Bottomfeeder1
Member
Butterfish!!! A delicacy!!!!
2024 Tuna Adventures
- Thread starter SFBC
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adbk
Member
I'd love to be able to do this... I have an older whaler outrage that is only 17' that we'll be selling, replacing it with a silver streak 21' renfrew... is that enough boat? smallish fuel tank at 45gal but seems adequate....pick good days I guess and buddy up with other boats? Cheers
bryce
Crew Member
Seems way to small to me
Way too many variables that can put you in danger! I would try and find someone else to go with until you have a different boat if it was me!
adbk
Member
Sorry I mean take the renfrew 21 (podded so effectively 23’ hull) not the whaler. Thanks
CBsqrd
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure he is saying the 21 Renfrew is too small, which I would agree with. Yes, you could make it out and back without incident if you picked the right day, but you'd be leaving yourself minimal margin for anything to go wrong. Should be able to carry way more fuel - think 8+ hours at cruise. 60+ miles is a long run back to the barn when the weather changes unexpectedly.
Ideally you want twin power with room for your crew and to store several hundred pounds of ice and fish. That's a lot of weight for a small boat.
I don't subscribe to the "my boat's marginal, so I'll buddy up with someone else" theory. That's just creating more of a liability. Both boats need to be able to rely on the other if something goes wrong.
adanac
Well-Known Member
Left winter at 345 again today . Plugged and heading home by 930. Fished out near kwakuitl canyon , about 22 NM from kains . Fish were hitting everything and puking big 15” fresh saury . Some nice ones touching 30 and most the test 20 lbs plus . Not a ton of other life out there but we saw a pod of Rissos dolphins . Found this peculiar translucent squid in our slush bin !
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Aces
Well-Known Member
Too small in opinion. I’ve seen that south east fog wind come up out of nowhere
kaelc
Crew Member
Get comfortable going offshore for halibut out of ukee or bamfield first, the rat's nose(15-20miles) is a big trip in any size boat when the weather turns bad. I have a 25 footer with 100gal and self bailing, but a single and a kicker. I'm hesitant to go for Tuna, mostly due to space and the extra weight, but I now have all the gear. It is best to go with a guide or a buddy the first few times. It's not easy to cool and bleed fish, much less ice them and manage everything. You would not want trying to put jerry can's in your tank, while weather is moving in.
An option would be to take the boat to Haida Gwaii, where they get within sight of land? A member is going to post a video about that soon
adbk
Member
They come in that close???? Can't wait to see that, I'd be down to try. Last time I was in Haida Gwaii was probably 35 years ago...gorgeous place.Get comfortable going offshore for halibut out of ukee or bamfield first, the rat's nose(15-20miles) is a big trip in any size boat when the weather turns bad. I have a 25 footer with 100gal and self bailing, but a single and a kicker. I'm hesitant to go for Tuna, mostly due to space and the extra weight, but I now have all the gear. It is best to go with a guide or a buddy the first few times. It's not easy to cool and bleed fish, much less ice them and manage everything. You would not want trying to put jerry can's in your tank, while weather is moving in.
An option would be to take the boat to Haida Gwaii, where they get within sight of land? A member is going to post a video about that soon
The boat is capable of a lot more than I am but the 45 gal tank has me thinking I shouldn't even be considering it...at least not until I've done a bunch of shorter trips and know without a doubt things like burn rate and comfortable cruising speed in different levels of swell and chop. Food for thought anyways. I'll be doing runs out to bajo and down to the ammo dump next year up at nootka if all goes well so I'm sure I'll get a good feel for her.
If you have room, you can always run a second tank on the deck. I did that with my whaler to add range. I put a 24 gallon Moeller tank in front of the console, tied it into the fuel system so it's just a turn of a couple valves to switch tanks.
All the other cautions remain, but with sufficient experience, reliable equipment and a healthy fear of the ocean, going tuna fishing in small boats is totally possible. Just remember the ocean is always waiting for an opportunity to kill you.
Winter Harbour is another option that time to time can offer tuna fishing within 25 miles or less.
All the other cautions remain, but with sufficient experience, reliable equipment and a healthy fear of the ocean, going tuna fishing in small boats is totally possible. Just remember the ocean is always waiting for an opportunity to kill you.
Winter Harbour is another option that time to time can offer tuna fishing within 25 miles or less.
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adbk
Member
Thanks, yeah I could ask the guys at silver streak if they could add extra tank if it came to that… winter Harbor is amazing, I’ve only been once we put in at port Alice and made the run up Nerotsos (sp?) inlet in our old c-dory cruiser. Great time fishing, did hit some weather on the way back though!
There was a fatal capsizing the week before we got there, guide boat anchored for Hali. I never get complacent with the ocean, never take it for granted that we will make it home safe.
bryce
Crew Member
Haida gwaii there in close usually 2-5 miles out you start hitting them bigger schools 5-12 out
BC Coast Pilot
Well-Known Member
Anything over 20nm offshore is not for the faint of heart, an EPIRB, A 406MHZ DEVICE, DSC and AIS should all be in your kit and a liferaft If you consider this venture.
Maxpri
Well-Known Member
Sounds like cooters real excited about it
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