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CONTENTS
July/August 2017 Volume 33 Number 4 COVER: TALE OF A ’TAIL Earl Fenwick with an 11kg yellowtail caught on the Vlakbank off Struisbaai. (See the article on page 10.)
FEATURES
10
Yellowtail Secrets Revealed Part 2: How the theatre is changing — by Johan Smal
22
Pioneers Unite Celebrating 40 years of marlin fishing off Sodwana Bay — by Erwin Bursik and Nick Gray
31
Going Deep How to catch bottomfish on light tackle, Part 1 — by Quinton Edmond
36
Welcome to the Party 2017 Durban Ski-Boat Club John Rowan Memorial Festival — by Mark Wilson
43
36
The Mark of Success Analysing the 2017 Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival — by Mark Wilson
51
Bounce! Putting a spring in your boat trailer’s suspension — by John Frankiskos
59
Something Fishy Causative factors of fish spoilage — by Johan Smal
63
To Bleed or not to Bleed Another take on how to handle your catch
66
31
Solid Competition MRA Brokers 20th Inhaca Challenge — by Brad van Zyl
72
Glider Ahoy! Ocean gliders to show impacts of Agulhas Current on coastal areas — by Marjolaine Krug and Juliet Hermes
DEPARTMENTS 8 9 47 48 49 75
Editorial — by Erwin Bursik Mailbag Subscribe and WIN! Kingfisher Award Rules Kingfisher Award Winners Reel Kids
66 77 78 79 80 81 82
Mercury Junior Anglers 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: Erwin Bursik, Quinton Edmond, John Frankiskos, Juliet Hermes, Marjolaine Krug, Johan Smal, Brad van Zyl and Mark Wilson. ADVERTISING – NATIONAL SALES: Angler Publications Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 Joan Wilson (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 ADVERTISING – Gauteng & Mpumalanga: Lyn Adams — 083 588 0217 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: R180 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 July/August 2017
EDITORIAL
IT’S TIME TO JOIN UP — NO MORE SITTING ON THE SIDELINES
T
HE need to belong and loyalty are two facets of the human being’s condition that go very much hand-in-hand. When it comes to ski-boating and offshore angling the presence of these character traits among kindred spirits has been the backbone of the sport which has really come into its own since the end of World War Two in 1945. It was this sense of bonding, camaraderie, grouping — call it what you will — that brought likeminded anglers together to form ski-boat Erwin Bursik clubs. Within a short space of time a number of Publisher these clubs were formed along the entire coastline of South Africa as well as throughout the inland provinces. When anglers felt the need for a more coercive influence which would guide both the sport of deep sea angling and the South African laws governing usage of marine resources and boating safety, the ski-boat clubs formed provincial structures and a national body. Since the formation of the national body — the South African Ski-Boat Association in the 1960s, and now the South African Deep Sea Angling Association — and the provincial associations, they have played a pivotal role. Not only do they spearhead liaison with the relevant authorities, but they’ve also bonded the country’s clubs together to promote the sport of offshore angling in the areas of recreation and competition at club, interclub, provincial, interprovincial, national and ultimately international level. With this coming together of likeminded offshore anglers, this powerful loyalty to the sport has brought about both cohesion and protection. At this point in time that encompasses a base of offshore anglers that is larger than it has ever been in South Africa despite the so-called retarding factors of economics, escalating prices of the entire spectrum of equipment needed to participate in this sport, and the escalating number of other sports and hobbies the younger generation seem to be drawn to. A few years ago SADSAA commissioned a study into the economic forces within the sport of recreational offshore angling in South Africa. Professor Marius Leibold led the study by a team of experts at Stellenbosch University. Their findings in respect of numbers taking part in deep sea angling as well as other facets of angling are, believe it or not, greater in total than any other sport in this country, including rugby, soccer and cricket. It was very interesting reading indeed. The study found that in 2007 approximately of 31 860 anglers participated in deep sea angling, resulting in R6.8-billion in total economic impact in South Africa in that year. Of those 31 860 anglers fishing in 2007, only 9 844 were members or affiliated members of organised clubs. But back to the bonding/loyalty issue. Nowadays there seems to be a nationwide trend that many offshore anglers — apart from boat owners — feel less obliged to join the ski-boat club from which they fish as crew. That’s despite being very willing to enjoy both the facilities and the camaraderie available there. It’s a very sad indication of the feeling amongst many South Africans nowadays who don’t want to have to join to partake of the rewards on offer. To substantiate this not so subtle remark, it might be interesting to note that SADSAA’s total membership which includes every person affiliated to a ski-boat club countrywide, barely surpasses the number of ski-boats registered through SADSAA with the SA Marine Safety Authority (SAMSA). Put simply, this means that only the registered owners of the craft actually join a ski-boat club — their crew don’t belong. Dare I say it? The boat owners who heavily invest in a rig to take them to sea have a shoal of ramoras following them, expecting all the benefits associated with the participation of a day’s outing to sea without belonging to the clubs that enable them to do so. Perhaps it’s time to rethink your loyalties. Till the next tide.
Erwin Bursik
MAILBAG
SPEECH BY CIPS PRESIDENT In his opening address at the 38th Congress of Confederation Internationale de la Peche Sportive (CIPS), the President, Mr Ferenc Szalay, made a number of pertinent remarks that I feel need to be conveyed to all of us who directly or indirectly benefit from the work undertaken by CIPS. There are three facets to CIPS — saltwater (FIPS-M), freshwater (FIPS-Ed) and flyfishing. South African angling falls under the banner of SASCOC, the official South African sporting body, and SASACC (South African Sport Angling and Casting Confederation). We as deep sea anglers, through SADSAA, together with the other saltwater angling facets, are members of the SA Federation of Sport and Sea Angling. Four of these facets — deep sea, shore angling, underwater and light tackle boat — belong to CIPS through FIPS-M. Please note this is just an extract from the full speech. — Erwin Bursik Dear Sport Fishing Friends The sustainability of sport fishing raises ver y serious questions concerning strengthening our activity for the protection of the environment and the living world of the waters. We have the task to determine all reasonable limitations and all necessary sacrifices to protect the world of aquatic animals. We must prove clearly and definitely that sport fishing goes together with the love of naure, the protection of nature, the sustainability of the environment as well as the safeguarding and welfare of our partners in the game — the fish. I think it is fundamentally evident that through our confederation sport fishing has to be recognised as an integral part of the international sport movement together with all the other sports. This is one of the reasons why we requested recognition by the International Olympic Committee as an
Got something to share? Write to The Editor <sheena@mags.co.za>
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY Dear Editor, On 4 April 2015 whilst fishing in Algoa Bay I caught a leervis/garrick and measured it at 67.5cm. I released it with a tag. It was the only leerie caught that day. On 28 April 2017 my son, Matthew Marshbank, aged 7, caught a tagged leerie at the same spot. It had a fork length of 89cm. He did require a little assistance from dad towards the end of the fight, but he proudly and rightly claimed the catch as his. On reviewing the tag history of the fish it was awesome to learn that it was the same fish I caught two years before. It was also the only leerie for the day. Had we not released the fish previously, we wouldn’t have caught any leerie on this trip. Just shows how susceptible our fish stocks are and how the fish we release today protect the fishery for the next generation. Matthew reckons we will catch him again next year when he returns from his KZN migration this winter. GRANT MARSHBANK <grant.marshbank@vscsolutions.co.za> Olympic sport. This is par of our effort to become active participants and partners in every international organisation where the issues of sport fishing are raised. In our ever-changing and fast-moving world where information and communication play a key role, CIPS will be launching a new dynamism, meant to become the sport fishing hub for all our confederation members as well as those
exploring our sport. Our priority is to promote our sport and make sport fishing more spectacular, more understandable for the media and not only for those interested in sport fishing, but also for everybody. The vision is to make this one of the most cultivated and popular sports which is what sport fishing deserves. FERENC SZALAY CIPS President
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 9
GAMEFISH
Part 2: How the theatre is changing
10 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
Earl Fenwick (left) with a 12.6kg yellowtail and Willie Matthee with a 13kg fish caught on 18th May on the 5 mile bank at Struisbaai on Earl’s boat, Kiora. The water on the bank was 14°C and one very large shoal of big fish started feeding on the surface on anchovies. The men managed two fish on the trolling lines and then started spinning with tin spinners; they hooked two more before the shoal disappeared. Willie was fighting his fish on a spinner and as Earl was going to gaff the fish a great white shark came and bit it in half.
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 11
The author with a beautiful yellowtail destined for the table. By Johan Smal and Earl Fenwick IN the May/June 2017 issue of SKIBOAT we began to explore the secrets of the celebrated Agulhas yellowtail. In this issue we delve a bit deeper, specifically discussing the theatre in which we fish ... O maximise exposure to the idiosyncrasies and circumstances surrounding the species, we engaged in some all-embracing interviews with several local individuals. With our own knowledge and insights augmented by some 350 years of local experience, stretching as far back as 1940, additional journal space was needed which Erwin Bursik happily agreed to. Before probing into the shopfloor details of the Agulhas theatre and how to stalk, catch and turn your freshly caught yellowtail into a sensational feast, we would like to share some of the noteworthy facets gleaned from this additional truckload of information.
T
BRANDED AS POISONOUS Arguably a rather important stop-check for all anglers, the correct handling of freshly caught yellowtail in particular needs some amplification. Fortuitously, this prowling menace was also raised in the May/June 2017 issue of SKI-BOAT. (See Editorial by Erwin Bursik and “In da Bag” by Daryl Bartho.) I won’t repeat the very important practical tips raised by these gents, but I would like to share some important annotations pertaining specifically to the spoiling process of yellowtail. At one point yellowtail flesh was believed to be poisonous to eat. This
mistaken belief was purportedly stimulated by the earlier mythical belief that all colourful fish, especially those with small scales and/or snake-like bodies, should be avoided. As a result they were not even targeted as table fare and were only taken as a bycatch for use as shark bait. In actual fact, people were only poisoned due to the intake of spoiled fish as a result of improper handling and storage conditions. This was not fully understood in those days and was exacerbated by the lack of proper refrigeration at the time. The poisoning was caused by histamine toxicity, also known as Scombroid poisoning (named after the Scombridae family of fish). If yellowtail are caught in high water temperatures on a hot, sunny day and are carelessly dumped on top of each other in the fish hold without any means of cooling, they very often show signs of damage by the time you get back to shore. Changes in the colour of the skin and especially gills, the loss of scales, strong fishy odours, excessive slime, cloudy eyes, pink colour around the chin, dark blackish coloured blood and the softness, white colour and bitter taste of the flesh are some of the characteristics regularly observed in spoiled yellowtail. For a full report on this important subject see “Causative factors of fish spoilage” on page 59 of this issue. EVOLUTION OF THE LINEFISHERY Based on the implicit assumption that the ocean’s bounty was so vast that restrictions were unnecessary, fisheries
were historically in common ownership. No one had a property right to the fish until after they had been caught. With the eventual insight that proper control over fish stocks was needed, some elementary management principles were introduced. Individual fishing quotas (IFQs) were subsequently implemented, the same means by which many governments regulate fishing today. Despite these controls, fisheries started to collapse and nations responded by limiting access to their fishing grounds by boats from other countries. Another technique for controlling access to the fish was to define a “season” during which fishing was allowed. This, however, turned fishing into a race, driving the industry to bigger, faster and smarter boats. Regulators then repeatedly shortened the seasons, sometimes to only a few days per year. The downside was that landings on all boats over ever-shorter intervals led to fluctuating market cycles with prices crashing when the boats came in. A secondary consequence was that boats sometimes launched when the fishery was “open” regardless of poor weather or other safety concerns. International organisations then began to declare that specific species are threatened or endangered, fundamentally reengineering the way in which some governments manage their fisheries. Linefishing in South Africa, which includes yellowtail, is defined as the capture of fish with hook and line, but excludes the use of longlines. Together, the three sectors of the linefishery — SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 13
A painting of Dick le Roux launching his 16ft Hartley ski-boat in Struisbaai harbour — a very precious illustration epitomising the unquenchable zest of yellowtail anglers reconnoitering life during the early 1970s. commercial, recreational and subsistence — target between 95 and 200 of South Africa’s 2 200 marine fish species. The origins of linefishing in South Africa can be traced back to the fishing
activities of indigenous Khoi people and European seafarers in the 1500s. Despite the abundance of fish, the fishery was slow to develop during the 1700s due to various restrictions imple-
This 49 lb (22.2kg) yellowtail was caught by Ferdie Sparmer at Skipskop during the late 1980s. At 89, and considered to be the walking encyclopaedia of Arniston’s history, Ferdie has lived in Arniston all his life. SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 15
Above: DAFF 2014 report on annual catch (in tons) of key linefish species from 2000 to 2012.
Right: The DAFF 2014 report on stock status and fishing pressure on some key linefish species. No fishing pressure has been assigned to red steenbras and seventy-four as they are both currently under total catch moratorium. mented by the Dutch administration. These restrictions were removed when the British captured the Cape Colony in 1795, and during the 1800s boat-based linefishing developed into a thriving industry. At the turn of the 19th century the fishing effort in the Cape was already quite considerable; this increased dramatically during the 20th century and peaked in the 1980s and 1990s. During the last quarter of the 20th century the sharp increase of the fishing effort, together with some technological advances, led to overfishing of most linefish resources around the coast. The most important catalysts of this were the increase in operational range through the introduction of motorised ski-boats on trailers and the rapid advancement in fishing technology (GPS, echosounder, nylon line, etc). Despite its long history, the first comprehensive management framework for the linefishery was introduced in 1985. Successive research surveys indicated continuing declines, resulting in the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism taking cognisance of the critical status of many linefish species, and declaring a state of emergency in 2000. The level of commercial effort was drastically reduced when linefish licenses were allocated in 2003 for mediumterm and 2005 for long-term fishing rights. There has also been a reduction in fishing pressure through the implementation of more realistic species-specific size and bag limits since 2005. Monitoring of both boat-based and shore-based observer programs was also introduced. The commercial linefishery is currently managed through a Total Allowable Effort (TAE) allocation, based on boat and crew numbers. The recreational fishery is managed by a number of output restrictions, such as size and
bag limits, closed areas and seasons. The subsistence fishery is managed through a combination of these. Stocks are managed by using stock status indicators such as the standardised Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) The commercial linefishing sector is exclusively boat-based. From 2006 until the end of 2013, 455 boats have been in operation. Linefishing is a low-earning, labour-intensive industr y which is important from a human livelihood point of view. The recreational boat-based sector expanded rapidly after the introduction of trailerable ski-boats in the 1970s, with a minimum of 4 000 vessels currently in operation. Subsistence fishing was formally recognised in the year 2000 to accommodate those fishermen who depend on the resource for food directly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; usually poor communities or those using traditional methods. There are almost
30 000 subsistence fishers active along the South African coastline, 85% of whom harvest linefish. The Status of the South African Marine Fishery Resources 2010 report published by DAFF confirmed that linefish resources are considered overexploited, threatened, endangered or collapsed, with no improvement evident since 2000. With its maximum age reported as 12 years, the yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) biomass in particular has declined steadily but drastically. However, because the species is nomadic and its availability is subject to environmental condition, the speciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; status was given as optimally exploited. According to the 2014 report published by DAFF, the first results of new stock assessments indicated that the drastic reduction of fishing effort since 2003 resulted in the partial recovery of a few species. The status of yellowtail, however, remained optimally exploited.
The Agulhas area showing the relevant towns. Image courtesy of GoogleEarth. SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 17
18 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
This 24kg yellowtail, the biggest catch recorded in the Agulhas theatre for many years, was caught in February 2017 by Traill Witthuhn, one of the leading conquering pioneers of yellowtail exploitation in the Agulhas theatre. Photo by Martin Roodselaar.
COMMERCIALISATION OF YELLOWTAIL IN AGULHAS WATERS As with most coastal settlements, Skipskop, Arniston and Struisbaai — the axis of our focus — were established close to protected bays. During the early 1940s the offshore fishing “fleet” consisted of rowboats which were pushed over the beach by hand and launched from these bays. Instruments were non-existent and landmarks were used to navigate; this was obviously only possible during daytime on clear days. Due to the abundance of the rapidly commercialised finfish species, and because they were still oblivious to the existence of the banks in their respective areas, the local fishermen only fished the immediate inshore reef structures. Bearing in mind that yellowtail was considered to be poisonous and was not targeted at the time, catches consisted largely of red- and black steenbras, red roman, red stumpnose, dageraad, seventy-fours, carpenters, geelbek, kabeljou and also shark. Freshly caught octopus, mackerel and horse mackerel (maasbanker) were the only baits available at the time. As technology and especially logistics improved over the years, these were later supplemented by frozen chokka, sardines and eventually pike, the most popular baits still in use today. Very unique accounting and payment methodologies were adopted to ensure “fair trade” of caught fish. Crews paid the boat owners by surrendering most of their catch — one out of four fish for the skipper and one out of three fish for a crew member respectively. Referred to as “telvis” (counters), only species considered suitable as table fare were recognised and accepted as payment. Although sharks were not consid-
ered table fare, they were still targeted as their livers were extensively used for the production of shark-liver oil, particularly during the second world war. This oil was used for centuries as a folk remedy to promote the healing of wounds and as a remedy for respiratory tract and digestive system problems. After the war the shark-liver oil market collapsed and sharks were filleted, dried and exported to North African countries. Around the Cape, especially the False Bay area, yellowtail have been caught by the thousands since the very early years. However it was never seen as a preferred table fish, so it was mostly used as a last choice and therefore fetched a lower price compared to other species; this is still true today. Operating from Gansbaai, the licensed purse seine tuna trawlers working the Agulhas area regularly took yellowtail as a by-catch. Some experimental trolls specifically targeting yellowtail only commenced in the early 1970s. Fitted only with radios and elementary echo sounders with no sonar, the trawlers operated at night as the phosphorous trails left by the fish,were the only way of spotting and stalking the shoals. It was only when these trawlers started to net the big shoals of yellowtail that the line fishermen fully comprehended the species’ culinary and commercial qualities and started to target them. However, due to the lack of infrastructure, especially the electricity needed for refrigeration and ice production, the quality of fish finally reaching the markets remained generally poor. It has been reported that hundreds of tons of beautiful large yellowtail were not accepted by the buyers and ended up as fish meal.
Subsequently some of these fish were cut into thin strips, carefully salted and kept apart by thinly cut reeds pushed through the slices, and yellowtail biltong became a very popular way of preservation. By then the going rate was 9c/kg compared to R30-R40/kg today, obviously dependent on the highly fluctuating forces of supply and demand. GLOBAL WARMING: FACT OR FICTION? Compared to the last couple of years during which some outstanding yellowtail catches were made, the 2017 landings are down by some 80% for no obvious reason. On the west coast yellowtail are caught in water temperatures as low as 14°C, whilst in the Agulhas area yellowtail habitually feed in water that’s 18-24°C. They are sometimes taken in colder water, though. Favouring clean, blue, and preferably choppy water conditions, the shoals normally keep above or below the thermocline. A thermocline is the distinct layer in a large body of water in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above and below. Being a permanent, semi-permanent or temporary feature responding to factors such as heating and cooling of surface waters, it could be described as an invisible blanket which separates the upper mixed warm layer from the calm deep cold waters below. Spearfishermen report the thermocline is sometimes indicated by prominent layers of dirty water. This is a natural phenomenon which has become markedly more prevalent over the last couple of years. Some of the newer generation echo sounders clearly display these conditions, thereby enhancing the sounding process substantially. SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 19
Above: This satellite imagery was taken during February, the peak of the yellowtail season. It clearly shows the Agulhas Current eddying and meandering on top of the Agulhas shelf. Left: This illustration shows the trends in sea surface temperatures. Note the warming of the Northern Benguela upwelling system on the west coast, but cooling of the Southern Benguela on the south-west and south coasts. Where the Agulhas Current flows southward and then retroflexes eastwards along latitude 40°S, there is considerable warming. Diagram courtesy of Mathieu Rouault, Oceanography Dept, UCT; redrawn by Colin Bleach. There can be no doubt that the increased prevalence of these thermoclines must be the direct result of an increased wind-driven coastal upwelling caused by more regular and stronger onshore winds. These observations line up with the findings of the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) report on global warming published in 2011. This “Insights into impacts of climate change on the South African marine and coastal environment” report revealed that although global warming warms the Agulhas current along the east coast, it also cools the west coast southern Benguela upwelling system and subsequently the near-shore south coast marine environment. The recent report on climate change by the University of Miami confirmed the above findings. Their research also revealed that globally western boundary current regions, of which the Agulhas current is one, are warming at three times the rate of the rest of the world’s oceans. Surprisingly, due to more turbulence from increased eddying and meandering, the Agulhas current has broadened since the early 1990s and not strengthened as was expected. The increased eddying and meandering could also act to decrease pole-ward heat transport, while increasing coastal upwelling and the exchange of pollutants and larvae across the current from the coast to the 20 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
open ocean. (See https://youtu.be/ lHaJ8uVO2jA). The effects of the increased eddying and meandering phenomenon on the Agulhas shelf has also been confirmed by local observations. During our interviews various individuals reported some changes to the currents around Agulhas. Despite the increased prevalence of thermoclines over the last couple of years, currents are not just stronger and warmer at times, but also show some directional variations. To comprehend the sea surface temperatures (SST) effects spanning over two years, see an animated video demonstrating the Agulhas Current’s meandering down the coast <https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=23d1_cm 6CUI&feature=share>. With these factors steadily but surely unfolding, are we perhaps experiencing some global warming consequences which might have a lasting impact on the Agulhas fisheries? Consider this against the fact that more and more yellowtail larger than 13kg are being caught lately. Is this evidence of the general consensus that large yellowtail specimens are progressively getting bigger? Another impetus is that increased upwellings bring nutrient- and mineralrich water into contact with the increased and more prominent warm water eddies as pointed out by the Miami research team. This happens to be Mother Nature’s unfailing recipe for
the production and proliferation of phytoplankton, the foundation of all food chains on earth. This again impacts positively on the complete marine food chain, especially the mushrooming of baitfish, yet another observation by locals confirming the presence of huge shoals massing in the area. Furthermore, as confirmed by DAFF, the biomasses of all South African marine fishery resources have been depleted considerably, with most species being considered overexploited, threatened, endangered or collapsed. Could the availability of substantially more food with significantly fewer predators in the same water mass perhaps be the stimulus for the presence of larger yellowtail? Add to this the prevalence of ever increasing quantities of large tuna shoals in Agulhas waters, and even yellowfin tuna specimens up to 40kg which have never been seen in our waters before. All this evidence begs an important question. Are these global warming-driven consequential unconventionalities perhaps the game-changing, and are these longlasting impacts transmuting the productive Agulhas theatre forever? • The final part of this series, which will appear in the September 2017 issue of SKI-BOAT, Johan will detail how to catch yellowtail in the Agulhas theatre and how to turn this celebrated quarry into a sensational meal.
HISTORY
By Erwin Bursik and Nick Gray
The Sodwana launch site as it was in 1979.
22 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
I
N the heydays of marlin fishing off the Moçambique coast, Bazaruto, Paradise Island and Pomene were names familiar to the big game anglers of that era. Stories of giant black marlin, 16/0 Penn Senator reels, 600 lb steel cable, 130 lb Dacron line and 16/0 tuna hooks drove any young angler who happened to mix with these mighty men into a state of euphoria. The sheer magnitude of these feats of men versus black marlin was inspirational to many of those who, in the late 1960s and early 70s, started offshore fishing for gamefish from ski-boats.
Natal Deep Sea Rod & Reel Club members fish Sodwana Bay November 1977. Back: Lou Riley, Ralph Morkel, Derek Bowls, Bill Neilson, Monty English, Tony Brokensha, Graham Bennett, Alan King, Don Curry, Cambell Blamey. Front row: Mike Brokensha, Micky Hall-Jones, Rod Tedder, Elinor Bullen, Clive Olivier, Andrè, Olivier and Harry Birkhead.
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 23
Ralph Morkel landing his 242 lb black marlin, helped by Derek Bowls & Monty English. Sodwana Bay November 1977.
Exclusive clubs such as Natal Deep Sea Rod & Reel Club of Durban and the Marlin and Tuna Club of Simons Town were the primary “hallowed halls” of this special breed of angler who, apart from fishing various marlin capitals of the world, practised his sport mainly from Paradise Island in the Bazaruto archipelago. The start of Moçambique’s internal hostilities in 1974 put paid to any further marlin sorties to Bazaruto. Those who practised the sport were forced to look further afield to Hawaii, Mauritius and the Australian Great Barrier Reef. In the meantime the incidental catches of marlin along the South African seaboard, primarily off the Zululand launching areas, sparked the interest of a number of anglers who had tasted the thrill of hunting big fish. Many marlin anglers began to wonder if there was a potential marlin fishery off the South African coast. Eventually in November 1977 seven ski-boats and 30-odd enthusiastic marlin anglers from the Natal Deep Sea Rod & Reel Club set off to explore the waters off Sodwana Bay. At the same time four ski-boats from the Umhlali Club fished off Cape Vidal. This co-ordinated search from two venues produced quite startling results. Experienced anglers who had fished Bazaruto and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef adjusted their fishing methods to the Zululand conditions and set off to see what they would find. Men such as Monty English, Clive Olivier, Ralph Morkel and Tony Brokensha (fishing Sodwana) and Tom Woodhouse, Dave Townsend, Bruce McDonald and Mike Star (fishing Cape Vidal) produced similar exciting results of numerous marlin in the 80- to 100kg class. Not that many marlin were landed, but the quantity of strikes experienced suggested that there were indeed marlin to be caught in this area. The closing paragraph of the report on this marlin fishing trial off the Zululand coast sums up this event: “With results like these, our northern Natal waters could be as happy a hunting ground as Bazaruto ever was.” These anglers subsequently joined together and coerced quite a few other serious “prospective marlin fishermen” to establish the Sodwana Game Fish Club with Clive Olivier as its first chairman. To a large extent this was the first club in South Africa to be formed with the sole mandate of targeting billfish off SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 25
and the odd knuckle-head or kona lures that were pulled as a desperate option if live- or dead baits could not be obtained, were pulled directly off the rod tip. These boats were mostly fitted out with homemade fighting chairs. Only in the late 1980s and ’90s did the major swing to “pulling plastic” come about, and at the same time it seemed that virtually every craft suddenly sported a pair of outriggers, although these were very basic. It was during this transition period that the committee of the time started to introduce the idea of tag and release of billfish. With the aid and advice of Rudi van der Elst of the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI), a partial release rule was introduced in the club around competitions. This rule set a benchmark of 300 points for a released billfish. When it came to landed billfish, only those over 300 lb would qualify for the score of one point per pound of the weighed fish. That’s another first and a major breakthrough in mindset which the Sodwana Gamefish Club introduced into the history of marlin fishing in South African waters. The Sodwana Game Fish Club’s annual November tournament gradually increased in size from the original 12 ski-boats lined up herringbone-style on the Sodwana Bay beach to be launched, to become the premier marlin competition in South Africa. Some things didn’t change, though. From the first “lager” style A Camp accommodation and evening “Tube Train” social, a tradition of great camaraderie and fellowship was created that exists to this day. Big Black Marlin 927 caught by Maurice Strauss on Erwin Bursik and Allan Cunningham’s Sea Lord in 1981 — biggest billfish landed in the Club’s history. South Africa’s shores. History has shown that this club and the Mpumalanga OET spearheaded this fishery which was now readily available to the ski-boating fraternity who wanted to learn how to catch marlin. The locality of this billfishery also drastically reduced the cost associated with this sport, bringing it into the ambit of the average ski-boater. The first ten years saw many changes to the style of fishing and those involved. In the early years the style of marlin fishing off Sodwana Bay and the tackle used was strongly influenced by the founding club members who had fished Lizard Island and the Great Barrier Reef off Cairns. In the late 1970s all the anglers fishing Sodwana used smallish ski-boats, with the biggest being 21ft. Bear in mind that they were all manhandled over the bank after being launched off their trailers into the Ngobozeleni River next to the present day bridge. They were then floated to the opposite bank where, with the aid of rollers, they were pushed into an allocated parking area. Access over the neck below the old “A Camp” was not in existence as it is today. See the main pic of the Sodwana launch site as it was in 1979 on the first page. The marlin fishing was undertaken initially with dead rigged baits, using mainly 130 lb outfits and either heavy wire or 400/600 lb nylon traces and 14/0 or 16/0 tuna hooks. After a few years there was a substantial move to live baits as this method of fishing was basically perfected at Sodwana. The original boats did not have outriggers SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 27
Winners: Clint Rusk, Eddie Lahee, Shaun Barker, and John Rowan with Rod Wyndham of Sabi Sabi.
Day one Day two Day three Day four
2017 TOURNAMENT RESULTS: STRIKES HOOK-UPS TAG & RELEASE Whatsename Smoke Break Overtime Reel-Time Mtatu Nkunzi Silver Dawn Nyaga-Nyaga Mateshane Mateshane Little Champ Silver Dawn Shaluza Lula Too Smoke Break Lula Too Mtatu Nkunzi Silver Dawn Abadakwie Nyaga-Nyaga Matashane Skybird
Winning Team: Little Champ. John Rowan, Eddie Lahee, Shaun Barker, Clint Rusk.
Rod Wyndham, Ian Andrews and Greg Devalle of Team Silver Dawn.
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2017 SODWANA GAME FISH CLUB BILLFISH TOURNAMENT HE annual Sodwana Game Fish Club competition was never commercialised, and since its inception in 1977 only accolades and trophies were there to be won. However times and circumstances change and people move on. Over the last ten or so years the club has, of necessity, introduced a gamefishing element to the annual marlin competition, but all participants are expected to make some time available to target billfish. The 40th anniversary competition was held from 4th to 11th March 2017 and, despite declining membership, 20 teams participated although only about half chose to avidly fish for marlin. As so often happens, the unpredictable weather at Sodwana restricted the fishing to only three and a half days, but those fishable days produced 20 marlin strikes amongst the die-hards who targeted billfish. For the last three years, Rod Wyndham of Sabi-Sabi has very generously sponsored a weekend stay at this magnificent game resort for the winning team. Since the competition is still strictly tag-and-release, only tagged billfish are entered into a draw and the successful team drawn from the hat wins the weekend away. This year nine marlin and one sailfish were tagged and the winners were the team on Little Champ skippered by John Rowan.
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BACK TO BASICS
How to catch bottomfish on light tackle part 1 By Quinton Edmond
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The author with a beautiful musselcracker.
EEF or bottomfishing has changed its profile dramatically in the last decade. This is largely due to the South African Deep Sea Angling Association’s (SADSAA) insistence that this facet of offshore angling complies with the dictates of the international F.I.P.S organisation to which we belong. By complying at club, interprovincial and national level we enable our anglers in this facet to become more proficient and not only enable them to obtain National colours (Protea), but also entice overseas anglers to come and fish competitions in our waters. The biggest change came about during the hosting of the annual Bottomfish Nationals where only 10kg line was allowed and where fishing for multiple species became the order of the day. Initially bottomfishermen believed that it was impossible to fish the deep reefs up to 40 fathoms with such light line. However, after various techniques were devised and our top bottomfish anglers became confident with 10kg line, they landed some very good quality fish. Then the ruling about releasing these bottomfish was also introduced during these National competitions. Once again some resistance was encountered, but now that this technique has been mastered it has also become the norm. I learned two main things during this huge mind shift. First I realised how much more pleasure one gets from using this lighter tackle as opposed to the old-fashioned 12/14-inch Scarborough with 120 lb nylon line. Second I realised the need to be a lot more particular about one’s tackle preparation and bait presentation. Tangible results always provide the best proof though, and interestingly enough, the size and number of fish caught actually increased. By targeting a number of species during one outing we anglers and skippers also became a lot more proficient in our sport. Without doubt the spill-over effect of what we have learnt by adopting these new methods has improved our normal pleasure outings immensely. Within the “sport” of bottomfishing there has always been a fine line between commercial and recreational participants. By adopting the new techniques this gap has widened significantSKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 31
When men were men and reels were big! Above: Quinton Edmond and Mark Courtman displaying the new and old style of rods used by bottom fishermen off the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Quinton (left) holds the bigger Scarborough he used to use and his 10kg outfit with a smaller Scarborough and light action rod. Mark compares a fixed spool reel and medium action rod loaded with braid and an outdated monster Scarborough with 200 lb line and a backbreakingly heavy rod.
Left: From the days of yore — a Malacca cane rod and heavy Scarborough with bicycle hub bearing which is on display at The Kingfisher, Durban. ly, in that the recreational bottomfishermen have not only become more selective in the species they target, but also largely tend to minimise the “stamp collection”. By that I mean the catching of the small reef fish by using, say, a fivehook trace of 1/0 hooks . Nowadays I won’t have a hook of under 5/0 on my boat and only use a double hook trace with hooks ranging from 7/0 to 9/0. Ecologically no doubt the reef will benefit from not having all the small reef fish removed as some commercials still do. In the next few articles I will be concentrating on one specific major 32 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
reef fish species at a time. The emphasis will be on how to catch these fish on the light tackle we use while competing in offshore reef fishing competitions. In many ways the move from heavy tackle to light tackle sounds formidable, and no doubt some of those who look at the accompanying photographs will think we have “lost the plot” or that this is a gimmick. However those who know me will assure you that if this didn’t work — and work to my advantage — I would certainly not be doing it other than during competitions where “the rules dictate”.
Very simply, I have come to believe that fishing skelm with lighter line and, on average lighter sinkers, vastly improves the strike rate. Sure, you may pop the occasional big fish due to pulling too hard on light tackle, but your average catch of fish brought to the boat will be higher. I know many who say they get a thrill when striking on 100 lb line and holding tight onto the huge Scarborough to stop it spinning, then cranking as if your life depended on it, but as I get older and wiser I prefer the fun of angling a decent fish up for 35 fathoms.
FESTIVAL
WELCOME TO 2017 Durban Ski-Boat Club John Rowan Memorial Festival
By Mark Wilson; photos by Greg Labuscagne
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HE word “festival” is often tagged onto the title of offshore fishing competitions, but I have never paused to research the definition of the word. This year I wondered — is it really applicable, particularly with regard to the annual Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival? Is it a true festival?
36 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of “festival” is: a time of celebration marked by special observances; feast, an often periodic celebration or program of events or entertainment having a specified focus. So we are looking for an annual celebration; definitely tick that box — every year close to 300 offshore fishing vessels make the pilgrimage to this event in the hopes of enjoying a celebration and camaraderie with like-minded fanatics
THE PARTY...
focused on fishing. A festival also usually involves a feast, and yes, this festival certainly ensures sufficient mead and fodder are available to sate the crowds that beset this venue. Entertainment is also found in abundance — the NSRI mock rescue both delights the families of the dedicated fishermen and also sets at ease the minds of those waiting for their return. Everyone present knows that should anything untoward happen at sea, the NSRI will bring them back safely.
There’s also plenty of live music on tap to keep the feet moving and the spirits high. Lastly, with regard to the requirement that a festival have a specific focus, one can safely argue that there are plenty of incentives to inspire dedicated focus on catching the biggest ’cuda. The main prize of a new Seacat 510 with 2 x 60hp 2stroke Yamaha motors and trailer valued at R395 000 was a good incentive to start with. And if that failed there was a SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 37
possible R30 000 prize if you backed your ’cuda and it was closest to the sealed weight prize under 20kg. There were also plenty of lucky draws as well as dedicated quality prizes for both the women and junior anglers. A massive cache of prizes was thrown in by loyal sponsors, rewarding not only the top 15 weighed ’cuda but also the heaviest catches in various other gamefish categories. The Durban SkiBoat Club certainly keeps its participants’ focus sharp by correctly boasting to be the richest offshore fishing festival in southern Africa, with the total prize pool valued at over R1.5 million. This year’s festival — and there’s now no doubt that it qualifies to be named as such — took place over 29th and 30th April. The two days were dedicated to fishing with one goal in mind — to hook, catch and weigh-in the heaviest ’cuda possible, to make one angler’s dream of towing home the Seacat 510 a reality. Obviously there were also bragging rights up for grabs. The public holiday on 1st May was provisionally set aside as a replacement fishing day should there be a blow out on the Saturday or Sunday, as has happened in the past. However this year the sun was out and the wind stayed in check, affording the 279 boats manned by an impressive 787 anglers an unhindered shot at catching that dream “croc” ’cuda. Although so many anglers took part, the fishing community is still a close-knit one, and this year’s festival was named the John Rowan Memorial Festival in honour of John Rowan who passed away shortly before the festival. John was a generous sponsor of the festival in the past, through his company Accessories Spares Centre, and was a longstanding member of the Durban Ski-Boat Club who will be sorely missed. I was incredibly impressed — as I have been repeatedly over the last 16 years — by that first early morning send off.
Hilton Kidger was once again at the helm of the sponsors’ boat as we drifted amongst the armada of offshore vessels and jetskis, waiting for the horn to blow and watch the ocean be churned up by over 500 outboard motors. Collectively all that horsepower thrust the competitors to their various sweet spots which formed part of their gameplan to ensure success. The atmosphere on the beach in front of the clubhouse was fantastic, with the Durban weather at its best and the families and friends of the anglers thoroughly enjoying the event. Although the main focus of this festival is on the fishing, the land-based entertainment is also a high priority for the organisers and is essentially why this particular festival is the great success it is year after year. Back to the fishing ... On day one lines-up was scheduled for 3:30pm, allowing anglers to beach anytime prior to the cut off or to race to make the queue by the allotted time qualifying them for a weigh-in. This year the organisers had the weigh station inside the massive tent right next to the prize boat, as opposed to the stage gantry bordering the beach line. This ensured the fish had to be paraded past the throng of spectators to reach the weigh station, and ensured a constant excited buzz amongst the competitors and crowds alike. Inspired thinking indeed. Seth van den Berg, a junior no less, managed a 23kg ’cuda on the first day and, at the official close of weigh-in, was in the lead and the young man to chase. Seasoned senior anglers have been in his shoes in the past, suffering the anguish of knowing that a lead fish can easily be eclipsed on the second day, and I can only imagine that sleep didn’t come too easy for young Seth that evening. Day two dawned, with weigh-in scheduled for 2:30pm. The gauntlet had been cast down by Seth and a stiff challenge lay ahead for 786 other hopeful anglers who were now target-
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 39
The 2017 DSBC Festival winner, Ryan Jenkins, and his brother Quinton are congratulated by Ryan Hansen of Durban Yamaha, Anthony Gordon of East Coast Yamaha Marine and Bill Harrison of Natal Carvans & Marine.
ing the benchmark as opposed to the shoal ’cuda which are abundant at this time of year. The organisers also set a minimum acceptable weight for ’cuda on the second day based on the weight of the 15th heaviest ’cuda recorded on the first day of fishing. This is great from a conservation point of view as the smaller ’cuda would then be returned because there was no prize incentive to keep them. Unfortunately Seth was unable to hang onto the lead at the final weigh-in, with three anglers managing to eclipse his 23kg ’cuda. However that very worthy fish still landed him fourth place overall and the prize for top junior. Dwayne Boshoff, a regular participant and prior winner at the festival, weighed in a 24.08kg fish,Trevor Dittberner pipped this with a 25.06kg ’cuda, and the top honours went to Ryan Jenkins who must have been ecstatic with his winning ’cuda which weighed in at 25.40kg. A mere 34 grams ensured he took home the Seacat 510! His excitement at the final evening’s prize-giving was tangible, and a great testament to what a fantastic festival this is. This year’s main prize was made possible by the collaboration of Natal Caravans & Marine, Durban Yamaha and East Coast Yamaha, and I encourage you to show them your support in exchange. Finally, Durban Ski-Boat Club, congratulations on a job once again very well done. For further information on what goes on behind the scenes at the festival and what you can expect in future, see Mark Wilson’s interview with Hilton Kidger on page 43.
40 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
WINNERS Heaviest ’cuda Ryan Jenkins Trevor Dittberner Dwayne Boshoff Seth Van Den Berg (Junior) Justin Paynter Frank Sykes Jesse Schubach Peter Boschoff Jake Roome Jacques Stevens
Weight 25.40kg 25.06kg 24.08kg 23.00kg 22.98kg 22.40kg 22.22kg 22.22kg 21.68kg 21.04kg
Species prizes Tyronne van Eck —7.32kg bonnito Tom Smith — 8.80kg dorado Dustin Rees — 10.56kg queenfish Roxanne Stone (Lady) — 8.46kg snoek Shaun Woodcock — 18.9kg yellowfin tuna Top junior boys Seth Van Den Berg — first Kyle Bakos & John-Roy Ayliff — joint second Ladies Tessa Mcainnes — 16.88kg ’cuda Top junior girls Rachel Leadsham — 4.00kg ’cuda
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COMMENT
By Mark Wilson SKI-BOAT’S Mark Wilson chatted to the Durban Ski-Boat Club Commodore, Hilton Kidger, in the wake of the 2017 Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival, to find out how well things ran behind the scenes and what lies ahead. Mark Wilson: The general consensus from the many anglers I chatted to was that this year’s festival was the best ever. Why do you think the anglers feel this way? Hilton Kidger: There were a number of factors that were different this year, and clearly they made a difference. To start with we had an amazingly wide beach thanks to a fine gentleman called Godfrey Vella. It is his responsibility to see that our beaches are maintained with sand from the Pumping Station. What is not widely known is that without this man and his team — plus the Transnet dredger that brings the sand — we would not have any beach. They form a vital cog in the wheel. With all the extra sand we were able to spread out the 280 boats which gave us the room to use the tractors and fourwheel drive vehicles to full advantage. This brings me to the next difference this year — the number of vehicles we had. In total we had five tractors and used three for launching and retrieving. However the really big plus was the group of nine 4x4s supplied through the
CMH Group. That was arranged by Rob (Basher) Downs and Greg van Rensburg from CMH Nissan Pinetown. Each of their off road brands was represented — Nissan,Toyota, Landrover, Ford and Mazda. All the vehicles were fitted with Warn winches supplied by Peter Symons of Mr Winch, and with Mr Winch branded safety “blankets” for safe retrieving. Combined Motor Holdings (CMH) is the only multi-franchise group with their Head Office in KwaZulu-Natal. In addition to these changes, the supporting brands and dealers put R40 000 into the kitty. Launching at this festival is quite an easy exercise as we have time on our side, but retrieving is another operation that gives you little time between landings. As each boat hit the shoreline a tractor arrived, a rope was attached to the boat and, within a matter of seconds, the boat was towed up the beach. A 4x4 with trailer then arrived and the boat was quickly trailered and put back in its parking place. The queue was quick and the anglers were even given an Amstel beer to keep them happy. The CMH Group has played a huge supporting role at many events at the Durban Ski-Boat Club over a number of years now — and at other clubs in our province. The relationship seems to be working well for both sides. According to Basher Downs,“We have enjoyed reciprocal support from the anglers and friends, and the CMH Group thanks you for that. With this support we will keep adding to our involvement in offshore angling.”
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 43
exceptionally low, by the time you add up the other expenses such as fuel, bait etc, the numbers pile up for the anglers. Given all this — and a tough economy — we were more than happy with the support the event received. MW: Talk to us about sponsorship; how easy or difficult is it to get support? HK: The days of all and sundry opening their purses are long gone. Nowadays we focus on our regular supporters and make sure we work with them before the festival so they get plenty of “bang for their buck” so to speak. It is a solid relationship and one we take ver y seriously. We also realise that the sponsorship needs to be focussed in areas that are relevant to our sport. For example we have a number of businesses that want to sell their wares over the weekend, but these are politely turned away. If you want to see who our supporters are look at our thank you advert on page 41. These companies support us year after year, and we are forever grateful for these relationships. We also held a thank you cocktail party in early June to show our appreciation of their support. MW: This used to be Landrover domain in terms of vehicles; why the change? HK: You’re quite right; historically Landrover were represented through Durban Landrover (Andre Schrenk) and Umhlanga Landrover (Darren Gray), and were supported by Landrover South Africa. This support has been the norm since Pa fell off the bus, but with the 110 Series now out of production — I understand the upgraded version of this legendary vehicle is due to arrive in 2019 — it was a very expensive exercise committing their Discovery range which is currently in run-out to make way for the all new Discovery arriving in July 2017. With this in mind we were faced with a tough decision to look at a range of vehicles rather than one premier brand. Hence the involvement of the CMH Group. In effect the financial load was spread, and it allowed us to put more vehicles into the mix. Having said that, Durban Landrover were as supportive as ever and in spite of not having a vehicle available, they put R10 000 into the kitty. As the convenor, all I can say is that I am forever grateful for Durban Landrover’s support over the years and their big picture view in supporting our anglers in 2017.Thank You,André. I must also make mention of the fact that Umhlanga Landrover put a Discovery into the pool and added R10 000 as well. Many thanks, Darren, for your support! MW: Last year you had 311 boats participating and this year the numbers were down to 279. What’s your take on that? HK: It’s not our intention to chase numbers; our aim is to give our guests and supporters a superb all round experience, amazing value for money in terms of prizes, slick organisation, entertainment for the families, and food and refreshments at “home cooked” prices. From the comments received we can say with certainty this was achieved. In fact, when it comes to numbers I think a limit of 300 boats makes more sense. We must also remember that participating in these events is not a cheap exercise, and even though our entry fee is 44 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
MW: There was quite a bit of talk that with the development planned for the Point area this may be the last festival for a while. What is the latest news on this front? HK: The reality is that the Durban Point Development Company (DPDC) is quickly nearing the time when they will start the next phase of construction at the Point by completing the walkway that currently ends at uShaka Marine World. The plan is that this will extend all the way to the north breakwater and go around towards the bay. All the clubs (PWC) will then be situated beneath this walkway, with a 180 metre frontage. We are still awaiting the detail on this one. All this information has already been shared with our members, so reading this should be no surprise. This development will result in a consolidation of the clubs that are currently part of the Point Watersports Club arrangement, and with this will come changes that we will have to work around. Clearly the Durban Ski-Boat Club will be part of this change, and as such we may not be able to hold this festival for a year or two. In terms of timing, things should become a little clearer in the next month or so, but I am not holding my breath. There are definitely interesting times ahead! MW: Last year’s festival weekend heralded the arrival of the elusive ’cuda off Durban, but this year you guys really invited them to the party. How did you manage to get that right? HK: It is a very simple one — in the week prior to the festival we send the ’cuda our dates, and closer the time the smorgasbord menu they can expect. These juicy dishes are then spruced up with glitter and all sorts of stuff courtesy of The Kingfisher. The ’cuda just love them! Last year we asked them to diarise the dates for this year’s festival, and that’s why so many turned up. Another a big plus is that there is no entry fee for them! In closing I would like to publically thank the DSBC staff and management for the extra mile and hard work they put in to make the John Rowan Memorial Festival one to remember.
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ 47
Kingfisher Award Application Form I hereby apply for the Kingfisher Award in the category:
Meritorious Fish
Outsanding 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: .............................................. 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: .................................... Digital emailed photographs should be high-resolution.
48 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
YOUR 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 ski-boaters the unique opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. All deep sea anglers who achieve laid down 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 digital certificate, suitably inscribed. 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 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) Entires must be received within 45 days of capture. 6) Certificates awarded will be as follows: Meritorious Fish - Gold Outstanding Catch 3:1 - Bronze; 5:1 and 7:1 - Silver; 10:1 - Gold 7) 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. 8) A selection of award winners’ names will be announced in future issues of SKIBOAT, along with relevant photographs. 9) Award applicants should allow 30-45 days for processing of applications. 10) There is no charge for Kingfisher Awards.
fish's weight being the main criterion. The different eligible fish and their corresponding minimum nominated weights are as per the list below. A gold digital certificate will be awarded for this 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.
SPECIES: Barracuda Dorado Kingfish (Ignobilis) Garrick (Leervis) King Mackerel (’Cuda) Black Marlin Blue Marlin Striped Marlin Prodigal Son Sailfish (Pacific) Spearfish (Longbill) Spearfish (Shortbill) Tuna (Big Eye) Tuna (Longfin) Tuna (Yellowfin) Wahoo Yellowtail
NOMINATED WEIGHT: 15kg 12kg 20kg 12kg 15kg 100kg 100kg 60kg 15kg 25kg 20kg 20kg 30kg 25kg 50kg 15kg 15kg
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 above. In line with this trend we will not be carrying photographs on the Kingfisher Award Page of any of the billfish species nor GTs other than those that are released.
Submit application to: Kingfisher Awards, PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 or email angler@mags.co.za
50 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
MAINTENANCE By John Frankiskos ET me a paint you a word picture ... You are on your way to Moçambique to take part in an eagerly awaited competition. You are all fired up and so is your crew. All the preparation has been meticulously done and your tackle and boat are shipshape. All of a sudden your world falls apart — the tow vehicle lurches to one side, your precious boat slides from side to side, and all you can see in your rear view mirrors is chaos as you struggle to slow down to a stop without overturning the combined rig. Chaos is an understatement as you see the trailer’s suspension and wheels are a mangled mess and you begin to pray your boat is not damaged. I sincerely hope you never have such a gut wrenching experience, but they’re not infrequent. I have witnessed similar scenarios on quite a few occasions while travelling to and from Moçambique. Can you imagine the consequences of such an incident? To start with one has to get the rig off the road onto the verge to prevent any further damage and without adding to the existing damage, so that a full assessment can be made. Then it’s imperative that you’re able to “jury rig” the trailer somehow to get the entire rig to a safe locality where sufficient repairs can be carried out to allow you to tow back to South Africa. The expensive alternative is to load the trailer and boat onto a flatbed tow truck. It’s a very big word picture, but I want to drive home the importance of ensuring you thoroughly maintain your trailer and don’t neglect this very important aspect of offshore skiboating. At this stage I wish to emphasise that I am not suggesting all boat owners should personally service their own trailers, but what I want to ensure is that you, the boat owner, should know what to look for and be aware of what could be going wrong so that it can be repaired before you face a similar problem. While I was helping Erwin Bursik service the hydraulic braking system on Mr Ski-Boat I noticed that the trailer springs were suffering from sea water cancer — rust. I also felt that the springs had flattened out, thereby reducing their effectiveness. In the last issue we talked about the maintenance of and what to look for when one repairs hydraulic braking systems, now we will go through the replacement/maintenance of the leaf springs on your trailer. Trailer manufacturers rate leaf springs according to the weight of your boat and trailer, and they play a very important role in absorbing the bumps and undulations of the road surface. That is why it is so important that you do not use your boat as a luggage trailer, as inevitably one will overload the trailer load rating which could bring with it a lot of problems including the following: • If you’re pulled over at a weigh bridge, for instance, you could be found to have exceeded your vehicle’s towing capacity. • You could have exceeded the gross tare of your trailer. • You could have exceeded the load rating of your tyres. • Your trailer springs could have bottomed out rendering them non-functional. If you go over a bump and your rig
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bounces, the axle could hit the trailer’s U-channels beams and bend. • The tyres will be overstressed as they have taken over the job of the leaf springs. The other real problem with leaf springs is that they rust. Most of us wash our trailers down after every use, but no matter how hard we try we cannot thoroughly clean between the leaf springs. Saltwater gets in between the leaves and rusts the spring, sometimes so badly that the spring seizes up completely.
A sad example of where the spring assembly broke away from the trailer chassis. Fortunately the rig was not travelling fast. As shown in the above photograph, the entire sub assembly was ripped off and ended up behind the craft’s transom. The photograph below shows the remains of the trailer and axle after delivery for repairs to be undertaken.
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The U-bolts holding the axle onto the springs and ultimately the trailer must also be checked for rust, as must the clamps that hold the leaves together. When we were servicing the brakes on Erwin’s trailer we inspected the leaf springs and found that they had collapsed. On jacking up the trailer we found there was no movement in the springs, and when we released the jack the tyres took the load — once again no movement in the springs. We also noticed that one of the clamps holding the leaves together had broken. With a tow to Moçambique imminent I suggested we take
the springs off and have them serviced professionally. It was not an easy task as we could not practically offload the craft. What we did, however, was loosen the four major big bolts holding the spring assembly together, as well as the nuts holding the four U-bolts clamping the LA Axle onto the springs. To achieve this the trailer’s two mud guards had to be removed to enable us to access the four major bolts. Two of these four bolts were rusted solid and no matter how hard we tried to loosen them we could not get it right. Eventually they had to be cut off with an angle grinder.
Rust, the nemisis of all skiboaters, is clearly visible as the old springs are loosened for removal. Of specific interest is the rust between the leaves and how it caused the retaining bolt to snap (insert).
BOAT TRAILER SPRINGS — FACTS TO KNOW By Erwin Bursik
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WO 20mm high tensile bolts, one on each side, hold the springs attached to your trailer, and therefore these are the two most important entities that keep your craft safe during any tow. To a large extent it’s these springs that absorb the shock any rig experiences while being towed, especially where uneven road surfaces are traversed, like on a tow to Moçambique. These shocks are transferred through the trailer chassis to your boat. In simple terms, for those who tightly strap their craft to the trailer, you’re using the boat to strengthen the rigidity of the trailer and, in so doing, you’re putting excessive strain on your craft’s glass fibre hull. To get a better insight into the makings of an efficient and durable set of springs SKI-BOAT approached Brett Geary of Geary Spring Specialists in Durban who have over 30 years’ experience in the field of spring manufacturing and repairs.
SB: What sort of stresses are the springs you made for Mr SkiBoat going to experience with a 2 500kg boat plus a 300kg trailer chassis bouncing on a pot holed road? Brett: The springs will be under severe stress on a potholed road and driving with caution is strongly advised as springs are not designed to be under constant stress. Springs are specifically designed to carry the weight intended and driving harshly on a potholed road could snap the spring blades. Do not exceed the gross tare of your trailer. SB: Please explain the extent you, as a spring smith, go to in
order to make a set of springs that will be able to withstand these forces and do the job we ski-boaters require of them. Brett: To start with we make them from EN45 grade steel. It is a silicon manganese spring steel and offers excellent spring characteristics. SB: After a new set of springs has been fitted to a boat trailer that effectively gets dunked into saltwater twice every time the craft goes to sea, and which sits in the hot sun all day while the craft is at sea, how should the springs be looked after to maximise their longevity? Brett: Saltwater eats into the blades which causes the springs to rust, corrode and lose tension. Once the trailer is out of the water the springs should be hosed down with water to wash off excess salt. In addition it’s recommended that you use Denzo tape — a special oil tape which is wrapped around springs to prevent rust corrosion and ensure longevity. SB: In the real world of boating how often should the entire leaf spring assembly be completely dismantled from a skiboat trailer to be fully serviced? Presumably you should not wait over three years like I did. Brett: As soon as springs start to corrode or lose tension, or if you notice any rust or corrosion starting to appear on bolts, pins, U-bolts or shackle hangers, springs should be dismantled and serviced.This corrosion could result in serious damage to your trailer or vehicle if the springs break while you’re towing it. Tension lost on springs will also cause extra stress on your trailer tyres and will cause your trailer to sway while being towed which can be very dangerous. SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 53
The new leaf springs carefully wrapped with Denso Tape.
The new spring assembly in place and securely bolted.
Before and after. The top old spring clearly shows how it has flattened out as a result of corrosion. Below it is the new spring and after binding the other new spring with Denso Tape. Before the bolt cutting and final loosening of all that held the axle in place, we had to jack up the aft section of the trailer and securely chock it so that it had no chance of collapsing. I can assure you I made absolutely certain of this considering Erwin and I would be under this three-ton rig. After that, dropping the axle, which still had its wheels attached, so that we could remove the badly rusted springs was comparatively easy. I can hear a number of you asking:“Why didn’t you wash down the craft and trailer after launching?” Having fished a number of times aboard Mr Ski-Boat I know that the boat is washed down well at its resting place at Erwin’s home where it is housed under the protection of a car port. Erwin was suprised at how badly corroded the springs were. “They’re just four years old,” he told me, and he assured me that he had sprayed them with a paraffin/oil mixture fairly often. We found out a great deal about springs when we delivered the two springs to Durban’s premium spring smith, Geary Spring Specialists. There the main fundi, Brett Geary, explained that where springs on a boat trailer are submerged in saltwater the primary rust occurs between the leaves. So, while you spray the exterior and, to some extent, protect the outside, the internal leaves are being eaten away with corro54 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
sion and are weakened. This was the cause of the springs partially collapsing. “You need new ones,” said Brett. He also suggested we cover them with Denzo Tape which would extend the life of the springs from the usual three years to about ten years. The new springs were ready within three days and, with new high tensile bolts and new Nylock nuts and washers acquired, mounting the new springs and tightening them on to the LA Axle was relatively simple and required a lot less effort than taking the old springs out. Have a look at the accompanying photographs and be aware that this problem could be yours if your trailered craft is launched into saltwater and is more than three years old. These articles are not meant to undermine the role of professionals or teach boat owners how to repair their own trailers, they are merely here to create awareness of what to look out for when inspecting or cleaning your rig. Do not attempt to do this kind of maintenance work if you are not mechanically minded or do not have the correct tools. In that case use a reputable trailer maintenance workshop. Having read this article, though, at least you have some understanding of what to look for before and after the repair work is done.
ADVERTORIAL
Love at First Sight
S a European leader in dynamic and elegant yacht designs, anything that comes out of the Jeanneau factory is worth writing home about, but the Cap Camarat 8.5WA is simply extra special. With a roomy sunbathing area, uncluttered cockpit with a huge centre console, and comfortable wraparound bench seating for four, this 8.37 metre Jeanneau is a firm favourite with Boating World clients. One of these clients, Nigel Sessions, became the proud owner of a Jeanneau Cap Camerat 8.5WA in Cape Town in September 2015 and hasn’t looked back since. “I had been looking for an upgrade of my previous boat which was a Formula 271,” he said. “It was fast but had very limited space.” And so, in
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search of a stylish new boat with a lot more deck and cabin space, and after many hours spent trawling through boating magazines and sales sites, Nigel finally narrowed down his choices. Eventually it was a toss up between a Sessa Key Largo 27 and a Jeanneau Cap Camerat 8.5. The first is powered by an inboard stern drive and the second by outboard power, either single or twin. There were no examples of either craft in South Africa, so Nigel made contact with the team at Boating World — the leading African importer of luxury sailing and motor-yachts and the approved African distributor for Jeanneau. “I needed to kick the tyres before making a decision,” Nigel commented. “Derrick Levy and his team at Boating
World arranged not only a viewing, but also a sea trial for me of the Cap Camarat in Port du Crouesty near Nantes in France. I first viewed the Key Largo in the UK, and it was a lovely looking boat, but I didn’t like the helm position and was not able to have a water test. Derrick, on the other hand, made all the arrangements with the local agents for Jeanneau and soon after my arrival I was out in the Bay of Biscay,” explained Nigel. With one of the highest freeboards in its class and an on-deck galley that is the focal point for entertaining, it’s fair to say it was love at first sight for Nigel and the Jeanneau Cap Camerat. “The boat was very appealing as it ticked all my requirement boxes. It can sleep four at a push, has separate heads with a shower, hot and cold running
MEETING THE JEANNEAU CAP CAMERAT 8.5 Nigel Sessions and Derrick Levy celebrate Nigel’s new purchase.
Nigel at the helm of his Jeanneau Cap Camerat 8.5.
water, a fridge and a microwave. The Jeanneau also features a great sociable cockpit, fully padded bow sunpad and single gas plate and sink. The boat I tested was fitted with twin Yamaha 225hp outboard motors (the maximum permitted power for the hull). I kept a smile on my face for the next couple of days and placed an order right away with Derrick!” A few months later, and with all the necessary arrangements taken care of by the team at Boating World, Nigel Sessions was beaming onboard his very own Jeanneau Cap Camerat 8.5WA. Today Nigel is even more in love with his new toy. “I love the ease of use, the on board facilities and, perhaps above all, the power of the motors as I opted for twin Yamaha 225s. My last
boat was fast and I thought I would have to settle for more mundane speeds. Although the Jeanneau is not as fast, 46.8 knots is not too shabby!” gushed Nigel. The Jeanneau is perfect for Cape Town waters and Nigel loves to experience the sea life with sightings of whales and dolphin pods. While the Jeanneau’s wide open spaces with f lush-mounted seating and loungers make it ideal for socialising, fishing excursions, coastal cruising and entertaining for both business and pleasure, it is also able to handle longer trips. Keeping your boat in Cape Town, as Nigel does, means weekend trips to Hout Bay, Gordon’s Bay and Langebaan are an absolute pleasure with a spacious two-berth cabin, toilet and sink, comfortably positioned down below.
Top of the range electronics with a moving map display and fishfinder, an upgraded sound system and a f lush mounted compass all make it super easy to operate your craft out on the water. All this comes at a competitive price when compared to similarly sized boats that don’t provide the versatility of the Jeanneau. As Nigel says,“simply running out to sea to destress and dropping anchor at Clifton is good for the soul.” The team at Boating World agrees. • To order your very own Jeanneau, get in touch with Boating World by email <derrick@boatingworld.co.za>, phone 082 881 2607 or 0861 324 754 or visit their website <www.boating world.co.za/jeanneau>. SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 57
FEATURE
SOMETHING FISHY
Gaffing your fish in the middle of the body and then leaving it to lie around on the floor or be used as a photographic prop is unlikely to produce top quality flesh.
Causative factors of fish spoilage By Johan Smal
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HETHER you catch them in freshwater or saltwater, fish spoil quickly if you don’t handle them properly from the moment you land them. Mishandle fresh fish, and you end up with softened flesh, a strong flavour, and a ‘fishy’ or sour odour. Handle fresh fish properly, and you will enjoy a delicate flavour, fine texture, and a pleasing or neutral odour.” — M Braker Although the above piece of wisdom was penned back in 1992, many people remain completely ignorant about the lurking hazards of spoiling fish. This completely natural process — specifically managed by Mother Nature to decompose and demineralise all lifeless substances on earth — remains a largely unpublicised phenomenon. This is surprising considering it’s vital information for fishermen who need to ensure the proper safekeeping and final enjoyment of that pristinely preserved fresh catch. The same topic was raised by both Erwin Bursik and Daryl Bartho in the May/June 2017 issue of SKI-BOAT. Their valid contributions combined with my own research into the reasons why yellowtail in particular was branded as being poisonous during the early years, persuaded me to share details of the causative factors of fish spoilage more comprehensively. Please note
that I have attempted not to get bogged down by the technical terminology and processes of this very complex subject. CLASSIFICATION OF PERISHABILITY In order to understand their perishable nature, all foods are usually classified as less perishable, moderately perishable or highly perishable. Cereals, nuts and grains are included in the less perishable and more stable category, vegetables as moderately perishable and seafood as highly perishable. Seafoods are less stable because of their high moisture content, the availability of nutrients for the growth of microorganisms, and their low tolerance to ambient temperatures. In addition to their highly perishabile nature, many fish species naturally contain high levels of the chemical histidine. When the f lesh of the fish begins to decay — and this commences the moment the fish dies — this substance is converted by bacteria to histamine, a process that causes histamine toxicity. Also known as Scombroid poisoning — named after the Scombridae family of fish which includes mackerels, tunas and bonitos — this is caused by the consumption of “spoiled” fish as a result of improper handling and storage conditions. The Cape yellowtail (Seriola lalandii) is involved in most local cases of Scombroid poisoning, but other susceptible fish include albacore, skipjack, bonito, mackerel, yellowfin tuna, amber-
jack, dorado and wahoo. Cooking the food does not prevent infection because histamine is not destroyed at normal cooking temperatures. It is also important to note that this is a common type of seafood poisoning and as histamine is also the natural agent involved in allergic reactions, Scombroid poisoning often gets misidentified as a food allergy. THE SPOILING PROCESS The shelf life of fish depends on the variety, the handling of the individual specimen and the way it gets treated and stored from the moment it’s caught. Spoilage and freshness are the two qualities that have to be clearly defined. A fresh product is defined as the one whose original characters remain unchanged. Spoilage, therefore, is indicative of post-harvest change. This change may be graded as the change from absolute freshness to limits of acceptability to unacceptability. Spoilage is usually accompanied by a change in the physical characteristics which indicate freshness. Due to a live fish’s natural protection against harmful bacteria, the millions of bacteria always present on the skin, gills and in the intestine cannot attack the fish’s muscle. Spoilage is caused by the action of bacteria, enzymes and chemicals present in the fish. High moisture, fat and protein content, weak muscle tissue, unhygienic SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 59
Chilling the fish immediately after you catch it and keeping it at 0°C with proper icing will substantially reduce the spoilage. Chilling is, however, only a short term means of protection; freezing is the most satisfactory method currently available for the long term preservation of seafood. Since fish continues to remain in almost the same natural condition even after freezing, effectively retaining flavour, colour and nutritive values for some time, it is by far the best way of preventing fish from spoiling.
This photo taken some years back shows how not to treat your catch. Fish can start spoiling quite soon after being caught if they’re not handled correctly, so leaving them in the sun all day and dumping them in the sand is not ideal. The identities of the anglers have been hidden as we hope they no longer treat their catch this way. handling and uncontrolled temperature also contribute to the process. Mechanical damages of the skin, blood vessels and internal organs bursting instantly create highways for bacteria and enzymes to attack and contaminate the flesh. Damage is always caused by gaffing which is the most important reason why Daryl suggested that fish should only be gaffed in the head. Careless handling and unnecessary dropping onto a hard surface are other menaces. It’s vital that you avoid the indiscriminate dumping of fish into the hold or simply throwing them from the trailered boat onto the lawn when off loading. Even worse, sometimes they’re dumped into an open crate and are left in the scorching sun before being moved into the shade at a conve-
nient time. Keep in mind that bacteria multiply ver y quickly in high temperatures, rapidly accelerating the spoiling process. This applies equally to the normal ambient temperature, the temperature of the water in which the fish was caught, the baking effect of the sun or even the oven-like effect when the fish is in a closed container, for example the very fish hatch temporarily used as storage enroute to shore. PREVENTATIVE MEASURES Ice, ice, ice is what both Daryl and Erwin desperately shouted for, and for very good reason. The activities of the spoiling organisms can be controlled, reduced or even retarded by the immediate lowering of the temperature.
THE MAIN STAGES OF SPOILAGE A fish’s flesh is highly nutritive and tasty precisely because of its constituents — water, protein and fat. The spoilage is a complicated process which starts immediately after the death of the fish and involves three stages: Rigor mortis, autolysis and bacterial invasion and putrefaction. The rigor mortis is a physical effect on the muscle tissue of fish caused by chemical changes following death. In live fish their movements are controlled by chemical signals which cause the contractions (stiffening and relaxation) of the muscles, producing the swimming action. At death the normal circulatory system breaks down and chemical signals leak into the muscles causing them to stiffen. The circulation of blood also stops, cutting off the supply of oxygen; the enzymes present in the muscle then convert the glycogen into lactic acid which reduces the pH of the fish muscles. After the rigor mortis stage, muscle stiffness gradually decreases, accompanied by increase in pH again, ending up in the progressive softening of muscle. This is followed by a process called autolysis, described as an internal breakdown of the protein and fat structures due to a complex series of reactions by enzymes. Autolysis of protein starts immediately after rigor mortis and creates favourable conditions for the
Raw kabeljou fillets (left) and red stumpnose fillets (right), ready to be cooked. 60 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
Whether your favourite fish dish is katonkel sashimi, deep fried yellowtail, braaied kabeljou or smoked katonkel, good quality meat can only be obtained if you handle your catch well from the moment you land it. growth of bacteria. Another important action of the enzymes is that they affect the flavour of the fish. The components responsible for the taste and flavour of the fish are changed by the enzymatic action which imparts a bitter taste to the fish muscle which is accompanied by the loss of fresh fish flavour. This also indicates the degree of freshness. Enzymatic action also causes decomposition in the fish known as belly bursting, caused by the action of digestive enzymes present in the gut of the fish which obviously accelerates the process greatly. The spoilage processes can be limited by reducing the three main substances — water content, enzymes and fat content. If the water content is reduced the chemical decomposition decreases as the bacteria present would be deprived of one of the substances needed for their survival. Reduction in the concentration of enzymes again reduces chemical decomposition, and if the fat content of the fish is reduced, there is less possibility of oxidation occurring. This means that there is less chance of the taste of the fish being spoilt due to the rancidity of the fat. USE IT OR LOSE IT Utilising the age old sensory test of touch, smell, sight and taste to assess the freshness of a fish may well be considered biased because of individual preferences, but it does represent the particular consumer’s view. The most important facets to observe are:
• Fresh fish should have bright, clear, full eyes that are often protruding. As the fish loses freshness the eyes become cloudy, pink, and sunken. • The gills should be bright red or pink. Avoid fish with dull-coloured gills that are grey, brown or green. • The saying goes that fresh fish does not smell like fish. Spoiling changes fish odour to strong smelling, sour, gassy and finally to an ammonia or faecal odour • Fresh fish should be free of loose or sloughing slime. • The flesh should be firm yet elastic, springing back when pressed gently with the finger. With time the flesh becomes soft and slips away from the bone. • The skin of a fresh fish should be shiny with scales that adhere tightly. Characteristic colours and markings start to fade as soon as a fish leaves the water and are also a good indication of the freshness of the fish. • When filleted the f lesh must be firm, elastic and have a moist appearance, almost translucent as if you can virtually see through it. There should be little evidence of bruising or reddening from retention of excessive blood, also indicating that the fish was not properly bled. Soft flesh tends to separate and remember that when fish are stored in liquid they deteriorate quickly. TO DO OR NOT TO DO Despite not always having ice on hand, I’ve always been a firm believer and a
regularly promoter of the way freshly caught fish should be handled. This despite the openly expressed amazement, disbelief and sometimes touchiness of some of my fishing companions over the years. At the risk of sounding boring, I must emphasise the key message by repeating two short declarations: The first by Erwin Bursik stating that “A caught fish that is properly handled from the time it is hooked until its fillets are sizzling in the frying pan can be the finest quality you will ever get to eat”. The second by Daryl Bartho testifying that,“We (Daryl and his family) are passionate about preparing good quality fish for the table and this starts with how you look after your fish once it hits the deck.” In summary, if you’re passionate about exploring and enjoying the unique culinary qualities — especially the taste and structure — of your freshly caught fish, the fish must be killed quickly, bled and put on ice without any undue delay. Back on shore it must be cleaned and gutted promptly and thoroughly, be chilled immediately and be cooked or preserved as soon as possible. Now go ahead and enjoy your well looked after and properly preserved freshly caught, unspoiled fish. • Much of this information on spoilage was taken from a paper titled Spoilage of fish — process and its prevention by Prabjeet Singh, Modh Danish and Amita Saxena. To read the full paper visit <aquafind.com/articles/spolage.php>. SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 61
OPINION
If you treat your catch badly you’ll end up with sub-optimal meat, so don’t just toss it around as if it doesn’t make a difference.
TO BLEED OR NOT TO BLEED Another take on how to handle your catch
IN the May/June 2017 issue of SKIBOAT Daryl Bartho detailed how he and his crew treat their fish — from gaffing to icing and filleting. Daryl and his brother, Brett, do not personally believe in bleeding fish caught on a skiboat and obviously it’s completely impractical with fish caught on fishing skis. However, many Australian anglers have a different take on it. Daryl found the following information on an Australian fishing forum <www.thehulltruth.com>, and of course not everyone concurs, but it’s food for thought. Bear in mind that this relates mostly to Australian commercial tuna preparation methods, but there’s also some useful information for recreational anglers.
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UNA should not be iced before they go into rigor unless they have been spiked and spinal reamed. To understand this we need to go into some tuna physiology. There are two types of fish — cold blooded fish and “warm” blooded fish. Tuna are “warm” blooded fish — not as warm as you and me, but warm nonetheless. Tuna have the ability to generate a body temperature higher than the
water they are in. This is achieved by a heat exchange in the bloodf low between the blood flowing back to the heart from the body and the blood flowing from the heart through the gills and into the body. This is that mass of blood vessels in the lateral line — the dark red “meat”. Now to the nervous system: There are voluntary muscle movements and [autonomic] muscle movements. The voluntary ones are go fast/slow, swim right or left etc. The [autonomic] ones are heartbeat, shiver etc. Yep, shiver — the same as you and I do when experiencing cold — shiver to generate heat and warm up. Now to the nerves, muscles and rigor (the simple version). Muscles work from the action of stored energy compounds held in the muscle cells and released by the nerves attached to them — either voluntary signals or [autonomic]. In the living fish — and humans — these compounds are regenerated from the blood. The muscles, when working, create lactic acid which is taken away by blood flow and disposed of by body organs. We will not go into the scientific details of what compounds these are or
how they are regenerated or the chemistry of muscle contraction and relaxation. I’m sure you understand the term “brain dead”, when your brain is dead but your body still functions on a basic level. When the fish is brain dead the energy compounds in the muscle cells are still available and are controlled by the nerves. The nerves are still working for quite a while after the brain is dead. The muscles can and do work [autonomically] to shiver even when the brain is dead if the tuna is exposed to cold. The muscles will work until the stored energy compounds are used up. Fish — and every other animal with muscles — go into rigor when the muscles have depleted the compound required to relax the muscles. In death the energy compounds leak away and the last muscle action is the contraction of every muscle cell in the body and the fish goes hard — it’s in rigor. The fish stays in rigor until biological enzyme actions start to break down the muscle tissue itself; ie the fish flesh is starting to deteriorate. Now to the answer to what should be done with the tuna on the deck: 1. Every fish to be kept should be humanely dispatched immediately on SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 63
capture as death starts the process of getting into rigor. [Killing it also] stops the fish from thrashing about and bruising the flesh — and maybe you. Brain spike or club [the fish to death]. 2. The tuna should then be bled. The minimum action is to sever the gills. The best practice is to stab the fish immediately behind the pectoral fin on the lateral line on both sides and slash the lateral line at the tail on both sides. Why? The tuna has been fighting you hard and has a high level of lactic acid in its blood from the muscle effort. If left there it will eat through the blood vessels and into the flesh. This results in sour flesh. Severing the gills is better than nothing, but the blood in the heat exchanger vessels is still trapped there, so severing the lateral line front and back on both sides drains these organs. This should be done as soon as the fish is on the deck and killed, but while the heart is still beating to pump it out. GUTTING Gutting should not take place until the fish has fully bled out. You want the heart to pump as much of the blood out as possible, as it will continue to function [autonomically] after brain death until it no longer has any energy compounds in its muscle mass to keep functioning. The heart will be the first
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muscle mass to go into rigor. Only the gut and gills should be removed, leaving the membrane between the gut and the rest of the body intact as this is a natural barrier to gut enzymes and bacteria entering the flesh of the fish. By the way, that really dark red stuff under the fish’s spine in the gut cavity is the fish’s kidney. There’s no need to remove it in the gutting process and strip the gut cavity membrane away to get at it. Leave it there and deal with it in the filleting process further down the line. This applies to all fish, not just tuna. When whole fish or cutlets are being cooked, the time to remove the kidney by scraping and brushing is in the preparation immediately before cutting the cutlets or cooking whole. CHILLING You have two choices. The best practice is to use a wad punch (stainless tube) instead of using just a spike. Then run a flexible rod down the spinal cord as far as you can to destroy the nerve links between adjacent muscle groups in either side of the fish to prevent shivering. Then put the fish straight into RSW or ice — preferably as a slurry with water. Bear in mind that the spinal cord runs from the brain cavity down along the top of the spine, not in it. It runs in
the bifurcated legs of the top spines of the backbone and, whilst tricky to learn, this technique is easy once you have done it a couple of times. The big trick is to cut into the front of the brain cavity with the wad punch, leaving the back of the cavity as a nice little funnel into the spinal cord track, to run the reamer into. If you can’t do this, do not put the tuna straight into RSW or ice. If you do that the tuna will shiver and generate heat and cook in its core. The RSW/ice cannot cool the insides of the fish fast enough and has no effect on counteracting the heat generated as the cold will not reach that area and depth of the fish for a couple of hours. If you don’t destroy the spinal cord the tuna should be left in a cool place with a wet rag over it or in a killbox with seawater (not RSW) running over it until the fish starts to go into rigor ie the fish is telling you the muscles have run out of energy compounds. Then chill. If you take shortcuts with the process described above you are giving yourself a substandard product. It’s your choice as to what you do and there are a lot of myths out there — especially the one about chilling tuna ASAP. Chilling most fish ASAP is correct (the cold blooded ones), but chilling tuna ASAP without the correct preparation is wrong.
COMPETITION By Brad van Zyl
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ROM a very small beginning in the late 1990s, the annual Inhaca Challenge off the Maputo coast has turned into a competition that not many of the previous entrants want to miss. Nelspruit and District Angling Club is proud to have been the foundation of the event — from the inception to date. This year we were privileged to have Gary Larkan and Werner Potgieter fish the event — two of the original anglers who started this great competition back in 1997. With a full capacity of boats, the skippers and anglers shuttled their way across Maputo Bay at irregular intervals way before the competition had started. This pre-competi-
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tion scouting has become somewhat of a tradition for some of the crews, to “settle in”, so to say, and do some “homework” on the fishing grounds before the serious stuff begins. To celebrate our 20th anniversary we held the skippers’ briefing and opening at Nhonguane Lodge on Sunday 7th May. The setting was stunning, and as the anglers and skippers arrived to rekindle old friendships it was obvious that the spirits were high and the level of competition was even higher. With the prospect of good weather almost guaranteed for the first four days, everyone was chomping at the bit to get lines in the water. It was also wonderful to see many of our larger sponsors actually fishing in the competition, showing their loyal support not only in sponsorships, but also in their interest in our sport.
As the African sun clawed its way over the eastern horizon on day one, we merrily sped our way into the vast, flat Indian Ocean to gather our harvest of fish. We were met with an almost perfect day on the water — a bright, sunny day with a gentle breeze on our faces. The fervent chit-chat on the radio assured us of an exciting weigh-in, with many of the boats reporting catches. With lines up at 3pm and tags on the board at 3:20pm, virtually all the boats fished to the last minute and raced to get in line at the weigh-in. Swollen bags and a lengthy happy hour assured smiles from most of the anglers. A 19.1kg ’cuda caught by Albert de Jongh off Jack Russel set the benchmark for the week. Despite Albert’s decent catch the old stalwart of a boat, Solid Cat, with all the
Pienaar family aboard, made it very clear from day one that they were the force to be reckoned with. A full house of massive wahoos, with a couple of extra cuda, tipped the scales at 177 points when all was done. This impressive first team effort was to be chased by the rest of the trailing boats at the start of day two. Second placed Dabulamanzi only managed to notch up 94 points in the race on day one, and third placed boat Reel Deal followed with 77 points. The weather continued to hold as we woke up to an even better day on day two. All the boats streaked out to their favourite hot spots with renewed vigour to fill the fish hatches. As the day progressed, though, the majority of the anglers acknowledged that the fishing was not of the same standard as the day before. The long hours on the water
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 67
unfortunately did not produce the desired results in terms of fish caught. The call up with reduced catches and species certainly backed up the lack of fish, but some of the boats stayed quiet until the fish bags were carried to the weigh-in at the end of day two. Anglers were surprised to see a change in species for the biggest fish on day two. All three of the heaviest fish were yellowfin tuna, with Trevor Smuts taking top honours with his 18.9kg tuna, a mere 200 grams off the leading fish. Sam Botha and his crew on Grande Pe walked away with first place on day two with 84 points. Backline and Solid Cat ratcheted up their scores by 81 and 78 points respectively. It was still too early to call in a winner, but Solid Cat was certainly solidly ahead at that stage. Unbeknown to us, as the weather improved the fishing deteriorated. On Wednesday we were greeted with a completely calm and flat sea, and many boats took this opportunity to explore the further waypoints in search of greater fish rewards. The pain of not catching as many fish was mitigated by the smooth ride on the ocean waves. It was a difficult third day’s fishing and this was obvious when very few fish bags were brought to the scales at the weigh-in. Thank goodness for a happy hour that brought relief to many a weary angler. Last year’s defending champs
Shane Myburg
John Chandler
OVERALL RESULTS Most Species Dabulamanzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 species Hoof Hearted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 species Grande Pe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 species Tag and Release Team Backline Biggest Fish Albert de Jongh . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.1kg ’cuda Trevor Smuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.9kg yellowfin tuna Jacques Pienaar. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.5kg wahoo Individual Points Gerrie Scheepers, Dabulamanzi . . . . . . . . . 163.7 points Jacques Pienaar, Solid Cat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108.4 points Andre Pienaar, Solid Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.4 points Team Points Solid Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316.7 points Gone Overboard . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 points Dabulamanzi . . . . . . . . . . . . .233.9 points Released Fish Greater barracuda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Kingfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Bludger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Green jobfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Marlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Sailfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 69
All the anglers who tagged and released fish.
First Place: Jacques, Piet, Andre and Pierre Pienaar.
Second Place: Shane Myburgh, Kevin Wood, Kurt Myburgh, Brentt Murray, Craig Beswick and Grant Thorpe.
Third place: Team Dabulamanzi 70 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
on Gone Overboard started stepping up to the plate by making their mark on the scoreboard in first and third place for the biggest fish of the day with a wahoo of 15kg. Their 62 points for the day in the team standings pushed them further up the leaderboard. “Good horses always come from the back”, or so I’m told, and with this in mind many of the anglers noticed Gone Overboard’s progressive movement through the ranks. They had weighed fish on each and every day and the cumulative effect was being felt by all. The committee’s decision to make Thursday the last day of the competition was a jolt to many, but the southerly front was arriving in full force on Friday morning and was not due to let up until Sunday, so we had to get back to the mainland by early Friday morning at the latest. With that news it was all systems go on the fishing front! The second surprise for the day was Gone Overboard’s announcement that they had a triple hook up on billfish. As the minutes ticked by, we all waited for the results like matriculants after an exam. Finally word came through that a sailfish as well as a striped marlin had been tagged on Gone Overboard. The Pienaars on Solid Cat could only wait for weigh-in to determine their fate. Indeed, the 20th Inhaca Challenge had turned into a two horse race. Aside from the billfish they tagged, Gone Overboard also took top honours for the final day’s weigh-in with an impressive 132 points in total. Would it be enough to pip Solid Cat at the line? After a fantastic meal of spicy Portuguese chicken at Nhonguane Lodge, it was time for the much anticipated prize giving. As the various prizes were awarded, it was still unclear who would take top honours. Like a new year’s countdown we waited for the results ... And finally we were put out of our misery — Solid Cat was the ultimate winner for the 20th Inhaca Challenge! Fantastic prizes from all our loyal and supportive sponsors were dished out in a grand affair. The Calcutta prize money of over R30 000 was won by Albert de Jongh on Jack Russel with the 19.1kg ’cuda caught on the first day. A warm and hearty well done to all the sponsors as well as the Inhaca committee. What a fantastic job! Special thanks must be made to Anton van Niekerk and his very supportive committee who lead this competition. The very ample rewards that were received by the anglers are entirely thanks to the most loyal and dedicated sponsors, and for this we would like to thank you and support you all wherever we possibly can. The sponsors are the backbone to the success of the Inhaca Challenge, and we look forward to cementing our relationship with you for the 21st celebration in 2018 at Inhaca Island!
SCIENTIFIC An SV3 Liquid Robotic Waveglider. This platform will be used in the GINA oceanographic experiment between June and August 2017 and will provide continuous observations at the ocean’s surface. Should you come across this platform between Richards Bay and Port Elizabeth, please do not interfere with it.
GLIDER AHOY! Ocean gliders to show impact of Agulhas Current on coastal areas
By Marjolaine Krug and Juliet Hermes
L
IKE drones, ocean gliders are autonomous robotic platforms which can be piloted from land. In June 2017 two ocean gliders were scheduled to be released off Richards Bay as part of the Gliders in the Agulhas (GINA) scientific experiment. GINA is a multi-institutional project lead by Principal Investigator Dr Marjolaine Krug of the CSIR and Co-Principal Investigator Dr Juliet Hermes of SAEON. During GINA an SV3 Liquid Robotic Waveglider (Figure 1) and a Seaglider (Figure 2) will undertake a two month journey from Richards Bay to Port Elizabeth. Throughout their southward journey the two gliders will measure a range of oceanic parameters. The collected information will be used by marine scientists to improve their knowledge of how the Agulhas Current influences the coastal regions along South Africa’s eastern shores. We appeal to the community to not interfere with the two glider platforms shown in Figure 1 and 2 as this would compromise the scientific experiment and might result in the glider platforms and the sensors being damaged. Improving our observations of the Agulhas Current will help us better 72 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
understand our global and regional climate and weather patterns, as well as the variability of our coastal marine ecosystems. The Agulhas Current which flows along the south-eastern shores of South Africa is one of the most powerful currents in the world. Like the Gulf Stream, it is a major driver of the global climate, playing a vital role in moving warm water from the tropics towards the poles. Surface velocities in the Agulhas Current often exceed 4 knots and the current transports, on average, 80 millions cubic metres per second of warm water south-westward. The Agulhas Current flows in close proximity to the shore and therefore slight changes in its direction or strength directly impact coastal and shelf regions. This current impacts major economic activities like fishing, oil and mineral exploration and ship routing. Its role in the generation of rogue waves imposes a severe safety issue for large vessels. Variations in the Agulhas Current may also modify ocean currents near the coast and alter the water properties and therefore the biology of the marine coastal ecosystems. Our understanding of how the Agulhas Current influences our coastal regions is limited. This is partly because
changes in ocean circulation between the Agulhas Current and the coast occur over short space and time scales. This makes it very difficult for scientists to observe, characterise and predict the fine scale variations at the landward edge of the Agulhas Current, and these variations have a strong impact on the shelf and coast. Gliders can help us address some of these observation challenges because they are autonomous robotic platforms which use two-way communications to relay data back to the shore in real time while at the same time receiving instructions from pilots to control their functioning. Gliders provide continuous (multimonth) measurements at high spatial (100s of metres to 3km) and temporal (0.5-4 hourly) resolution. Sensors on gliders measure such physical variables as pressure, temperature, salinity and current, as well as biological variables relevant to the abundance of phytoplankton and zooplankton. They also measure ecologically important chemical variables such as dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrate. GINA builds on the success of the first glider experiment in the Agulhas Current region — the Shelf Agulhas Glider Experiment (SAGE). GINA aims
Above, left: Dr Marjolaine Krug with a Seaglider prior to deployment. Above, right: A Seaglider in the water. This platform will be used in the GINA oceanographic experiment between June and August 2017. The Seaglider will provide vertical profiles of the water column down to water depths of 1 000m. Should you come across this platform between Richards Bay and Port Elizabeth, please do not interfere with it as this would compromise the GINA project. The glider will be monitored 24/7 by a team of pilots at SAMERC <socco.org.za/facilities/#Robotics>. to complement and enhance existing obser vation networks such as the Agulhas System Climate Array (ASCA) or coastal monitoring network managed and maintained by the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON). The project will ser ve national development initiatives such as Operation Phakisa. This work will also provide broader societal impacts through improving our response and mitigation of the effect of climate change on the coastal and shelf marine environment. The proposed observations will form part of the internationally-driven Ocean Gliders Boundar y Ocean Observing Network and the research will be shared across a wide
range of national and international collaborators. The GINA working group includes Dr M Krug, Dr Pedro Monteiro, Dr Bjorn Backeberg (CSIR-NRE), Dr J Hermes, Jethan D’Hotman and Dr Tommy Bornman (SAEON), Dr Enrico Gennari (Oceans Research), Dr Sarah Fawcett and Prof M Rouault (UCT), Dr T Lamont (DEA), Dr C van der Lingen, Dr Janet Coetze and Dr Stephen Lamberth (DAFF), Dr Angus Paterson (SAIAB), Dr Sean Fennessy and Dr Fiona MacKay (ORI) and Dr Sebastiaan Swart (Gothenburg, Sweden). Once again we appeal to people to not interfere with these glider platforms as this would compromise the scientific experiment and might result
in the glider platforms and the sensors being damaged. The gliders will be monitored 24 hours a day and seven days a week by a team of pilots at SAMERC <socco.org.za/facilities/ #Robotics>. • GINA is a multi-institutional project funded by CSIR-NRE (SOCCO, Coastal Systems and Ecosystem Earth Observations groups), SAEON (Egagasini and Elwandle nodes), SAIAB, University of Gothenburg (Department of Marine Science), DAFF, DEA, ORI, UCT (Oceanography Department), Nansen-Tutu Centre for Marine Environmental Research. For further information contact <mkrug@csir.co.za>.
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 73
A NEW RECORD by Stefan Britz (12)
M
Y brother, Gerber, and I form the junior team for the St Lucia Ski-Boat Club, and during the April school holidays we were asked to fish the Umkomaas Interclub. When we arrived at the Umkomaas Club we got a warm welcome from the club and our fellow fishermen, then we met our skipper — Doug. Back at the cabin which was to be our home for the next three days we met other fishermen and got some advice from the locals, because these waters are unfamiliar to us; we’re used to fishing St.Lucia and Vidal. We spent some time checking our traces, leaders and line strength and Uncle Niel Coetzer, a Protea angler, also gave advice. Dad got us out of bed at 4am the next day and, after an easy launch, we put out our SpeedPros and plastic. They usually fill our hatches back home, but down at Umkomaas they met with little success. We deferred to Doug’s methods and soon landed a tuna of 9.8kg, three yellowtail weighing between 6- and 8.5kg, and some bonitos. We had great fun and learned a good fisherman’s saying: “Chump chump and the fish will come.” Next morning the launch was great but we were told to expect some bad weather. It was quiet out on the water, and even the previous day’s methods did not work. By noon we still had no fish, so we decided to try for some ’cuda since we’d got some nice livebait in the morning. We put out two livebaits with weights and a third stick with a maasbanker and one single No.5 Mustad as a drift on top. The wind started to pick up but the fishing was still very quiet, then suddenly the reel sounded like a rocket — it was the drift bait. I grabbed the rod and was on! Being a comp, no-one was allowed to touch my rod or even check the drag. I could feel it was a big fish because it took a lot of line and went straight down. I fought for about 35 minutes and there was no bucket on the boat — ouch! We then started to guess what it could be. Dad and Uncle Doug said shark, but I was hoping and praying for something else. After another 25 minutes my arms were really tired, but I just hung in there. Eventually the fish broke water — someone shouted that it was a huge prodigal. It went in again under the boat and we were lucky to gaff it the first time. We loaded the fish and I could not believe my eyes; it was great. The fish weighed 29kg which is a new Zululand, SA and All Africa junior record for 10kg line. The line was tested by SADSAA and had an average of 8.65kg. Needless to say, I really enjoyed the weigh in and the prize giving ceremony; it was very special.
SKI-BOAT magazine, in conjunction with Mercury, is proud to offer all junior deep sea anglers the opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. If you are 16 years old or younger and you submit a photo of yourself and the fish you caught, you will receive a handsome certificate suitably inscribed confirming the catch. And there’s more ... Once a year the names of all junior anglers whos photographs appeared on the Mercury Junior Angler page will be included in a lucky draw and the winner will receive, courtesy of Mercury, a fantastic prize of a 2.5hp outboard motor. All you need to do is send us a photograph of yourself and your catch, together with the following details: • Your name address, telephone number and date of birth • Species and weight of the fish you caught • Line class used • Date and place fish was caught • Boat and skipper’s name All entries should be sent to : Mercury Junior Angler SKI-BOAT magazine PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 or email your entry to <angler@mags.co.za>. There is no restriction on the number of awards that can be applied for, and SKI-BOAT magazine reserves the right to use the photographs as it sees fit. A selection of five award winners will appear in each issue of SKI-BOAT magazine. Junior anglers, Mercury and SKI-BOAT magazine acknowledge that you hold the future of our sport in your hands. Here’s your chance to show us what you can do!
76 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
MARKETPLACE
SAY HELLO TO THE NEW F100
Y
AMAHA’S F100 is designed to make your time on the water easy. Smooth starting, whisper quiet operation and great fuel economy make operating this outboard an absolute pleasure. Innovative engineering makes it ultrareliable too. The F100’s double overhead camshaft with four valves on each cylinder ensures the smoothest exchange of intake fuel and exhaust for more power and awesome fuel economy. This advanced design coupled with Yamaha’s electric fuel injection system delivers impressive top end performance and real torque throughout mid-range RPM. The wide-range power trim & tilt system gives you the confidence that you are in full control when you’re out there on the water.
The F100 is compatible with Yamaha’s Digital Network Gauges, giving you the information needed to maximise engine performance and efficiency. The network gauges include a multifunction tachometer with RPM, hours run, trim angle, oil pressure, warning lamps and variable RPM control; and a speed/fuel management gauge with speed, tank capacity and fuel economy. Another feature of the Digital Network System option is the handy button on the tachometer which gives you instant control of the engine RPM, making it simple to adjust the engine speed in convenient steps of 50 RPM between 550 and 1000 RPM. Smooth, relaxed cruising is the reward. For further details contact your nearest Yamaha dealer.
CELEBRATING THE WINNING FORMULA
N
OW in its 17th year, the Cape Town International Boat Show will be building on a winning formula: keeping the event to one location at the V&A Waterfront Marina and increasing the on-land exhibitor space due to increased demand. “Last year was one of the most successful events yet, and this was reflected in the number of large vessels sold during the show,” said organiser Dana Whiting. “There’s no doubt that shows really work when it comes to selling, particularly with lifestyle items like boats. The potential buyer is able to walk on board, see, touch, smell and almost taste what it’s like to own a luxury yacht or catamaran.” This year the boat show has been moved out by one week to accommodate exhibitors and buyers who may be attending the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, and will take place from 20-
ACCOLADES FOR RIVIERA 4800
O
N 5 April 2017 the annual Asia Boating Awards recognised the best of the maritime industr y at the Singapore International Boat Show. These awards serve as a benchmark for the industry and are an indication of the best models released globally for the year, in their category. This year the best sportscruiser (above 45ft) was awarded to the Riviera 4800 and the team at Boating World couldn’t agree more with this choice! As the official African distributor for Riviera yachts, Boating World believes the 4800 is also the best choice for South African and Indian Ocean waters.Appealing to a wide spectrum of boating enthusiasts, the 4800 Sports Yacht offers two staterooms and two bathrooms, leisurely single-level living and a wide range of entertaining features. Striking and elegant, nothing else comes close to The Riviera 4800 Sport Yacht, making her ever deserving of any accolade.When it comes to combining stunning good looks with remarkable design and practical features, no one does it better than Riviera and the team at Boating World is on hand to answer any questions you have when it comes to owning this prize-winning vessel. To order your very own Riviera, get in touch with Boating World by email <derrick@boatingworld.co.za>, phone 0861 324 754 or visit their website <www.boatingworld.co.za/riviera>. 78 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
22 October 2017. In addition to expanded water moorings the on-land component will be bigger, allowing for even more marine and boating-related exhibitors. Also of interest is the fact that one of the world’s largest trade fair companies — Messe Frankfurt — have purchased the event from the current owners effective 2018. This is great news for the local boating industry as Messe Frankfurt are heavily committed to the sector; they already own and stage the Johannesburg Boat & Water Show as well as Automechanika Johannesburg. The latter is the premier automotive industry event in sub-Saharan Africa. The Western Cape is home to a large number of small and medium-sized craft manufacturers. This includes Robertson and Caine, based in Woodstock Cape Town, who are recognised among the top three manufacturers of luxury catamarans in the world. On the small craft side, Gemini has established itself as a leader in the military, rescue and recreational market for rigid inflatable boats. “The list of exhibitors for the 2017 iteration is growing. With limited space on land and on the water it makes sense to get in early and secure desirable positions,” said Whiting. “We are delighted with Messe Frankfurt coming on board. Their marketing muscle and reach to other markets on the continent will no doubt expand the exhibitor and visitor base going forward.” The Cape Town International Boat Show takes place at the V&A Waterfront Marine from 20-22 October 2017. For more information go to <www.boatshow.co.za> or email <dana@impactexpo.co.za>.
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N a world premiere at the Genoa Boat Show, Suzuki unveiled a new high specification, high-performance addition to its existing range of ultimate four-stroke outboards. The new DF150AP uses Suzuki’s advanced total engine control technologies to enable them to deliver outstanding power and exciting performance together with superior fuel efficiency — all from a super compact and lightweight unit. Boasting a class-leading 2.9-litre ‘Big Block’ inline four-cylinder DOHC engine this new model also use a high 10.2:1 compression ratio which provides great low-end torque and generates impressive acceleration. Other high-end features include Suzuki Selective Rotation, which allows the same engine to operate in either normal or counter-clockwise direction for multi-engine installations, Suzuki
Rapala — Shimano rod . . . . . . . . . .14 Ski-Port Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Southern Power/Volvo Penta . . . . . .64 Supercat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Suzuki Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 The Kingfisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 TOPS @ Spar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 SUITABLE for pleasure, commercial or fishing activities. 13m long vessel, 1984 model, with twin Ford 380 engines (228hp each). Includes Furuno radar, Garmin VHF radio, Garmin chart plotter, auto nav and fishfinder. Registered in Saldanha, based in Durban. Price: R1.2-million Contact: Cristelle on 071 681 5072 or email <cristelle@subtech.co.za>.
Turboformance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Two Oceans Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Vanguard Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 WWF Safaris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Yamaha F100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Yamaha Seacat 636 . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Z-Craft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 • 79
BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS
80 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
DIRECTORY
SKI-BOAT July/August 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ 81
RAPALA LIP
Last word from the ladies
House-hunting with a fisherman — when checklists collide!
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BOUT a year ago the hubby and I moved house. We had only been married for a few months but we’d been dating for four years and living together for three when he finally decided to reel in the catch of his life. Anyway, it was time to sell the property that he shared with his brothers and find a place we could call our own. Of course the usual stresses of selling and buying property applied — the annoying estate agents, the painful show days, and the endless paperwork — but searching for “The Perfect House” was the absolute pits! I suppose that’s no surprise considering our checklist — a decent house in a good area at the right price with three bedrooms, two bathrooms ... and space to keep a 20-foot fishing boat! This narrowed our choices down a lot. My husband assured me we weren’t going to buy a house around the boat, and that we’d “make a plan” if we needed to. However, as the options to keep the boat elsewhere dwindled, it became apparent to me that we would indeed be keeping the boat at home. Truthfully I don’t think hubby actually tried that hard to find a place for the boat, or the else options that did present themselves, just weren’t up to scratch for his precious baby. Now I must tell you, I really don’t mind having the boat at home. I admire my husband’s absolute passion and commitment to keeping it — and all his fishing equipment — in pristine condition, I only wish he’d transfer even a fraction of that energy into some DIY around the house. The point is, he spends hours on that boat polishing the rails, looking at the fishfinder or whatever else one
82 • SKI-BOAT July/August 2017
does on a boat when it’s not on the water. Then of course there’s all the actual fishing time. With that in mind, if the boat wasn’t parked at home I’d see even less of him! However, when I say “I don’t mind having the boat at home”, what I mean is it must have its own space because I don’t want it sitting outside my front door greeting me or our guests the moment you come through the gates! Needless to say, hubby doesn’t understand my dilemma. He’d stare at the boat all day if he could. What was so great about our previous home was that it had two entrances — one at the top for the cars/guests and one at the bottom for the boats. It worked perfectly. I didn’t mind the stinky fish towels left lying around after wash-down, or the buckets of bloody bait water forgotten until the next trip, or the rods and tackle stacked against the wall to dr y, the hosepipe left unwound, the anchors and buoys left littered around the driveway .... but that’s only because I didn’t have to walk past it every day. Out of sight, out of mind. Hubby had his man cave and he could do with it as he pleased. We were both happy with the setup, but finding another house like that was going to be difficult. But then the impossible happened — we found a lovely home that ticked all the boxes except one ... it had enough space for a boat but we had to build a garage for it. As if this whole house-hunting process hadn’t been stressful enough, we now had to spend weeks planning with architects and builders, have our new house plans drawn up and approved — not just by our adjacent neighbours, but by all the surrounding
neighbours because this garage was going to be so big! What size garage is required to fit a 20-foot boat plus trailer you might ask? A 7m wide x 10m long x 4m high one! To put that into perspective, a standard double garage is 6m wide x 6m long x 2.4m high. Building a garage that big meant excavating the whole front yard, removing the existing car port (cars are not a priority here it seems), widening the entrance gate and re-paving the entire driveway. But it was going to be the ultimate fisherman’s man cave, I was told when my Rapala Lip started showing. There would be enough space to keep the chest freezers (yay, no more bait in the kitchen freezer) and heaps of tackle equipment too (I could finally have my dining room table back). Eventually we were both excited about the garage although perhaps I was just a little more excited about the fact that all hubby’s “stuff” could be put away properly again. And here we are, approximately seven months of building later, and the man cave is nearing completion. It looks great, and we couldn’t be happier in our new home, but I can’t remember I last had a clean car for longer than a day. There’s no more building dust (finally!) but the fact that I have to park out in the open means it is subjected to all sorts of weather conditions. Remember that black rain from the South Coast Road factory fire? Lucky it didn’t stain! And those ghastly hot summer days that have finally passed? It was like getting into an oven every morning. The sacrifices we make! I guess it’s all part and parcel of being married to a fisherman — at least the boat has its home!
BRAND NEW BOATS NOW IN STOCK
BRAND NEW
BRAND NEW
BRAND NEW
BRAND NEW
Gamefish 170 Centre Console New 2 x 30hp Suzuki 2-stroke motors, new galvanised breakneck trailer. From R199 000
Gamefish 510 Forward Console Pre-owned 2 x 60hp Mercury 4-stroke motors, pre-owned galv b/neck trailer R369 000
Raptor 660 Forward Console on galvanised breakneck trailer. 2 x 90hp Suzuki 4-stroke motors: From R660 000 2 x 115hp Suzuki 4-stroke motors: From R690 000
Yeld Cat 21 2 x 135hp Honda 4-stroke motors, on trailer. R475 000
Citation 900 Cabin (2014 model) 2 x 300hp Verado Mercury supercharged 4-stroke motors. R1 300 000
Gamefish 510 Centre Console 2 x 60hp Honda 4-stroke motors, with trim and tilt, on trailer. R339 000
Gamefish 510 Centre Console 2 x 60hp Honda 4-stroke motors, on trailer. R319 000
Adventure 16ft Centre Console 2 x 50hp Mercury motors, galvanised breakneck trailer with 15â&#x20AC;? wheels and spare. R119 000
Sea Cat 565 2 x 70hp Yamaha 4-stroke motors, on trailer. R489 000
Cobra Cat 525 Forward Console 2 x 90hp Honda 4-stroke motors with trim, galvanised b/neck trailer and spare tyre. R225 000
Swift 165 2 x 60hp Mariner Big Foot motors with trim and tilt, on trailer. R149 000
Explorer 510 Centre Console 2 x 40hp Yamaha motors - electric starts, on trailer. R159 000
Gamefish 510 2 x 60hp Yamaha motors with trim and tilt, galvanised breakneck trailer. R199 000
Twister 730 2 x 200hp Suzuki 4-stroke motors, on trailer. R1 290 000
NEW Cobra Cat 525 Centre Console 2 x 70hp Suzuki motors. R485 000
Kosi Cat 16ft 2 x 50hp Yamaha motors, on trailer. R139 000
Scorpion Cat 16ft Centre Console 2 x 40hp Yamaha motors, galvanised breakneck trailer. R129 000
Cobra Cat 900 2 x 275hp Mercury Verado 4-stroke motors. R895 000
Sea Cat 510 2 x 50hp Yamaha motors with trim and tilt, on trailer. R169 000
Unique 540 Mono 1 x 125hp Mercury motor with trim and tilt, on trailer. R129 000
NEW Butt Cat 16ft On trailer. R130 000
NEW Gamefish 170 C/C 1 x 115hp Yamaha (pre-owned) motors. R269 000
Cobra Cat 630 Centre Console 2 x 115hp Optimax motors. R495 000
GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE TO VIEW OVER 150 BOATS THAT WE HAVE FOR SALE. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY
Yogi Cat 16ft Centre Console Pre-owned 2 x 50hp Honda 4-stroke motors, galvanised trailer. From R200 000