Moving to West Coast, Shelly point. New to saltwa
- Thread starter Stonechamp
- Start date
Where did you get that last photo from ? UGLY
Butt cat has started manufacture of a 16 foot, which a friend of mine bought.
For arelatively small boat, that is really great.
It has small outmounts, which increases the deck space and a forward console.
It runs on two 30 two cylindre yamaha and planes on one, with three people on board and all over 100 Kg.
The secret of setting up a cat is keeping it light.
Every piece of wood or stainless adds weight, that a cat does not like, as previously discussed in this thread.
I used to be a cat fan and built my first one from scratch.
I even had a decal made that says IF ITS NOT A CAT ITS A DOG.
I have now found my new love a 6 meter V hulled semi ridgid.
That boat eats the sea and is dry too.
I am a surveyor and every person has his own personal preference and every day, I learn more from other people, how they set their boats up.
I also see some not so clever stuff.
Butt cat has started manufacture of a 16 foot, which a friend of mine bought.
For arelatively small boat, that is really great.
It has small outmounts, which increases the deck space and a forward console.
It runs on two 30 two cylindre yamaha and planes on one, with three people on board and all over 100 Kg.
The secret of setting up a cat is keeping it light.
Every piece of wood or stainless adds weight, that a cat does not like, as previously discussed in this thread.
I used to be a cat fan and built my first one from scratch.
I even had a decal made that says IF ITS NOT A CAT ITS A DOG.
I have now found my new love a 6 meter V hulled semi ridgid.
That boat eats the sea and is dry too.
I am a surveyor and every person has his own personal preference and every day, I learn more from other people, how they set their boats up.
I also see some not so clever stuff.
Stonechamp
New member
miles, thika, royboy,
thanks, things are getting very interesting.......
wish i could spend a week or 2 in durban trying out various options on a real sea.
thanks, things are getting very interesting.......
wish i could spend a week or 2 in durban trying out various options on a real sea.
Stonechamp
New member
Patrick,
Can you provide details of Witblitz?
Can you provide details of Witblitz?
Thats more like itwe use to go 40 M south on a 20 foot buttcat.
When I started going south, the very big boats in PEDSAC was 26 foot hartleys.
Now the boats are getting bigger and bigger Two Rodmans and Riviera 43.
When did John Butt change to a 33 foot ?
That is too big for a normal under 9 meter recreational license.
The 30 footer just makes it.
When I started going south, the very big boats in PEDSAC was 26 foot hartleys.
Now the boats are getting bigger and bigger Two Rodmans and Riviera 43.
When did John Butt change to a 33 foot ?
That is too big for a normal under 9 meter recreational license.
The 30 footer just makes it.
Hiya
Moggy, my friend has a 6.5m MAKO semi-rigid monohull and that boat runs like a dream. Doesn't 'stamp' is is VERY, VERY, VERY dry. We fish and spearfish with that boat 40nm offshore regularly. She is powered by 2x50hp 4 stroke yamaha's and is incredabily light on fuel.
The 33' Buttcat is basically the same boat as the 30', just 3' longer. Its the same mould, just for the 30', the mould is shortened. The next size up is the 36', which is a completely new design.
Marine and Coastal Management has set the rules that any NEW vessel entering the commercial tuna fishing industry needs to be at least 10m in length. Why they choose 10m, nobody knows. This exclude all the monohulls here in the Cape, as Cape Craft only build a 28'. (they now build a 35'+ monohull, but its a displacement hull, so pretty much competes with the other deckboats, like the tulley's, sachals, etc,etc) Some claim its to keep the snoek fisherman from applying for a tuna right and then catching snoek with that licence. Others claim that the 28' Cape Craft is not deemed a suitable vessels, as they remove much of the floatation when they make the fish box's, which run from above the deck, all the way to the bottom of the hull. A few seasons back, we almost had 3 of them sink, in a heavy NW storm at sea. One of the boats sent out a mayday, as his boat was filled with water, up to the gunwhales!!
So, unfortunately, we do have to do the over 9m skippers ticket, which isn't difficult, just time consuming, with the first aid course, fire fighting course, radio operators coure (which you should have anyways!!) and survival at sea course. The exam and practical wasn't too bad.
Boat size's have increased considerabily on the whole. A few years back, all the commercial guys were running 6 man boats with 2x85hp motors. These would be 18' class billfish and cape crafts. These were considered to be the BIG boys!! Today, if you don't run AT LEAST a 25' cape Craft, with 10 men on board, powered by 2x200's, you'll not be financially viable.
Stonechamp, the 430 witblitz is a very small boat. I had one for many years and its a LOVELY small boat. The emphasis is SMALL. If you keep that in mind, she's actually a good buy. Light on fuel, tows very easily with even a 1600cc car and handles the rough stuff inshore ok-ish. She does bang quite a bit, like any other boat in that class and is wet too, also like pretty much most boats in that class. It is how-ever too small to take 40nm offshore.
Moggy, my friend has a 6.5m MAKO semi-rigid monohull and that boat runs like a dream. Doesn't 'stamp' is is VERY, VERY, VERY dry. We fish and spearfish with that boat 40nm offshore regularly. She is powered by 2x50hp 4 stroke yamaha's and is incredabily light on fuel.
The 33' Buttcat is basically the same boat as the 30', just 3' longer. Its the same mould, just for the 30', the mould is shortened. The next size up is the 36', which is a completely new design.
Marine and Coastal Management has set the rules that any NEW vessel entering the commercial tuna fishing industry needs to be at least 10m in length. Why they choose 10m, nobody knows. This exclude all the monohulls here in the Cape, as Cape Craft only build a 28'. (they now build a 35'+ monohull, but its a displacement hull, so pretty much competes with the other deckboats, like the tulley's, sachals, etc,etc) Some claim its to keep the snoek fisherman from applying for a tuna right and then catching snoek with that licence. Others claim that the 28' Cape Craft is not deemed a suitable vessels, as they remove much of the floatation when they make the fish box's, which run from above the deck, all the way to the bottom of the hull. A few seasons back, we almost had 3 of them sink, in a heavy NW storm at sea. One of the boats sent out a mayday, as his boat was filled with water, up to the gunwhales!!
So, unfortunately, we do have to do the over 9m skippers ticket, which isn't difficult, just time consuming, with the first aid course, fire fighting course, radio operators coure (which you should have anyways!!) and survival at sea course. The exam and practical wasn't too bad.
Boat size's have increased considerabily on the whole. A few years back, all the commercial guys were running 6 man boats with 2x85hp motors. These would be 18' class billfish and cape crafts. These were considered to be the BIG boys!! Today, if you don't run AT LEAST a 25' cape Craft, with 10 men on board, powered by 2x200's, you'll not be financially viable.
Stonechamp, the 430 witblitz is a very small boat. I had one for many years and its a LOVELY small boat. The emphasis is SMALL. If you keep that in mind, she's actually a good buy. Light on fuel, tows very easily with even a 1600cc car and handles the rough stuff inshore ok-ish. She does bang quite a bit, like any other boat in that class and is wet too, also like pretty much most boats in that class. It is how-ever too small to take 40nm offshore.
Stonechamp
New member
miles, seems like semi-rigids should also be a serious consideration(?), somehow always thought they would be very wet and eventually go "pap" and cost you a lot to maintain.
I like that they are light for their size and probably easier to launch, economic etc.
Do you think the 5.5m Mako would make it safely to and back 20-30 nm from Brittania Bay, assuming the skipper is not a complete idiot?
I like that they are light for their size and probably easier to launch, economic etc.
Do you think the 5.5m Mako would make it safely to and back 20-30 nm from Brittania Bay, assuming the skipper is not a complete idiot?
SC, I fish with "Weskus" on his 23' Butt Cat. He had a Kosi Cat 16 (before I started fishing with him) and sold it to one of our neighbours in BB.
Johan did all of his "exploring" for west coast spots using the little Kosi (and he ran to the 200M contour - around 20NM all the time) and he still raves about the Kosi 16!!!!! 4 Stroke Suzukis on it and the most Longies and 'tail he ever caught (and he is a spearo, so shot some as well) and she apparently ran on the sniff of an oil rag.
He will be back in SA in September, so maybe there will be some time for synergy chats with him. He is just like HT (but a West Coast version) ie he can produce stats/conditions/catch/date etc. for EVERY trip over the last many years. He knows his shite for the area!!!!
Johan did all of his "exploring" for west coast spots using the little Kosi (and he ran to the 200M contour - around 20NM all the time) and he still raves about the Kosi 16!!!!! 4 Stroke Suzukis on it and the most Longies and 'tail he ever caught (and he is a spearo, so shot some as well) and she apparently ran on the sniff of an oil rag.
He will be back in SA in September, so maybe there will be some time for synergy chats with him. He is just like HT (but a West Coast version) ie he can produce stats/conditions/catch/date etc. for EVERY trip over the last many years. He knows his shite for the area!!!!
I'm probably one of THE biggest fans of semi-rigid inflatables!! Way back in 2004, when we started hunting YF tuna with spearguns, there was only a handfull of spearo's who regularly targetted tuna with semi-rigids. I actually only know of two semi-rigids, my buddy Tommy with his 21' Mako semi rigid and myself with my 21' Hysucat semi-rigid. When i took my boat for a survey, the first surveyor would NOT survey my boat for 40nm!! he claimed that semi-rigids were NOT boats!! Anycase, the second survey surveyed my boat for 40nm and i was out there, 20-35nm from land EVERY fish-able day. Semi-rigids are SUPERB crafts. They are light on fuel, need small motors, can carry big weights and are VERY, VERY sea-worthy!
I have caught PLENTY of yellowtail, snoek, kob, geelbek and various bottom fish off my semi-rigid and absolute LOVE them!!
How-ever, they DO require that you pay attention at all times to what you are doing. Puncturing a pontoon is a very real threat, especially if you have in-experienced anglers onboard. The moment you start targetting tuna, both longfin and yellowfin as well as yellowtail, you will at some point start using lures with trebles on them and i can GAURANTEE that you WILL puncture your semi-rigid when trying to gaff or lift a YF or longfin tuna!! We are VERY experienced and exercise EXTREME caution when gaffing and landing tuna. With in-experienced anglers, i can bet you that in all the excitement, sombody will do something silly!! Same story with SNOEK, which will be your main inshore gamefish. They bite vorociously and its once again very pertinent to be VERY CAUTIOUS. Check the video clip below, and see how cautious we are when landing snoek on my small semi-rigid.
[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/v/Fk1Ppf5OdDA&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]
Looking at the above-mentioned issue's, i'd recommend you rather look at a fibreglass boat.
Royboy, advising some-one to run 20nm offshore, ESPECIALLY for tuna, in a 16' boat is dangerous!! I would recommend looking AT LEAST at a 21' boat if you plan on venturing further than 15nm offshore for tuna. Guys like Hammertime do run 18'6 boats, but he is a VERY, VERY, VERY experienced skipper and knows how to handle his vessel. He has more sea-time than quite a few commercial fisherman!!
The point many of you guys are missing is that inshore and offshore fishing is VASTLY different. Fishing at the POINT and fishing in the DEEP, even though its a mere 15nm away, is COMPLETELY different. Very few know HOW bad it can get out there. A few seasons back we lost 2 BIG boats, both over 40' with some loss of lives in the deep. YOU ARE PLAYING WITH YOUR LIFE if you go out there in an unsuitable vessel. I can tell you stories of limping home at 6-8knts, with the 20nm from the deep to Cape Point taking me well over 4 hours, with every swell breaking INTO my semi-rigid. I can tell you of water washing OVER the top of my big boats cabin. I can even show you some Cape Crafts whose cabins broke during bad sea's. We don't PLAN to go out in these conditions, but the weather simply catches us.
I have caught PLENTY of yellowtail, snoek, kob, geelbek and various bottom fish off my semi-rigid and absolute LOVE them!!
How-ever, they DO require that you pay attention at all times to what you are doing. Puncturing a pontoon is a very real threat, especially if you have in-experienced anglers onboard. The moment you start targetting tuna, both longfin and yellowfin as well as yellowtail, you will at some point start using lures with trebles on them and i can GAURANTEE that you WILL puncture your semi-rigid when trying to gaff or lift a YF or longfin tuna!! We are VERY experienced and exercise EXTREME caution when gaffing and landing tuna. With in-experienced anglers, i can bet you that in all the excitement, sombody will do something silly!! Same story with SNOEK, which will be your main inshore gamefish. They bite vorociously and its once again very pertinent to be VERY CAUTIOUS. Check the video clip below, and see how cautious we are when landing snoek on my small semi-rigid.
[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/v/Fk1Ppf5OdDA&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]
Looking at the above-mentioned issue's, i'd recommend you rather look at a fibreglass boat.
Royboy, advising some-one to run 20nm offshore, ESPECIALLY for tuna, in a 16' boat is dangerous!! I would recommend looking AT LEAST at a 21' boat if you plan on venturing further than 15nm offshore for tuna. Guys like Hammertime do run 18'6 boats, but he is a VERY, VERY, VERY experienced skipper and knows how to handle his vessel. He has more sea-time than quite a few commercial fisherman!!
The point many of you guys are missing is that inshore and offshore fishing is VASTLY different. Fishing at the POINT and fishing in the DEEP, even though its a mere 15nm away, is COMPLETELY different. Very few know HOW bad it can get out there. A few seasons back we lost 2 BIG boats, both over 40' with some loss of lives in the deep. YOU ARE PLAYING WITH YOUR LIFE if you go out there in an unsuitable vessel. I can tell you stories of limping home at 6-8knts, with the 20nm from the deep to Cape Point taking me well over 4 hours, with every swell breaking INTO my semi-rigid. I can tell you of water washing OVER the top of my big boats cabin. I can even show you some Cape Crafts whose cabins broke during bad sea's. We don't PLAN to go out in these conditions, but the weather simply catches us.
Yup Miles. Point taken. Running into the deep (even on a big boat, with a superb skipper, in good conditions) and then conditions rapidly go crappy? Very VERY uncomfortable...... even without equipment failure and running (hobbling?) home into swells as big as houses...and "holes" that appear from nowhere.... is scary. Rolling eyeballs scary. Times like this, no boat is big enough.