7/18/13 - hmb mothership trip

[alantani]

7/18/13 - hmb mothership trip

4:20 am - overslept.  i was supposed to be on the road 20 minutes ago.  



finally in the water at 5:30 am.  this trip is going to be a little different than the others.  we are launching out of half moon bay and again headed to san gregorio.  



these are the kayak brackets made by john mairy 4-5 years ago.  they have not gotten near enough use, but they will get used today!



we will be taking 4 kayakers down to san gregorio, to fish waters that they would otherwise not have access to .  







4 sleds, neatly tied down.  



and we're ready.  from left to right, meet mike in front, roger in back, jim and dennis.    staying with me on the boat will be ben.  



flat water, 4100 rpm, 20 knots, 14 gph on the way down.  



time to launch.



and they are away!



i don't know how it happened but i took no photos until we got back to the dock.  we just hammered the rock fish.  i was using shrimp flies and squid at first, then switched over to a one ounce megabait and was getting hit on every drop.  getting the kayaks back on board proved to be a bit more of a challenge.  





the ride was a little bumpier on the way back and we had to slow down to 18 knots.  





we found a few bugs to work out.  the next trip is to point sur.  then offshore for albacore.  remember that no one yet has ever hooked and landed an albacore from a kayak in northern california.  



having two kayaks on the "Y" brackets was looking like too much of a load.  i am thinking of only one kayak on each side and then dragging two kayaks in the water,   i think that a stabilizer bar between the sterns of both kayaks will insure that they will not roll at high speed.  the kayaks in the water can be cleated off close to the boat to decrease the chance that they would roll.  also, i think that a "stabilizer bar" between the two kayaks attached to the stern might help.  it would almost turn them into a catamaran.   i am looking another trial run, either half moon bay to san gregorio, or possibly even launching out of monterey and going back to point sur.  

[BMITCH]

Excellent report Alan, looks like a blast. Thanks for sharing with us.
Bob

[Bryan Young]

Is that the Hard Liquer team?  I know Jim.  He's one of my friends close friends.  Met him on the 4th of July.

Looks like a lot of fun.  I wish I came back from St. Louis a day earlier.

[Dominick]

Alan, great report.  West Marine sells a harness to keep a towed boat running true.  Check it out.  Dominick

[Alto Mare]

I don't get it, such a nice comfortable boat, but so much extra effort just to be Shark bait
Still a nice report boss

[Dominick]

Sal:  That's true.  Sharks are always bumping or taking bites out of kayaks.  Dominick

[alantani]

just a practice run.  i want to get these guys out for albacore. 

[alantani]

a few more photos.

mike sapp!



dennis shu and jim.



sonar images at the "triangle of death."





into the mist!



finally getting to fish!



on the water.

[alantani]

last set of photos!

[Nessie Hunter]

Amazing..   Looks like tons of fun..   

[jonathan.han]

Good mothering setup. Looked like a nice day for the lighter weight stuff. Looks like some respectable grade of blacks and black and yellows. Towing them seems like a better idea. However, once you run for albacore, you'll have to run a few rods off the kayaks when towing and then they'll be way, way , way back. It'll be neat to see that dream come to fruition.

[Kau Grown]

That looks like a fun adventure alan!!!! Love the photos, your photos are always clear and can almost tell the story in itself!

[jig-guy]

Looks like you folks had fun trip. I would be in your big boat where the GW sharks would not be looking at it for lunch. A 200 pound fisherman + 30 pounds of rock fish mmmmm lunch.
How far do you have to run off shore up there to catch the albacore. I have fished them off southern CA, San Diego and down in Mexico. Most trips were out over 80 miles or more.
Anyway thanks for the neat report and pictures .
jig-guy / Bill

[alantani]

the cameras are waterproof.  not sure what they do beyond that.  for albacore, we run 20 to 60 miles offshore. 

[Shark Hunter]

Good Job Alan!
Nobody got hurt and nothing broke down. Thats a good trip to me!!