Ski-Boat November 2016 by Angler Publications

CONTENTS

November/December 2016 Volume 32 Number 6 COVER: BIG BLUE A rampant 900 lb blue marlin caught off Cape Verde. See pg 11. Photo by Stuart Simpson.

FEATURES

Cape Verde! Where your wildest fishing dreams come true — by Theo Daly

It’s All About the Bite Blue marlin tactics that work — by Ryan Williamson

Craftsmanship Beyond Compare Scarboroughs stand the test of time — by Erwin Bursik

Buying Pre-Owned Boats Part 3: Outboard motors — pleasure or pain? — by Nick Landzanakis

High and Dry Boatlifts that add to your craft’s value — by Erwin Bursik

New Home for Natal Caravans & Marine Big move after 56 years in their old premises

Eyecare Essentials Tips on choosing the right sunglasses — by Glenn Nugent

Cape Nomads You’ll never run out of places to fish — by Ryan Nienaber

Rigged! Part 4: How to rig your riggers — by Paul Borcherds

AceCraft’s Story The history of a Durban legend — by Clive Olivier

Kenyan Grand Slam

Holiday dreams fulfilled — by Hannes Forster

Going Small Micro jigging gives great results with less effort — by Craig Thomassen

2016 Johannesburg Boat Show A round up of this year’s exhibitors

DEPARTMENTS 8 9 43 76 79 81

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik Postbox Subscribe and WIN! Kingfisher Award Rules Reel Kids Mercury Junior Anglers

73 82 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: Paul Borcherds, Erwin Bursik, Theo Daly, Hannes Forster, Nick Landzanakis, Ryan Nienaber, Glenn Nugent, Clive Olivier, Stuart Simpson, Craig Thomassen and Ryan Williamson 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 November/December 2016

EDITORIAL

REGULATIONS IN SA PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE S one gets closer to the end of a year it is inevitable that one tends to reflect on the road travelled during that year, usually with scant attention given to what the future will bring. Experiences are real and I believe foretelling the future is best left in the hands of the mystics. For those of us who are involved in deep sea angling, our impression of the year behind us is often largely determined by our success (or lack thereof) in the fishing department and the interErwin Bursik minable factors that may or may not have Publisher impinged on us and our sport. My fishing results this year have been up and down, with some wonderful sport being experienced at times followed by quite a few forays into the deep after which I returned without any fish. These days, when we’re constantly being told that our recreational fish stocks are dwindling, I am often surprised at the number of good fish catches reportedly being made along the entire South African coast, including some outstanding catches of record breaking specimens. It’s always interesting and exciting to have a look at the results of South African deep sea fishing competitions to see how many anglers are participating and the great catches they’re making. It is heartening to note that those who are prepared to put in the effort do get some really good results. The proposed implementation of the revised Marine Protected Areas (MPA) legislation sent a shudder down the spine of each and every one of us who fishes recreationally off the South African coast. There was immense public outcry from those in organised deep sea angling as well as the entire marine industry, including tourism and coastal commerce. As a result, we understand that the Government department that dreamt up the revised legislation is relooking at the entire MPA “map” with a view to reconsidering and amending it in order to allow offshore recreational anglers to enjoy their sport in a relatively unrestricted manner.

VHF RADIO LEGISLATION Talking of restrictions, the set of regulations recently passed in respect of radios and the radio procedures employed by craft at sea from Port Nolloth in the west to Kosi Bay in the east is, in my personal opinion, a complete shambles. The whole process has been a debacle and it’s practically impossible to put the theory into practice in the timeframe set by the current Marine Notices. At the time of going to print all those involved in the industry were sitting with the conundrum of knowing what the “current” laws says, but also knowing that it’s impossible for most skippers to obtain the necessary qualification before the October/November/December annual boat inspections undertaken by all the offshore ski-boat clubs of South Africa. For instance Durban Ski-Boat Club alone has 800 members who would need to go on the radio operator’s course and be examined before they could optain their licences and buy VHF radios. Considering the scarcity of qualified examiners and the limited time left before this year’s inspections — not to mention that it’s difficult to get hold of a VHF radio — it’s highly unlikely that many will be able to comply with the law. To further exacerbate this quandary, work has not yet begun on the installation of the receiver towers that must be erected along the entire South African coastline to make the new “red button” VHF radio procedure work. Ek sê maar niks! Finally, there is no doubt that we offshore anglers have all felt the effects of the wobbling economy that has had South Africa reeling for the last few years. As an eternal optimist who knows the resilience of South Africans — especially fishermen — I’ll venture a bit of fortune telling ... My crystal ball shows that 2017 will see us still venturing out to sea in pursuit of fish and the tranquillity of being out on the ocean where we can fish to our hearts’ content without interference from anything other than Mother Nature. Till the next tide.

Erwin Bursik

POSTBOX

Something on your mind? Write to The Editor <sheena@mags.co.za> THANK YOU! Dear Editor Earlier this year my family and I went on holiday to Mozambique and stayed with a group of friends in Ponte Mamoli. The year before I caught a sailfish there, but this year I lost a black marlin and then, after a 20-minute fight, lost a sailfish; I was not happy. When we were driving back to Durban airport after our holiday I was sad about the fish I had lost, but then my dad got a phone call from the editor of SKI-BOAT magazine who said I had won the overall prize for the 2016 Reel Kids competition. That really made my holiday! When I came back from Mozambique I went to Bell to collect my prize and even got to drive a digger. That was awesome, and I loved being was shown around the factory. Everyone was really nice, especially John Collins the Bell Equipment Regional Manager of the Cape Province, and Fiona Johnson, Sales Representative of Bell Equipment Cape Town. I would like to say thank you to Bell and SKI-BOAT magazine for my new Shimano rod and Tiagra 30 I am going to use it to try and catch a bigger yellowfin tuna than the 65kg beauty I caught last year. LUKE JOHNSON <luke@orangestreetsoftware.com>

ANOTHER COLOUR VARIATION Dear Editor In light of all the albino fish you have been posting in recent issues I came across an “albino” the other day at work. In most cases the albino creature has a lack of pigment making it white or a lighter colour, but in this case it was the black pigment that was strongest. The fish in the middle is a yellowfin tuna around 70kg that is completely black — the fins, sickles and all other markings that are normally yellow were black and shades of grey. The fish on each side of the black fish are normal. The fish was in great health and the quality was good. RYAN NIENABER <ryan@greenfish.co.za> SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 9

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PLACES

CAPE VERDE WHERE YOUR WILDEST FISHING DREAMS COME TRUE

A 900 lb blue marlin caught off Cape Verde by Rudi Muller. Article by Theo Daly; Photos by Stuart Simpson

APE Verde is a group of remote islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, which can make it quite tricky to get there, but the rewards are well worth the effort. It truly is the land of giant blue marlin, as a friend and I experienced first-hand earlier this year. Six of the top blue marlin in recent history came out of Cape Verde and weighed more than 1 200 lb, and that’s not counting those released and reported lost, according to Marlin Magazine and <www.grander watch.com>. I’d met Stuart a few times and fished with him twice in Kenya, on one occasion releasing seven sailfish and three black marlin in six days of fishing. He’d told me plenty of tales of this apparent paradise, and eventually talked me into booking a week in Cape Verde with him. Stuart suggested April, as that’s the month when there are usually a fair amount of big females around, mixed in with smaller blue marlin. I spoke to my good buddy Rudi Muller and asked if he would be interested in going, and his immediate answer was:

“It’s a no-brainer.” Even though Rudi and I had both caught a fair number of marlin between us, neither of us had caught a really big one, so we decided that April sounded good to us. After confirming our booking and reading the article about Cape Verde that appeared in the November/ December 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine, along with numerous other articles on the internet, we couldn’t wait to get there to experience what all the fuss was about. Stuart is not a guy who exaggerates, but I was still a bit sceptical of whether he'd be able to deliver what he promised. In short, my scepticism was unfounded and our trip exceeded all expectations... As I mentioned, it takes a bit of effort to get to the Cape Verde islands, especially from South Africa. There are routes via Dakar, and a person can get to Lisbon via Maputo, but we decided to take the conservative route via Paris and Lisbon, where we overnighted and had a fabulous dining experience at the city’s Food and Wine Market. The next morning we took SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 11

a comfortable four hour flight to Sao Vicente, arriving at midday local time. After dropping our luggage we immediately went down to Marina Mindelo to meet with Stuart and the crew (Steve and Fabio) of our boat, Nha Cretcheu. They were hard at work preparing for our week ahead, so we kept ourselves busy having a few beers on the floating bar, a mere 40 metres from the boat. The wind was howling, the sea looked ugly, and the forecast for the next few days did not look good, but nevertheless our spirits were high. The captain and crew did not seem to be perturbed about the weather which gave us some confidence, but Rudi and I couldn’t help glancing nervously at each other every now and then and shaking our heads. Stuart had told us to be on the dock at 7am the next morning and to bring our luggage with, as the plan was to cross the channel and fish off San Antoa Island which would shield us from the 40 knot winds. He mentioned that we might stay on the island if the fishing was good. That night we enjoyed a good meal and decent night’s rest at our hotel, little knowing we would only be back in six days’ time! The next morning we enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee before boarding Nha Cretcheu which had been perfectly prepared for us. We cruised out of the picturesque harbour with great excitement, and as we reached the channel we knew that this was going to be no ordinary boat ride. The wind was still howling at 40 knots and the waves were big, but the 33ft Bertram was up to the task. Two long hours later we were in the lee of San Antoa Island where the sea was flat; it was as if we were in a different country with a different ocean. The massive volcanic peaks of the island shielded us, and the crew immediately prepared the boat for fishing. The afternoon was quiet — we saw Another blue marlin caught by Theo Daly.

12 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

a fish or two but Rudi and I were keen to get to our hotel/pension on the island to unpack and settle in for a full day of fishing the next day. We anchored in a bay, and some locals fetched us in a dingy and rowed us to shore with all our kit. It was like beaching a ski-boat with a shore dump except we had no engine and the leaking wooden boat was grossly overladen. To make matters more exciting, there was no beach, just rocks! However, the locals are obviously very experienced at doing this run and soon we were safely on the shore without incident. Early the next morning we braved the surf again, and soon we started on the most incredible five days of fishing Rudi and I have ever experienced. The lures went out when we were just 300m from our mooring, and about one hour later we had our first action. A good fish hit the right outrigger and, as if scripted, followed the lure to right behind the boat where Steve had pitched the bait. When the fish saw the bait it smashed onto it and line started peeling off the 50 lb Shimano. In the blink of an eye I was on, and after a great aerial display and some great runs I released an estimated 450 lb blue marlin on stand up tackle. Things went quiet for a while, but at about midday the long right went off and there was no doubt about the size of the fish that was following the Dominator and the Orange and Black Pulsator teaser. The fish came in, the pitch was perfect, and Rudi was on! Luckily Stuart had had the foresight to scream at the deckhands to pitch with the 80 lb rig, and Rudi was soon in the chair hooked up. The drag was set to 50 lb, and on the initial run it almost lifted him out of the fighting chair, and Rudi is no small boy. Everything was picture prefect, from the tease to the bite to the fight. After a short 45minute fight Rudi brought the very big fish to the boat.

Rudi Muller (top) and Theo Daly (above) revel in the blue marlin action off Cape Verde. They released ten blue marlin in just five days of fishing. Stuart and his crew estimated the marlin to be around 850- to 900 lb — not a very long fish, but unbelievably fat and deep all the way to the tail. I have never seen a picture of a marlin that size in the water, and I may be a big fish rookie, and I may be a bit biased, but to me it looked over the magic mark. It was really special to see the fish so close up, in such good condition and so docile — almost as if it knew it was going to be released and was waiting patiently for us to finish taking pictures. The first day was a spectacular success as we had both caught a new personal best, and the celebrations were many. The next morning we headed for the same area where Rudi had landed his big fish the previous day. We worked the area and soon had another monster crash our long left teaser. The fish came on strong with its head, shoulders and half its body out of the water, and there was no doubt about its size. It took about 10 metres of line, with the reel set at 35 lb of drag before it let go. It was really hanging on to the Pulsator Marlin Magnet, but when it finally let go the marlin continued following deep under the lure. We could see the fish all lit up, and a minute or two later we started coaxing it closer to the boat for the pitch. She was still following the teaser, but deep; the 130 lb rig with an 800 lb leader and a 3kg amberjack was ready and waiting. Earlier Stuart had explained that the reason for such a heavy pitch bait was so that when a big marlin comes up to take the bait, the wake it creates sometimes pushes lighter bait away and it misses it.

By this time Steve had already pitched the bait in water, but the fish was cruising about 20m behind it, still following deep and scouting out the teaser while we tried anxiously to get her to the bait which she probably could not see. From the top deck Stuart saw the fish change from black to an electric blue on top of its head, and then the huge tail also turned the same colour and he started screaming, “She’s lit up, she’s lit up! Wind, Fabio, wind!” Fabio wound the teaser like crazy, and Stuart turned the boat to get the bait out of the prop wash and into the clear water. The marlin accelerated, and in the blink of an eye the amberjack disappeared. All I could see was this massive head and bill and then there was nothing ... The line was peeling off the reel and Steve, knowing she had the bait in her mouth, gave about five seconds of free spool, and then locked up on 45 lb of drag. It seemed as if the fish did not even notice the drag, and Steve was holding on and shouting at me to get into the fighting chair. I jumped into the chair and Steve reduced the drag so that we could get the butt into the gimbal while Rudi helped me hook the Shimano 80W to the harness. Back to 45 lb of drag and I could feel the pressure. The jumps the fish made were too far away for the cameras to get any real detail, but we had seen her close up, so we had a pretty good idea of her size. I settled down to what I knew was the fight of my life, and some calm was restored to the boat. While I was busy getting my back into the fish, Stuart, Steve and Fabio were having some discussions and before I knew it SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 13

they started clearing the deck and unpacking the flying gaffs. The intention was clear and I was not about to argue with them. Obviously the crew deemed the fish to be what they termed “The Right One”; with a marlin of this size comes a certain level of prestige, not only for the angler, also but the captain and crew. After the first hour we’d made very little impression on the fish; it was a line out, line in scenario and the fish had sounded. Every time there was about 100 metres of line in the water she would sound again. A few times we saw the leader about 30 metres from the boat, but then she would sound again. Stuart decided to wait until we saw the leader again and then he backed up until the leader came onto the rod. Fabio grabbed the 800 lb leader, gave it a few wraps and tried pulling her up, but to no avail — she would not budge. He applied more pressure and the fish sounded again. I went up to 45 lb of drag, and then 50 to try to stop her, but she was angry and would not give in easily. By this stage Rudi had drunk a dozen beers and taken about 50 photos, all the while gibing “Katrol, Engelsman, katrol,” every time I gained a measly metre or two. Another hour went by and eventually I felt the fish start to weaken, and I knew we had started to get the upper hand. It got progressively easier to wind and soon the fish was just under the stern with the leader in reach. Fabio grabbed the leader, double wrapped it, added another wrap for good measure and put his back into it. The fish came up, and the next thing Fabio was stumbling about on the deck with a loose leader in his hand. The hook had pulled, and the fish was loose. I don’t know

what went wrong, it is actually immaterial now — we could have tagged the fish if that had been our intention. Strangely enough, I was not that disappointed; the only real disappointment for me was that we did not get a decent picture of her. None of the crew were disappointed either — we all knew we had battled a true monster of the sea, and it was an epic battle for me. From the outset, on the first day we were at sea, Rudi and I had discussed it with Stuart, and all three of us were in agreement that we did not want to kill a fish, and so it was — a self-fulfilling prophecy if you will. We felt as if things could not get better — we already had three marlin in just two days and Rudi released another fish that day which the crew estimated at 450 lb. This was caught on 50 lb stand-up gear, and took him about 30 minutes to bring to the boat — it was my turn to drink beer and tease him. The next three days produced another six blue marlin for us, including another fish Rudi released estimated at 650 lb, a 450-pounder for me, and a bunch of fish in the 250 lb class. I also lost a fish when the hook pulled after two hours in the chair on our last day. We couldn’t be sure how big that one was as we never got a good look at it. I am not sure how good marlin fishing can be in other places in the world, but our Cape Verde numbers speak for themselves — ten marlin released, 19 hook-ups in total, five days, two anglers — you can do the math. Rudi and I plan to return to this paradise in 2017; it is a real privilege to fish in these pristine waters with a captain and crew who are knowledgeable, courteous and conservationminded.

THE END OF ANOTHER GREAT SEASON By Stuart Simpson

Sean van Veijeren and Phillip Styne with a beautiful yellowfin tuna caught off Cape Verde.

April and May 2016 — as in the years before — produced some really big fish and 50% of the larger blue marlin that we caught over 600 lb were caught within four weeks. What a pity these four weeks don’t fit in around the Blue Marlin World Cup held on 4th July; if that were the case there would be no competition around the globe, simply a private tournament amongst the fleet in Cape Verde. No other boat would stand a fighting chance thanks to the breeding females which frequent the waters around the islands that we operate from. During the 2016 blue marlin season in Cape Verde there were some extraordinary fish weighed, raised and lost, including a fantastic blue marlin of 1 290 lb caught by the Dreamin’ On team on 9th May. This was the second biggest blue marlin ever weighed in the Atlantic Ocean. On 26th April my team on Nha Cretcheu released a fish around 900 lb and the following day we had a blue marlin most certainly over that mark on the trace, but the hook pulled. Over the five month season eight granders were reported by the fleet. There is no fixed date and time to target the larger females but over the years we’ve noticed that April has been a good time to have a shot at catching a blue marlin over 800 lb. However, this does not mean that there are no big fish throughout the rest of the

season. In June, for example, we released 11 blue marlin over 500 lb and three over 700 lb. During July, while fishing with Sean Van Vijeren and Phillip Styne we had two fish close to 700 lb on their trip and released another fish around 800 lb in late July. On 7th August yet another giant of 1 234 lb was weighed in Sal Nicolau, one of the neighbouring islands. Another season highlight for the crew of Nha Cretcheu was releasing 17 blue marlin in four days, with two of them over 500 lb. Cape Verde offers what no other fishery in the world can offer — numbers and size. It is the only place in the world where you can release ten or more blue marlin in a day and have a shot at a grander. If you really had to criticise this fishery, it would be that it lacks variety. Although we do get the odd white marlin and sailfish, the blue marlin are plentiful and so they’re the most targeted species. Later in the season, as summer approaches, massive schools of bigeye and yellowfin tuna mix in with the marlin, and they average between 160- and 250 lb, so there’s plenty to keep anglers happy all year round. • For further details on fishing Cape Verde contact Stuart Simpson on <capeverde.bluemarlin @gmail.com> or <www.west2east marlincharters.com>. SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 15

There’s nothing quite like watching a lit up blue marlin attack your teaser at close range.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BITE Article By Ryan Williamson; photos by Stuart Simpson VER the years I have heard so much about Cape Verde and I’ve dreamed of getting there myself. This year the opportunity finally presented itself — I felt I needed to be there for more than just a week, so I planned my life and was lucky enough get away for one month and jumped aboard to fish with Stuart Simpson. With my face glued to the window of the plane as we approached the landing strip on Sao Vicente, I honestly though I was arriving on planet Mars. Massive volcanic plugs, mountains and 360 degree views of endless fishing grounds had me overwhelmed and truly excited — I was finally there! I’ve been fishing off the South African coastline my whole life and I have been fortunate enough to fish many other spectacular marlin destinations around the globe like Madeira, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Kenya, but Cape Verde was a massive red smudge for me; finally it had become a reality. The very next morning I was the first one up, anxiously waiting for the sun to rise so we could get going. Stuart went through the basics with me the previous evening over some beers and again on the way to Sao Pedro bank that morning. As we came around the headland where the famous World War 2 Sao Pedro lighthouse still stands, the teasers were set. I could still taste my coffee when

Stuart called “Marlin on the right short!” I grabbed the pitch bait as Stuart teased the fish towards my bait from the bridge teaser. Next thing the long right came down, and at first I thought the marlin being teased in had something to do with it; I was wrong it was a second fish hot on the Pulsator Dominator. We had the first fish on as Steve proceeded to tease the second fish in and then the centre rigger came down! We ran hooked lures on that one, and the reel started to scream — three blue marlin in my first 15minutes on the water! We went 2-3 out that time. I have seen pack attacks of sailfish and striped marlin before, but never blue marlin. It happened so quickly, and the aggression shown by these blues had me vibrating. That and the bird life, different species of dolphins, pilot

whales, hump backs and the number of marlin that I saw in one month was well above my expectations. Fishing is all about the bite, because that’s half the challenge. What made the switchbaiting so special for me was that it’s all about teamwork, as opposed to running lures with hooks in. Teasing these marlin to the back of the boat and watching them eat just 30 feet away from me had fulfilled every aspect of marlin fishing for me. My personal feeling is that I had more fun teasing the marlin in than actually pitching to the them. Having a lit up blue marlin on your teaser — anywhere from 200 lb to 800 lb+ — will give you serious goose pimples; the closest comparison I can give is having pure adrenaline rushing through your veins. Sixty percent of the time there is noth-

Ryan Williamson in his happy place.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 17

ing you can do; you are going to get caught out during the tease or, as Stuart calls it #JUSTDONTPANIC. Teasing the fish in to the back of the boat was an adrenaline rush that I have not experienced in a long time and it’s very hard to describe unless you do it for yourself. Depending on how hot the marlin were on the tease, I would say 30% of the time the marlin overshot the boat after we pulled in the teaser, going underneath the angler’s pitch bait with the swivel still at the tip of the rod as the marlin eyeballed us, wanting what had been taken away from it, a mere five feet from the transom before it turns and eats your pitch going away from the boat. The angler being able to choose the right outfit to suit the size of marlin raised was another major highlight for me as opposed to having a 300 lb fish eating a lure on a 130 lb chair rod. We had the option of using 30-, 50- or 80 lb stand up gear or the 130 lb chair rod. Another great thing that I noticed about the pitching was that we were not getting too far away from the fish. After hook up, Stuart would turn in the direction that the fish was running, looking for a second or third fish in the spread as well as keeping close to the marlin on the line. This gave the angler more control and made it lot more exciting and visual. We went through weeks when the smaller blues were on the snap — great

This eight-inch Pulsator Marlin Magnet set-up worked particularly well on the smaller fish. fun on 30- or 50 lb stand up gear — and then there were times when the fish became lazy so they would either follow the pitch bait or just hold onto the baits on the free spool, not allowing the 12/0 Mustad circle hook to do its work. The most common error we found was that the free spool was too short on the smaller blues; other times the bait was too big for them to swallow within four to five seconds. To get around this we started rigging up some eight-inch Pulsator Marlin Magnets or Stripey Ticklers with two 8/0 Salmon hooks rigged with 180 lb Malin wire as shown above. We had an 80% success rate on the smaller fish as the lure that we were pitching was the

18 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

perfect size, the fish could still see the lure in the wash made from the boat, and the needle-sharp Salmon hooks would penetrate the forward pallet on a lazy bite or get them in the scissors on an aggressive bite. Cape Verde validated everything that I had heard about it, including the numbers and size of the blue marlin caught there. It’s truly the best blue marlin hunting ground I have ever experienced — it’s natural and wild and has that feeling of being untouched. For any big game fisherman, or even if it’s your first time, I would advise visiting Cape Verde — you will walk away with an incredible experience and gain enormous knowledge, just as I did.

TACKLE

A Ken Logan reel refurbished by Boy Geerdts for Clive Olivier. This reel remains on display at The Kingfisher in Durban.

SCARBOROUGHS — REELS THAT STOOD THE TEST OF TIME By Erwin Bursik

RTISTS are often only truly appreciated once they’ve passed on, and that’s true whether they’re painters, sculptors, musicians or — as in this context — the makers of the “perfect Scarborough”. Captain Rob Naysmith, his son Scott and I were recently reminiscing around his pub in Cape Town when the conver-

sation turned to the “mastery of the Scarborough”. Rob and I chided young Scott, an aspirant junior provincial angler, for his inability to use these reels and his lack of historic appreciation of them. His reply is not printable, but words such as dinosaur, archaic ballies and others were used when comparing his latest up-to-date multiplying reel and these masterpieces of old. Captain Rob, who started his

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angling career in KwaZulu-Natal under the same “tutor” as I did, the late Les Buckle, hauled out his prized Les Buckle Scarborough. Not having ever owned one of those prized reels myself, I jealously took hold of the reel to worship the craftsmanship and examine it in minute detail. Before I try to describe the intricate details of what makes this masterpiece exactly that, I want to record for posterity the important heritage the small

Three Les Buckle reels still in immaculate condition. band of Scarborough makers gave angling in South Africa. The master Scarborough makers of the 1950s to 1970s were all amateur craftsmen who built custom reels for only the most discerning anglers of that period. There were also a number of commercial Scarborough manufacturers who kept the market supplied with various grades of reels. In those years the surf casting and boat fishing reels were mainly Scarboroughs as the Americanstyled multiplying reels only started to come into the South African market from the late 1950s. Of the latter, Keith Palmer, himself a master Scarborough maker, took the commercial production of Scarborough reels from a very basic product to one which, year after year, progressed with great innovation. Eventually he produced the perfect the Scarborough with a composite moulded core with laminated, wedged hard wood veneered flanges, a product that is still available today. It was, however, the likes of Boy Geerdts, Les Buckle, Fred Chiocchetti, Ken Logan, Wyn Moxley (all Durbanbased) and Jimmy Critchlow from the south coast who, by today’s culture, could have formed the “Guild Of Scarborough makers”. All the works of art these men so patiently made must still exist today in the hands of their heirs and the heirs of those lucky enough to have acquired the original Scarboroughs handmade and finished by these perfectionists. As Rob and I are both prodigies of the era who grew up with Scarborough in hand, we started reminiscing about how Les Buckle made his Scarboroughs. Both of us had spent many, many hours watching Les in his workshop at his home at the top end of Windermere Road in Durban’s Berea, bent over his metal working lathe, meticulously turning ever y Scar-

A selection of KP reels on display at The Kingfisher in Durban. SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 21

borough blank, hub, spindle and handle before even thinking of assembling his final product. Rob and I compared memories each adding to the other’s understanding of exactly how Les went about making his Scarboroughs. Scott was eventually captivated by us reminiscing over the manufacturing of the specific Scarborough lying on the bar in front of us. Scott’s final words that evening as he lifted the Les Buckle Scarborough and took it back to his tackle den were, “Dad when you pass on, this reel is going mine.” Whether Scott ever fishes with it or not is immaterial, the fact is he now appreciates what went into creating that Scarborough and will cherish it for what it is — a perfect masterpiece. THE MAKING OF A SCARBOROUGH I will attempt to set out in details how these Scarboroughs were made, the reasons for the choice of materials, the balancing of the final product and the all important polishing of it before final presentation to its designated owner. WOODS USED Each member of this “guild” had their favourite timber and this timber varied from imported hard woods to specific local timber often cut and dried by the reel maker himself. Local favourites were flat crown, syringa, knob thorn and any other timber that was straight, fine grained and hard yet relatively light. Blanks were selected and cut to the size and thickness of the intended reel or reels, and were then stored in cool, very dry areas of the workshops to season for at least a year if not two.

The original style of hub where brass screws were used on both the faceplate and back plate of the reel.

Imported woods such as teak, mahogany and kiaat were also used if the Scarborough maker felt the grain, weight, size and maturity would produce a good reel, but of all these mahogany was still the favourite. An innovation that followed the plain blank turned reel was initially to slice about a quarter-inch piece of each side of the blank face and then glue them both onto the blank with the two outer slices crossing the original grain of the blank. It was felt the final turned reel, which then had its flange formed from equal widths of wood of opposing grains, would be stronger and less likely to crack. A later development was to laminate wedges of the desired wood to form the blank and then again laminate to the outside sections a “slice” that would again strengthen the flanges. Together with its wedged central hub, the flange would then be able to withstand line pressure and the reel was unlikely to burst. Some of the reel makers later began to use glassfibre to line the inside flanges and base of the turned wooden blank for added protection against the forces exerted when nylon was wound on too tightly.

The bush has to be very precisely turned to eventually house the bearings, the front facing screw, an end cap and the back flange through which the main shaft/spindle would be attached to the reel bracket. Once this casing was forced into the wooden blank and glued, a purposemade mandral was inserted and, via this, held in the lathe’s chuck to enable the wooden block to be turned into the desired shape. WOODEN REEL Each master craftsman had his own very specific design when turning the wooden reel. Some of them used full wood concaved inwards below the line spool area and then widened it out towards the bushing and spindle, mainly to reduce the weight of the reel. The general tendency was for the heavy tackle and shark reels to be of a heavier design than some of the other reels that were made lighter still by drilling holes in the wooden block; those were used mainly for working a spoon off the beach or boat.

BUSH, BEARINGS AND SPINDLE A Scarborough reel comes to life when the bush or bearing casing is inserted in the centre of the raw blank of wood. The reel is turned around this bush when it on the lathe. Originally turned out of brass and then out of solid Dural (aluminium) — what I understood at the time to be the forerunner of the aluminium used in the aircraft manufacturing arena — this is the very heart of the Scarborough.

THE SPINDLE Before the general use of stainless steel the original spindles were turned out of brass, but it wasn’t long before stainless steel was used as it provided a far more rigid, corrosion free shaft. The spindle’s intricate design had to ensure that the bearings were held in place and could not move laterally in the bush. Its back design also had to fit snugly into and through the reel bracket. Rigidity was essential, as was the need to prevent water getting between the spindle shaft and the aft of the bush/bearing housing without it inhibiting the totally free running of the reel.

On this newer style hub the front plate was machined to screw into the spindle housing for a neat, waterproof finish.

Here we see the machined back plate and flange covering the actual spindle that runs in a countersunk fitting on the inner side of the bracket to stop the ingress of water into the back bearing.

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The three photos above show the different styles of older and newer brackets and the way the back plates were fastened. The bracket started as a roughly cut Dural blank (on the right of the top photo) that had to be hand filed into the correct shape of the reel bracket shown alongside it. Also note the wedged construction of the older reel shown the bottom left photo. THE REEL BRACKET It was crucial that this bracket be strong, as it not only had to hold the reel in position firmly attached to the fishing rod, but also had to withstand the stresses exerted on it when the angler was fighting a big fish. Looking at the original Scarborough reels coming out of England after the war, the style, shape and casting of brackets varied, along with the material they were made of which ranged from brass and Dural to stainless steel. Most of the masters opted for Dural precast into a heavy-gauge L-shaped profile. Once that was done the immense work of cutting and filing this into the desired shape began. It took hours of painstaking and precise work to fashion it to suit the specific reel being made. In the later years some of these brackets were anodised to prevent the surface from becoming pitted.

REEL HANDLES These all-important parts of a Scarborough were, in most of the early models and production runs, merely made of brass and screwed on to the reel flange with small brass screws. The handle knob was a piece of hard plastic, but these tended to work loose with a lot of heavy use and, if knocked hard, could crack or break that small segment of the reel flange. As a result the masters generally moved towards attaching self-made handles which were turned out of stainless steel with a face plate for the outer surface of the flange and a stud that went right through the flange on its longitudinal grain section and tightened up very firmly. The outer face plate was sectioned to allow the handle knob to be slightly recessed into this backing plate and then be held onto the handle shaft with a specifically turned stainless steel bolt.

Two different styles of Celeron handles used by Les Buckle â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the straight grip used on heavy tackle Scarboroughs (above), and the almost pear shaped one (below) used on spinning and lighter tackle reels. Some of the handle knobs were turned out of exotic materials as bone, horn or even ivory, but most of the masters used a material called Celeron that was hard and durable and could be turned to various shapes depending on what the reel was going to be used for. The heavy tackle reels tended to have relatively tubular-shaped handles whereas the handles on spinning reels were more fluted with a concave grip area that allowed for fast retrievals. BALANCING A SCARBOROUGH Because wood is a natural fibre it has varying densities throughout its structure. Once the completed reel was fully assembled and spun, these different densities nearly always caused it to shudder or wobble slightly when scrutinised using the reel bracket as the point of reference. This was especially evident on the mass-produced Scarboroughs and when

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 25

The balancing points are clearly shown in the photos on the left and top right. Over time they have become more visible because the bees’ wax coating the lead has leached out. The bottom right photo shows how the balance point was identified by using a lead airgun pellet and an elastic band. customers were looking to buy one from a tackle shop they would spin reel after reel until they found one they liked that spun fairly evenly. The masters on the other hand spent an inordinate amount of time balancing the reels to perfection. This was an art and, much like the tyre dealers do to this day when balancing a car wheel to which a new tyre has been fitted using clip on lead weights, the makers of master Scarboroughs did the same. This process would take hours. Tiny bits of lead — usually cut down lead pellets used in airguns — were embedded in small holes drilled in the wooden Scarborough. When it was perfectly balanced bees’ wax was used to cover up the holes. To establish where the reel needed to be weighted it was stood on a stable, flat surface on its reel bracket base and then spun. When the reel stopped a small mark was made. Again the reel was spun to verify this mark, and often three or more spins were necessary to confirm this heavy point remained the same. Then a thin elastic band would be pulled around the reel drum and a small bit of lead put in the position opposite the mark initially made. Only when the reel ran perfectly true, proving that the correct weight of lead had been chosen, would it be inserted in the reel. This was done by drilling a small hole and forcing in the lead.

Sometimes three or four weighted points had to be made to obtain the perfect balance. An even more difficult balancing act was required when it was determined that one or both flanges of the reel needed weighting to obviate a side wobble. Very delicate weights were then placed on the top face of the flange. Once the masters were done the completed reel would spin beautifully for minutes on end, always stopping in a different position. When Captain Rob and I showed his Les Buckle reel to Scott and explained the balancing procedure, we spun it repeatedly and it spun beautifully despite the fact that the reel is about 40 years old and had not been used for the last 25 years. We were staggered that after all these years and with its original ball races that not been serviced or oiled for at least two decades. Each and every time we spun it, it took in excess of two minutes to stop, and when it did stop the tiny bit of tissue paper I stuck to the side of the reel ended up in a different position every time. FINAL FINISH When these master Scarboroughs were completed, they were not merely coated or sprayed with laquer or varnish, they were meticulously French polished. French polishing in itself was an art and very few artisans were still practic-

26 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

ing it during this period. Those that were specialised in refurbishing the very expensive antiques during that era. Cyril Panano, an avid angler, was a fully trained French polisher and I often witnessed him helping Les Buckle finish off a reel. It didn’t take hours, it took days of constant rubbing with a mixture of shallack and mentholated spirits applied in tiny circles with a soft cloth. Coat after coat was required, with constant rubbing down between coats with very fine water paper. The final finish was not only smooth and gleaming, but also protected the wood surface against the saltwater and other fishing-related dirt that gets onto a reel. CONCLUSION Is it a lost art? Have we seen the end of an era, not only of the Scarborough but also of anyone capable or dedicated enough to create more of Scarborough reels — master Scarborough reels? I only hope that those who still have a Geerdts, Logan, Chiocchetti, Buckle or Moxley Scarborough treat it with the awe and status that it deserves. I never acquired one of these reels, much to my regret — oh how I hankered for one, but at that stage I couldn’t afford one. So if there’s anyone out there who doesn’t hold the same reverence for these Master Scarboroughs as I do, send them my way ...

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TOP TIPS

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ 31

Running a boat up the beach, regardless of whether you have skeg protectors, will always result in superficial surface damage, but careful inspection could reveal more serious damage. By Nick Landzanakis

AVING discussed pre-owned trailers and boats in the last two issues of SKI-BOAT magazine, it’s now time to take a closer look at the power sources of these craft — the outboard motor. Before I go into detail and advise on the motors you are likely to find on the pre-owned craft you are looking to purchase, I think we need to go back in time and look at the role outboard motors play in boating both on the ocean and inland waters. Way back in the 1950s and up until the late 1960s outboard motors were very basic, with two-stroke power units driving rudimentary shafts to an underwater gearbox and attached propeller. The most basic was the Seagull, followed by the small models of Johnson outboards. All these were “pull start”, had sheer pins connecting the propeller to the prop shaft and were attached to the craft’s transom with a Gclamp bracket.

By today’s standards they were very rudimentary and any boater with a bit of mechanical know-how could undertake repairs and servicing at home. There are many reports of the early ski-boaters unclamping one of their two motors, hauling it on to the deck whilst at sea to repair it and then — in between catching ’cuda — re-clamping it onto the transom, powering it up and using the twin motors to get home. From the early 1970s, which saw the introduction of battery-powered starter motors, tiller-throttle drives became a thing of the past. Outboard motors also became permanent fixtures and were securely bolted to the transom, while the cable steering, throttles and gear levers all moved forward to a helm station in the forward console of the new style ski-boats. With that also came a fair degree of motor sophistication with some electronics and advance/retard mechanisms, all of which started to stretch the ability of the “home mechanic”, forcing the ski-boaters of that era to seek out the mechanical skills of the emerging outboard mechanics. Fast forward to the turn of the century, after the transition

Above: Corrosion is not only ugly (see left pic) but also even when cleaned off exposes the damaged and weakened motor brackets seen in these pictures. Below: A sacrificial Armado block does assist in reducing corrosion but must be regularly cleaned and replaced.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 33

34 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

period where 40hp and 60hp motors were considered “top of the range”, to the era of big motors in the 80- to 100hp class in the 1980s and 1990s, and then to the big brutes we know today. The introduction of four-stroke outboards equipped with hugely improved electronics and mechanics that followed the motor vehicle industry was a turning point many of us thought would never “take off” in the South African market. Honda was the first to jump on this wave and, as we are told, had a motor car engine adapted for the marine environment and placed vertically on an outboard subassembly. With fuel consumption statistics showing unbelievable savings at a time when fuel prices in South Africa were rising dramatically, a few skippers got moving in the four-stroke direction. However, with the premium prices quoted for the upgrade being high at that time, the general consensus was that change would be slow, if at all. We were wrong. The change happened rapidly and the age of four-stroke outboard motors is now in full swing. Statistics show that over the last few years approximately 75% of outboard motors sold in the South African recreational market were four-strokes. These motors have now become the norm because of the excellent fuel savings — between 30% and 80% depending on your fishing style — and the longer lifespan. Getting back to the present, the biggest question on the mind of the prospective buyer is always “How good are the motors?” My contention is, and here I’m talking of the present, that this quandary is not nearly as big as it was 20 years ago. With the sophistication of the modern four-stroke and the fact that, like the motor vehicle industry today with log books and computerised data captured by the motors, as well as the intense training undertaken by those having to service and/or maintain motors, the level of expertise is much higher than the spanner and hammer brigade of the ’80s and ’90s. This is due to the limited number of brands of outboard motors sold in South Africa, a high degree of personalised brand support and I might add is indicative of a vocal and deep-seated support that is far greater than that shown to the motor vehicle industry for example. This factor is extremely important when you’re looking at pre-owned craft. I often

have to separate fact from fiction based on the vociferous opinions of a few loud mouths. There are no bad outboard motors being marketed in South Africa. The major worldwide market filters out any new model hiccups long before they get to South Africa where our total off-take is less than 1% of the global market. Again, like the motor vehicle industry, different models of outboard motors have their idiosyncrasies and these need to be understood. In the old two-stroke days if the second-hand motor you were looking to buy started in the boat yard it was a hell of a good indication; if it ran smoothly on the muffs and ran cool with no violent vibrations or cantankerous noises it was seriously worth buying — the only question thereafter was price. Today if you are considering a four-stroke motor that is less than 15 years old your approach should be totally different. When men are buying anything mechanised they’re genetically predisposed to start it up immediately after the first inspection — and then rev it. This stems from the old two-stroke days when you needed to rev a motor to keep it running.

An old motor that is still in pretty good condition looks-wise.

An abnormal example of lack of under motor cover maintainance.

The telltale paint removed from an unprotected skeg and the rough wear on the beaching edge of the propellers implies that this motor has experienced a lot of beach work or shallow water running.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 35

The four preloved motors pictured on this page are excellent examples of used motors that are in very good condition. It just goes to show that it pays to faithfully look after one’s motors, especially when you want to trade them in or sell them.

From my perspective there are a number of factors that I consider when focusing on the motors of a pre-owned boat. • Full history of the motors — make, serial numbers, age and the full service history; that includes a printout of running hours specifically and any other “funnies” noticed during operation such as high revving and high speed usage. • General appearance of the motors — this gives me an immediate (if superficial) impression of whether the 36 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

motors have been looked after. Take off the motor covers and you’ll get another glimpse of how well the motors were looked after. Take note, however, that a quick presale clean-up can hide things an in depth inspection will expose, like corrosion and lack of service. • Is there telltale corrosion of the mounting brackets, steerage coupling, hydraulic trim mechanism and, above all, manual support toggle? These are usually the first to seize due to lack of service. • The main shaft and underwater unit — it is vital that these are thoroughly checked. The computer will not tell if this motor has been soaking in saltwater for years while the craft was on moorings. • Check gear box and skeg wear from frequent beaching, as well as propeller wear, and if there are any indications of the latter inspect the housing for hairline cracks. If this is the rig and motors you feel best suit your application, before you go any further take the rig to the water and run it for a minimum of 30 minutes at a variety of revs to check troll speed, out-the-hole performance at a running speed of 3500/4000 rpm and a few high speed runs topping out the motor as indicated by the rev counter. Constantly check the full range of gauge readings — revolution, temperature, amperage and any others that the very large motors provide for engine management purposes. In conclusion, I always tell a prospective buyer that “new is best”, so if the boat you are looking at is exactly what you want and you want at least ten years of trouble-free boating, trade in the motors on the boat you have selected and re-engineer it with new motors that come with a guaranteed factory warranty. Finances often preclude this option, but then you, the buyer, will have to decide for yourself whether the outboard motors that are attached to your craft of choice will provide you with the service and pleasure you expect for the capital you have invested. In the final article in this series I will discuss the electronics aboard craft that come onto the market and what you can expect with regards to their performance and longevity.

FEATURE

by Erwin Bursik

HE global trend of using various lifting devices to raise expensive craft out of the water while “moored” on a finger berth marina mooring has quickly gained momentum during the last decade. Many of the owners of the bigticket larger craft found their boats were floating unused, largely in saltwater, for extended periods of time, and they have embraced this system as a way of protecting their craft. During a recent visit to Cape Town to review the X-28 Walk-Around manufactured by X-Boats, I toured the factory with Ben Lochner and noticed a number of High and Dry lifts in various stages of construction. Ben also mentioned that they had just loaded a couple of containers full of these boat lifts in kit form, and dispatched them to Milwaukee in the USA for assembly and use at a lakeside marina. It was not until I arrived at Harbour Island and saw the X-28 Walk-Around I was about to review lying “high and dry” on one of Ben’s boat lifts that I saw the finished product. It was very interesting, but at the time I was more focused on the craft than on what was supporting it on its protected mooring

in this spectacular marina near Gordon’s Bay. While I chatted to Ben about the boat, one of his staff was pottering around ensuring that the craft was ready to go to sea. I heard the hum of some pumps and was informed that the craft was about to be lowered into the water. A minute or so later the pumps were silent. “And now?” I asked Ben. “Is your contraption broken?” If that was the case it would have prohibited us from getting the boat into the water. Laughing, Ben said, “No, that’s all it takes to bring the siphons into action. Now, while we load the boat with our personal effects, the laws of physics — by means of the siphons — will ensure the ballast pontoons are filled in about five minutes.” Sure enough, I noticed the pontoons submersing and Keiko’s hull started to settle in the water. I’d thought the steps with non-slip treads were there merely to position the craft and support her horizontally, but I picked up my camera bag and notebook and used the steps to easily walk up from the mooring and over the gunnels onto the X-28’s aft deck. Again I became engrossed in exam-

ining the craft in question, but while having a quick look around I noticed there was movement — we were floating with this 28ft craft now lying at conventional height to the finger mooring dock. Five minutes was all it took. Ben started the motors before releasing the bow and stern lines and we backed out into the marina waterway. I was astounded as I realised we had gone from being “high and dry” to wet and under power before I had even settled myself, and certainly before I would have thought of releasing the mooring ropes had the craft been conventionally moored. A full morning at sea ended in a meander through the Harbour Island development before a light nudge by Keiko’s 200hp Suzukis had her nestled back in position with the stern ropes ensuring that she was correctly positioned for lifting. While we were still switching off the motors Ben’s deckhand had pulled a lever to begin the process of raising the craft. The pump’s air hoses which had earlier sucked the air out of the pontoons to activate the system began to push air into the above-water box

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 39

that reverses the flow of the siphon, forcing the water out of the pontoons. I timed the lifting of this big craft, and her hull was out of the water in seven minutes. The electric motors are in a pump house module that rests on the deck and which is powered by 220 volt shore power. Four “vacuum cleaner motor pumps” are used to do the job. When lifting the craft, the four pumps operate until she’s fully raised, unlike during the lowering process. The diagram overleaf shows the theory and physics behind the system devised by Ben Lochner and Jarrod Faber, and makes this ostensibly complex task look surprisingly simple. After watching the process and before I was given a detailed explanation on how it works, I asked many of the “what if” questions that Doubting Thomases would have if they had nobody to ask. Ben went to great pains to answer my questions: Q: What if there is no electricity or one or more of the electrically-driven air pumps breaks down? A: “Simply attach a hand-operated double-action pump like those used to inflate inflatable boats. Limited pumping out of the air with a hand pump coupled to the hoses will start the siphons working so you will not end up high and dry when you want to go fishing.” Q: What if there is still no power on your return? A: “Again you can use the hand pump, but there’s more work involved this time to pump air into the pontoon to get the siphon to pull the water out of the pontoons. “On the flip side, you could just park your craft and wait until electricity is restored.” Q: When the craft is up out of the water and you have packed up and gone home, what happens if the pontoons leak and the whole rig sinks? A: “In this highly unlikely event, the High and Dry could sink until it reaches neutral buoyancy, but then your craft will float in its own right until the problem is rectified. “However, the chance of the pontoons leaking is virtually nil as the siphon pipes are epoxy bonded at the inlet point. As the pontoons will only have a limited amount of water in them, the siphon cannot activate itself if, for instance, the fibreglass box is damaged to the extent that it’s not airtight. “Also note that each pontoon has a water/air tight divider bonded into it, making it virtually impossible to have all four sections fail.” While I was touring the factory I SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 41

High & Dry Schematic diagram

was able to personally scrutinise the pontoon before it had its ends attached, along with the cutout sections where the breather holes are and the exterior outlet of the siphon pipe. This is made of a silica sand resin mixed core with bonded fibreglass coating inside and outside and is unbelievably hard. These pipes were designed for underground pumping of industrial chemicals and are said to have a lifespan of 50 years. The outside of the pontoons is also coated with anti-fouling to prevent marine growth. Now the big question:Why opt for a boat lift system when on-water moorings have worked adequately for

decades? The main reason put forward to potential buyers is that a boat lift is better able to protect the very expensive craft one has purchased. There are a number of benefits of using a boat lift — for some it will result in long term monetary savings, while others will enjoy the ease of operation and, above all, the peace of mind knowing that the chances of a craft on a boat lift “sinking on moorings” is virtually impossible. Other benefits include the fact that no anti-fouling is necessary, giving better craft performance; you won’t have scum or pollutants discolouring the

42 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

boat’s hull; there’s little chance of heavy rainfall filling the craft and you having to rely totally on bilge pumps working. Using a boat lift also makes it easier to wash down the craft and hull with freshwater after fishing, and the fish deck and hatches are easily cleaned and drained. With a boat lift outboard motors and corrosion plates are kept totally out of the water and are not wet by wind chop. Very importantly there’s an undeniable improvement in resale value following long periods of high and dry mooring as compared to on-water mooring. You might even find you save on your insurance premiums because of the surge protection offered by the boat lift which absorbs most of the surge forces from wind and swell that would be felt by the craft if it was tied to the walk-on moorings. Over and above all that, both in SA and overseas, the good resale prices of High and Dry boat lifts — often more than their original purchase price — has proved that they retain their value. There are certainly more than enough reasons why you should moor your big expensive craft on a High and Dry boat lift. • High and Dry boat lifts have a range of lifts to accommodate craft from 20to 42ft in overall length, weighing from 2 000kg to 15 000kg.

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MARKETPLACE

NEW HOME FOR NATAL

Advertorial

FTER 56 years in their original home in Kirk Road, Pinetown, the well-known caravan and boating dealership, Natal Caravans & Marine has moved to 1 Wareing Road, Pinetown, previously Dales’ Auctioneers, directly opposite Gelofte High School. For those who navigate by GPS, the co-ordinates are 29° 49’ 19.4412”S 30° 51’ 33.9726”E. Erwin Bursik visited the new premises and caught up with Brian Courtis. Now retired, the former man-

aging director still owns the business and was keen to chat about the motivation for the move. “I’m quite relaxed now that it’s all over,” Brian quipped when Erwin asked how the move had gone. “I’m very grateful for the effort and enthusiasm shown by every member of the team headed by Geoff Courtis, MD, ably assisted by director Dave Flack. Bill Harrison, Nigel Gregson and their team on the marine side, along with Wikus Radley and Brendon Voss on the caravan side were absolute stalwarts. The support provided by our three ladies was, as usual, quite fantas-

44 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

tic. Big thanks to Jenny, Veronica and Pat! It all went like clockwork although there’s still a lot to do before we can say the entire project is complete.” Regarding the motivation for the move, Brian explained that they took a carefully considered business decision to sell their landmark Kirk Road premises. “We either had to redevelop the property to create a better, more efficient facility for our business, but that would have been very expensive, or we had to sell the premises, move out of Pinetown and develop on less valuable land,” he said.

CARAVANS & MARINE “Soon after accepting the offer for Kirk Road, however, we were very fortunate to learn that the Dales family were considering consolidating their Pinetown operation with their Durban branch and that we might be able to rent the Wareing Road premises. We quickly reached an agreement with Redmond Dales for a suitablelong-term lease. After investing substantially in alterations and refurbishment to provide exactly the facility we believe will provide a memorable shopping experience for our valued customers, we were able to open the doors on 1 August. Cstomer reaction has been extremely positive, with sales above average for August.” Brian also spoke excitedly about the fact that the entire facility is now “under one roof ”, with the 570m 2 Campworld retail area and its rows of well-stocked, brand new gondolas easy to move around and well-lit because of the very high roof. “This area conveniently leads to the workshop office and reception with the two adjacent workshops — caravan and marine — all on the same level and under the same roof.

Bill Harrison in the new workshop. “Upstairs,” Brian explained, “is the largest display of fully erected Howling Moon camping tents in KZN — possibly the whole country. These are all displayed with their various add-ons and are pitched on a 270m2 area of Astroturf grass, projecting a very realistic camping scene.” Although a caravan with fully erected tent and a fully rigged boat are displayed indoors, adjacent to the Campworld retail area, the full display

of new and used boats and caravans is outside, leading off from the Campworld shop area. The boats are stored under a much larger shelter than before, though. “Having discovered how useful and popular our Kirk Road test tank was for testing engines, we have built a ‘swimming pool’ here too,” said Brian, adding that he thought Natal Caravans & Marine’s marine workshop was the only one in KZN to provide this important feature. Brian proudly added that when a customer arrives to take delivery of his/her new caravan or boat, they will find their new baby waiting to be professionally handed over on a solid brickpaved area under a specially built Chromadek shelter with electric plug points to enable testing and demonstration of the various electric features, especially pertinent for caravans. “Apart from the improvements already mentioned, all that’s changed is the address,” said Brian. “The phone numbers, fax and email address remain the same and, most importantly, the staff and their commitment to excellent service will remain unchanged.”

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 45

FEATURE

By Glenn Nugent

E all know we should wear sunglasses, but how do we know which ones are good? As a fisherman specifically, what should you look for in a pair of sunglasses? Most importantly, your sunglasses must absorb 99% of both UVA and UVB radiation which is the light that causes all the damage to the eye and surrounding skin. GLARE AND UV You have all experienced the negative impact of glare — it gives you direct feedback and you suffer the consequences almost immediately. Glare washes out colour, obscures detail and fatigues your eyes. It can also induce headaches. The effects of glare are uncomfortable and mostly short term. Overexposure to UV light is more severe — the effects are long term and way more serious. I’ll discuss these effects in more detail elsewhere in this article.

So, how do you know which is a good pair to buy? Unfortunately, you get what you pay for!

Polarised sunglasses are more expensive, but for a fisherman it is essential that your lenses are polarised. They block horizontal glare which is the most common glare — it reflects off any flat, smooth or shiny surface. The polarised lenses also helps you see deeper into the water. The modern glare-reducing technol-

ogy has moved up a notch from what it used to be and can now include colour enhancing properties. Not all polarised lenses enhance colours, but certain brands are able to. The way this works is they attract the wavelengths of the colours red, green and blue. As a fisherman who’s out enjoying nature, it’s only right you are able to appreciate it in its full glory! The frame and how it fits is just as important, and a comfortable wraparound frame is usually the best option. A properly fitted frame will ensure that your lashes don’t touch the lenses and that they don’t mist up. If your eyes aren’t what they used to be, you’ll be happy to know that nowadays you are also able to get offthe-shelf sunglasses with a small reading magnification segment, these are known as bifocals. If your eyes require a more individualised prescription your optometrist will be able to make you a pair of prescription polarised lenses in any format you prefer. Colour of lens tints is very much a personal choice, but grey lenses are the-

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 47

oretically better for deep water and brown better for shallow or flat water. DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY Now for the more indepth technical information ... The sun supports all life on our planet, but its life-giving rays also pose dangers. The principle danger is in the form of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation is a component of solar energy, but it can also be given off by artificial sources like welding machines, tanning beds and lasers. UV radiation is divided into UVA, UVB and UVC. Solar UVC radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer and does not present any threat, but manmade sources of UVC like electric welding arcs, are very harmful to the eyes if you do not use the proper protection. When it comes to UVA and UVB radiation, scientific evidence now shows that exposure to both UVA and UVB can have damaging long- and short term effects on your eyes and vision.

If your eyes are exposed, unprotected, to excessive amounts of UV radiation over a short period of time, you are likely to experience a condition called photokeratitis. Like a “sunburn of the eye”, it may be painful and your symptoms may include red eyes, a foreign body sensation or gritty feeling in the eyes, extreme sensitivity to light and excessive tearing. Fortunately this is usually temporary and rarely causes permanent damage to the eyes. Long term exposure to UV radiation can be more serious. Scientific research has shown that exposure to even small amounts of UV radiation over a period of many years may increase your chance of developing a clouding of the lens of the eye called a cataract and can cause damage to the retina, the nerverich lining of your eye that is used for seeing. Damage to the lens or the retina is usually not reversible. The effects of UV radiation are cumulative, so the longer your eyes are exposed to UV radiation, the greater the

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 49

risk of developing conditions such as cataracts in later life. Ensure you wear quality sunglasses that offer good protection and a hat or cap with a wide brim whenever you are working outdoors, participating in outdoor sports, taking a walk, running errands or doing anything in the sun. To provide comprehensive protection for your eyes, your sunglasses should: • Block out 99- to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation; • Screen out 75- to 90% of visible light; • Be perfectly matched in colour and free of distortion and imperfection; • Have lenses that are gray, green or brown. If you spend a lot of time outdoors in bright sunlight, wrap-around frames provide additional protection from the harmful UV radiation. People who wear or are interested in wearing contact lenses can now enjoy an added measure of protection because contact lenses with a UV-blocking feature are now available. These contact lenses should not be worn in place of your sunglasses, but they do provide excellent additional protection by blocking much of the UV radiation that can seep in from the top, bottom and sides of your sunglasses. If you like the small, round lenses found in many

trendy frames, wearing UV-blocking contact lenses is an added measure of protection against potentially harmful UV radiation. Contact lenses with UV-blocking also provide UV protection against indoor UV radiation emitted by sources such as high wattage halogen and fluorescent lighting. These contact lenses will thus ensure your eyes are also protected indoors where you are unlikely to be wearing sunglasses. Don’t forget protection for children and teenagers who typically spend more time in the sun than adults. UV RADIATION CHECKLIST If one or more of the following factors describes your lifestyle, you could be in a higher risk category for damage to your eyes from UV radiation: • Your spend a great deal of time outdoors. • You spend time skiing, mountain climbing or at the beach. • You use a sunlamp or tanning parlour. • You live at high altitude. • You’re a welder or medical technologist or you work in the graphic arts or in the manufacture of electronic circuit boards. • You take prescription or over-thecounter drugs that can increase your sensitivity to UV radiation.

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(Check with your optometrist, pharmacist or physician.) • You’ve had cataract surgery in one or both eyes. Be sure to see your optometrist regularly for a thorough eye examination; it’s a good way to monitor your eye health, maintain good vision and keep up to date with new advances in UV protection.

• Glenn Nugent is an optometrist with Nugent Family Optometrists. For further information contact him on <glenn@nugent.co.za> or visit <www.nugentfamily optom.co.za>.

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UDIO Motive (AMD) is the official importer and distributor of Rockford Fosgate Marine products for Southern Africa and has specialised in high-performance 12 volt mobile audio since 1991, winning numerous global awards. The company’s main focus is not just to supply a reliable product that is infinitely expandable through well-educated dealers, but also to provide the necessary instruments and tools to carry out professional installations. AMD sees knowledge as a key to success, so the dealers authorised to sell their products are given extensive training to ensure the standard associated with the brand remains high. The training is done at their on-site training centre in Pietermaritzburg and incorporates installation and theory training which is internationally affiliated. The company also boasts a fully equipped repair and technical support centre for all the products it distributes. For over 35 years Rockford Fosgate

has been a leader in the 12 volt mobile audio lifestyle products industry. With a great passion for audio, the founder, Jim Fosgate, dedicated his life to the authentic reproduction of music. His efforts built a loyal following of Rockford Fosgate “Fanatics” and earned Jim an Emmy for his work in the field. This passion for delivering a premium audio experience spans across multiple platforms and marine audio is no exception. Rockford Fosgate’s marine grade products are Element Ready and take into account the effects of the environment, taking measures to ensure lasting performance. These measures include ensuring dust resistance, the use of UV inhibitor materials like Centrex which is exclusive to Rockford Fosgate when it comes to marine audio manufacturing, thermal shock tests, the use of stainless hardware, water tests, corrosion protection for speakers and electronics, and vibration minimisation. The source units and remotes are fully tested against UV radiation degradation as well as tested to IPX water

intrusion standards. This makes them UV-, salt- and fog resistant. The units are also fully tested for ever changing environmental conditions such as temperature extremes, and are vibration tested to make sure they can take a bump and keep performing like a Rockford product should. The units have been validated with 500 hours of testing under the ASTM B117 and D4329 testing standards to make sure they keep on playing after years of daily exposure to the elements. Rockford products are built with purpose, designed and engineered with the highest standards in mind, and are carefully built from the ground up with specific attention to detail given to each product. The engineers, designers and developers at Rockford Corp in Tempe, Arizona, USA invest a lot of time and effort in the development and rigorous testing and validation of the products to ensure that their fanatical and demanding customers get the quality and consistency they need and expect, which is, of course, only the best.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 51

PLACES

Board walk at the southern tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas.

Inside the harbour looking out to the channel. By Ryan Nienaber

APE TOWN and ski-boat fishing were just made for each other, and if you have a trailer and are prepared to undertake a maximum three-hour tow, you can enjoy excellent fishing all year round. When I first met my wife she always said summer was for fishing, winter was time for her — boy was she wrong. In winter time I just have to move around a little more to find the fish. In the last two issues of SKI-BOAT I covered the west coast, Cape Point and False Bay. In this issue I’ll take a quick look at three more launch sites that are very close to my heart. KLEINBAAI Home to many great white shark charter boats, Kleinbaai is situated just southeast of Gansbaai and is an excellent fishery in the winter months, especially for bottomfish. It’s also home to the annual light tackle bottomfishing interprovincial tournament. If you’re going to fish there be sure to plan your trips around launching and retrieving at high tide if possible, and avoid a big swell. This slipway is a good facility that was created by blasting a channel through the rocks some

years ago. It is very well managed and features a good concrete slip with pier for picking up crew and a small harbour wall which provides some shelter. As with any slipway you wait your turn to launch, but there is normally an official on hand to direct you. Once your boat is off the trailer manoeuvrability in the harbour is tricky and it’s best to keep your motors trimmed up. Before you head out you need to call Kleinbaai Control on VHF channel 71 to ask for permission to exit the channel, and once you have the goahead look out for swells and make sure you remember your line for the way in when you return. When you come back, wait outside the channel, radio for permission and wait for the go-ahead. Make sure you follow the rules as inspectors are on standby to check your paperwork and catch.

Ryan Nienaber with a 4.25kg red stump caught at Kleinbaai. 52 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

Once you’re out on the water there are many areas you can run to depending on what you want to target. Snoek, kob and geelbek can be found in the deeper water, while many anglers have success catching hotties, white steenbras and kob in the thick kelp beds. I love running to the island to look for red stumpnose (Miss Lucy) in the shallows; they give such a great fight on light tackle you’ll be happy to catch them all day. STRUISBAAI Where does one even start talking about the fishing here? This truly is the melting pot of fishing in South Africa, where the two currents — warm and cold — meet and you’re at the mercy of Neptune. You never know for sure which of his bounty he’ll let you take home as no two days are the same at Struisbaai. From schools of gamefish in the summer, to marlin in February and bottomfish in the winter, this is a fisherman’s dream location — or mine anyway.

Ryan Nienaber with a white steenbras.

Andrew and Ryan Nienaber with a few snoek caught in Kleinbaai’s deep water.

Struisbaai harbour, swimming beach on left, harbour wall on right

A nice yellowtail caught by the author on the 5 mile bank of f Struisbaai.

A small yellowfin caught by the author while trying for marlin on the 12 mile bank off Struisbaai. This harbour is a great place for the entire family; its picturesque setting with turquoise water and colourful wooden chakkies (traditional fishing boats steered by foot) is beautiful. There is a restaurant and fishing shop as well as a long harbour wall where people congregate to fish day and night. The sheltered beach is great for swimming and tanning and gives one access to a number of reefs offshore. Struisbaai harbour is very well managed with inspectors taking down your details on entering, and taking your launch fee on exit. There is ample parking inside the harbour area and even more parking on the field just outside. As many boat repair shops will tell you, Struis is a great launch site for their businesses because the harbour is very shallow and is silted up by fine sand although it gets dredged from time to time. There are actually three slipways at Struisbaai, but everyone uses the smallest one that is most difficult to reverse down as it is the deepest. It’s a

Richard Fourie and Andrew Nienaber with a good sized yellowtail caught on the 5 mile bank off Struisbaai. popular place to get stuck on low tide and a great place to damage your boat when you’re putting it back on the trailer in a strong sea, so be vigilant and make sure all your crew know what their duties are. On exiting the harbour heading out to sea be sure to stay close to the wall to avoid the Borrelgat, a very shallow reef that has been known to take a gearbox or two.

A new NSRI building has been put up a few hundred metres away and one often sees their team hard at work training for the day you may need them, so please support them whenever you can. Some of the most famous reefs in the area are the Five Mile Bank, Blougaans (Six Mile Bank) and the 12 Mile Bank. These are all great for gamefish but only if there is some current on them.

Kurt Wanter with a yellowfin caught while trying for marlin. SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 53

Paul van Nimwegen with a grunter ( left ) and leervis (right) caught in the Breede River estuary. exceptionally well managed. In the bay you have The Kettings, There is great fishing outside the Die Mond, Saxon and Skip Skip which river in the sea, but I enjoy going to the are all great areas for bottomfish. Breede to catch grunter on light tackle Then there’s the holy grail for our with my friends and family and getting marlin 42nm due east from the harbour the fishing bug started in newbies. — Alphard Banks and the 45s. As you arrive in Witsands you will However, with the fishing so good close see the nature conservation office on to home, you’ll really only find yourself your right; if it’s the first time you’ve venturing out that far for the sake of an fished this area be sure to stop there adventure because you want to. and get the rules. If you plan on taking a small boat in BREEDE RIVER the river you can buy your Breede River The ace up my sleeve is the Breede permit at this office too. No fishing is Rivier. Just when the wife thinks she’s allowed at night or while the vessel is safe because the bad weather has under power (ie: trolling); this is done pulled in, the sheltered waters of the to help protect the breeding kob that Breede allow me to carry on fishing. visit this estuary to restock our oceans. This is a productive estuary that is

54 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

Measuring and tagging a leervis before releasing it. You may keep your catch here but many anglers see this river as a catch and release area as most are targeting grunter on light tackle or leervis on plugs. There are two places to launch on the Witsand side — The Kraaltjie and the hotel. The Kraaltije is where most people launch and is suitable for smaller boats around the 16ft mark. For me the Breede is a place of pure bliss, where the girls jump on the boat and partake in the fun; it’s a great venue for a family outing and your chances of catching a big one are good too. Let’s look after this river so that all the future fishermen can enjoy it too.

BACK TO BASICS

Part 4: How to rig your riggers By Paul Borcherds

N part three of this series we discussed some of the components used in rigging the out- and centre riggers; the illustrations in this article show the different rigging systems commonly used on ski-boats and sport fishing vessels. Most of the components are readily available in reputable offshore tackle shops or from marine component suppliers. Alternatively contact the author for a list of suppliers that may carry the components as stock items.

ILLUSTRATION 1 Standard set-up with double halyard lines. Connected to the gunnel with a double pulley or chain plate adjuster. Single bungee cord and snap swivel or spring gate snap. Ideal for start-up rigging on multi-pin bases set at 90° angle to the vessel. For illustration purposes Black’s clips are shown, but AFTCO Gold Fingers or Roller Trollers may also be used.

In the illustration above the light sleeve crimp sleeve protector (pictured above) is not shown, but it is a good idea to slide these protectors over the aluminium crimps. Firstly they protect the beads and rope end stoppers from coming into contact with the hard crimps, and secondly the aluminium crimps some corrosion protection. They also make your set-up look more professional all round.

56 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

ILLUSTRATION 2 Standard set-up with double halyard lines. Connected to the gunnel with a double pulley or chain plate adjuster. Single sheet line, rope guide and cam cleats. Ideal for start-up rigging on multi-pin bases set at 90° angle to the vessel. For illustration purposes Black’s clips are shown, but AFTCO Gold Fingers or Roller Trollers may also be used.

Close up of the rigging — rope end stopper, bead, crimp, light sleeve and snap swivel.

Side view of the cam cleat and rope guide installation on the gunnel. SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 57

ILLUSTRATION 3 Professional set-up with double halyard lines. Connected to the gunnel with 2 x double pulleys or 2 x chain plate adjusters. Double sheet line, double rope guides and cam cleats. Ideal for rigging on all multi-pin bases and U-frame fold-out bases. For illustration purposes AFTCO Roller Trollers are shown, but AFTCO Gold Fingers or Blackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clips may also be used.

Note the relative position of the rope guides and cam cleats.

An alternative way to install the rope guides and cam cleats on the gunnels of smaller boats. SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 59

60 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

ILLUSTRATION 4 Tag line set-up with single or double halyard lines. Step 1 (picture on the left): After setting up the halyard lines of your choice open one of the swivels and slide a tag line weight return over the bottom snap swivel. Connect a solid ring to the bottom snap swivel. For illustration purposes the release clips between the top two swivels were left out, but they may be attached if you wish to leave them in place. Step 2 (picture on the right): Measure out a pole length of 400 lb to 600 lb mono line. A second length of mono line may also be measured out for a second tag line onthe short rigger halyard line. Push the leader line from the bottom into the tagweight and pull it up to the solid ring. Connect the leader to the solid ring with a Hangmans’s Noose knot (High Memory knot). On the opposite side of the leader line push on a brightly coloured rope end stopper and oval bead, then crimp. Attach the crimp 300400mm from the spring gate snap attached to the saddle on the gunnel.

1. The spring gate snap crimped on the mono leader of the tag line and attached to the cam cleats saddle. 2. The halyard line and mono tag line through the tag weight. 3. The Hangman’s Noose or High Memory Knot connected to the solid ring. (See the July/August 2014 issue of SKI-BOAT for directions on tying this knot.) 4. The tag weight resting on the rope end stopper.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 61

ILLUSTRATION 5 Centre rigger set-up with single halyard line. Step 1: Similar to the tag line setup. After setting up the halyard line open one of the swivels and slide a tag line weight return over the bottom snap swivel. Connect a solid ring to the bottom snap swivel. For illustration purposes the release clips between the top two swivels were left out, but they may be attached if you wish to use them. Step 2: Measure out a pole length of 400 lb to 600 lb mono line. It is advisable to make this at least 1m longer than the pole in order to attach the rubber band to the mono line from the reel without reaching up for the spring gate snap whilst standing on the deck. Push the leader line from the bottom into the tag weight and pull it up to the solid ring. Connect the leader to the solid ring with a Hangmansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Noose knot (High Memory knot). On the opposite side of the leader line push a brightly coloured (yellow or orange) rope end stopper and oval bead, then crimp. Attach the crimp 300-400mm from the spring gate snap.

For more information on any of these set-ups or components contact Paul Borcherds on 082 652 5659, follow PRO RIG Sportfishing Tackle on Facebook , email info@prorig.com or visit <www.prorigfishing.co.za>.

62 â&#x20AC;˘ SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

HISTORY

18ft Fibreglass Ace Craft

16ft Ace Cat

17’6” Marine ply Ace Craft 18ft Ace Craft

By Clive Olivier

VER the years there have been many stories about Acecraft Marine and the boats we built, but none of them had the whole story, so I thought I would fill in the gaps — from the horse’s mouth so to speak. Mike Cox was the man who originally designed the wooden boats/kits with the Acecraft’s distinctive bow shape. He designed the boats and kits in five different sizes — 13ft 3in, 14ft 6in (extremely popular with surf guys), 15ft 6in (also very popular), 16ft (also popular with the surf anglers) and the main 18ft boat which was used by many top anglers.

I had bought a 15ft 6in wooden Acecraft kit and asked Lofty Snyder to help me build it. Lofty built many of the Acecraft kits, but only if you came and helped him on weekends and that meant lots and lots of tea as Lofty could drink gallons of it. I used this boat on alternate weekends to fish from Umkomaas to Aliwal/ Wideham, and on the in-between weekends I used it from Durban Ski-Boat Club. Then the Cox family sold the business to Gus Giradeau. Gus built up the business still further before selling it to a guy from Zimbabwe who only had it for about a year before he passed away.

Soon after the Zimbabwean man’s death I got a phone call from Norman Oliver (no relation) who was the excecutor of the estate and who asked if I would like to buy the business. At the time I had an extremely busy business in Eston, which included a workshop, restaurant and service station on a main road. My wife, Loraine, and I also had a thriving farming business involving chickens, maize and tomatoes.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 65

66 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

Clive & Loraine Olivier at 50. I told Norman that I wasn’t really interested, but he said I should go to speak to him as they really wanted me to buy the business. After some discussion with my wife I went down to Durban, looked the business over and decided to go for it. We sold everything in Eston, got a 5-ton flat bed fertiliser Ford truck and had our furniture delivered to our house in La Lucia. Once I was settled at Acecraft I couldn’t believe the logistics involved in supplying the kits. The top floor of the factory was full of paper/wooden templates of all sizes and shapes of boats. We only used select, imported Phillipine mahogany which we airdried ourselves. Making a wooden ski-boat entailed a great deal of work and many hours. The frame had to be precise or the marine ply panels wouldn’t fit. To join the panels the ends had to be scarfed/angled to join to fit. We used Casamite and this glue was fantastic. We also used epoxy glue 372 in huge quantities. There was a lot of skill required to make these boats and we could only really produce two to three boats a month in the old factory in Gale Street. At the time we supplied the Sharks Board and Natal Parks Board, and as the orders came flooding in for completed boats I realised that we would need to expand if we were going to fulfill the orders. Our machinest, Sellick, was a master craftsman and he used the templates to copy on the marine ply and get it all numbered etc. This was a very labourintensive way of supplying the kits. The kits were sold mainly to neighbouring countries, but also to clients in Australia and the UK. In fact, whilst I was there a couple of detectives from the SAP came to ask me about a kit I had sold to someone from Ireland. The guy had bought the kit and taken it away from the factory, but when it was shipped to Ireland the sniffer dogs were very interested and when the kit was opened up a large amount of cannibis was found inside the kit. Naturally the buyer said he knew nothing about it and the case was referred

The old factory with a Shark’s Board boat visible on the left.

Inside the “new” Ace Craft factory.

The assembly line at the new factory. SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 67

to the seller in SA. Once I had shown the detectives our system of packing the kits they realised that the buyer had opened the kit to transfer good old Durban Poison to the shores of Ireland. They subsequently let me know that he was doing time in the chooky. The kits were a big challenge to someone with no knowledge of woodwork and we had plenty of cases of buyers who phoned up trying to find out how to do this and that. Some buyers even offered to pay for a boatbuilder to come and finish off building their kits. On one occasion I dealt with a neurosurgeon from Wentworth Hospital who had bought a Ski-Vee kit and worked on it at night after operating; he said he relaxed when he was working with wood. He built two Ski-Vees and they were excellent. Guys like Lofty Snyder were in great demand as they really knew how to build the kits. After a month at Acecraft, I realised that the business was not making any profit, and after checking the costs of the kits I had to increase the prices to survive. The only answer was to go the fibreglass route. In previous years I had represented South Africa at fishing tournaments in Florida where I had met many boat manufacturers. I phoned a friend in Miami and asked him to find a boatbuilding business which would let me have a close look at their operation. He put me in contact with Aquasport and the owner was only too happy for me to spend a week there. I flew over and he told his foreman to give me all the help I needed. After a week of 15-hour days, watching and writing notes, I came back and started building fibreglass boats. As Acecraft grew we needed more workmen and materials and there were plenty of financial hassles like getting overdrafts just to keep the business going which entailed the local bank manager coming to see my order book and work in progress. After a couple of very tough years we slowly came out of overdraft and built up a decent bank balance. Acecraft was now getting too big for our current premises, and I wanted my own premises to build a custom boat factory so I bought an acre of land in Pinetown to build the new factory. When I asked the architect to design a 1 000m2 factory he said I should rather go for 2 000m2 as he could see the business was growing fast. I designed all the boats and Harry Naidoo was my foreman; most of the boatbuilders were qualified craftsmen. I designed wooden trollies to move the hulls to different sections to keep the flow going for production, very much like a car production line. I also built a modern paint booth with strong

An article on AceCraft which appeared in a 1984 issue of Ski-Scene.

Clive still fishing at 70. 21ft Ace Cat

21ft deep V Ace Craft monohull

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 69

extraction fans and duplicated all the machinery including air compressors etc. We made all our seats, did the upholstery and fitted Flotex carpets. I made a lot of contacts through my fishing and this helped our order book no end. I also tried to get into yacht building and built a few l26s for Dave Cox, but my heart wasn’t in it,and we stopped that side before too long. I was really keen to start to build the bigger boats up to 35ft, so I bought the land adjacent to Acecraft to build another 2 000m2 factory. By that stage we had moulds for boats of 13ft 3in, 14ft 6in, 15ft 5in, a 16ft semi-deep vee, 16ft cat, 18ft semi-deep vee, 18ft deep vee, 18ft cat, 21ft semi-deep vee and a 21ft 6in cat. I had watched the round tunnel cats being produced and wanted to build a cat, but I noticed that the UK had a big military cat which had a square tunnel and that the racing cats all had square tunnels. Whilst overseas in Australia I had seen a cat — the Shark Cat —which was very popular with rescue teams, news boats and fishermen and I went to the factory to see the production process. I was very impressed and I bought an 18ft cat. When it arrived I used it for six months before we built our first cat which was similar to the Shark Cat but with different strakes and a few other modification. Our cat also incorporated the first marlin door in South Africa and a large, removable fish box. This cat was an immediate success and we really battled to keep up with the demand. Today most cats in SA have square tunnels which is what I prefer, although boats with round tunnels are still very stable. Soon after our 18ft cat took off I designed a 21ft cat which was mainly for the marlin/tunny market. Then I designed a 16ft cat which was very sta-

25ft Marine ply Ace Craft ble and had a lovely soft ride. We also designed a 21ft 6in walkaround and I remember receiving letters from guys who were concerned about the safety aspects of this design. I had seen many walkarounds in the United States and they were extremely popular; as long as the scuppers were large enough, these boats were very safe. I wanted to go the route of the States’ boat manufacturers in making a fully integrated boat with the top deck and bottom hull being made separately and then joining the two together which would cut costs and make the boats cheaper. Another idea I picked from Australia was that the boat factory had specialist crews on call which were contracted to come in and undertake a certain stage, like a hull maker, for instance. These crews were all private and were not employed by the factory on a full time basis. This made sense to me as it meant

21’6” Ace Craft Walkaround

70 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

that the cost of the boat production could be lowered still further. What our unions would think of this would be interesting, but making integrated boats would also require less labour. Unfortunately around this time I had started to have hassles with my health which were mainly caused when I painted my first boat at my service station in Eston without wearing a mask. The paint fumes had badly affected my lungs and after talking it over with my wife, I decided to sell Acecraft. Our dealer in Cape Town, Ivan Klerk, bought the business and appointed Mush Nichols as manager. Unfortunately although Mush was an excellent salesman, trying to run the business from Cape Town was too much and Ivan sold Acecraft again a while later. When Acecraft was sold off again I thought long and hard about getting back into the business and building the integrated boats, but I have never gone back to any business or house once I’ve sold it; I believe in turning the page and walking away. A while back Johan Smal wrote a series of articles about the evolution of ski-boats in South Africa (see May/June 2014 issue of Ski-Boat and five subsequent issues) and evolution certainly was the right word. I feel that the KwaZulu-Natal boatbuilders nowadays are building excellent boats, but the evolution is no longer coming from KZN but rather from the Cape builders. They are producing world class boats and I feel that with the ridiculous prices of outboards, the time is right to build a no-nonsense boat with no choice of colours, a standard layout, no frills, just a well-built boat just like Henry Ford’s original cars. In conclusion, the challenge of running Acecraft was very satisfying; not only was it a business, it was also my passion. What a privilege.

PLACES

HOLIDAY DREAMS FULFILLED By Hannes Forster

ACK on the water! This time I was going on an adventurous trip to Africa to fish the North Kenya Banks on the equator. What an absolutely unforgettable trip. I have always wanted to fish for billfish with my old Varsity mate Werner Moolman with whom I’ve shared invaluable experiences over the past 25 years, and finally the opportunity arose. We decided to book our trip with Soolyman Sportfishing Charters run by three brothers — Calvin, Philip (Bobby) and Darryn du Plessis. I met the brothers, originally from Durban, in the UAE and have gained a lot of respect for them due to their incredible knowledge of the sea. They seem to have perfected the art of catching every kind of fish using a variety of techniques and tackle — spinning, jigging, trawling, popping, offshore, onshore, beach casting, netting, spearfishing, scarborough reel and hand lining. After quite an eventful trip to Nairobi, then a short hop to Malindi followed by an even more eventful tuk-tuk ride to Watamu, Werner and I were ready to party. You can imagine the night that followed for two school mates who have not seen each other for a very long time. I won’t share all the

details but I can confirm that we did not hold back on the local Tusker brew while trying to quench a thirst second to none. At 6am on the Friday morning, after very little sleep, we set off to meet Capt. Calvin on the beach, geared with everything one would expect to take on an offshore fishing trip. Once aboard we motored for approximately one hour to the first reef where we jigged with 480g jigs in 300ft-plus water. Anybody who has touched a jigging rod before will know exactly what this means, especially the morning after the night before. Before long I hooked into my first big eye trevally, followed by an amberjack — one of the species I have always wanted to catch. The amberjack is one of the best fighters in the sea, and it can be a real challenge to bring it to the surface in 100m deep water. Shortly after we got my amberjack to the boat Werner hooked into an amberjack almost triple the size of the one I’d caught and the envy was written all over my face. I just could not resist posing with his beauty too. After this exciting start we knew the trip was going to be loaded with fish, sore arms, blisters, alcohol, jokes and fun all around. And so it was. We caught one fish after the other, including barracuda, dorado, ruby snapper and many

more. While trolling back home in the afternoons we raised a few small striped- and blue marlin, but unfortunately they did not stick and we could not get into the big billfish that we wanted. We had high hopes that this disappointment would be overcome on our last fishing day, an adventure of note which included an overnight trip to the North Kenya Bank situated approximately 40 nautical miles offshore and in close proximity to Somalian waters. We set out from the anchorage at Watamu Bay at midday and ran the 30 miles until we neared the start of the bank. With a spread of smoking Pulsator lures behind us in the deep purple water, we waited on the edge of our seats knowing we were entering prime late afternoon time and expecting all hell to break loose any minute ... At approximately 5pm the 50 lb Penn International reel began to peel line at an overwhelming speed. It was Werner’s turn, and before we could say “snap” a striped marlin started its acrobatic manoeuvres and the fight was on! After a few long and tiring minutes we tagged and released our first striped marlin of the trip. I was next and I didn’t have to wait long before the same rod and reel began screaming for a second time. There was

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 73

pandemonium when we had a hook-up on the second reel just a few seconds later. There we were, two best mates from RAU sitting shoulder to shoulder, fighting our long dreamt about billfish while watching a breathtaking East African sunset. Again we managed to catch both fish — another striped marlin and a sailfish — and tagged and released them with laughter and happiness all around. The lures went straight back out and within minutes the elastic snapped and the rod buckled over as a nice bull dorado came to join our party. By that stage the sun was setting fast and we started the night trolling for broadbill swordfish in a sea that was certainly not as calm as it had been the two previous days. It was eerie being the only craft that far out in pitch darkness. The gear we used to target the broadbill consisted of 50- and 80 lb Shimano Tiagras, one on each rigger and one down at 100 feet on the downrigger. The lures were Pulsator softies with fresh squid strips, and a glow stick was attached a few metres in front of the lure. At around 9pm the downrigger rod bounced, the reel started screaming and this time there was clearly something different on the end of the line. I picked

Striped marlin, sailfish and broadbill all in one day, along with some good sized amberjack, dorado and other gamefish made for a great reunion for Hannes Forster and Werner Moolman. up the rod and it was immediately evident that whatever was hooked possessed incredible power and meant business. I looked at Werner with eyes that cried out:“I don’t think I have it in me to land this fish!” However, during our brave talk over the previous few nights we good-naturedly challenged each other saying that we would not help each other and that it was each man for himself, so I could expect no help from Werner. It took me quite some time to turn the broadbill, and as soon as he got sight of us, he turned around again and peeled off what felt like another full

spool of line. After what felt like hours I finally managed to get the broadbill to the boat. The fish was still ver y strong though and we had to take our photos ver y quickly and let him go as soon as possible. We were thrilled we’d been successful, and later that night we had one more hook-up on a broadbill but it managed to come off the hook during the fight. The next morning at daybreak we had another double hook-up on striped marlin, but they also managed to escape without being tagged. We returned to shore with a grand slam for the day, having caught three of the five billfish species — sailfish, striped marlin and broadbill swordfish. The five T&R flags flying high off our outrigger indicating our success, much to the envy of all of the bystanders who awaited us at the resort. My sincere thanks to Werner, Calvin du Plessis and his two crew members who were along for this trip of a lifetime. I can highly recommend <www. soolymansportfishing.com> to anybody wanting to fish these waters. You’ll love the Kenyan hospitality, beautiful resorts and spotless beaches — and they’re excellent value for money.

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

TECHNIQUES By Craig Thomassen

ERTICAL jigging has been a popular method of catching fish for a few years now and has resulted in numerous species, which were previously not targeted, being caught on spinning gear. The one downside of this effective form of fishing is that it is physically demanding on the angler. A new technique which is gaining popularity worldwide — micro jigging — is much easier on the angler and is proving to be extremely effective and a lot of fun too. I received a pack of small jigs to test a couple of months ago; they were made by Storm Lures and consisted of a variety of sizes of Storm Gomoku Koika Jigs and Storm Gomoku Slim Jigs. The lures looked great, with some attractive colours and interesting shapes, and they came in sizes from a miniscule 20g up to 80g. Apparently they also come in larger sizes, but those were the ones I received. The jigs were pre-rigged with small assist hooks, which were fine for small fish, but looked like they would need to be upgraded for any bigger game fish. On my first outing to test the lures, I went offshore from Pennington Ski Boat Club on the KZN South Coast. Conditions were good for jigging in the early morning, with light wind and not much current. I started off jigging the 40g Koika Jig, trying a few different styles of retrieve, and was quickly rewarded with a hit from a fish that headed straight for the bottom once hooked. I applied as much pressure as I could with my light rig, but there was no way of stopping it and I was quickly cut off. I guessed that it was either an amberjack or a cape yellowtail, and just too big to handle on the 30 lb braid that I was using. After that the wind picked up, making it difficult to jig vertically, as we were drifting too fast. The next testing session was off the Transkei coast, fishing offshore

at Umgazana. I was fishing alongside an angler who was fishing with bait, and thought it would be interesting to see how the jigs shaped up against the bait. I fished the jigs slowly, with a very leisurely lifting and dropping action, keeping them in the zone for as long as possible. I had some success, catching slinger, blue hottentot and a very large dageraad. In fact I found that I was outfishing the bait angler, as sharks and small fish were causing problems for him. I was also impressed that fairly non-aggressive species such as slinger were hitting the jigs. I then had another session off Pennington with the jigs. This time I beefed up my tackle a bit by using the ver y strong, but thin, Power Pro Maxcuatro braid. I was able to fish with 50 lb braid, which had the same diameter as most 30 lb braids. I loaded this onto a Shimano Spheros 6000 and fitted that onto a Shimano Trevala S 6’3” Medium Heavy rod, creating a light, but very strong setup. This proved to be an ideal rig, and something that I would stay with for some time to come. I landed a trawl soldier on a 60g slim jig which I’d dropped down to 50m where we had spotted some show-

ings on the sounder. Next down I hooked another which got converted to livebait on the way up and hooked a shark! The shark stayed on and fought hard and fast, much like a gamefish. When I got it to the boat I was surprised to see that I’d caught a baby mako of around 20kg. What really impressed me was how well the hook stood up to the pressure, as I was using the original factory fitted hook on that lure. Once again the wind got up and we started to struggle to keep the jigs vertical, which basically means that the jigging is over for the day. These lures definitely work best when they are being retrieved vertically as opposed to at an angle. I took some with me on a recent trip to Madagascar and gave them a try over some of the productive offshore reefs there. We ended up landing 29 species of fish, ranging from groupers and emperors to kingfish and king mackerel. The nicest part of the fishing was that the actions that were producing fish were very slow and gentle, requiring very little effort from the angler. What a pleasure compared to traditional vertical jigging which has you reaching for the water bottle after a few minutes. One of my memorable catches was a new species of kingfish for me, the heavy jawed kingfish. It is a ver y unusual looking fish which fights very hard. I managed to catch two of them on the trip. I will definitely be doing a lot more micro jigging in the future, and can recommend it to anybody who is keen to tr y something new. These lures do seem to target the quality fish that are around, so they are a great option to fish with when the rest of the crew is doing standard bottomfishing.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 77

MY LUCKY DAY! by James Coates (9)

HIS is the story of the day we fished in the 2016 Ysterfontein Yellow Tail Classic on my dad’s boat. We woke up very early in the morning, drove to Ysterfontein and launched at sunrise. The sea was calm but there was a big swell running; luckily I had taken my seasickness tablet. To begin with we went to look for birds around Dassen Island but couldn’t find any, so we put in the back lines and trolled all over the place. When we reached Protea Bank one of the lines starting singing. I quickly grabbed the rod before Uncle Peter could get to it and I was vas! I fought the fish for about ten minutes and knew it was a big one. When I got the fish next to the boat I saw it was a massive shark! Just after that the line broke and the shark swam away with my dad’s favourite pink Rapala! That was by far the biggest fish I had ever hooked and my arms were so sore from fighting it that I had to lie down and have a rest. After that we trolled back towards the island. Then two of the back lines went again and I was quick enough to grab one of the rods. I landed a yellowtail and although it was not very big, at least I had caught the first yellowtail on the boat that day. Auntie Debbie took the other line and it was also a nice yellowtail. After that we started to spin. Uncle Peter caught a baby snoek and my dad caught another yellowtail. We could see the fish on the echo sounder but they just were not biting. We kept spinning and jigging until our arms were sore. I had an on-off and then suddenly I went vas again. The fish gave a very good fight and my dad gaffed it — another lovely yellowtail and my second yellowtail on a spinner. Just after 3 o’clock we decided to pull in the lines and get back to the harbour for the weigh-in. On the way back when we went past the island we came across a huge flock of birds diving. My Dad and Uncle Peter threw in their spinners and were vas straight away, but I was too slow. By the time my spinner was in the water the fish had gone. My dad’s fish was the biggest on the boat so far. We had to rush back to the harbour for the weigh-in and only just made it back in time. I was very excited when I saw my fish weighed 3.065kg. When the prize-giving started my name was called out as the top junior. I ran to the front super fast and everyone clapped; I was very excited. Auntie Debbie got the prize for the top lady angler and my dad for the ninth biggest yellowtail. It was a geat way to end a good day of fishing. I won a very nice rod and reel, a cap and some clothes which I gave to my brother. Auntie Debbie also won a nice rod and reel and my Dad won some grease. I can’t wait for the next competition, so kids — be warned!

80 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

INDUSTRY

HE 2016 edition of the Johannesburg Boat Show was staged at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec from 26 to 28 August and focused on delivering new product launches leading in to the summer watersport season. Chairman of the Johannesburg Boat Show committee, Andre van Helsdingen, believes that the Johannesburg Boat Show is now positioned to develop and grow into South Africa’s national boat show, and in particular, to position itself further as the shopping platform of choice for product required in Southern Africa and further afield. “The organisers, Messe Frankfurt South Africa, invited inbound buyers from eleven Southern African countries to attend, and this initiative yielded positive sales results for a number of exhibitors who are now successfully delivering product as far afield as Mauritius and Angola,” he commented. Konstantin von Vieregge, CEO of Messe Frankfurt South Africa, identified expansion

82 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

into other watersport focus areas as well as fishing, as growth areas to target for the 2017 edition. Von Vieregge was appointed CEO with effect from 1 March 2016 and he will make good use of Messe Frankfurt’s extended business network — in Africa and globally — to explore growth opportunities for the show. Philip Otto, Show Director of the Johannesburg Boat Show, commended all of the participants for their outstanding effort. The show was awarded the Diamond Arrow Award in the class Consumer Show 10 000m2 to 20 000m2 in the annual national survey undertaken by PMR Africa. DYNAMIC NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES A number of exhibitors used the show as a launch platform for their products. Nauti-Tech launched the Butt Cat 930 XL Sports Fisher which is fitted with Suzuki APX drive-by-wire lean burn motors and the latest Garmin electronic equipment. The 930 XL is fully rigged for sportfishing with fighting chair, luna tubes and outriggers. The cabin offers a large double bed, loads of storage space and a marine grade flush toilet. Nauti-Tech is fanatical about building boats that exceed expectations with a multitude of innovative features. Yamaha introduced show visitors to its new range of V1 and VX WaveRunners with TR-1 high output marine engines. The TR-1 is 13% more powerful than its predecessor despite having one less cylinder, as well as being 40% smaller and 20% lighter. The result is quicker acceleration, higher top-end speeds and better fuel economy resulting in more fun for the rider.

The Yamaha VX Cruiser HO is a different animal altogether. Powered by the 1.8L normally aspirated marine engine that has carried the VXR to four consecutive national racing titles, it shows its tame side with industry-leading comfort and convenience features including No Wake Mode, Cruise Assist and Yamaha’s RiDE dual throttle handlebar controls. Highlights of the Suzuki display were the DF6A, DF5A and DF4A lightweight, portable outboards. Easy and quiet to use, these new models are also incredibly reliable and boast a new design and colour. Weighing in at only 23.5kg, and featuring two sturdy carry handles, it is no problem to lift these outboards on and off your boat or in and out of storage. Suzuki has made stowing these outboards even easier with a new three-way storage capability. Improvements to the fuel and lubrication systems allow for extremely convenient storage on the port, starboard and front of the motor without risk of fuel or oil leakage. Once on your boat, operating the new DF6A/5A/4A is a breeze. The new gravity-fed fuel delivery system eliminates the need to prime the fuel line before starting after storage. An easy recoil starter means less effort is required to get up and running and once underway, the new tilt system improves the overall operation of the outboard. Boating International used the 2016 Johannesburg Boat Show to launch the Sunsport 235 — a new inboard boat based on the everpopular Sunsport range

which is bound to attract new fans. Also on display at the Boating International stand was the full range of Mercury engines as well as a huge accessories display. Waterworld unveiled their 2016 Sea-Doo Range at the show, displaying the full range of Sea-Doo personal watercraft including the new Sea-Doo 300hp models. All of Sea-Doo’s 2016 models include their second-generation iBR (Intelligent Brake and Reverse) system. Locally manufactured boats shone on the Waterworld stand with the launch of the Viking Carrera 22. Also on show was the Viking Carrera 19, offering everything you need in a 19-foot boat including full wet deck, wraparound seating, stainless steel hinges and mini ski wing, swim platforms and glass windscreen. The full range of locally manufactured Angler and Expression offshore boats was also on show. Details of the date for the 2017 Johannesburg Boat Show will appear in future issues of SKIBOAT magazine, so make sure you don’t miss it.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 83

MARKETPLACE

THE STRIKER HAS LANDED

ARMIN Southern Africa are excited to announce the arrival of the Striker Series, the first Garmin fishfinder series to include colour screens, CHIRP traditional sonar and CHIRP DownVü and SideVü technology that come standard with a built-in high-sensitivity GPS receiver. Fishermen will now have the ability to see fish and structure below the boat and also to mark fishing locations and get back to them. With GPS on board, users will also have access to accurate speed over the ground (SOG) information, even at very slow speeds. The Striker series is a powerful tool to help inland and near-shore anglers find and catch more fish and raises the standard for fishfinder performance and ease of use.

The Striker Series is available in bright, sunlight readable 3.5”, 5” or 7” colour displays that feature a new rugged design and keyed interface that is built to withstand the harsh marine environment. All models are equipped with a built-in high-sensitivity GPS antenna and waypoint map, so marking and navigating to favourite fishing spots and other areas of interest is quick and easy. When trolling, the high-sensitivity GPS provides an update once per second, giving fishermen the precision needed to dial in the exact trolling speed and optimise lure presentation. Users can also share waypoint data across multiple Striker units, as well as all echoMAP series devices. For anglers who want to see objects and structure below the boat, the Striker dv fishfinders feature built-in CHIRP DownVü scanning sonar, which provides a nearly photographic image with detailed representation of objects, structure and fish in both freshwater and salt-

water. The premier 7” Striker 7sv also adds SideVü scanning for customers who want to see targets and structure up to 230 metres on each side of the boat, without being directly over them. Users can use the split screen feature to show various sonar options along with the waypoint map. All Striker fishfinders come with everything an angler needs — including a trolling-motor and transom transducer and mounting hardware — to make getting on the water fast and easy. The five new models offer flexible mounting so the devices can tilt and swivel to provide an optimum-viewing angle. An optional flush-mount kit is available for in-dash installation. The Striker units are compatible with a wide-range of optional Garmin scanning transducers to customise sonar performance and installation options. Contact your closest Garmin dealer for further information or visit <www.garmin.co.za>.

A LEGEND RETURNS

FTER nearly half a century of reliability the original legend returns — the new 2016 BG. Daiwa’s newest heavy-duty super reel features Daiwa’s legendary Real Four design formula. An amalgamation of Real Engine, Real Control, Real Endurance, Real Custom, and Real Four gives rise to spin excellence that is unrivalled in design, performance and quality. BG’s aluminium body and side plate forms a reel body that is precision machined and highly corrosion resistant, making it the ultimate body for the offshore environment. Rigid, strong and highly durable, the unyielding body allows for seamless gear function and prevents twisting

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 85

when the reel is under load, resulting in greater cranking force. Reaping the full protection and strength benefits of the new body is the technologically advanced Digigear system. A highly evolved drive system, Digigear features a high precision cutting technique that achieves perfect gear meshing and ultra smooth performance. Daiwa’s new drag system, ATD, implements structural changes to the spool metal of the reel that provides greater support of the spool across the entire length of the main shaft. This additional support reduces spool twist under load, promotes more even wear of the drag washers and ultimately reduces “pulsing” of the drag when you’re fighting the fish. These reels also benefit from new drag grease that exhibits a low viscosity at rest yet becomes more viscous immediately after drag start up. This reduces initial drag start up inertia and, combined with the structural changes of the ATD Drag System, results in a smoother drag from the initial hook up. For ultimate strength and rotation, BG uses Daiwa’s latest version of Air Rotor, a super strong, super light rotor like no other — a new revolution in strength and sensitivity. This design disperses pressure to the entire lower section of the rotor, dramatically decreasing weight, stress and f lexing while massively increasing the strength. Big on looks and big on features, the allnew, all-black and gold BG offers up a powerful combination of performance, strength and reliability in one of Daiwa’s most renowned names in heavy duty spin reels. The Daiwa BG spinning reels are available from most leading fishing tackle stores countr ywide and at The Kingfisher in Durban. Contact them on (031) 368 3903 or check out their website <www.kingfisher.co.za> for details on other products. 86 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2016

FURUNO WILL BOOST YOUR CATCH

URUNO recently raised the bar with their new FCV-588 digital fishfinder. Following on from the success of the Furuno NavNet TZtouch2, the Furuno FCV-588 features all new RezBoost technology™ along with all the great features of the FCV-587 that have proved very popular with anglers over the past few years. These include intuitive Bottom Discrimination, ACCU-FISH™ and a super bright, bonded glass, AR coated, high resolution 8.4-inch LCD display. New to the FCV-588 and FCV-628 range of fishfinders, RezBoost™ is a revolutionary new feature that utilises Furuno’s exclusive digital signal processing protocol to produce fish targets and images that are up to eight times sharper than those on conventional fishfinders, without the need to change out your narrowband transducer or purchase expensive broadband transducers. The FCV-588 display has a built-in fishfinder that is dual-frequency (50/200kHz) and has a 600W/1kW power output. Featuring Furuno’s exclusive ACCU-FISH™ technology, the FCV-588 identifies individual or multiple fish instantaneously, and the echo strength from the fish is computed and turned into fish size display on the screen. ACCU-FISH™ can detect fish sized 10- to 199cm, in depths from two to 100 metres. The fish mark can be displayed on individual fish echoes when detected and helps beginners to identify the fish targets on the display for a fun fishing experience. The FCV-588’s white line function helps anglers distinguish bottomfish from the bottom by changing the strongest signal colour to white. This function is not only useful in identifying bottomfish but is also valuable for judg-

ing fish school density. The setting range is 0-100%, in intervals of 1%; the higher the value, the thicker the line. When fish echoes show in the area which you set above the bottom, beeps sound and the alarm icon flashes. An integrated alarm setting is also available and can be set to alert anglers to almost every different condition including water depth, target depth, water temp and bottom component. With conventional gain controls, changes are made for new echoes only when a change in the gain setting is applied. With the FCV-588’s PostProcessing Gain Control, changes in the gain setting are applied to new echoes as well as all of the echoes already on the screen. Because the changes are applied to both new and existing returns, you will be able to quickly and easily find the right gain setting for your conditions. Note that transducers are sold separately. See <www.furuno.com> for the list of compatible transducers. In-hull mounted transducers not compatible with RezBoost™ technology. For further details contact Radio Holland South Africa on 0861 123 555 or email <info@radioholland.co.za>.

NINJA ALERT

HE Ninja reels are, quite simply, staggeringly good. Their striking look is backed up with an array of features and typical

AD INDEX

Daiwa high quality performance. The graphite body combined with Air Rotor not only reduces the reel’s weight, but the enhanced rotor shape also adds to the reel’s performance under load. Front drag orientated, they are perfect for use even with braid. Winding smoothness is enhanced with 4BB and Infinite Anti-Reverse. To round off the value for money aspect, the reels are supplied with a spare spool. Ninja reels are now available at most fishing tackle stores countrywide and at The Kingfisher in Durban. For further information phone (031) 368 3903 or visit <www.kingfisher.co.za>.

SMALLS BOAT FOR SALE

BOAT FOR SALE

17ft YELD CAT with 2 x 70hp 2-stroke Yamaha motors (175 hours). Very good condition. Includes Lowrance GlobalMap 5200C chart plotter, Lowrance X515CDF sonar and all relevant safety equipment. Price: R320 000 Contact: Craig Snell on 082 440 9770

17’6” TRIMCRAFT Hunter (1993) with 2 x 60hp 2-stroke Mariner Bigfoot trim & tilt motors (2005). Good condition; loads of extras. Based in Richards Bay. Perfect for someone starting out ski-boating with a tight budget. Price: R95 000 neg Contact: Jonathan Booysen on 082 872 9374

DEADLINE FOR THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 ISSUE OF SKI-BOAT MAGAZINE IS 9th NOVEMBER 2016 BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW. CONTACT JOAN ON 031 5722289 or email <adverts@mags.co.za>

Anglers Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Atlantic Suzuki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 AudioMotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Ballistic Sunglasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Boating World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Boating World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Club 15 Fishing Kenya . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Club Marine Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Durban Yamaha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Fishtube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Garmin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 High & Dry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Jesser Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 KZN Leisure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Ligogo Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lowrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Lucky’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Mako Sunglasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Maui Jim Sunglasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 McCrystal Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 MDM — Raymarine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MDM Raymarine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Mercury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Mercury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Mr Winch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Natal Caravans & Marine . . . . . . . . . . 2 Natal Power Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Natal Power Boats Cobra Cat 525 . . 63 Nautitech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 ProRig Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Pulsator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Radio Holland — Furuno . . . . . . . . . 40 Rapala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Rapala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Richards Bay Ski-Boat Club . . . . . . . . 64 Ski-Port Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Smith Sunglasses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Solly’s Angler’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Southern Power/Volvo Penta . . . . . . 34 Supercat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Suzuki Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Tanzania Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 The Kingfisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 TOPS @ Spar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Turboformance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Two Oceans Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Vanguard Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 W2E Marlin Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Warn Winch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Wildfly Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 WWF Safaris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Z-Craft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

SKI-BOAT November/December 2016 • 87

BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

88 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2016