulf of Mexico to Venice, Louisiana, and fish for those big yellowfin tuna.” Joe replied,
“Me, too…let’s do it!” We sealed the deal with a high-five and started planning.
I had worked the offshore
Venice. With my twin 200
oil fields of Louisiana as a
HPDI Yamahas and a
commercial diver, and was
three-blade prop, cruising
familiar with many of the
at 30 to 32 MPH, the
inlets and coastline from
crossing should take
the Texas border up to the
between 12.5 and 13 hours.
Mississippi River, but had
The fuel consumption at
never been on that river
3500 RPM averages 15 GPH,
itself. Joe was from
so 13 hours averages 195
Louisiana and was familiar
gallons. Reel Therapy’s
with areas east of the
main tank capacity is 206
Mississippi. Neither of us
gallons. We opted to bring
was familiar with an
30 extra gallons.
entrance that would get us
We left Cedar Key around
to Venice without going to
7:45 A.M. and, gaining a
the mouth of the river,
hour for entering the
which would add 75 miles
Central Time zone, we
or more. Good navigation
One of the many large production rigs located in the east Mississippi Delta
figured arrival to the North
equipment with up-to-date
Pass area would be about
GPS charts was a must-have to locate navigable tributaries. So equipment was
7:45 P.M. local time. After stops for relief breaks and the extra fuel transfer,
purchased and my Reel Therapy went through a preparation checklist that
actual time was 8:15 P.M. Trouble was it was dark, and zooming in on the GPS
might rival a NASA space shot.
picture revealed no channel or day markers along the pass. Among the
We plotted a course through the many oyster and sand bars that border the
thousands of lights from countless oil rigs, we saw a single huge bright light
main channel, and calculated the distance and heading to our selected entry
along the black horizon of the Delta, with orange-white rays glowing skyward
point of North Pass. It is 356 miles from our departure point of Cedar Key, FL,
eerily, like ET’s spaceship. But it was Venice, and we were going to get there
to North Pass, and a total of more than 400 miles to the first fuel stop in
somehow! It was now close to 10 P.M.
continued on page 2…
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Bucket List…
continued from page 1
We backtracked several times until
we located the small-print “dredged
inlet,” having to run east into deeper
water then turn back west to line up
with the pass. Finally we made it to
Venice, which is 26 miles north of the
Gulf of Mexico, on the west bank of
the Mississippi. We worked our way
up dead-end canals trying to find our
marina and motel. By the time we
located our facilities they’d closed: it’s
2:00 A.M.! Joe says, “Ya know, we got
up at 3:00 A.M. to haul the boat over
to Cedar Key. We’ve been up 24
hours.” I replied, “Yeah, ain’t it fun! I
love adventure.” So we pulled out the
beanbags and bedded down for the
remainder of the night.
Daylight broke; we serviced the
boat and refueled. The main tank
topped off at 179 gallons, so there
were 27 gallons left from the original
236. Total fuel used in the crossing
was 209 gallons, and the GPS
indicated the distance traveled was
404 miles. We’d achieved 1.93 miles to
the gallon.
After checking in at the motel, we
headed offshore to locate the yellowfin. We managed to catch a couple
REEL THERAPY ON THE LIFT and ready to begin the journey
Spanish mackerel but were unsuccessful on finding any yellowfin.
The following day brought predications of early weather changes and
fairly strong winds on the Florida west
coast so we planned our return,
making arrangements with friends to
get the truck and trailer at Cedar Key
and meet us in Panama City. Panama
City was a 200-mile run, so we fished
some of the oilrigs and trolled the
weed lines on the way over.
We arrived at the Panama City inlet
around 9:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight
Time. As we entered the bay, a Florida
wildlife officer stopped us. He wanted
to know if we had any fish onboard
and where had we been. We told him
we’d left Venice earlier that morning
and there were no fish aboard. There
was a long pause, then the officer said,
“Where?” Joe and I simultaneously
answered, “Venice, Louisiana.” The
officer made a complete search of
the boat. Every hatch was opened
and inspected.
Florida fishing regulations state that
certain species of fish must remain in
“whole condition” until brought ashore. (I
would argue that once you have entered
an inlet you have passed the “line of
demarcation” and are ashore.) Should we
have been lucky enough to catch some
yellowfin tuna, cleaned them on the dock
in Venice, and packed them in brine
solution to bring them home, do you
think the officer would have believed us?
Or would we have been guilty of bringing
a species of fish ashore that should have
remained whole?
By the numbers: total distance traveled
was 784 statute miles. Distance in open
ocean: 714 miles. Total engine running
time: 34 hours. Average speed, 23 MPH.
Total trip time: three days. Target species
caught: none. Value of
trip: priceless.
Solo trips like this are not for everyone.
The boat must be in perfect operating
condition, and the operator should understand the mechanical functions. An
important thing to understand is how to
use a magnetic compass for “dead
reckoning” navigation, which is calculating time, distance, speed and holding a
heading. The magnetic compass is the
only piece of equipment that you can
always believe. Ask any ancient mariner.
REEL THERAPY BACK HOME in the Arlington Marina at Jacksonville, FL
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gradywhite.com/boat_shows
The Grady-White 251 CE
First of the new Coastal Explorer Series
Learn about all of the exciting new Grady-Whites. Visit a winter boat show or your dealer’s showroom!
Dealer News & Events
Grady-White dealers sponsor hundreds of events every year—seminars,
tournaments, trips, cookouts, sightseeing voyages and much more. See www.gradywhite.com for events in your area.
BOATS INCORPORATED supported the Town of Niantic, CT, as it painted Main Street pink for Breast Cancer Awareness
Week, and sponsored a local teacher and several customers participating in a 26.2 Mile Walkathon fundraiser.
FISH TALE MARINA , Ft Myers Beach, FL, goes where the traffic is to showcase their Grady-White boats! A new venue:
the Southwest Florida International Airport, where this Freedom 225 dual console can catch many an eye. There are
also posters inviting all Grady owners to the exciting Grady Fest IV being held March 21-23 at Fish Tale Marina.
The first of November was fishing derby time for JACOBSEN’S MARINE , Seattle, WA, with the annual Grady-White Invitational. First place went to John Laws with a 14.2-lb. chum caught off Possession Bar. Rob Powers was second with a 12.4-lb.
chum, and third was Scott Clements with 10.1-pounder. Fourth to tenth places were a mixture of chinook, chum and coho salmon. Twenty-nine boats with 80 anglers participated.
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The Grady Life: Owners’ Clubs
Here are highlights from recent Grady Owners’ Clubs events and outings. If you have Grady club information to share or are interested in information about Grady clubs in your
area, email anchorline@gradywhite.com. Go to www.gradywhite.com for links to club websites.
THE SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND GRADY-WHITE CLUB held its annual Oktoberfest at sponsor Boats Unlimited,
CHESAPEAKE BAY GRADY-WHITE CLUB families took a Friday afternoon skipjack cruise during the
2013 Grady Palooza.
It was Grady Palooza time again in
August for the Chesapeake Bay
Grady-White Club, and there was a lot
to enjoy at Knapp’s Narrows, MD. Boat
hopping, bike riding, exploring and
pool time led up to the Friday night
docktail party and the evening skipjack
cruise. The air was crisp and the sky
starlit as many folks continued conversation and story telling into the night.
Saturday activities included kayaking
and a fierce golf competition beside the
dock. Club sponsor Tri-State Marine
representatives arrived aboard a 2014
Express 330 and gave demonstrations of
Yamaha’s new joystick steering mechanism. The evening banquet was an
opportunity to thank key volunteers,
and TriState’s Ron Young presented the
club with a $2000 check in tribute.
Sunday morning showers didn’t hamper the complimentary Coast Guard
boat inspections, and one by one boats
left for home. A terrific weekend!
Niantic, CT. About 75 people had a big time enjoying the food, polka, raffle prizes and beer. Raffle proceeds are
donated to the Connecticut Children’s Hospital for its activity fund.
The Lake Erie Grady-White Club had
ten teams fight it out in September for
bragging rights in the 2103 Perch
Tournament. As has been a consistent
Perch ritual, anglers had to face a very
rambunctious Lake Erie with a strong
cold front and corresponding winds. On
Friday there were five- to seven-foot
waves in certain parts of Lake Erie, and
four- to six-footers in the balance.
Fortunately the small craft advisory was
lifted 4:00 A.M. on Saturday, but the
Lake still had some waves in the three- to
four-foot range that caused some to shorten their water time. The top five winners
were Jason Brooks with a total 58.125"
(Jason has won three of the last four tournaments!); Jim Janasko, 56"; Mike Manion
and Joe Nicholas tied with 53.875" each;
Justin Lopriore, 51.625"; and Rick Raup,
49.125". The awards dinner at the Huron
Yacht Club saw a big crowd. Thanks to
sponsor South Shore Marine for providing
financial support.
LAKE ERIE GRADY-WHITE CLUB members and guests gathered at the Huron Yacht
Club for the 2013 Perch Tournament awards dinner.
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Join us at…
The All
American
Grady Fest IV
March 21-23, 2014
Ft. Myers Beach, Florida
The VERO BEACH GRADY BUNCH celebrated the club‘s 25th anniversary! In the Abacos were (standing on dock) David Cope, Mike O’Reilly, Tyler Thompson, Bruce MacIntyre,
Tommy Nelson and Tom Nelson; (seated on dock) Keith Thompson; and (in the Grady) Laurie Cope, Marie O’Reilly, Heidi MacIntyre, Linda Nelson, Marquesa Cope, Terri Thompson,
Julie Thompson and (in front) Bridget Nelson.
Low Country Grady Club members got
together for an oceanfront fish fry on
Hilton Head Island, SC. On the good neighbor front, members Don Simmons and
Stan Sadowski and friends aboard Seafarer
232, Southern Way II, participated in the
Children’s Relief Fund “Fishing with
Friends” event to give special needs children
an opportunity to enjoy the waterways.
Hilton Head Boathouse sponsors this club.
A crew of five boats and additional Tarpon
Coast Grady-White Club members had a
terrific Labor Day outing at Burnt Store
Marina, Punta Gorda, FL, where they threw
a surprise birthday party for Burt
Wahlburg, followed by dinner at the Ice
House and then sunset drinks at the
Tiki Bar. The gathering included new
members Tony and Julie Fann on their
Marlin 300, Grady Lady II. Ingman
Marine of Port Charlotte, FL, sponsors
this club.
The Vero Beach Grady Bunch enjoyed
celebrating its 25th anniversary with its
annual ten-day boating vacation in the
Abacos. The group weighed anchor in
Vero Beach the morning of July 10 and
got under way to the first night’s stay at
Old Bahama Bay on Grand Bahama.
From there it was off to Abaco with the
first stop at the Green Turtle Club on
Green Turtle Cay. As always, the scenic
beauty of the Bahamas really makes
an impression on the first-timers and
this year was no exception. Next was a
four-night stay on Elbow Cay at Sea
Spray Resort. This has become a
favorite place over the years, geographically perfect and situated in
what’s known as the “hub of Abaco.”
Based here the group did it all: They
fished, swam, snorkeled, explored, ate
too much, and never missed a Happy
Hour. Day trips to Pete’s Pub at Little
Harbour, Man-O-Mar Cay, Tiloo
Bank, and Fowl Cay put the icing on
the cake. Vero Marine Center, Vero
Beach, FL, sponsors this club.
The Fish-Tale Grady Club invites all Grady
owners and enthusiasts to join them in
beautiful Ft. Myers Beach at Fish-Tale
Marina March 21-23 to celebrate the
Grady Life and all things Grady-White.
From Friday afternoon’s Dock-Tail party
with food/refreshments and a live band,
to Saturday’s main event with informative
seminars and demonstrations and a
planned raft-up Sunday morning, this is
the place to be.
Everyone is encouraged to register early,
plus book hotel reservations. This is a
popular spring break getaway and rooms
fill fast. Dockage is available at Fish-Tale
Marina on a first-come basis.
See www.gradyfest.com for more information and registration details.
Burt Wahlburg was feted by other members of the TARPON COAST GRADY-WHITE CLUB with a surprise birthday celebration during a Labor Day outing in Punta Gorda, FL. His and wife
Eileen’s Express 330, Sweet Surrender, was festively decorated!
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Letters & Photos
A Dark and Stormy Night
Dear Anchorline,
A fleet of five Grady-Whites set out
from the Solomons Island, MD, area in
June for a week at Hatteras Island, NC.
Tropical Storm Andrea had turned the
Chesapeake Bay to six-foot chop, and
our three Express 330s, an Islander 270
and a Sailfish 282 pounded south to
Hampton Roads, VA, to the entrance of
the Elizabeth River, then wended our
way through Norfolk’s naval shipyards.
Entering the Intracoastal Waterway we
were grateful for the calm water and
relaxed pace, and made Coinjock, NC,
late afternoon. Given the news of
expected rougher weather, the group
decided to continue on to Hatteras in
the fading daylight. “It was a dark and
stormy night” as we made way into
the channel and the marina for a
10:30 P.M. arrival.
What’s happening? Have an interesting story or photo? Email us at
anchorline@gradywhite.com or write to Anchorline, P.O. Box 1527, Greenville, NC 27835.
The next day we offloaded our supplies into our beachfront rental house,
and were joined by a couple that had
trailered a Strike 247. After a day of
watching an ocean white with foam,
the weather calmed and we spent our
vacation doing all the right things–
exploring the island, lolling on the
beach and pool, body surfing and surf
casting, and of course deep sea fishing!
Three trips out, and fish were brought
back each time. The nights were spent
feeding each other gourmet meals, and
sitting around the table until the sandman beckoned.
A week and a day later, beautiful
weather made for a much easier trip up
the Chesapeake aided by a following
breeze. It was a trip to remember, for
the activities, for the fishing, but most
of all for the friends.
TIM KANE WITH SONS JAKE AND TUCKER showcase their tuna catch from a trip 50 miles offshore from Martha’s Vineyard
on their Marlin 300, Raising Kanes.
Maryanne Gomme
Arnold, MD
On the bounding bay, a fleet of Gradys felt the
effects of Tropical Storm Andrea as it made way
from Solomons Island, MD, to Hatteras, NC.
JEN HOISTS HER BIG STRIPER caught off Rhode
LARRY LARSON HOLDS HIS 28-LB. CHINOOK caught in the
Island with John Stavrakas on his 2001 Sailfish 282.
Queen Charlotte Strait, north of Vancouver Island, aboard his
Express 330, The Storfisk.
THOMAS STARNES WRITES, “You can see the craftsmanship in every detail.” His 1962 Hatteras is truly a work of art!
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Who’s Your Grady Buddy?
To share a photo of your furry Grady friends, email
us at anchorline@gradywhite.com or write to
Anchorline, P.O. Box 1527, Greenville, NC 27835.
HER FACE SAYS IT ALL! Sydney Godfrey accepted Caleb Newsam’s proposal Labor Day weekend along Lake Martin, AL, on
parents Steven and Sandy Newsam’s 1992 Tournament 190.
SETH AND ANIA CHARNA TIED THE KNOT the weekend of October 5-6 in Charleston, SC, and the wedding cake was
modeled after their 1988 Tournament 192, SeanAh!. They are members of the Charleston Grady-White Club sponsored by
Seel’s Outboard.
WILLY is on watch in the Oyster River,
SALT Y is having a big summer day with his buddy-boy,
Chatham, MA, area on Jim and Julie Chapin’s
Gulfstream 232, Corker.
Luke, on George Gyarmathy’s 2006 Express 330 near
Moriches Inlet, Long Island, NY.
VINO is one smiling dog, boating with Andrea and
CISCO AND BRANT are happy to spend another day
Brian Trematore in Boca Raton, FL.
on the waters of Nantucket aboard Richard Elkman’s
Freedom 205.
ROSCOE is ready to go cruising the Biscayne Bay, FL,
SHEP is a faithful companion to Grayson Glazier and
on the Jose Morales family’s 1992 Marlin 280.
family, seen here on the Chesapeake Bay aboard their
Fisherman 180.
WELCOME TO THE GRADY FAMILY! Joe and Karen Connelly
took delivery of their Canyon 306 this year from South Shore
Marine, Huron, OH.
TESSIE enjoys a day on Lake Tahoe aboard Dr. Jeff Wachs’s Sailfish 282, Emerald Angler.
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For smartphones
252-752-2111 www.gradywhite.com
Grady-White Boats, P.O. Box 1527, Greenville, NC 27835
8-yr-old Lachlan O’Day
fishes on his family’s
Tournament 180.
Dear Grady-White Owners and Enthusiasts:
We hope that you enjoyed warm gatherings with family and friends during the holidays, as we have, and
are looking forward to the best of times in the New Year. May 2014 bring the happiest, fun-filled days aboard
your Grady-White!
Winter finds us all in the
midst of boat show season,
dreaming of a new boat–and
your local show and dealer
EDDIE SMITH AND KRIS CARROLL
showroom are perfect places
to find out which of the 29
models of Grady-White boats is just right for you! Will it be a
Freedom Series dual console for go everywhere-do anything
activities? Or a walkaround or express cabin model for all-day
and overnight adventures? Grady center consoles are the most
comfortable, highest fishing-and-family functional style on
the water. And here we come with a totally new and sporty Grady
be autiful sights…
design, that debuted at our dealer “boat show” conference:
me aningful mome
nts…
all the things th
the 251 CE, the first of our Coastal Explorer Series!
at br ing you ha pp
iness.
m ay these be your
s during the se as
Your dealer has awesome incentives to get you in a new
on and
throughout the
coming ye ar .
Grady-White. Come see us at a show near you!
Kris Carroll, president
Eddie Smith, Jr., chairman, ceo