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new flats boat?

41K views 78 replies 10 participants last post by  juro 
#1 · (Edited)
Tracy and myself are starting to get bored watching the garden grow and our son Nolan will be ending high school in one year. We may have decided that we are made of gypsy blood, anyway till we are too old to do so so we are thinking of a perfect cruising boat to sail again in. This one boat that we are interested in is so different than our old Mason 44. I could fish flats anywhere in the world with her as she just draws 1 meter and can be beached. She is made to go anywhere in the world even the cold climates above 50 degrees north or south. Would she make a good flats boat or what. Shoot us down if you think this is crazy or is this a poor idea in modern cruising sail boats. :smokin:

www.voiliers-boreal.com/
 
#59 ·
In Antigua, leaving tomorrow for Panama and through the canal then on to S. Pacific. Boat sailing really well, 18 days from Canaries to Martinique. First 6 days 30 to 40 KTS and big seas from two directions boat was almost perfect in those conditions. Last 12 days in 20 to 25 KTS and down wind wing on wing easy too easy I got board. Fish just OK. Did see a 5 foot tarpon at the internet cafe in Falmouth Antigua. It swam under the dock and cafe never did see it again.

Hope all of you are well and getting ready for a good stripa year.

Google RC LOUISE unvarnished for blog, we don't add much to it but you never know.

Cheers

Steve and Tracy
 
#60 ·
Been following your travels. Seemed you were lingering in the carrib and was curious as to your plans.

All's well here. Got a couple of keepers at the end of '13 and beginning of '14, Emily and Hazel. Been working on the cape house doing all the stuff I was supposed to do before retiring. Looking forward to the striped ones and the opportunity to really get dialed in, with all my "free time".

You need to get Tracy to give you the keys to the blog occasionally for a little tech talk on the boat.

Great to hear from you and good luck on the crossing to paradise.
 
#61 ·
Thanks Fred,

Glad to hear the time has come for you to really go to work by hanging out.:D

Ya I need to have some time to write on the blog but I can't drink rum and write at the same time.

The Boat is doing great and really sails well, we will put through another test on this next passage as the trip to Panama is a lousy crossing when you get north of the Columbia coast. Lots of strong wind but really lousy seas as you start getting a very confused sea state due to the bounce back of prevailing wind swell on the centeral Amaerican coast. Usually just 4 meters at most but coming at times from the bow and the stern.

Enjoy the fishing and If I can remember after a few too many rums I will put up the webcan page for the Panama canal and the date we go through so folks can watch.

Cheers

Steve
 
#64 ·
Yup Tarpon and snook in Panama! We have decided to keep the boat here on the Caribbean side of Panama for a couple years and explore this amazing area. Being it will be a big el neno year and the crossing to the S. Pacific will be lousy why not stay and enjoy all that is here. We did go throught the caanal on someone eles boat and that was just amazing. Looking foreward to getting up to the north to Bocus del Toro to surf and fly fish. A river close by that we can go up and anchor is famous for big tarpon and snook, that will be next year though as we will head for the San Blas Islands untill the begining of May. Then we will put the boat on the hard and come back in early December to cruise surf and fish for 6 months. A big change in plans but looking forward to being in Hood River 6 months and cruising 6 months.

Cheers

Steve and Tracy
 
#65 ·
Oh I forgot on trip from Antigua to Panama we caught and released 3 marlin in 3 days on the hand line. Scarry stuff I must say. we have some great video but I need to learn how to deal with it one of these days. biggest was about 200 pounds.
 
#67 ·
Boat goes on the hard tomorrow and we will be back in states soon. A lot harder putting boat on hard in tropics than for winter back in states. Two weeks of hard work in temps of 95 and 90% humidity. Loose weight though!

Next year here we will fly fish a lot more as I'm starting to get how it works on the flats and the jungle rivers. Tarpon are big in rivers really big but I don't dare fish for them in the inflatable because of 4 meter long crocks. Ya got to keep the inflatable moving in those rivers or else.

Coming back from San Blas Islands under sail and in less than 6 meters of water caught and release a beautiful sail fish on the hand line we troll behind the boat. That was a shock. We seem to be hell bent on bill fish this year when we only want food, I don't have room in my freezer for 200 pounds of marlin.

Later

Steve and Tracy
 
#70 · (Edited)
Now that Tracy and I are back in the Hood I'll try and post a few pictures. For give me if they don't come out right, 1st time trying.

So this is what our new flats boat can do! We are anchored in 1.3 meters of water by a deserted Island in the San Blas Islands, Caribbean side of Panama. Great flats fishing and the jungle rivers have some really big Tarpon.
 

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#72 ·
Tracy was back in the states for a couple of weeks and me and a young German guy sailed between Islands in Eastern Caribbean. This pic was taken by one of the race boats headed for Antigua Race Week. We held them off for over an hour before they passed us. They were impressed that a cruising centerboard boat sailed so well to windward. Sorry about the sail trim, once they passed us I started adjusting sails to slow down and just enjoy the ride.
Sea this day 4 meters and winds 25 to 30 KTS. Easy sailing for the new flats boat.

Sailing between islands is fun because it usually only takes about 4 or 5 hours before your sitting in a bar and your boat is anchored close by.
 

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#73 ·
Good to hear from you Steve as I was getting concerned about the silence. But there was nothing in the news about a ****** getting ate by a croc so I didn't pay it too much mind..

Still mired in projects here on the Cape. Fishing has be luke warm and cold, water temps have been on the cool side. Usually I'm wet wading, at least on sunny days, by Memorial day but not this year. I guess it could be an age thing also.;)
 
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