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 | 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, 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, 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...
by The Captain | Oct 5, 2021 | Adventures, All Stories
The breeze has pushed The Captain’s sails to many weird and wonderful destinations. Here are 21 of our favourites, in no particular order. Captain’s note: these are just the places we’ve been to. We know there are plenty more out there and look forward to your...
by The Captain | Oct 5, 2021 | All Stories, Captain's ships
There have been some epic rides and awesome destinations. Here we list 21 of them. There have also been many highs and a few lows. So, grab the popcorn and take a tour through The Captain’s memoirs. Picking favourite boats is like picking your favourite...
by The Captain | Aug 13, 2021 | All Stories, How to
Rod Findlay goes back to basics to explain how to get from A to B on the water. The radio was alive with reports of action, but it didn’t take long to realise the weekend warriors were out in full swing, “Can I have those numbers again, mate? I have them all bar the...
by The Captain | Aug 13, 2021 | All Stories, Tried and tested
There are a few things that divide fishermen — alloy vs glass, freshwater vs saltwater, catch vs release. But one hot-button issue of late has been bait vs lures. The Captain heads down the NSW South Coast to establish once and for all which technique is boss. ...
by The Captain | Jul 10, 2021 | All Stories, Captain's ships
The Captain and Whitepointer face off in an outlandish, highly impractical, shootout that only The Captain would be prepared to publish. May the best cheat win. Erick Hyland agreed to rebuild the Captain’s clapped out Haines Hunter 445F on one condition — that we...
by The Captain | May 9, 2021 | All Stories, Project boats
It’s been 12 months since we last reported on the Nub Tub. Since then, Jack has put a sizable dent in the Long Reef kingfish population and Alli has been working on her long, sun-kissed locks. The salty duo even made it wide to the tuna grounds, but ended up drowned...
by The Captain | Mar 13, 2021 | Adventures, All Stories
Something tasty just lobbed in The Captain’s porthole. It’s the new Clash II reel. The boffins at Penn reckon they’re toughest in class. We’ll see about that. We got in touch with charter operators Vic and Zane Levett from Ocean Hunter Sportsfishing to see if they...
by The Captain | Aug 27, 2020 | Rum and rations
Locals and tourists take to the water to escape the flames. Grant Shorland was one of them. When the shit hit the fan during the holiday season of 2019–20, it wasn’t just the CFA in fire trucks that saved the day. There were blokes in boats, in all shapes and sizes,...
by The Captain | Dec 15, 2019 | Adventures, All Stories
The Captain’s crew is in Garibaldi, Oregon, on the US Pacific Northwest coast — on a trio of Stabicrafts. Huge mountain ranges covered in tall timber peer over the rugged coastline. Icy rivers meander out to bays where creaking timber trawlers and newer steel ones are...
by The Captain | Sep 25, 2019 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Anyone can slide a pilchard onto a paternoster rig and pull hard on a snapper, but not many can lay claim to catching snapper on topwater stick baits. Mike Bonnici can. It’s time for The Captain’s crew to find out how this renowned surface slayer rolls. Yep, it’s time...
by The Captain | Aug 28, 2019 | All Stories, Captain's ships
If John Haines Sr is the father of Australian monohulls then Bruce Harris surely owns the title for Australian Cats. What’s more, Bruce doesn’t owe anything to the Yank designers for his achievements — he did it all with good ol’ Aussie ingenuity, designing and...
by The Captain | Aug 22, 2019 | Adventures, All Stories
Raf Vargas paddles the drop-offs around his island home of Guam, fishing to depths of 1500M. The day he captured a donkey dogtooth he become an instant yak god. Guam, part of the Mariana Islands chain in the equatorial Pacific, is a top spot for kayak...
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