by The Captain | Oct 22, 2025 | All Stories, Rum and rations
If you’ve made it this far into issue 10 of The Captain, you’ve probably learned that abalone are served at Chinese banquets. In some cultures they’re rumoured to be an aphrodisiac. So it’s time to dim the lights, put some music on and serve your lady friend (or...
by The Captain | Oct 22, 2025 | All Stories, Captain's ships
The Captain heads out from Botany Bay, NSW on a quest for yellowfin, while skipper Marty Secheny is more than happy to give us the lowdown on his much-modified Sailfish 2800 Platinum. Every once in a while, The Captain comes across a bloke who is so into...
by The Captain | Sep 9, 2022 | All Stories, How to
The Captain reckons it’s time to dodge the boat ramp queues and get wet in some undiscovered fishing country. The key to unlocking your inner Malcolm Douglas (for those of you born post-1980, Mal was a bearded, straight-talkin’ fisho and explorer) is being able to...
by The Captain | Sep 9, 2022 | All Stories, Captain's ships, How to
When it comes to owning a new vessel, The Captain’s creed is: “Love your boat and it’ll love you back.” The marine environment is full of nasty surprises that can wipe the value off your shiny new rig faster than a rat up a drain. Or worse, render it inoperable. The...
by The Captain | Sep 9, 2022 | All Stories, How to
The ocean can be a wild and beautiful beast. One minute you can be cruising along on calm, crystal-clear water under a blue sky, the next the sea has turned white and you’re being hammered by waves and gusting winds. Apart from Mother Nature, there are also hazards in...
by The Captain | Aug 1, 2022 | Adventures, All Stories
The Captain hooks up with legendary long-time game-fishing skipper, Tim Dean. We’re on board his 47ft O’Brien, armed to the teeth with an arsenal of Raymarine wizardry. Along for the ride are a couple of RAAF veterans, one hoping to nail his first marlin. ...
by The Captain | Jul 21, 2022 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Clayton McDiarmid says this Haines Hunter V17R hot rocket is his first and last rebuild — but the effort to get his perfect ride was all worth it. THE CAPTAIN: We’ve never heard of Boyne Island — please explain. CLAYTON: It’s a small, peaceful coastal...
by The Captain | May 5, 2022 | All Stories, Captain's ships
MAKAIRA — pronounced Ma-kai-ra. (Latin via Greek: μαχαίρα «sword») is a genus of marlin and also the moniker of Allan Shaw’s aluminium creations. Makaira master builder Allan Shaw says there are three key ingredients to a perfect riding hull — hull shape,...
by The Captain | Mar 3, 2022 | Adventures, All Stories
The bite is on, but The Captain’s project boats are laid up in dock (see story on Shark Cat steering fit-up hereabouts). Never mind, there’s always a salty mariner keen to take The Captain for a spin and show off their new vessel. In this case, it’s a highly...
by The Captain | Feb 3, 2022 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Gone are the days of launching old tinnies on rusty extended drawbar trailers off the beach at K’gari (Fraser Island) with beaten-up LandCruisers. Wade Bachmann has it dialled. He launches his impeccable RipTide 9200 Custom Cab off the beach with a rockin’ red...
by The Captain | Dec 10, 2021 | All Stories, How to
Boat ramps come in all different shapes and sizes — big ones, small ones, long ones, skinny ones. Some are nothing more than a nondescript strip leading onto a deserted sandy beach and others are like busy concrete highways. No matter the ramp, they all come with...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, Rum and rations
Spanish maestro Miguel turns true blue with native Australian ingredients including sustainably sourced Murray cod, lemon myrtle, wattle seed and saltbush. INGREDIENTS • Murray cod, skin on • Extra virgin olive oil • Sea salt and black pepper ...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, How to
DIY servicing has never been so bloody easy. In this yarn, Grant “Gutsy” Shorland shares a few hot tips on keeping your cooling system running icy cold. He’s using parts from Outboard Spares delivered directly to his secret lair, aka Gutsy’s Garage. Welcome to Gutsy’s...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, Project boats
The Captain’s Shark Cat Julie Anne gets a soft touch. She’s gone from basic to bling, decked out with new EVA flooring from Deck Armour and new retro-style seat coverings handcrafted by Matt Robinson from Maroochy Marine Covers. THE DECK When it came to picking...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | Adventures, All Stories
It might be his Italian background, or maybe it’s because he grew up in a remote coastal town like Marlo. Kyle Dicecco has a unique ability to make the simple look beautiful. While most of us are striving to strip back the layers, he’s already camped there. Need a...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Reaching out across the Pacific to Miami, Florida, The Captain gets the lowdown on the wild life and times of legendary Cigarette builder Don Aronow. Don Aronow was a dead set legend. He designed, built and raced the famous Magnum Marine, Cary, Cigarette, Donzi and...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, How to
With a fully fuelled Whittley 2380 as his trusty steed, The Captain shares his best tips for cruising and camping. The Destination? Myall Lakes on the NSW Mid-North Coast. When it comes to touring, a wise man once said, “The more you know, the less you’ll take.” This...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Sometimes you’ve got to knock your head against a brick wall a few times before you realise you’ll get a lot more out of life — and fishing — if you chill out and take time to enjoy the ride. The Captain meets an experienced sea dog who now makes his living passing on...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | Adventures, All Stories
The Captain is back in Coffs Harbour, blasting around the spectacular Solitary Islands Marine Park, chasing kingies and getting acquainted with Sam Gilchrist and his deadly 520 Sea Devil centre console. Having been to the home of the Big Banana on the NSW Central...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Grady-White has been building consoles for more than 40 years, but the model delivered by Short Marine — which they kindly permitted The Captain to abuse, er, test drive on Sydney Harbour — boasts several 21st-century smarts, including a Seakeeper 1 gyroscopic...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | Adventures, All Stories
Brock Harmer is a former bream fisherman, but don’t hold that against him. He and his son Braxy patrol the high seas in their tricked-out Sea Fox 236. Equipped with enough fishing tackle to sink a small tinny, we head up the Mid North Coast to do battle with...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, How to
Maybe it’s a sign I’m getting older and more cautious in my late 30s. Maybe this thought process got triggered when I sat through months of courses doing my commercial skipper’s ticket. We talked about the possibilities for boat failure at sea — and how best to...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, How to
Qualified American captain Eric Sorensen explains the finer points of DEADRISE. There are several concepts that explain why some hulls ride better than others in rough seas. Deadrise is one of them. The more deadrise there is, the smoother the ride. It’s simple...
by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | All Stories, Rum and rations
Richard Freeman has been a professional solo fisherman for more than 40 years. Spending so much time on the water in his trusty Shark Cat, his usual companions are dolphins, sharks and seabirds. Richard shares a few stories about his salty friends. The Portuguese Man...
by The Captain | Oct 8, 2021 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Things are moving quickly down in Mallacoota. Mark The Russian has turned over his whole line-up in less than five years. His previous beastie — the Bad Boy — is now considered a “family boat” and his new plaything is capable of a lazy 84mph. Blink and you’ll miss it!...
by The Captain | Oct 8, 2021 | All Stories, Rum and rations
Nothing screams “phallic symbol” louder than a lighthouse — OK, except, perhaps for a rocket. But lighthouses are more than just an opportunity for scenic dick pics and Instagram innuendo. For centuries, they have helped seafarers stay suitably separated from the sea....
by The Captain | Oct 8, 2021 | All Stories, Rum and rations
On a recent trip to the Humpy Doo Barramundi Farm in Darwin, Miguel donned a cricket helmet and snagged a barra with his own two hands. The decision went to the third umpire, but alas, the barra was declared out and sent to the hotplate to be served alongside a cherry...
by The Captain | Oct 8, 2021 | All Stories, How to
By now, you’re probably rocking RipCharts in your fishing arsenal. But it’s more than just a pretty picture of the water currents and temperature breaks. RipCharts guru Chris Fullilove lets me in on some handy hacks used by the pros. As he says, “To get the most out...
by The Captain | Oct 8, 2021 | All Stories, How to
Mick says recreational and commercial fishos should work together for the good of the resource Rec and commercial fishos have had a George and Mildred kind of relationship — like a constantly-sparring married couple. There’s been friction on and off the water, with...
by The Captain | Oct 8, 2021 | All Stories, Project boats
Now that the Shark Cat was firmly in the clutches of The Captain’s crew, it was time for Trav to do a thorough inspection. No worries. He’d learned his lesson with the Nub Tub — or had he? There was no doubt there’d been a fresh floor laid down on Julie-Anne, but the...
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