Ski-Boat September 2016 by Angler Publications

CONTENTS

September/October 2016 Volume 32 Number 5 COVER: CURIOUS CATCH PJ Botha junior with an unsually-coloured amberjack caught off Umzimkulu. See pg 9. Photo by PJ Botha.

FEATURES

Victory! The Boks take Guinjata 2016 — by Erwin Bursik

Winning Ways! Uli Buli’s crew share their tactics — by Paul du Toit

Boat Review: X-28 Walk Around Once you try her you’ll be smitten — by Erwin Bursik

Rigged! Part 3: Choosing components — by Paul Borcherds

Cape of Plenty

Getting to the fish is easy — by Ryan Nienaber

Amberjack Wins Again 2016 Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Festival — by Dick Pratt

The Legend Lives On Mr Winch — still going strong after 30 years — by Erwin Bursik

Buying Pre-Owned Boats Part 2: Avoiding the traps — by Nick Landzanakis

Going Overboard 2016 MRA Brokers Inhaca Classic — by Brad van Zyl

The Travelling Fisherman How to keep your gear safe on a journey — by Craig Thomassen

Lessons on the Water

2016 HDHK Junior Development Competition — by Vikki Bezuidenhout

Jetsetting to Japan Natal Power Boats visits Suzuki headquarters — by Ruli Sofilas

Cyclone the Champion 2016 Furuno Snoek Derby

DEPARTMENTS 8 9 64 65 66 83

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik Postbox SADSAA News Subscribe and WIN! Kingfisher Award Rules & Winners Mercury Junior Anglers

39 84 85 87 88 89 90

Reel Kids 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: Vikki Bezuidenhout,Paul Borcherds, Erwin Bursik, Paul du Toit, Nick Landzanakis, Ryan Nienaber, Dick Pratt, Ruli Sofilas, Craig Thomassen and Brad van Zyl 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 September/October 2016

EDITORIAL

THE EXUBERANCE OF YOUTH IN ACTION

N years gone by the traditional gamefish season started in November and ran through to the following May each year. As such, and before Moçambique opened its doors to South Africa ski-boaters, most deep sea anglers (apart from the ardent bottomfishermen) spent the winter months getting ready for the summer season. Holiday planning, competition scheduling, boat maintenance and tackle preparation were the order of the day during the short, cold winter days. Not so these days. Over the last decade many social competiErwin Bursik tions have materialised both in Moçambique and Publisher along the South African coast and this has completely changed the mindset of the current generation of ski-boaters. During late April Durban Ski-Boat Club hosts their huge annual festival to see who can catch the biggest ’cuda. That’s followed by a number of smaller competitions running up to the Guinjata Bonanza in early June and the recently held Shelly Beach Bonanza in early July, both of which are covered in this issue of SKI-BOAT. And that’s only the start. Looking at the “social” fishing calendar for the remainder of the year, it’s littered with back-to-back events — mainly on the Zululand Coast and off Cape Point — and ski-boaters will have a tough time deciding what to attend and what to pass up. That’s just the “social” competitions. The SADSAA competition calendar is also full of interprovincial competitions and international events that form the backbone of our sport. These tightly controlled events allow serious competition anglers to fight their way up the provincial ladders and to eventually aim for SADSAA and Protea colours. Southern Gauteng juniors in action. The event that prompted me to comment on this topic was the enormous enthusiasm and excitement shown during the SADSAA Junior Nationals which were held at the end of July. These Nationals were fished off Shelly Beach and saw 23 under 16 and under 19 provincial teams competing, along with a nationally selected under 19 SADSAA team. The comments I heard about the day-to-day contests and the dozens of pictures I saw posted on various social media platforms — as well as the final results — made me very, very proud of the way our sport is being supported. Not only did the youngsters, both boys and girls, compete with the true exuberance of youth, but they also weighed in a number of excellent yellowfin tuna. Every photograph shows how excited they were about their achievements. Furthermore, the numbers of parents that attended the event proves how strong the South African deep sea angling community is, with many prominent anglers supporting their children and guiding them in the true competitive nature of offshore gamefishing. FAREWELL, DEAR FRIENDS On a sad note, two stalwarts of our sport and men who have assisted us enormously at SKI-BOAT over the years, passed away during the last month. Stan Walter, SADSAA’s National Safety Officer, and Hoedspruit Deepsee Hengel Klub’s Sybrand van Vuuren will be sorely missed by the many deep sea anglers who knew them. I personally mourn their passing and the staff of SKI-BOAT and I offer our condolences to their respective families. Till the next tide.

Erwin Bursik

POSTBOX

Something on your mind? Write to The Editor <sheena@mags.co.za> UNUSUAL CATCH Dear Editor This amberjack and a yellow fish weighing 16.5kg were caught by my son in 80m of water off the Umzimkulu River mouth on a live mackerel. What species is the yellow one? PJ BOTHA <PortShepstone@ bmgworld.net> This is also an amberjack but with very unusual colouring, similar to that of the ’cuda we featured in the September 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT which the scientists say had an interesting case of an unusually yellow pigmentation. — Editor

IT’S A LONGBILL FOR SURE! Dear Editor In the July 2016 issue of SKI-BOAT you ran the article about the unusual catch we made off Richards Bay and which we suspected was a longbill spearfish. We recently got confirmation of that from Nadya Mamoozadeh, a phD student at the Fisheries Department,Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Her letter follows below ... JONATHAN BOOYSEN <jonathan.booysen@south32.net> Hi Jonathan, With regard to results from the spearfish sample you sent us, it is officially a longbill spearfish ... but with some interesting stuff going on. The nuclear DNA looks like that of a longbill, and that’s what is reliable for the species ID, but the DNA from the mitochondria, which is inherited from the mother, looks like that of a shortbill spearfish. So, while we can call this particular fish a longbill, the fact that it contains the mitochondrial DNA from a shortbill means that somewhere along the line there was an interbreeding event that took place between a male longbill and a female shortbill. This could have happened thousands of years ago and/or could still be ongoing today —that part we don’t know. Either way, it’s pretty awesome to have this report of a longbill caught in the Indian Ocean. Thanks for passing along this sample for us to work with. NADYA MAMOOZADEH <nrmamoozadeh@vims.edu>

WHERE DO EXPIRED FLARES GO TO DIE? Dear Editor, For last 20-odd years I have handed my expired parachute, smoke and handheld flares back to whoever supplied me the new ones. I was under the impression that these expired flares were collected by the relevant authorities and safely disposed of. Last month I required a new set and presumed I could hand in the expired ones, only to be informed that the suppliers no longer take them back and had no idea of how we were to dispose of them. The questions that arise are: 1. Are all suppliers in the same position or are there some that will still take them back and dispose of them? 2. Is there a responsible way of getting rid of them that many of us don’t know about? 3. If so, is there a cost involved? If it proves too expensive many of these flares will simply be discarded, endangering lives and property in the years ahead. With annual inspections a few months away, I am sure many others are going to be in the same position as I am. What is the “right” thing to do? JOE ETTERSHANK <jo@eastcoast.co.za> It is generally recommended that old flares and pyrotechnics be taken to your local fire station which, in most cases, welcomes these to use in training exercises. Most purveyors of these safety flares will take back the outdated flares for disposal, thereby saving you the inconvenience of delivering them yourself. — Editor SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 9

COMPETITION

The Durban Yamaha team of Byron Kane, Ryan Hansen, Joanne Hansen and Rob Shepherd.

By Erwin Bursik

APPINESS was the watch word at the opening of the 2016 Guinjata Bonanza on Sunday 5 June 2016. There was much happiness that the 60 participating craft had arrived at Guinjata virtually unmolested by Moçambique’s motor traffic officers, happiness amongst the participating teams about the new-look marquee erected adjacent to the Santa Fé restaurant on Guinjata’s 10 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

magnificent beach, and happiness at the fishing prospects for all the anglers who were keen to win the amazing prizes on offer. Yamaha SA and Durban Yamaha together with Trailtrax and a host of other sponsors who donated product as well as cash ensured that the 20th anniversary of this event was indeed a competition to enjoy. The magnificent Seacat 520 powered by twin Yamaha 60hp 4-stroke outboard motors was parked just alongside

the marquee to stir the participants’ excitement and encourage them all to target the monster gamefish that would enable one of them to tow this prize back to South Africa. Over the past five years the original species-only format of the Guinjata competition was redefined to broaden the base of opportunity for all participants in that the biggest gamefish — excluding billfish — caught during the competition would win the main prize. In this case the main prize was the

Dean Greyling (centre) with Bok van Blerk and Piet Viljoen of Team Cabrito received the prize boat from Ryan Hansen of Durban Yamaha and Andre Holtshousen, Albrich van Niekerk and Paul Kempenaar from Trailmax.

Yamaha-powered Seacat 520. The winning fish is not eligible to win any other prizes. The species driven section of this event generates the most excitement and effort because everyone wants to be part of the winning team and they’re all prepared to fight for a place among the top ten. In line with the Guinjata organising committee’s philosophy of encouraging conservation and discouraging the capture of certain species, no billfish may

be landed. In addition, a system has been implemented whereby any giant trevally and amberjack caught can also be photographed and then released. The rules in this case stated that only GT and amberjack likely to be bigger than those already caught would be weighed, other dead GTs and amberjack would be disqualified. A 10% variance on this benchmark was invoked to avoid disqualification, but smaller fish would count in the teams’ daily totals if they were photographed and released.

To facilitate this, an ingenious plastic colour chart was issued to all teams intending to release GTs and amberjacks. The fish had to be photographed lying on the chart that was marked off in different colours and points were awarded based on approximate weights. Only one fish per species per colour mark was allowed. According to the amberjack specialists this was difficult to achieve because in practice it is hard to catch a number of ambers in different length categories. SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 11

12 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

First place went to Team Uli Buli. Ultimately the organisers’ goal was indeed achieved as no amberjack were weighed in during the event and only one GT was presented to the weighmaster. In a further attempt to level the playing fields at this event the organisers reduced the fishable area from roughly White House in the south to Barra Lighthouse in the north and the 700m contour out to sea. The vast majority of teams approved of this move, but a few were unhappy that they no longer had access to the Zavora reefs. King Neptune dictated that the first day allocated to fishing was a blow out, marking the Tuesday as the day the competition actually started. Fortunatelywe had great weather for the remaining four days. On the whole fishing was a tad quiet, but on the first day Team Blesbok with veteran skipper Jeff Blesovsky set a great score of 174.9 points. This score included a sailfish Jeff caught — one of two that were released that day. Uli Buli’s skipper, Paul du Toit, was second in the species section, and they became the team to watch. On the second day the early reports gave a good indication of the hard fishing teams were experiencing, but then a report from the beach had me run-

Second place: Team Dr Sangoma

Springbok rugby player Dean Greyling with his winning fish, a 34.2kg GT.

Third place: Team Blesbok

Fourth place: Team Woolfie SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 13

Above: Team Mateshane — Two shortbill spearfish were tagged and released by Kevin Fitzpatrick and Daniela Carlston. ning to witness and photograph “a good fish” caught by Team Cabrito. I was greeted by team captain Bok van Blerk and an even more excited former Springbok rugby player, Dean Greyling, who had a magnificent giant trevally on board. We all knew it was going to weigh “big” when the giant Springbok prop struggled to hold it up while posing for photographs. On the scales it officially weighed 34.20kg, setting the GT benchmark for the remainder of the competition. Team Cabrito then endured a nail biting two days before the closing of the scales on the final day when they knew that Dean’s fish would be the winning fish at the 20th Anniversary Guinjata Bonanza Competition and would take home the Yamaha-powered Seacat 520. A number of good gamefish were caught over the remaining two days, with the teams that were able to target a number of different gamefish species under trying conditions migrating up the leaderboard. Consistency certainly was the key this year.

All the anglers who released billfish during Guinjata 2016.

TOP FIVE FISH 1. 34.2kg Giant Kingfish, Dean Greyling on Cabrito 2. 21kg Amberjack, Gary Hall on Tequila Sheila 3. 19.1kg Dorado, Stephan du Plessis on Club Marine 4. 17.2kg Dorado, Johnny Hipkin on Pacman 5. 17kg king mackerel, Chris Westerhof on Dr Sangoma

TOP FIVE ANGLERS 1. Johnny Hipkin, Pacman 2. Tinus Coetzee, Amberjack 3 3. Russel Duvenhage, Club Marine 4. Andre Erasmus, Footloose 5. Chris Frazer, Dr Sangoma

97.2 points 80.0 points 80.0 points 78.9 points 67.5 points

TOP TEN BOATS 1. Uli Buli 2. Dr Sangoma 3. Blesbok 4. Wolfie 5. Club Marine 6. Isifonya II 7. Maestro 8. Durban Yamaha 9. Cabrito 10. Footloose

TOP LADY ANGLER 1. Marita Barnard, Equinox

47.8 points

TOP JUNIOR ANGLERS 1. Wiarnie Mew, C-Mew

12.2 points

369.50 points 262.00 points 244.30 points 235.70 points 200.60 points 180.80 points 160.60 points 147.90 points 135.10 points 121.70 points

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 15

Fiona and Jan Hoffman were thanked for all their years of service.

Stephan du Plessis with the 19.1kg dorado — the biggest during the competition. In a low scoring species competition it was ultimately Team Uli Buli’s consistency and their ability to release amberjack each day that put them in top team position. Dr Sangoma was second and Blesbok third. The final prize-giving was a joyous occasion, with most of the participants seated under the new open-sided marquee that offered a great deal more protection from the elements than the previous set-up and, being white, improved the lighting available too. This setup highlighted the phenomenal array of prizes and made photographing the final event of this extremely enjoyable competition far easier than it’s been in the past. As Bok and his crew climbed aboard the Seacat 520 for the obligatory handover photographs, the winning team — Bok van Blerk, Dean Greyling and Piet Viljoen — looked like the front row of a Springbok rugby team that had just won a test against the All Blacks. On a sad note, Jan Hoffman and his wife Fiona have relinquished their positions on the committee because they’re relocating from Gauteng to St Lucia. 16 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

Administrator Inhambane Province They were presented with a magnificent framed photograph acknowledging all the hard work Jan, Guinjata Sport Fishing Club’s chairman for the past eight years, and Fiona, Club Secretary, have done for the club. All of us who have benefitted from their enormous effort over the years wish them well in their new endeavour. Those who know them and who have been involved in the organisation and running of this prestigious event as well as the many competitors with whom they have fished “Guinjata” over the years also wish them well. Brett Padoa as Tournament Director, ran this year’s event flawlessly in his inimitable way. It always astounds me how Brett and his small competition committee manage to pull off such a well-run event. They’re based in Gauteng and the competition takes place at Guinjata Bay, Moçambique, so the committee are saddled with an incredible array of logistical problems. It might seem easy in theory, but even simple things like transporting all the necessary paraphernalia to Moçambique create unbelievable problems.

Top lady: Marita Barnard This year transporting the prizes, prize boat, banners and the large new marquee were but the tip of the iceberg of the problems they surmounted, but they did it! As one example, the major sponsor, Durban Yamaha’s Ryan Hansen decided, “Bugger sitting on the beach, I’m going to fish the event this year!” That meant he had to tow two Seacats to Guinjata this year — his own boat and the prize boat. To add to the difficulty, because of Moçambique’s customs requirements, he had to tow both boats back home again for delivery to Bok and his crew. To each and every one of the sponsors, we, the participants in this year’s event, are extremely grateful. Let’s all show our appreciation by supporting all the sponsors who have supported us. Please bear this in mind when the time comes to purchase anything for your boating and fishing needs. Guinjata 2017 is just around the corner, so mark your diaries now for June 2017 — it’s a fishing event that should not be missed.

TOP TIPS

Team Uli Buli; Tommie Schoeman, Paul du Toit Jr, Paul du Toit Snr, Kobie van Deventer and Johaan du Toit. By Paul du Toit, skipper of Uli Buli

UR team won! Wow, what an incredible achievement to win the species section of the 2016 Guinjata Bonanza competition. For many years we fought hard and just getting into the top ten of

this prestigious competition was a feat, but winning it is the ultimate achievement. Team Uli Buli’s goal has always been to concentrate on the species section of this exciting annual competition held at Guinjata Bay on the Moçambique coast. Naturally, as happened for

Team Gone Fishin’ last year we always hope that Lady Luck will shine on us and provide us with a big gamefish to win the main prize the SeaCat 520 powered by Yamaha, but the species section is what our team prepared for. I’m lucky enough to have a holiday home just south of Guinjata so I have

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 21

Some of the ambers that helped Team Uli Buli claim top spot at Guinjata. fished this area quite considerably over the last decade and like to believe I know the area and its idiosyncrasies reasonably well. When Erwin Bursik asked me to outline my game plan for the 2016 competition I was ken to share what we planned and implemented this year. First and foremost, Team Uli Buli consisted of myself, Paul junior, Tommy Schoeman and two crew who don’t often fish — my brother Johann du Toit and Kobie van Deventer. So, unlike many of the other teams which have won this competition over the last decade and whose crews consist of the best group of anglers they can put together, our team consisted of friends and relatives out to have an enjoyable competition. Before the competition I put a lot of time and thought into tackle selection and preparation to ensure that all conceivable eventualities out on the water were covered tackle-wise. I’m also an avid flyfisherman and tyer, so I decided to tie my own “ZoZuri trace flies” as part of my plan was to load 30 livebaits as quickly as possible each morning. It’s far from easy to acquire fancy frozen baits in Tzaneen in the Limpopo province where I live, hence my reliance on livies caught each day. I was thrilled when my bait traces produced deadly results. I also decided to head for Guinjata earlier than usual to allow me at least three days on the water before the competition started. During the first day I SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 23

reconnoitered the deep water between Pandane and Le Gogo, a lot deeper than I usually fish. I wanted to look for fish activity and also actively search for baitfish shoals above the 50m depth contour. Nothing showed — no fish activity nor any bait balls, so I decided that trolling the deep was not going to be part of my game plan. I’d heard that a few ’cuda had been caught in the Manta Reef area, and assumed that if there were some ’cuda about there they would also be in the areas further south where I normally target this species. On the other days that I went to sea prior to the competition I checked some of my deep water jigging marks and realised that the cursed reverse current was flowing. All the anglers who regularly fish along this stretch of coast say the reverse current is not good for fishing. Bang went a good part of my game plan. In any competition the weather, sea condition and current direction simply have to be accepted as there’s no way of changing them, so we had to revise our game plan. I also noted the lack of good showings during my trial run on my normal deep marks, and that was very worrying. With so many factors working against our original gameplan, it was back to the drawing board for our team. We used the blowout first day of the 2016 Guinjata Bonanza Competition to rethink our strategy. 24 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

Very basically our new plan was as follows: • Get a very early start — launch at Pandane and get to the livebait marks near Island Rock first. • Give ourselves 15 to 20 minutes to catch about 30 livies — carapau and cigar mackerel — then depart before the fleet arrives and disperses the livebait shoals. • Run to my favourite ’cuda spots which are quite close to where I caught the bait and hopefully put at least two ’cuda in the hatch as soon as possible. • Proceed out into the fairly deep water to target other species with jigs and livebait. As I said earlier, the jigging marks I have are well known and attract a number of boats, and in my mind showed very few fish markings, so I didn’t waste time on them. I went out over the 90m contour and continued searching for any showings I could find on any bump in that vast area, but with only three of us jigging it meant very hard work. The two less experienced anglers aboard persisted with drifting livebait. That was our broad plan, and of course we wanted to try to weigh fish every day. In hindsight, the poor fishing experienced by all the boats fishing the competition did not help any of the serious species hunters, as a look at the full results of the competition will clearly

show. In the final analysis Team Uli Buli pulled through as a result of consistency. On the first day Team Blesbok had a good start, aided by the release of a sailfish, but our team stuck to the plan and resisted the urge to pull blind in the hopes of hooking a sailfish or small marlin to use as a a multiplier. The anomaly we came up against was in our quest for amberjack which was working well although we were “fishing blind”, but we had to get ambers of different sizes on the rollout measure to be photographed. In terms of the rules each amberjack or GT had to be separated by a colour code difference if one wanted to weigh in more than one of the same species. We found it hard to do that and on quite a few occasions our hard work produced another amberjack only to find it fell within the same colour range as one we had already recorded. That was disappointing, but as they say “rules are rules”. At the final prizegiving, although our mental arithmetic indicated we had won, it was only when the second placed winner — Dr Sangoma — was announced that we knew for certain that Team Uli Buli would be next up on the stage to claim the coveted first prize in the species section of the 2016 Guinjata Bonanza Competition. Come June 2017 Uli Buli will be back at Guinjata to attempt to retain our position as top of the top ten.

BOAT REVIEW

X-RATED! The X-28 Walk Around by X-Boats

by Erwin Bursik

HE Cape Winter weather was my greatest concern while I was busy arranging to review X-boats’ 28-foot Walk Around sportfishing craft. I was enormously relieved as we banked in over False Bay to land at Cape Town International Airport and I saw that the sea was calm and the sun shining brightly. A light dusting of snow on the surrounding mountaintops add a chill factor to the scenario. Ben Lochner, managing director of High and Dry Boat Lifts, the holding company of X-Boats which manufactures the 28ft sportfisher, collected me

26 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

from the airport and enroute to the factory in the Strand he briefed me on the company’s history. Armed with a mechanical engineering degree and many years experience in the luxury boat building industry in South Africa, Ben took what he’d learned and opened a boat building factory of his own. Until recently he’s relied almost entirely on the export market — Australia for his outboard-powered XBoats of which the X-28 Walk Around is the flagship, and America for the High and Dry boat lifts he has designed and patented. However, recently incidental local demand for both these products has convinced Ben and his company to

expose themselves more widely in South Africa and other sub-Saharan countries. Hence my invitation to review the X-28 Walk Around out of Harbour Island in the waters of False Bay. I defy any offshore boater to walk into X-Boats’ factory and not be visually struck by the size of the X-28’s hull as I was when I saw it being prepped to have the top deck attached. My time at the factory gave me an opportunity me to see the below-deck design of the X-28 and gave Ben a chance to better explain how he lays up the hull and strengthens it, obtains the required buoyancy levels, and even his method of laying up the glass fibre

Above: The X-28 Walk Around on the High and Dry boat lift, and below, Ben Lochner at the helm of the X-28.

in the mould. It was all extremely interesting and gave me a new perspective in preparation for playing with it out on the ocean. From the word go the inf luence derived from building multi-million rand luxury sailing craft is very evident in what Ben is currently doing — laying the “foundations” for yet another X-28 Walk Around. When she’s “high and dry” on her boat lift at one of Harbour Islands finger moorings one can see the entire craft in all its glory. She surely is beautiful with strong lateral lines and an interesting tunnel configuration that is very different to most of the other large catamarans I have reviewed. I had listened to

the theory from Ben and was keen to get her out on “The Bay” to see how all this theory turned out in practice. Upfront I noticed the craft had a cross tunnel foil at its centre of gravity and two aft short foils. I have extensively tested the big T-Craft that had foils so had an open mind regarding their use and reported efficiencies. For those that are skeptical and those who would want to launch such a craft off the beach, you can opt not to have the foils fitted. One of these craft which is under construction is intended for use along the Kwa-Zulu Natal coast, and the buyer opted to go without the foils. Hopefully the new owner will permit me to try her out off Durban in the

near future. I have been told that the only performance difference which is not really appreciated during general boating use is that during long distance planing the lift generated by the foils reduces the craft’s wetted area which increases speed over water with less throttle, thereby reducing fuel consumption. Finally the moment arrived ... With the flick of a switch Ben started the pumps on the High and Dry boatlift’s auxiliary box and the boatlift began to subside. Not one minute later the switch was turned off and the pumps stopped but the boat lift continued to sink slowly. Four minutes later I stepped aboard the X-28 Walk Around SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 27

ready to start the motors and back her off into the channel. For those who don’t know how the boat lift works, when the pumps were switched off the syphons in each pontoon had already been activated and gravity took over, replacing air with water. While the High and Dry boat lift was submerging the side support boxes are cunningly manufactured to provide steps with nonslip treads for those boarding the craft at any stage while it’s being lowered or raised. As we meandered through the Harbour Island channels I thought back to the early days when Tony de la Fontaine, the developer of Harbour Island, and I watch as the initial rock work commenced to create this magnificent marina development. Slipping through the harbour entrance my thoughts were dragged back to the present as I took control of the helm of this amazing craft. After passing the two channel marker buoys it was time to give it gas and feel the twin 200hp Suzuki APL fourcylinder four-stroke outboard motors thrust her up and onto the plane. The short but fast trip across to Gordans Bay harbour was but a taste of things to come, for once we met up with the photo boat I was relegated to the scuppers so to speak. Being on the smaller 16ft mono-

hull photoboat enabled me to view the X-28 Walk Around from every angle at speeds ranging from zero to full bore as she thundered past us. As I expected, her ride profile, especially at high speed was very static in trajectory after climbing onto the plane. As I later ascertained when driving the craft myself, she starts riding on the foils and virtually disregards any attempts made to vary her trim using the motors. Her A-symmetrical hull design is unusual in that most cats have a symmetrical hull design, but it worked brilliantly, cleaving the water outwards with minimal turbulence within the confines if the craft’s tunnel. Look carefully at the accompanying photograph of the X-28 coming straight towards the camera and you’ll see what I mean. With symmetrical hulls the cleaved water exits almost identically on both sides of the hull, thereby building up a conflicting mound of water and foam in the tunnel. This can then increase that craft’s wetted area which means you need more horsepower from the motors to achieve the same speed. Back onboard the X-28 I was able to feel the craft’s hull-over-water performance and correlate that with what I had seen from the other boat. The twin Suzuki DF200 APL out-

boards with fly-by-wire controls were swinging four-bladed 154 X 22 pitch stainless steel props and made this 28ft craft’s out-the-hole performance superb. Once she was on the plane riding the “foils” it was an experience second to none. I commenced my boat review routine by trimming in the twin Suzukis as much as possible and very gradually working up the speed until she just got onto the plane at around 17 knots. That way I could figure out what I call the “sweet trim” and could also appreciate the very moment the main foil came into play doing what it’s designed to do — skim across the water’s surface. Taking into account that the motors were spinning counter-rotating props, I then judged what the sweet spot was with regard to optimal speed in knots, motor revs and the fuel consumption indicated on the gauges. This was just over 20 knots at 3 800 rpm at a fuel consumption of 15 litres per hour for both motors. Setting a course directed at Cape Point I maintained these settings for a considerable distance to experience the stability of the ride, the noise levels within the confines of the wheelhouse and the smooth flow of the craft over the water. What a pleasure — a beautiful experience.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 29

The sea surface was only ruffled by a 5-8 knot wind and a moderate swell, but I enhanced this by using the craft’s own wake when I put her through the range of working speeds, ie; slow troll, Rapala speed, sailfishing and marlin trolling. Her wake is tight right up to 9 knots at which stage it starts to spread and she maintains a consistent SOW regardless of the sea conditions I was able to make for myself. It was particularly interesting when I put her through her paces in about three metres of water outside the entrance to Harbour Island where the swell was bouncing up over the shallow reef. This big craft responds very promptly to the helm in very tight turns, aided by the correct use of the throttles, and pulls out of the turn smoothly, getting up onto the plane in plenty of time to crest an approaching wave on her forward quarter. I also emulated taking on a point break a great number of times — as if surf launching at a venue such as Sodwana Bay — to satisfy myself that I perceived no problems with the X-28 taking on a surf launch. Whilst she boasts a top speed of 40 knots at maximum revs with a crew of two and about 100 litres of fuel aboard and gets onto the plane with one motor tilted right up, my “happy speed” is

30 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

beteeen 17 and 30 knots — happy for me and all the crew aboard. Having seen Ben’s moulds and the incredible effort he puts into ensuring that the end product is as perfect as it can be, I was not surprised to see that the eight month old craft I took to sea was so beautifully finished. Aside from the actual hull and single moulded top deck, it was the extent to which the final finishes were perfectly designed and user friendly that really impressed me. On a craft of this size and class one expects nothing but the best, and Ben and his team at High and Dry Boat Lifts have certainly done the X-28 proud. The Australian market demands multi-purpose craft to suit both the dedicated anglers and those who want to use the craft for leisure, and over the last decade the X-28 Walk Around has been perfected to provide just that. The substantial and comfortable cabin provide all the protection needed on a trip to the deep in inclement weather, while the wide walkway to the forward deck is ideal for both fishing and leisure use. The helm station itself is very comfortable with a well-cushioned “bumrest” and plenty of space to drive the boat in comfort and to see and use all the electronics fitted to this craft.

An example of the thought that has gone into this craft’s cabin design is the hinged and darkened perspex door to the forward cabin/toilet area. The novel hinging and top locking system is fantastic. On most boats the general catches never seem to close properly or are shaken loose in rough seas — that won’t happen on the X-28. The “fish deck” is also thoughtfully designed and will be especially practical for those who target big tuna off the Cape coast. Not only has it got large under-deck fish hatches, but it also has two 200 litre stainless steel built-in fuel tanks. Those who fight big tuna whilst buckled into a Black Magic stand-up harness will find her layout very practical. The accompany photographs show the deck layout, the centre above deck hatches, bait preparation surfaces,wash basin as well as an aft-facing seat which will suit both fisherman and party guests. Whilst I can not possibly do justice to the design and build of this craft in the space at my disposal, rest assured that everything aboard this craft is of the highest order. I played with her, worked her hard and tried to find fault but have resigned myself to being totally enamoured with the X-28 Walk Around.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ 31

32 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

BACK TO BASICS by Paul Borcherds

ITH so many rigging options and types of accessories including release clips, tag weights, cam cleats, snubbers, locks and snaps, it’s no wonder there is a good deal of confusion regarding the correct way to rig outriggers and centre riggers. There are lots of good rigging systems and components that work perfectly well, but the challenge is to find the system with the correct accessories that will work for you and your crew. The basic setup should cover the following bases: • Be user-friendly so that the crew can effectively deploy and retrieve baits and lures. • Be easy to set up and tangle-free — this is especially important on skiboats that launch or beach each day. • Be durable and able to withstand the rigours of the elements at least a few seasons with regular usage. • Must give the best possible chance of turning strikes into positive hookups.

One of the first questions I ask any client enquiring about a rigging system is what their main targets will be — marlin, sailfish or gamefish? Next I find out what type of mounting brackets and poles are on the boat, how experienced the crew is and, lastly, what their budget is. This enables me to give the client the best possible options and to suit their needs with the possibility of upgrading in the future if necessary. TARGET SPECIES Marlin bite differently to sailfish, dorado and tuna. Just think about it — a sailfish strikes the bait or lure from behind and requires a longer drop back than a marlin, so a lighter rubber band is needed and or a lighter setting on the appropriate release clips. Marlin are more aggressive and a direct hook-up is generally required through tighter settings on the appropriate release clip on the halyard line, or a rubber band on the snap hook or swivel at the end of the tag line. Sailfish hook-ups are usually poor on tag lines due to the shorter distance from the spring gate snap or release

clip holding the line to the lure or bait. Sailfish generally “play” or false strike the bait from behind the trolled bait or lure. With a tag line the bait is thus too direct, with virtually no drop back to first feed the sailfish. When you’re deciding between rigging the poles with release clips or tag lines, you also need to consider the type of hook rig on the lure when targeting marlin. Lures with double J-hooks are better suited for a tag-line set-up where the hook-up is more direct due to the shorter drop back distance between line and lure. Single J’s, single “Tuna” inward pointing hooks and circle hooks are better suited for release clip set-ups with a longer drop back where the fish strikes and turns, and the hook rig is able to slide or be swallowed before it’s set. MOUNTING BASES The mounting base and its angle determines the rigging options. The multipin mounting base with a 90 degree offset (see part two of this series in the July 2016 issue of SKI-BOAT) is mostly used on smaller boats under 21ft and is

Part 3: Choosing components

Photo by Justin Klusener Photography

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 33

fitted to the gunnel or console. Ideally you need to determine the main target species and then rig the boat accordingly. The multipin bases are better suited for pin-type release clips for sailfish/gamefish, and tag lines for marlin. The tips of the poles are set at 90 degree angles to the boat and therefore the drop back is longer than it would be on a boat fitted with fold-out or U-frame bases (see previous article). Fold-out or U-frame bases where the tip of the poles is at a 30 degree or more angle towards the stern are better suited to pin-type release clips or tag lines on the top halyard and roller type release clips on the short halyard. This is due to the shorter distance between the angled poles and the shorter drop back in this position. Again this is only a guideline and anglers should determine what works best for them after spending some time on the water. ONBOARD EXPERIENCE Again only time can determine which rigging system will work the best for your particular boat setup, so keep it simple at first and upgrade later if necessary to a system with multiple halyards and fastening systems that are better left to a regular crew. Avoid systems that are prone to tangling, especially prior to launching and deploying the poles before you start trolling. There is nothing more frustrating than discovering that a halyard has tangled around the tip of the pole out at sea because the crew did not check that all the halyards were straight before launching. The sheet line ropes going through the cam cleats must be pulled tight and all bungee cords must be tight and clipped onto the correct saddle. Excessive slack in the outrigger halyards may cause the baits or lures to surge erratically and that could prevent the release clip from releasing and the rubber band may not break after the strike. This may also flip or twist the release clip and foul the line it is holding, thus causing the line to snap on the strike. Poorly rigged poles might also make the release clips or tag-lines hard to reach and adjust, especially in heavy seas. SETTING A BUDGET You don’t have to rig the poles with the most expensive imported components; there are many locally-manufactured components that are just as good as the imported ones, but you must always ensure your release clips are purchased from reputable manufacturers. Once you’ve determined your main target species, how the system works with your bases and how comfortable you and the crew will be with the system, you can go out and purchase the correct accessories and components to

work with the system. I strongly advise less experienced skippers to either purchase a readymade kit or have a professional give you advice and rig the poles to your needs. Now let’s take a look at some of the components to get a better understanding of what they are and what purpose they serve. BLACKS release clip

lure or bait by simply reeling in or letting out line right through the clip, with the fishing line riding safely on top of a stainless steel roller. TAG WEIGHTS Tag weights slide up the tag line towards the tip of the pole once the tag line is deployed and return back down the tag line after a strike. The tag weight must be light enough to slide up the tag without hinder, yet heavy enough to slide down immediately after the strike. A tag weight that’s too light can take too long to return and may get tangled with the other lines that are still clipped into the riggers. The tag weight generally stops a foot or two away from the snap or swivel on either plastic, cork or solid rings.

AFTCO Gold Finger release clip AFTCO Roller Troller release clip

RELEASE CLIPS These are the most expensive individual components on the rigging set-up. Although some release clips manufactured in the East are cheaper than others on the market, they are well below par when compared to the precision engineering from USA manufacturers. The release pin or “bail” on both the AFTCO Gold Finger and BLACKS clips needs to fall downwards on release to avoid fouling the fishing line. Both these and the AFTCO Roller Troller feature tension adjustment mechanisms to set the required tension for the fishing line test strength. For fixed position bait and lure trolling the fishing line should be twisted three to eight times before hooking the loop over the clip’s bail. The line may also be passed over the bail without twists to allow for adjustment of baits or lures. Alternatively, a rubber band — number 18 for sailfish or number 32 — may be twisted around the line and both end loops passed over the bail or roller. The AFTCO Roller Troller release clip also helps you position a trolling

Stainless steel/copper weights These weights are made from either stainless steel, or a combination of polished or anodised copper and zink. Popular weight sizes ranges from 2oz to 4oz. Be careful to only use weights that have rounded, smooth inners; sharp edges can cut into the mono tag line and then your tag weight will have difficulty sliding up or down the mono tag line. SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 35

Aluminium with bumper O-rings These weights are more expensive than the stainless types because of the anodising process and other engineering costs. However they can be anodised in different colours which is useful to help you differentiate between the long rigger or short rigger tag lines. The rubber O-rings act as bumpers to eliminate damage when two tag weights bump against each other.

Pulleys and chain plate adjusters

CAM CLEATS AND GUIDES Bungee cords with pulleys and snap swivels were the industry standard a few years ago, but they have flaws. The bungee cords have a limited life span due to continued stretching and retracting and once they lose all elasticity youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a slack halyard that could result in a release clip swinging or twisting on the halyard line. This can be eliminated by using 8mm or 10mm sheet line rope attached to a single/double pulleye or chain plate adjuster on one end. The rope is then fed through a cam cleat guide and cam cleat. The cam cleat ensures the halyard can be pulled tight and stays in place whilst trolling, launching or beaching. By putting two next to each other the long and short rigger halyards can be adjusted individually to either loosen or tension the halyard lines. 36 â&#x20AC;˘ SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

PULLEYS AND CHAIN PLATE ADJUSTERS Pulleys serve a multitude of functions. Attached to the eyebolts they ensure that the halyard lines do not fray or chafe excessively as the halyard line runs smoothly up and down the poles. A single pulley is attached with a shackle or clevis ring to the top and short halyard eyebolts and a double pulley to the last or bottom eyebolt. Pulleys are also used on either sheet line rope or bungee cords to keep the halyards tight. A system that runs entirely on pulleys will always run smoothly and the halyard line will last a lot longer than those which run straight through the eyebolts. Chain plate adjusters may be used instead of pulleys on the sheet line rope or bungee cords. They basically perform the same function, but one, two or three pulley wheels may be inserted between the plates to house the halyard lines vertically. Chain plate adjusters are more expensive than single or double pulleys.

Instead of using a heavy duty snap swivel on the end of the tag line thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prone to corrosion with continued usage, replace them with stainless spring gate snaps. The spring gate allows easy attachment or unwinding of the rubber band by simply pushing in the loaded spring. In the next edition I will illustrate the rigging diagrams for different systems and different vessels. 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>.

PLACES

Getting to the fish by Ryan Nienaber

N the July/August 2016 issue of SKI-BOAT I discussed fishing around Robben and Dassen islands along the west coast of the Cape. This time we take a look at the fishing right on our doorstep, where to launch and what to expect. Essentially the Cape peninsula can be divided up into three general areas — the tuna grounds, Cape Point and False Bay. We are lucky enough to have a number of launch sites and facilities in close proximity to each of these areas depending on what you want to catch and the size of your boat. HOUT BAY This is the “home of tuna fishing” in Cape Town and hosts the most charter boats that focus on catching tuna in the deep. It is also probably the easiest launch you will get as a ski-boat owner, as it’s situated in a large harbour inside a natural bay surrounded by mountains. There are many boats on moorings, but there is also a wide concrete slipway with a nice pier to pick up your crew as well as plenty of parking. You need to pay a launching fee of R100 on exit. If the swell is up and you’re running south, beware of Sunset Reef off the Kommetjie lighthouse; it breaks, so be sure to take this wide. If you’re heading west, Vulcan Rock, Seal Island and Dungeons will steer you wide before hitting the open water.

Dungeons is very famous for the big wave Africa surfing competion in the winter months, with the competition not starting until waves are at least 20ft high. This harbour is home to the ABC Fishing Club which boasts a great bar, good cameraderie and all the fishing photos and memorabilia of the years gone by. They also have a wall dedicated to the tuna 100kg club — a figure most tuna fishermen dream of. The tuna grounds are situated 30-40 miles out of Hout Bay. This is a world class fishery for tuna and the season starts in October and runs on and off to

June. You can expect to catch big yellowfin and longfin tuna. Hout Bay is only a couple miles from Kommetjie, and in the summer months when the crayfish season is open one can take the family there to pull some rings for crayfish. This is a great family outing with the easy launch and it often only takes an hour or two to catch your kreef. Snoek also move into the bay and surrounds and then everyone with any kind of craft that can float pulls in to join in the festivities. The harbour itself can be tricky at these times with the commercial fishermen and langaan (fish

Map courtesy of Google

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 39

Daniel Garlick with a 40kg Hout Bay yellowfin.

Ryan and Andrew Nienaber with one of five yellowfin landed on their 14ft Ski-Craft under the Cape Point lighthouse in one day.

Queuing to launch at Miller’s Point.

A good catch of yellowtail with the Cape Point lighthouse in the background.

buyers) taking over to make their living. If you want to target yellowtail, Cape Point can be accessed from Hout Bay, but it is a 20 mile run down. There are closer spots to launch for smaller boats. CAPE POINT This is one of the most special places to fish. I have often rounded the point and looked up at the lighthouse high on the cliffs, and every time I still think to myself, “Wow we live in a beautiful

place!” The closest public slipway to the point is Millers Point. This is managed by the Cape Boat and Fishing Club, and a launch fee of around R100 is payable. This slipway features a gravel parking lot and a single lane with turning bay down to the slip. When the fish are plentiful there will be a queue to get to the water, so be patient and wait your turn. The slip is known for having no water at low tide, so larger boats need to

be careful about timing their launches. As soon you leave the sheltering wall there is a rock that one needs to keep an eye out for as it’s hidden on a high tide. If you’re running down to the point you will see a maze of granite boulders running out to sea; there are a couple of blinders hidden in the mix, so if you don’t know the area ask a local, or just steer wide of the furthest one sticking out and you should be okay. Most of the blinders lie inside of the dry rocks. SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 41

Andrew and Ryan Nienaber with a beautiful kob caught near Strandfontein.

From this slipway you can access Cape Point, the deep and False Bay in its entirety. We are very blessed that in this area we can catch anything from massive tuna and kob to yellowtail, snoek and a few bottomfish. GORDON’S BAY Gordon’s Bay offers two safe launch sites — Harbour Island and Gordon’s Bay Harbour. Harbour Island seems to hold the most recreational anglers and

42 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

Cavalier about to launch in the early morning at Harbour Island.

is home to the Gordon’s Bay Boat Angling Club. The members of this club are great guys who are always willing to share info and help newbies enter the sport. Of course they also have a great bar and the braai is always on the go. it is decorated with photos and moulds of broadbill and tuna taken from this slip. There are also a number of charter operators who work tuna and yellowtail from this facility. From this slipway one can catch

crayfish near Hangklip in the summer months. This makes for great family outings and many children can be seen catching mullet on the moorings in the afternoon. Cape Point, False Bay and the tuna grounds are also easily accessible from this point. • In the November issue of SKI-BOAT we’ll move slightly further eastwards to look at the fishing around Kleinbaai, Struisbaai and the Breede River estuary.

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FESTIVAL

by Dick Pratt Photos by Justin Klusener Photography

HE weekend before the festival began a number of the local south coast fishermen were gathered in the Shelly Beach clubhouse pub lamenting the fact that the current was running in reverse — usually an indication of bad fishing conditions.

46 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

That wasn’t the only problem, though. The bait that was just about covering all the shallows north of our base a couple of weeks before had also completely disappeared. And by the look of the long range forecast we would only be able to fish three out of four days – the first time in the history of the tournament that we were promised a blow-out. The other issue was that there were no #$%&* sardines!

Despite all of this, the 2016 Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Festival commenced as planned on Tuesday 28th June with the briefing held in the club grounds under Bedouin tents with some 180 anglers full of hope. For many years our festival was titled the “Mallards Mercury” Ski-Boat Festival, but unfortunately this year the organising committee had no option

but to change things and offer a R100 000 first prize rather than a boat, trailer and motors. It must be mentioned that Mallards, despite the difficult economic conditions, were willing to supply us with a hull and trailer on the same basis as they have previously, but unfortunately our motor suppliers and past sponsors could not come to the party. As can be seen from the pho-

tographs alongside, the chaps from the NSRI — our neighbours at the Shelly Beach launch site — buil a raft which carried the first prize cheque and was displayed in the club swimming pool throughout the festival. After the prize giving on the Saturday evening the raft was raffled and the money raised donated to NSRI Shelly Beach, for which they were very grateful.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 47

48 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

A major cold front was due to come through on the Friday night and it was generally accepted that there would be no fishing on the Saturday and the tournament would be limited to three days. On the first day there was early success for the guys aboard Thunderchild launching from Umkomas. Roy Jackson caught a lovely 32.5kg yellowfin tuna which topped the leaderboard on a very quiet day on which only 21 fish were weighed. The next best fish only weighed 20.1kg. Many boats spent their time looking for livebait and the very large ’cuda that had been prolific up until a few weeks before the festival. However, despite the boats spreading out from Umkomaas in the north way down into

PLACE 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th

DAY 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 1

BOAT Come Tomoro Thunderchild Master Tom Sea Fishient Come Tomoro Bluetooth Tails Up Sea Fishient Thunderchild Master Tom Riptide Sea Fishient Come Tomoro E-fishin’- sea Rozy IV

the Eastern Cape opposite Sikumbe — the destination for the boats launching from Port Edward — the first day did not produce even a single ’cuda. The second day produced the one and only ’cuda of the week — a nice fish of 22.7kg caught by Frank van der Merwe fishing aboard Bluetooth. The real excitement of the day came from Allan Fraser and Josh Rodwell fishing aboard Come Tomorro, who weighed in two amberjack of 34.8kg and 23.7kg respectively. Another good yellowfin of 25.7kg, this time caught from Shelly Beach, was weighed in that day by Patrick Fenton on Sea Fishient. Despite everyone predicting that the fish would eat well on the Friday prior to the big front arriving, the fish-

ANGLER SPECIES Alan Fraser amberjack Roy Jackson yellowfin Shaun Posthumus yellowfin Patrick Fenton yellowfin Josh Rodwell amberjack Frank van der Merwe ’cuda Charles du Plessis yellowfin Carl Gutzeit yellowfin Roy Jackson yellowfin Shaun Posthumus yellowfin Mike Spencer yellowfin Carl Gutzeit yellowfin Alan Fraser amberjack Derek Lidston yellowfin Sven Appelt yellowfin

WEIGHT 34.8 32.5 31.3 25.7 23.7 22.7 20.1 20.0 19.8 19.1 18.8 18.8 18.3 17.7 17.5

JUNIOR WINNERS 1st 2 Sea Madhi 2nd 2 Bliksem 3rd 3 Aquaholic

Cameron Palmer Pieteie Bodenstein Reydon Basson

yellowfin yellowfin yellowfin

14.2 8.9 6.9

LADY WINNERS 1st 1 Mesteph 2nd 2 Riptide 3rd 3 El Pescatore

Megan du Plessis Janet Capazorrio Corne Brits

yellowfin yellowfin yellowfin

9.6 8.2 6.2

ing was nowhere near as good as expected. However, an excellent yellowfin of 31.3kg was caught by Sean Posthumus fishing aboard one of our regular winning boats in this festival, Master Tom. This fish was also caught south of Port Edward. As expected, the southwesterly front arrived on Friday night and there was no fishing from Durban to Port Edward on Saturday.

Alan Fraser’s 34.8kg amberjack took first place.

Roy Jackson had to settle for second with his 32.5kg yellowfin. SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 49

The organising committee has always taken pride in ensuring that the prize list is both long and of excellent quality to keep the interest of our visiting anglers, and this year was no different. At the 2016 event all the prizes right down to the prize for 15th place were worth more than R5 000. We have also tried our best to reward the junior anglers, with each junior who weighed a fish receiving a prize. The prize-giving itself was the usual joyous affair with Allan Fraser happily accepting his cheque for R100 000 and Roy Jackson from Thunderchild receiving the magnificent second prize of an HD12 Lowrance fishfinder/GPS kindly sponsored by Lowrance SA. Third was Sean Posthumus on Master Tom who

received an excellent array of prizes. Special mention must go to the juniors, with Cameron Palmer on the boat Sea Madi winning the top junior prize and Pietie Bodenstein, aged six, on his dad’s boat Bliksem coming second. Raydon Basson, fishing aboard his dad’s boat Aquaholic came third. The ladies prize was won by Megan du Plessis fishing on her parents’ boat Mesteph. The prize for the second lady went to Janet Capazorroio fishing aboard Riptide, while Corne Britz on El Pescadore came third. Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club wishes to thank each and every sponsor listed on the thanks page opposite. We hope to see everyone back at the 2017 Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Festival.

ACE PLANT HIRE AGRUMA UNDERWRITERS ANTHONY & BASSON DEVELOPMENT AUTO BREAKDOWN & PLANT MOVING AUTOZONE BATES GM BATTERYTEC SHELLY BEACH BAY VIEW LODGE BEARING MAN BRANDHOUSE C P MOLDT JEWELLERS C&G INDUSTRIAL TRADING CARL GUTZEIT COCA COLA FORTUNE COMFORT COOL AIRCONDITIONING COUNTY AUTO COYOTES SPORTS BAR DGB DISTELL EDRICH ENGINEERING EMERALD COVE EUREKA FARM EXPRESS REFRIGERATION FATHER TIME FIREHOUSE FIREQUIP GARRUN INSURANCE GETSEA SKIPPERS TRAINING GRIPPLE SA H.I.P PRODUCTS HALEWOOD INTERNATIONAL HEINEKEN SA INJECT A MOULD JEAN VAN TICHELEN

JEFFS PALM RESORT - GUINJATA KENCRETE KERN & PARTNERS KULUCRETE KVR PROJECTS LOWRANCE LUCKYS MARGATE CONSTRUCTION MARGATE FURNISHERS MARGATE PANEL BEATERS MERCURY MARINE MUST BYT FISHING CHARTERS & PLEASURE TRIPS NATAL PORTLAND CEMENT NATAL POWER BOATS NATIONAL DRILLING NUFORM SCAFFOLDING OCEAN MARINE BOATING ON FIRE COMEDY PARADISE BEACH LODGE PG GLASS POWERFLOW EXHAUSTS PRINTCO PULSATOR RISK SURE INSURANCE BROKERS S.A.OLYMPIC HEALTH WORLD SAB CASTLE LAGER SADEC TRADE SALON HEIDI SKI-BOAT MAGAZINE SOUTH COAST BUSINESS MACHINES SOUTHERN AMBITIONS SPAR - PORT EDWARD SPEEDYS MARGATE

STATUS GARRUN INSURANCE BROKERS TACKLEBOX TOM MYNHARDT UGU SOUTH COAST TOURISM UMTHUNZI HOTEL & CONFERENCE UMZIMKULU MARINA VANGUARD INSURANCE VINIMARK VODASHOP SHELLY BEACH WURTH SA ISANDO

PEOPLE

30 years and going strong by Erwin Bursik

SK any ski-boater in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga if they know who Peter Simons is, and the vast majority will shake their heads and say “Don’t know.” Now if you ask those same people if they know “Mr Winch”, they’ll all say “Of course, Peter ‘Winch’ of Arbuckle Road, Durban.” Peter has been talking, selling and fixing winches for the ski-boaters of South Africa for so long that he deserves to be known as the go-to man for anything to do with electronic winches when ski-boating. Back in 1985 Peter, then the regional manager for Motorola ACSA Park which distributed Warn winches and accessories, saw the need for a winch servicing and repairing operation and decided to start a business doing just

that on Warn Winches. He started trading from his back verandah, but it soon became apparent that he needed more space. After registering his company in 1986 he moved to bigger premises in Gale Street, then to an area leased from Heenen McDougal Plumbers in Umgeni Road and finally, in 1990, to his current premises at 6 Arbuckle Road — just off Umgeni Road in Durban. This is the Mr Winch building most ski-boaters know and the first place they head to whenever they need someone to fit a new Warn winch or to service or repair their winches — whatever the make. Peter has already provided the skiboating industry with 30 years of dedicated service, and today he still spends most of his time in the workshop, troubleshooting and putting together and testing each repaired Warn winch that goes through his workshop.

He says one of the big factors he’s had to adapt to is the constant change in 4X4 and especially SUV styling. Gone are the days when you simply bolted a winch to the front bumper of a LandRover or Toyota Land Cruiser. Today there’s a wide variety of fancy SUVs and the owners usually want the winch virtually hidden behind a bullbar, so a special plate is usually required for each new model that comes onto the market. Peter works closely with Kem Janesh of Bullbar Centre to design each of these bullbars and/or fitment plates to enable him to perfectly fit the different size and style Warn products. When Peter fitted the Warn 10 000 to my new Ranger three years ago, that was the last time I physically saw my Warn winch. All I can see is the front fairlead and cable hook. It’s incredibly neatly done and Peter is adamant he endeavours not to cut away body work SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 53

Mr Winch aka Peter Simons (centre), and his trusty staff. when fitting a new winch. “Why this life long love affair with Warn winches?” I asked Peter. “After all, there are now so many types available on the South African market.” “It’s simple,” he replied, “I have grown up selling predominately Warn electric winches as I have found that they are among the best and most reliable on the market. There are other brands that are just as good and then there are many that don’t come near to the top few brands. “Remember that for 30 years I’ve ser viced and repaired all types of winches, and most only come to me when they won’t work. Most of the ones I see are in a horrible state, suffering from the effects of saltwaterinduced corrosion and excessive strain from pulling boats that get bigger and bigger every year. Warn distributors in South Africa always have spares available, and with a bit of sandblasting, cleaning, greasing, painting and reassembling I can almost give the customer a ‘new’ Warn winch when they return. “I love Warn winches and I am 100% confident that when I sell a Warn winch to a customer and fit it to his vehicle it will do the work that I have ascertained he wants to do with the specific model of winch he buys. “There are two major pieces of advice I would like to pass on to all winch owners.

54 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

“The first is don’t just let your winch sit unused for months on end. At least once a month take off about five metres of cable by backwinding the winch electrically and then winding the cable back on under reasonable tension. This lubricates all the winch’s moving parts and ensures that the electrical components such as brushes, armiture and starters don’t stick or seize. “Secondly, if the winch gets soaked by saltwater, wash it down with freshwater then, with it in free spool, run it for a considerable length of time so that it heats up and dries out most of the residual moisture. Thereafter bring it in for a service. Please don’t wait until just before your next fishing trip to find the winch doesn’t work; if you do that it will cost you a lot more than if you’d brought it to me as soon as possible after attempting to drown your winch.” As it happens, Mr Winch and SKIBOAT Magazine started in the same year — 1985 — and we have run this long road together. Mr Winch is one of a number of advertisers who has never missed one issue’s advertising — that says a lot, doesn’t it? We at SKI-BOAT magazine congratulate Mr Winch on celebrating 30-plus years of ser ving the skiboaters of South Africa and wish him all the best for the future.

TOP TIPS By Nick Landzanakis

The goal — clean, well kept and worthy of consideration.

The sad — shows signs of serious neglect. Buyer beware.

N the previous issue of SKI-BOAT magazine I discussed the pitfalls of buying second-hand trailers and emphasised that it’s vital you carefully assess the pre-owned trailer you want to buy as thoroughly as you do the craft itself. That still holds true, but the boat is obviously the primary factor in the minds of many prospective buyers, and that’s as it should be. Buy a good hull, and whether it needs a coat of paint, a revamp to the trailer or needs its motors attended to, it is the boat that is key — the rest determines the price you pay to get the boat you want. In order to ensure you’re not caught sleeping by some unscrupulous salesperson or over-anxious seller, you need to consider the following points before you even begin looking for a pre-owned boat. Firstly, what size boat do you require to undertake the style and type of offshore fishing you plan to do? Then, considering the size of the boat, what is the size and towing capacity of the vehicle you’ll be using to tow your new craft? Storage of the craft also has to be taken into account. If it has to fit into a garage make sure you have enough clearance. You also need to consider the number (and size) of your prospective crew members. Secondly, write down the budget you have calculated in the cold light of day that you know you can afford to spend. Be aware that there will be additional costs of fine-tuning, licensing and club membership that all need to be paid to get you on the water. You also need to consider the ongoing towing costs, fuel consumption and engine maintenance costs. Thirdly, what timeframe do you have? Is it crucial that you get a boat right now? So often the right boat for you may not be immediately available, but have patience — your ideal boat may only be a day, week or month away. Once you have thought about all those aspects, do your homework! Only once you have read and researched all you possibly can via magazines and the internet should you expose yourself to a boat dealer. Doing this research is daunting but necessary. When you’ve got an idea of the kind of boat you want you can start looking to see what’s available. If this is done sensibly, you will quickly ascertain not only the type and make of boats that are available, but also their ballpark price. Those of us in the trade all know the craft that come onto the pre-owned market, and it stands to reason that we know better than most which are the good, the bad and the ugly. SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 57

A total restoration needed — time, lots of work and investment needed.

A reputable dealer should have had many years of experience and should be able to guide you through the maze of choices available, offering you options which will fulfil your aspirations. However, once again I must emphasise that before you get to the dealer you need to get your mind around the points I mentioned above.

Signs that indicate possible problems which could be cosmetic need careful consideration.

BE CAREFUL! Sometimes you’ll get a good deal going through a private seller, but not always. “Great buys” are often listed in Junk Mail, Gumtree, but be careful! If, for example, while you’re doing your research you find that a large number of “ABC Craft” are for sale and hardly any “LMN craft”, stop and think for a minute. Perhaps the reason the “LMN Craft” so rarely come up for sale is because they’re much better than the “ABC Craft”. Once you’ve done all the research you can head to a boat dealer with your findings on make, price, size and any other specifics, and discuss the options available and the way forward. Boats and boating have evolved greatly over the decades, especially the styles of manufacturing, and that evolution brings with it a multitude of factors that need to be taken into account before you commit to a purchase. Until the late 1970s the vast majority of ski-boats were made of wood — marine ply skin over meranti frames — and finished with (hopefully) marine SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 59

grade paint. Toward the end of that period some were clad in glassfibre cloth and resin to protect the wood and help prevent the ingress of water. The vast majority of these craft have seen better days and are no longer around, but occasionally one comes on to the market. Like a vintage motor vehicle, it has some appeal but in the case of boats very little value. Only a specialist buyer will look at these and they will spend more time resuscitating the old wooden boat than going to sea on it. The 20- to 25-year-old boats that were made of glass-fibre firmed up with timber frames and transoms followed on from these wooden boats. Unfortunately many of these aging craft have little value because it will usually take an incredible amount of work and money to get one of them seaworthy again. It is also very important to note that about ten years or so after glass-fibre hulled craft are built and put on the water osmosis begins to have an effect. Basically the resin/glass compound becomes porous, especially when the gel coat wears thin, thus allowing the ingress of water into the hull. CANDID ADVICE My candid advice is that if you’re looking for an offshore craft to love and cherish for many years to come, narrow your search to craft built after 1995. From this period onwards both boat building methods and the materials used improved dramatically. As an example, glass-fibre and resin and layup techniques became highly specialised and boat builders began to move away from using wood in their craft. Today many claim they use no wood at all in their craft. The other primary reason I make this suggestion is that since the turn of the century the government has more strictly regulated safety and flotation requirements. This means boat owners have to have a certifiable record of the manufacturers and subsequent inspectors — almost the same as motor vehicle logbooks and service records. It is ver y important that you research the manufacturer of the craft

Above and below: Hull damage that needs significant repair. you’re thinking of buying. Get opinions from friends, other boat dealers and other people who have owned this kind of craft to widen your perspective and ensure you don’t end up with a boat that could be a lemon. Okay, that’s the theory, now for the practical .... As I intimated earlier, the most important factor of the craft under consideration is the make, and second is its age. Both of these can be accurately determined. Then there are a number of other factors that need to be looked at which may or may not be of concern, but which may well affect the amount asked for the craft. OVERALL CONDITION Any boat that has been well looked after has an immediate advantage. You’ll be able to tell whether the previous owner has looked after and cared for the craft when you take note of the many small aspects of the craft maintenance. These include little things such as rust marks on the gel coat, tarnished stainless steel fittings and rails, staining from anchor hatch drainage, carpet corners lifting or carpet stains, hinges, brackets etc. These might seem like small concerns, but they point to either constant maintenance or a lack of it.

because the transom comes under a great deal of strain when beaching. Beaching kits fitted to big outboard motors no doubt assist, but any transom weakness will show in the form of stress cracks, either on the side where the transom gunnel comes together (that’s serious) or hairline gel coat cracks just to the outer edge where the

Transom cracking at motor bracket conversions all tell a sad story.

TRANSOM MOVEMENT AND HULL WEAR This can be of major concern especially if the craft has been used extensively for surf/beach launching and retrieval

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 61

Cracking where deck meets hull side indicates deck support could be weakening.

Drain holes showing signs of residue weeping. Needs serious investigation. SOFT DECK Depending on the method by which the deck is supported, you should immediately query it if you feel softness or sponginess when walking on the deck. A deck repair cn be very expensive, especially if lateral frames or foam support has crumbled.

transom turns upward to form the motor well. On older boats with no motor well you might find cracks forming along the line where the deck joins the transom. If the crack on the transom has been there for a long time and has not been repaired this could lead to a rotten transom which could be very costly to repair. Sometimes excessive wear from beaching is evident along the hull, along the edge of the keel strip, and while that’s not critical, it may need recoating with resin and gel coat. 62 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2014

WATER IN THE HULL If the hull in question has drain plugs, take them out and raise the craft’s bow significantly to ensure there is no residual water in the hull. Again water seepage leaves marks on the gel coat if the drain plugs have been removed and the hull dried out. These stain marks are not easy to remove and could well indicate there is a water ingress problem. Dry water stains, even in fish hatches, fuel lockers and other stowage areas should also sound alarm bells. A craft with no drain plugs must have inspection holes which can be opened for inspection. Another test that we perform is to shake the boat from side to side and listen to see if there’s water sloshing about in the hull. We do this by putting an ear to the side of the hull in various

places from front to back as we rock it. If there’s a serious dispute over whether the boat is carrying water or not, a complex re-weighing of the craft might be necessary. The craft’s weight should be shown on the original survey certificate issued by a SAMSA-registered surveyor, and this can be used in such a test. COSTLY EXTRAS Once you’ve covered those big areas of concern, look carefully at the following list of items that I know can be problematic. If they need changing after purchase they can cost you a lot of extra money. • Carpeting • Upholstery • Latches • Livewell • Covers • Rod holders • Storage hatches • Skelm hatches which can compromise the buoyancy of the boat. Finally, as with any purchase agreement, you — the buyer — must make sure that what you are paying good money for will bring you happiness and not a multitude of problems. As I stated in my opening remarks, do your homework thoroughly, not only on the history and make of the craft, but also the people with whom you intend doing business. The across-the-bar advice on your proposed purchase — assisted by a bottle of whisky — is generally not trustworthy and may well give you more problems than you wanted. The ultimate test is to take the boat down to the water for a test drive of at least 45 minutes to check that it performs the way you want it to. Make sure that you remove the plugs afterwards and do an inspection. Remember that the flotation bottles in a bottle-filled boat may be compromised if the craft is manufactured at the coast and is then towed up and down to different altitudes. Finally, if you are buying a boat in Gauteng, for example, remember that due to the higher altitude and the reduced buoyancy of freshwater, its performance on a dam will be about 20% less than what it would be in the sea. Some people in the boating trade can be unscrupulous, and my advice here again is for you to do your homework and ascertain the full bona fides of those with whom you intend dealing and their history of after-sales support. Ultimately the integrity of the boat dealer or boat owner is the most imperitive. • In the November/December 2016 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine I will discuss the pros and cons of buying second-hand motors.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ 63

SADSAA NEWS & VIEWS

Geoffrey Wanvig, SADSAA President OBITUARY: STANLEY WILMOT WALTER 1938-2016

HE recent passing of our great friend and National Safety Officer, Stanley Walter, came as a shock to us all. We are all aware that no one is indispensable, but some are harder to replace than others. As far as safety is concerned, Stan definitely falls into this category. Stan was born on 11th July 1938 and matriculated from Christian Bros College in Pretoria in 1956. He then attended Glen Agricultural College where he received a degree in agriculture. He met his wife Tilly in 1957 and they subsequently had four daughters, Shelly, Linda, Sandra and Laura. In later years they were blessed with eight grandchildren. Stan’s business ventures were vast and varied — he was involved in transport, earthmoving equipment, low beds, excavating and roadbuilding, and owned a building construction company as well as a joinery workshop. He was indeed a man of many talents. His boating career started at Hartebeespoort Dam in 1950, but he soon started deep sea fishing, mainly in Moçambique. Unfortunately that was interrupted in 1972 with the outbreak of the Moçambican war. Stan then moved

PRESIDENT’S REPORT on to fishing South African coastal waters. He owned two ski-boats and had a half share in two other boats in Moçambique. He obtained his first certificate of competency from the then Anglers’ Union in 1960, obtained a SAMSA COC in 1999 for vessels under 9m and later also obtained certification for vessels over 9m. Stan was the Natal provincial safety officer and certified skipper of vessels over 9m for many years. In 1996 he received a letter of appointment from the Minister of Transport, Mac Maharaj, to survey commercial fishing craft on behalf of the Department of Transport for vessels over 9m. In 1978 he relocated to Shelley Beach on the Natal South Coast and shortly thereafter became the club’s safety officer. In 1984 became the Vice Commodore and 1986 the Commodore, a position that he held for six years. In the meantime he became the zonal safety officer for the South Coast and the provincial safety officer for Natal, a position he held for about ten years. He became the deputy national safety officer in 1994 and in 1996 he took on the portfolio of the SADSAA national safety officer. In 1984 Stan formed and built the National Sea Rescue Institute Base in Shelley Beach and was the station commander for ten years. During that peri-

od he spent more than 3 000 hours on night training of skippers for their night rating. In 1985, as station commander, he lectured the crews on different subjects and started setting exam papers. The first day night rated exam paper for SADSAA was set in 1989. In 1996 Stan was part of the liaison committee that was formed to change the exam system which subsequently fell apart; he started writing exam papers in 2000. Over the years Stan wrote instruction books to assist in the teaching of safety subjects and to suit the new syllabus and exam Code. Under Stan’s guidance the safety section of SADSAA generated a fair bit of funding, resulting in the organisation being in a stable financial position today. Stan left a lasting impression on anyone who was lucky enough to meet him. He had a wonderful friendly disposition which always left his acquaintances with a warm feeling. In his lectures he had some wonderful sayings which were known as “Stanarisms”. Anyone who attended his lectures will remember those forever. Stan was a wonderful, honest, hardworking man who will be sorely missed by all who knew him. SADSAA, the boating fraternity and the whole fishing fraternity have lost one of their greatest members. He will always be fondly remembered.

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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: ..........................................................

COMPETITION

1st place Team Gone Overboard: Grant Thorpe, Gavin Simms, Brandon Myburg, Kurt Myburg, Craig Beswick and Brentt Murray.

by Brad van Zyl

T Kurt Myburg wih his 25.7kg wahoo.

HE prospect of a week’s fishing off an island off the Moçambique coast is a temptation too great to resist for many an avid fisherman. This year proved no different from the previous 18 years, and long before the closing date we had our full complement of 25 boats for this, the 19th year of the Inhaca Challenge. With a new local main sponsor onboard in the form of MRA Brokers, the excitement and gees could clearly be felt at the sponsors’ evening held at Nelspruit and District Angling Club a couple of weeks before we all left for the island. You can say what you like, but fishermen are strange creatures when it comes to competition preparation. Each crew secretly gathered to combine ideas and make rigs that they hoped would put them at the top of the leaderboard. None of them would share the details with anyone except their own crew mates.

3rd place Team Solid Cat: Pierre Pienaar, Marius Bosman, Piet and Andre Pienaar.

69 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

70 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

2nd place Team Suzi Q: Charl Enslin, Frank Gottschalk, Dawie Kotze, Anton van Niekerk. Gary Player once stated:“The more I practice, the luckier I get.” No doubt it was with these words in mind that more than a few boats sneaked across the Maputo bay ahead of the competition, to “practice” their fishing methods and check the secret waypoints on their fishfinders. The skippers’ briefing was held on the Sunday at Camp Carlos near Santa Maria, with all the boats, skippers and crew present. Judging by the happy hour, it was going to be a great week no matter what the weather conditions. The majority of the boats stayed at Santa Maria which meant that the notorious “Hell’s Gate” had to be reckoned with on a daily basis as the boats navigated through it to get into open water and back again for weigh in. As the name implies, it is a hazardous stretch of water that separates the mainland of Moçambique from Inhaca Island. Many unfortunate boats and fishermen have found their watery end in this “gate”, and this year Topshot fell victim to the conditions when her crew shattered a gearbox on a rock when they were returning on the Tuesday. Fortunately by Thursday they were up and running again and were able to complete the competition. A gusty, uncomfortable northerly wind welcomed us all to the start of the competition on the Monday morning. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, the entire fleet spread out aross the blue depths of the Indian Ocean, looking for the

big fish. Looking back on the statistics, day one of the challenge proved to be the most productive of all the fishing days. There are no “lines up” calls in this competition, and each boat has the responsibility of returning their own boat tag to the register board by 3pm cut off time. All too soon, the day was over and the weigh in at Camp Carlos was greeted by some very swollen fish bags. I firmly believe in the saying, “Well begun is half won!” and no doubt Grant Thorpe and his team from Gone Overboard had the same sentiments. A pleasant variety of sizeable fish made their way to the scales. The biggest fish was a wahoo of 25.7kg caught by Kurt Myburg fishing on Gone Overboard, followed by an 18.8kg ’cuda caught from Fishing Myself Single and a 17.2kg yellowfin tuna by the team aboard About Time. By the end of the day there was little doubt that Gone Overboard had once again lived up to its name and had indeed gone overboard. They were leading the pack with 153 points for the day. Anton van Niekerk and his crew on Suzie Q were neatly placed in second and About Time in third. Like a howling wolf in a Siberian forest, the north-westerly wind made its presence felt when we shuffled out of our warm beds on Tuesday morning to greet an angry sea. It was quickly decided that it was a day to spend in the comforts of our pleasant accommodation.

Tag and release anglers.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 71

Tag and released sailfish off My Boy

Kurt Myburg with his 25.7kg wahoo.

Calcutta Kurt Myburg.

Pierre Pienaar with his 19.3kg yellowfin tuna. As can be expected on such a day, many old friendships were rekindled and new friends made. It also gave the keen fishermen a chance to reassess the fishing rigs and replace some old ones. At the so-called “weigh in” that day, it was the happy hour that won the day, with many anglers glad to hear that we would be fishing on the Wednesday. When the day dawned on the third day of the competition the entire fleet was keen to accomplish what they came to Inhaca to do — catch a ton of fish! Although we started in fairly rough conditions, the day settled down to a quiet sea with the boats racing around to find the elusive big one. It was apparent by the radio chatter that fishing conditions were definitely not as great as they’d been on Monday. However, that did not deter the anglers at all and everyone stuck it out doggedly until weigh-in at 3pm. It was great to see that two sailfish had been released for the day by the anglers on Big Blue and Gone Overboard, but it was a 19.3kg yellowfin tuna that tipped the scales for the biggest fish. It had been caught by Pierre Pienaar on Solid Cat. Despite Piere’s great catch it was Anton van Niekerk and his crew on Suzie Q, with 65 points, that took top honours for the day with some good numbers of ’cuda as well as yellowfin tuna. Following close on their heels were Gone Overboard and Fishing Myself Single. The Afrikaans word for Thursday is Donderdag, and that it certainly was! During the night the southerly wind strengthened tremendously and brought a vast amount of rain with it. The sound of torrential rain on our roofs was a pleasant reminder of what we had missed all summer in South Africa. The weather committee decided to postpone launching for two hours to see if the storm would abate. A brief gap in the weather allowed the boats to get back on the water at about 9am to continue their quest to catch fish, but this was shortlived. A huge electrical storm with thunder, lightning, rain and gusting winds soon forced everyone to seek shelter and comfort on solid land. The fishing was called off early, but once again at the scales one boat’s name seemed to dominate the prizes — Gone Overboard! The seemingly endless numbers of fish that had slipped out of their fish hatches during the week had turned this competition into a bit of a one horse race. Once again they were top boat for the day with Mad Marlin and Big Blue following closely. Grant Thorpe was especially pleased with his 17kg wahoo. The rough conditions persisted into the last day of the Inhaca Challenge and most of the boats found the fishing extremely difficult. By and large the day proved to be disap72 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

pointing as very few fish were weighed at the scales and even fewer released. The biggest fish for the day, a 17.4kg yellowfin, was caught by Dolf Botha off Grande Pe. Grande Pe also took top boat for the day with Rainbow Runner and My Boy following their lead. It was a fantastic week off Inhaca Island but it did not take a rocket scientist to establish the top boat. As the entire fleet gathered around the gantry for the final prize giving, the customary handshakes were dealt out to the deserving anglers and happy hour started in earnest. A huge roar went up for Grant Thorpe and his team on Gone Overboard — the defending champs had taken top spot again! Kurt Myburg, also from Gone Overboard, walked away with the Calcutta fish — a 25.7kg wahoo — earning himself over R35 000. After all the sums had been done the race ended thus: Gamefish Overall Team Gone Overboard 252.6 points Grant Thorpe Suzi Q 149.1 points Anton v Niekerk Solid Cat 90.2 points Pierre Pienaar Fishing Myself Single 77.3 points Marius Smit Grande Pe 73 points Sam Botha Individual Overall Points Anton van Niekerk, Suzi Q 54.5 points Grant Thorpe, Gone Overboard 53.5 points Pierre Pienaar, Solid Cat 46.3 points Most Meritorious Fish Kurt Myburg, Gone Overboard Pierre Pienaar, Solid Cat Marius Smit, Fishing Myself Single

25.7kg wahoo 19.3kg yellowfin 18.8kg ’cuda

Released Fish Sailfish 4 Kakaap 3 Greater Barracuda 1 To the entire Inhaca Challenge committee — a huge thank you and a captain’s salute on a job well done! It was a wonderful week and a fantastic competition to be part of. The very ample rewards that were received by the anglers are solely due to the most loyal and dedicated sponsors. For this we would like to thank you and support you all where we possibly can. The sponsors are the backbone to the success of this Inhaca Challenge, and we look forward to cementing our relationships with you for the 20th celebration in 2017 at Inhaca Island!

OVERHEARD

THE TRAVELLING FISHERMAN How to keep your gear safe on a journey

By Craig Thomassen

NE thing I get to do a lot is travel with my fishing gear. This is not always an easy task, but in my line of work, there’s no avoiding it. I thought that I would share a few tips that I have picked up along the way on how best to get your tackle safely to your destination, especially when your journey involces flying. These days airlines allow each passenger only one piece of check-in luggage and one piece of hand luggage. Any extra need to be paid for and it gets expensive. Unfortunately, with rods, one generally needs a rod tube as well as a bag, so there will be two pieces of luggage to check in. When this is the case, it can be helpful to call the airline and make arrangements in advance. Some airlines will allow you an extra piece of baggage if it is sporting equipment. Making arrangements in advance can save you time and hassle at the check in counter, as they can make a note on your booking. RODS I have a large extendable Plano rod tube that I use on all of my trips. I take all of the rods that I am planning on using and lay them all down. Then I take half of them and turn them around, so that half of the butt sections are at one end and the other half at the other end. I wrap the rods in rags and tape them together in such a way that they won’t rub on each other, or get 74 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

damaged. I then slide the whole lot into the Plano tube and adjust the tube length to best fit my rods. I can take ten rods or more in that tube, and they have never suffered any damage on a trip. REELS I always prefer to pack my reels in my hand luggage. If my check-in luggage gets lost or misplaced by the airline at least I will always have my reels with me. I have never been stopped, nor have I had any trouble with the security staff at the various airports because of reels in my hand luggage. I have heard of one person who was told to strip the line from his reels as it was considered to be a potential weapon, but it has never happened to me. Hopefully that was just an isolated incident where the official was being particularly pedantic. I often take the hooks off a couple of special lures and add them to my hand luggage if there is space, for the same reasons as I carry the reels. LURES, LEADER, SPARE LINE & TOOLS I pack the rest of my tackle into a bag that will fit into my main bag and I always travel with the biggest bag I can find. That bag will contain my clothes and toiletries and must still have enough space to fit my entire tackle bag into it as well. I plan it so that when we reach our destination I can take what I need for each day from the main tackle bag and pack it into my hand luggage rucksack for the day. I use cable ties to secure the zips on

my bags to discourage any tampering by baggage handlers at the airports. PACKING With practice it becomes quite easy to pack for fishing trips. I first set out the rods that I want to use, bearing in mind the different types of fishing available at my destination. Then I make sure that I have a reel for each rod, and that the reel is full of line. I pack leader line for each setup and lures that will also match each outfit. Next I pack the tools that I will need along with spare hooks, split rings etc. Working to a plan, I generally pack everything I need without leaving out any important items. UNPACKING When I get to my destination and unpack my tackle, I keep all the rags and rod sleeves, and put them back into the empty Plano rod tube, along with the reel bags from my reels. That way I know where everything is when it’s time to pack up again at the end of the trip. On the last afternoon of the trip I will rinse my reels and wash my rods, giving them the night to dry before packing them all away properly the following morning. I don’t like to put wet reels or reels with salt on them into the bags, as any salt that soaks into the bag then has prolonged contact with the reel and can damage the surface of the reel. If all my tackle has already been rinsed or washed on the trip, it is easy to pack away when I get home, without any further hassle.

JUNIORS

LESSONS ON

Some juniors with their medals.

HDHK Junior Development Competition 2016 “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” C.S. Lewis by Vikki Bezuidenhout

HERE are very few sounds that are more satisfying than the sound of children enjoying themselves, and this was the prevailing sound at Sodwana Bay in the July school holidays during the annual Hoedspruit Diep See Hengelklub Junior Development Competition The idea behind this competition is to pass on a love of fishing to our children, to encourage the juniors to participate in competitive fishing, to teach them the rules and techniques involved, and to have some quality family time. What better way is there to do this than to get our families out onto the ocean, so they can experience the excitement first-hand? The kids also get involved in preparing the tackle before going out which makes actually landing their fish that much more satisfying. Despite the freezing cold weather, the anglers and boats were lined up on the beach at 6.30am on Monday morning, eager to get onto the water. Bundled up in windbreakers and beanies, they set out on a mission — to be this year’s top junior. The yellowfin were on the bite, with a few testing the children’s mettle. Martin Schoeman on My Lady caught

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his first sea fish ever, a nice little tuna of 4kg. Braam de Clerq fishing aboard Jolly Fisher had the heaviest fish of the day — a 14.8kg wahoo. In the afternoon, the Nemo team hosted a wonderful weigh-in at Camp Jonathan, with snacks, a happy hour, and the compulsor y lemon juice “straffdoppe” along with lucky draw prizes. On Tuesday morning the kids were eager to set about the serious business of fishing, and the boats set out at first light into the mist. Once again most of the boats managed to hook some fish for the children to practice on. Gareth Berg took top honours for the day, with his 12.1kg ’cuda. Wednesday and Thursday were blow-outs, but the juniors were kept busy honing their other skills. The juniors of each boat competed against each other in an IGFA Rules quiz, with even the experienced anglers amongst us learning a thing or two when the final answers were read out. Protea angler Paul Borcherds also demonstrated preparing strip bait rigs and halfbeak rigs and taught the juniors how to rig a halfbeak on a circle hook. His passion for the sport clearly shone through as he kept both young and old alike entranced. Friday brought with it the best

weather of the week, and competition hours were extended by an hour to give everyone a chance to catch the big ones. Even the youngest angler (just seven years old) was happy to stay out for the extra time. This was the day that the spirit of the competition really kicked in, with more sailfish taking the lures. Experienced anglers allowed the youngsters to have a go with the sailies even though,in some instances, the fish was probably as big as the angler. I remember well the high I felt all day after hooking my first billfish — even though it was only on for a few seconds…. Whether you are successful or not, the experience certainly gives you a huge thrill and the determination to come back and try again and again and again, until you are successful. That is just what we aim to do — get the kids hooked….. We would like to thank all the skippers for taking time out to give the children this fantastic experience and for sharing their wealth of knowledge. Our thanks also to the “ground crew” for their patience and support, and of course to our sponsors, without whom this event would not be as successful as it is. The top three boats for the competition were My Lady, Brangus and Jolly

THE WATER Ivan Reyneke, top junior, with Garth McGee.

My Lady was the top boat.

Fisher. The top three juniors were Ivan Reyneke, Braam de Clerq and Gareth Berg, with the top ten all receiving prizes.

Ivan Reyeke had the Most Meritorious Fish U/19 with his yellowfin and Lise-Marie Smit received the prize for Most Meritoriuos Fish U/13.

Gareth Berg with his catch.

In total, there were over R120 000 worth of prizes given away, which is wonderful for such a small competition.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 77

THIS & THAT

JETSETTING TO JAPAN Natal Power Boats visits Suzuki headquarters

by Ruli Sofilas

ward in South Africa. That evening Natal Power Boats was given the award for being the top Suzuki UZUKI reached an all-time high dealer in Southern Africa, having sold the with regard to sales in South most Suzuki units and achieving the Africa in 2015, and ended the year highest value in Southern Africa. having achieved 41.5% of the marThe next day we visited the Suzuki ket share in sales of 4-stroke outboards Toyokawa factory in Hammatsu which is in South Africa. the assembly plant for Suzuki outboards. In celebration of this achievement a This factory blew my mind — it was number of us were rewarded with a trip full of conveyer belts and escalators that to Japan to visit the Suzuki headquarters. never stop. It was amazing to see the Tanja Maes, Marine Manager of Suzuki precision with which each person perSA, and Yvonne Fourie, Marine Assistant forms their job and how all the parts Manager of Suzuki SA, accompanied arrive without any delay to complete the Nick Landzanakis, Kevin Rodd and I from engine on the line. Once they’re assemNatal Power Boats, along with 21 other bled all the engines are tested under Suzuki dealers from all over South Africa, load, then they’re packed and Botswana and Zimbabwe (all picshipped immediately. tured above) on the trip. We were also let in on a little We spent two days in Tokyo, secret — a new engine will soon be before taking the Shinkansen Bullet introduced to the market, but for train to Hammatsu, the home of now it’s being kept under wraps. Suzuki, where the Suzuki Motor Later we went to the Suzuki Corporation hosted us at a dealer museum where we saw how it all conference. started with regard to bikes, cars and The main people involved were outboard motors, and could comthe Executive General Manager pare that to where they are now. Global Marine & Power Products This trip to Japan was great, not Operations,Yasuharu Osawa, and Mr only because of what we saw in the Tadaaki Morikami of the Product factories and the discussions we Planning group outboard motor had, but also because it was fantastic engineering department. We discussed the new models Kevin Rodd and Nick Landzanakis of Natal Power to get to know and network with being introduced, had a technical Boats with Yasuharu Osawa (Executive General other Suzuki dealers countrywide. Suzuki is definitely the ultimate session with questions and answers Manager Global Marine & Power Products Operations and studied the model range and for Suzuki) and Ruli Sofilas. Nick proudly displays 4-stroke and we Suzuki dealers are environment. NPB’s award for being the top Suzuki agent in taking Suzuki outboards to the next level in Southern Africa! Suzuki are focusing a great deal Southern Africa.

78 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2016

on creating a cleaner burning engine without compromising performance and reliability. They also aim to achieve the lightest power-to-weight ratio of any motor. Suzuki Marine has won the NMMA innovation award seven times now with 4-stroke outboard motors — more than any other brand. That’s proof that we’re on the winning team. During the technical session Nick showed some footage of how South Africans — especially on the east coast — launch and beach. Our Suzuki friends were amazed by these crazy South African beach launches. Our hosts also gave us chance to explain how we want to take Suzuki, the ultimate 4-stroke, for-

COMPETITION

THE

CYCLONE CHAMPIONS 2016 Furuno Snoek Derby, powered by Radio Holland

HE 2016 Furuno Snoek Derby, Powered by Radio Holland, was hosted by the St Lucia Ski-Boat Club and took place from 25th to 26th June. With prizes to the value of R80 000 (including a Furuno FCV588 fishfinder valued at R30 000 as first prize), the competition attracted 40 boats, with almost 150 anglers, to the small town on the Elephant Coast. On the Friday evening all the teams gathered at the clubhouse at the St Lucia estuary for the opening function. Once registrations were completed, the ceremony kicked off with an in-depth presentation on echo sounders — Know Your Sounder — by pro angler and Radio Holland Technical Sales Support, JP Groenewald. Participants then got the opportunity to bet on the boat that they believed would be the champions of this year’s Snoek Derby. Divan Breedt fishing aboard

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Cyclone, skippered by Furuno brand ambassador George Breedt, took first place with his 7.95kg snoek which was only 50 grams heavier than the second placed fish. Cyclone’s crew consisted of George Breedt, Divan Breedt, Hugo Lochner (Leisure Market Manager, Radio Holland) and Carmen Badenhorst. Johan Lange, chairman of the St Lucia Ski-Boat Club, commented that for the first time in the history of this competition, a boat had won on two consecutive years — George Breedt won in 2015, and now his son Divan. Well done to the Breedt family. After several years of participating in this competition with no success, George had a Furuno GP-1870F fishfinder/chart plotter combo installed a week prior to his 2015 Snoek Derby win. “Call it luck, call it what you want,” he said,“but I believe it was the quality of the new Furuno GP-1870F that put

us on to the fish, together with the help of the Furuno team — Craig Wilson, Hugo Lochner and JP Groenewald. What a win for Furuno and Radio Holland.” Bron Sykstus, Director of Services Africa, Radio Holland South Africa thanked the St Lucia Ski-Boat Club for hosting this well-attended and wellorganised competition. “Well done to all the skippers, anglers and club members — thank you for your continued support, participation and commitment to the sport. We are proud to be associated with the club and look forward to sponsoring this competition again in 2017,” he said. For more information or to receive updates on upcoming competitions, please contact Radio Holland on 0861 123 555, email <info@radioholland. co.za> or connect with them on Facebook: RadioHollandSA.

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I’M HOOKED! by Deegan Delport (7)

USED to think fishing was no fun and a waste of time — very boring. My Nan, dad and sister would always go on about how much fun it was and how wonderful the sea was and how exciting it was to catch your first gamefish but I wasn’t interested. Besides, my mom gets sea sick so I have to keep her company. On 30th January 2016 I agreed to go fishing with Nan and Dad. We launched from Meerensee Ski-Boat Club, and once we were out of the harbour I took off my life jacket and used it as a pillow while I caught up on some sleep because they had woken me up at five o’ clock! I dreamt I heard a reel screaming and suddenly my dream was interrupted by Nan shouting at me that the reel was actually screaming. My dad handed me the rod and Nan fastened my bucket on. I knew now that they were not telling fibs when they said it was exciting. The fish was very strong and after about ten minutes my dad managed to gaff the yellowfin tuna — it weighed 11kg! Wow, my first gamefish! We had just boated my tuna when another reel started to scream. This fish was even bigger than the first one and after what felt like forever I asked Nan to take the rod as my hands and arms were aching. Nan kept telling me how well I was doing and that it was my fish to catch. I was ready to give up and was really tired, but then I saw the fish come close to the top of the water — it was another yellowfin. Dad had the gaff in one hand and with the other he grabbed the line but the tuna got a fright when he saw my dad and he turned away and swam down. The line got wrapped around my dad’s fingers and he shouted at me to loosen the drag ...What’s a drag? Nan showed me the lever thingy and I pushed it all the way forward, “No!” Dad yelled. “Turn the drag the other way!” Nan and I started laughing at him because his face turned red and he started to whimper just like my puppy. He did not seem amused but we finally figured out how to loosen the drag. Once his fingers were free I started to battle the monster tuna again. Finally, we boated it! This one weighed 13kg. I was so proud that I forgot about how sore my body was. I was the only one to catch that day. When we got back to the ski-boat club my mom was amazed at my fish. Even though I don’t like to hold slimy things, I posed for photographs. It was an awesome experience — I’m hooked!

THIS & THAT

THERE’S A BETTER WAY TO TRIM...

ESIGNED to suit entry-level and expert boaters alike,Active Trim simplifies boat operation while improving engine performance and decreasing fuel costs. New boaters are immediately able to trim their engines properly with no intimidating learning curve, and experienced boaters won’t need to monitor and adjust trim constantly upon changes in boat speed or turns. Using Active Trim has been likened to switching from a manual transmission on an automobile to automatic transmission — easy! The key to Mercury’s Active Trim is its exclusive and patented GPS-based control system. Unlike systems that only use engine rpm to control trimming, Mercury’s Active Trim con-

NEW MANAGER TAKES THE HELM

UTHERFORD Marine takes great pleasure in announcing the appointment of Craig Gutteridge as the new Divisional Manager. Gutteridge took up his new position in April this year but has been making his mark within the Marine division since joining the company in 2010. “I have gained a comprehensive understanding of the wide range of marine products available and the success thereof,” said Craig. “Actively participating in a variety of watersports, I feel that I also bring a different perspective and insight into the requirements of the industry.” Martin Peterson, CEO of Rutherford says he’s very excited to have Craig head up the Marine division. “Craig brings a lot of energy to our business together with expertise and integrity. He will interact very well with the market and will add a lot of value for our customer base.” Rutherford’s Marine division has sole distribution rights for the Mercury range of outboards and MerCruiser inboards, along with a host of well known brand names in watersport and boating accessories. Mercury continues to lead the way in innovation, technology and efficiency, manufacturing outboards that are reliable, durable, easy and intuitive to use. Boat builders, dealers and customerhave access to a wealth of knowledge, comprehensive technical service and support.

CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT ON STEROIDS

ON’T know what to do for your corporate clients or company team building functions to thank them for their support and hard work through the year? WWF Safaris has the answer for you — plan your own dream fishing or hunting safari or a combination of both, then just send them the details and they will take care of all the other details. For further information contact Gerhard on 083 450 3341 or Corne on 082 821 2425 or email <gerhardbrits91@gmail.com>.

trols the trim in accordance with boat speed and engine rpm. This feature solves problems with the engine or drive trimming up instead of down if the propeller breaks loose in hard turns. It also solves issues with the engine trimming up too early or too late while the boat is getting up on the plane. Active Trim can be used on high-performance boats and it provides a seamless handoff from auto to manual operation at high speeds, to give the operator full control. Another Active Trim exclusive is its five selectable trim profiles that accommodate nearly any boat application, from small runabouts, pontoons and bass boats to cruisers and high-performance applications. There’s no need to manually enter trim settings versus rpm into a multi-functional display, as required by some systems. Simply run the boat and select the profile that is best suited for that application. These profiles allow the operators to further personalise Active Trim to their driving styles and/or compensate for changes in boat load, operator preference and weather conditions, while maintaining full auto operation. Active Trim is compatible with any new Mercury Outboard or MerCruiser engine with SmartCraft, and is offered on models ranging from entry level to premium offerings. This includes outboards from 40hp to 400hp and MerCruiser packages from 115hp to 430hp. The system will also be available for retrofitting to engines already in the field.

AWARDS ROLLING IN FOR HALCO

T this year’s Australian Fising Trade Association (AFTA) trade show Halco Tackle was thrilled to take home two awards. The first was for the new MAX 190 which won the Best Hard Body Lure award. Stable up to 20 knots and rigged with 7/0 Mustad inline singles, this lure is setting a new benchmark for trolling lures. The second award was for the new Halco Madeye’s 7” Paddle Prawn which was runner-up in the Best Soft Lure category. Featuring Rubber Stretch Technology (RST) and a realistic appearance, the Halco Madeye range of softs is bringing something unique to the market. It’s not hard to see why the Max 190 is proving so popular. Tough as nails from the ground up, the lure features double wall thickness for a totally rigid profile which is able to cope with the massive forces that can be exerted on any heavy game- and sportfishing lure, especially from bruisers like oversized wahoo, massive tuna, giant trevally and similar oceanic thugs. The internal components matche up to the build with fully formed and welded hook hangers and towing point, making the Max 190 the toughest kid on the block. On the outside, 95kg Halco fish rings provide the ultimate linkage to two Mustad 7/0 inline single hooks for incredible holding power. In terms of performance, just like its baby brother the Max 130, the Max 190 is capable of being cast and retrieved on heavy spin or casting outfits. The lure swims on the drop and is often hit as it powers down to the depths. If it’s not hit on the way down, the Max 190 is likely to meet an unfortunate demise when ripped back to the boat or rocks at speed. The true versatility of the Max 190 becomes apparent when it is trolled. This lure has been thoroughly tested and trolled at speeds up to 24 knots in less than ideal conditions, making it perfect to put out during the long haul to your traditional hunting grounds or moving between spots. All up, this is one tough, versatile fish catching machine.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2016 • 85

The 7” and 9” echoMAP CHIRP models also provide support for Garmin Panoptix, an all-seeing sonar. With Panoptix on board, fishermen can see real-time sonar imagery at video-like speed. It shows an image of fish swimming and moving toward or away from the boat — even while stationary — in real time and up to 100 feet away. The echoMAP CHIRP series will support all Panoptix models, including the new PS21.

INTRODUCING THE ECHOMAP CHIRP CAPE TOWN BOAT SERIES SHOW MOVES TO G THE V&A

ARMIN’S echoMAP CHIRP series is a new line of affordable chartplotter/ sonar combination units with built-in CHIRP traditional sonar and CHIRP DownVü and SideVü, the clearest scanning sonar on the water. The new echoMAP CHIRP series offers support for Garmin Panoptix transducers and all units come standard with Garmin Quickdraw Contours, a new software feature that lets mariners instantly create personalised HD fishing maps with 1-foot contours on any body of water. With NMEA 2000 compatibility1, the new echoMAPs can also receive information from sensors, engines, autopilots and more. “With integrated CHIRP sonar, premium mapping options, built-in GPS, and support for Panoptix and NMEA 2000, the echoMAP CHIRP series is a powerful step forward in the evolution of combination units for anglers,” said Chris Gillitt, Garmin Southern Africa’s Marine Category Manager. “We’re excited to bring these units to the market and believe that they truly provide the best fishing experience possible — and at price points to meet the needs of the value-minded customer.” Like previous echoMAP models, the CHIRP series is available in bright, sunlight readable 4”, 5”, 7” and 9” colour displays with an intuitive, keyed interface. All models are equipped with a built-in, high-sensitivity 5Hz GPS antenna that updates location and heading five times per second for extremely reliable position accuracy at all times. For the clearest scanning sonar of fish and structure on the market, this new series offers built-in CHIRP traditional sonar and CHIRP DownVü and SideVü technology. Instead of just sending one single frequency, CHIRP sends a continuous sweep of frequencies and interprets them individually upon their return, creating crisper fish arches with better target separation. For anglers who want to see objects and structure below the boat, DownVü provides a nearly photographic view with excellent resolution and target separation in both freshwater and saltwater. T h e echoMAP sv models also add SideVü scanning for customers w h o want to s e e what’s located on both sides of the boat.

OUTH Africa’s oldest and best boat show has moved back to the countr y’s top tourist destination, the V & A Waterfront. The show will be held at the North Wharf with all exhibitors afloat or in adjacent marquees. The move has proved ver y popular with exhibitors and the hard space available sold out three months before the show which takes place from 14th to 16th October 2016. This year’s show will host more boats afloat than ever before and have more catamarans on show than at any previous SA show. The luxury motor yachts, ski-boats, fishing craft and inflatables will all be on the water, making this a show not to miss for any boater or aspiring boater. As always, all the electronic brands will be there, showcasing the latest gadgets and equipment. Visit <www.boatshow.com> to see all the show specials on offer. The promotion of sailing as a sport has been given special attention, with SA Sailing taking up a large floating display, with all the different classes represented. Representatives of the classes will be on hand to explain how to take up the sport, demonstrate their prowess, and generally sell the idea of sailing to the many visitors who would love to sail as a family or have their kids take up a healthy outdoor activity. From a boating industry perspective this is the only show in the country which puts the entire industry in one venue over three days and is the only show endorsed by MIASA. If you are in any way connected to the industry, this is where you network with your peers, showcase your newest products, see old mates and meet new players in the industr y. Everyone in the boating industry visits this show, as do many international brands looking for agents or distributors for their products, or looking for products to represent. It is also a good opportunity for suppliers to the boat builders to show their support for their clients, for whom a successful show is vital. The catamaran manufacturers are back in force and no wonder because they take orders at the show — as do the luxury motor yacht dealers. The show attracts the highest possible LSM category, and the quality of visitor has always been the main reason the show has been so successful for our exhibitors. As always, yacht club members get a 50% discount at the door on presentation of their club membership card. Tickets are available from Computicket or at the show, with adults paying only R80 and scholars R40.

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DEADLINE for the November/December 2016 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine is 14 September 2016.

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BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

88 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2016