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September/October 2008
Big Game Fishing Journal

    Read Captain Len's Editorial -- Offshore Oil Drilling Good for fish, Good for the U.S. Bring on the rust!
September/October
Feature Articles
ELECTROLYSIS AND THE HUNT FOR THE METAL GREMLINS
by Captain Lawrence J. Festa

  Did you ever hear the expression, “rust never sleeps,”...how true is that! The best we can do is get a little Rust-oleum and we then slow the process down on things like wrought iron furniture and house trimmings. The same is true about the mysteries of galvanic corrosion, aka electrolysis. In layman’s terms, electrolysis is the destruction of metals from electro-chemical reactions in a saltwater environment. Once this reaction is in motion, like rust, it never sleeps! more

A LOOK BACK AT THE RAJ 31, MARITIMER 9.6, AND THE BLACKFIN 32
by Charles Jannace

  In the beginning, 1977 to be exact, I created RAJ Yachts, Inc. on a very small budget. Without proper funding, the company only lasted about one year. But I must have done a darn good job, because the boat is still in some sort of production 31 years later.
Back in 1973 or 1974, I attempted to develop a program to build 65-foot motor yachts in El Salvador, Central America to take advantage of the VERY low labor rates in that country. Although the labor rates were low, so were the skill rates. Toss in some gunfire, and arson and we began to believe we had made a mistake coming to this country. more

CAROLINA CANYON RUNNER
by Adam LaRosa

  The challenge was simple – take a bunch of New York/New Jersey canyon tuna fishermen, combine them with a Carolina billfisherman (who was already building the best riding boat we’ve ever been on), and come out of the shop with a world-class fishing machine. Now we’ve spent years fishing the northeast canyons on our 48-foot Viking, as well as dozens of other production boats before that for several good reasons. more

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING A YACHT BROKER
by Captain Jason Powell
  Although this might not be the most exciting article to appear in the journal, it is one that will hopefully be of some use and benefit to its readership. Most readers of the Journal either own a boat themselves, crew on one, or at least have a friend with one. Big-game sportfishermen tend to buy and sell boats every few years, so most will have some interaction with a yacht broker at some point. more
CONTINUATION OF THE TRANSITION AND TRANSORMATION OF A 1989 54' EGG HARBOR INTO A 2008 57" SJEFFECT
by Jeff Smith
  While the previous interior was accommodating, its earth-tone fabrics seemed to lack personality or give the contrast that would accentuate the teak woodwork. The satin finish varnish and the Formica counters were dated, as was the air-conditioning system (which was also annoying). We would brighten her with Caribbean colors of places we hope to travel, update her with gloss varnish, install Corian counter-tops, engineer the air system for comfort, throw in some other tweaks and ultimately make her ours!
more
THE ULTIMATE CONTENDER
by JP Dalik
  From the moment owners Buddy and Kathy Hughes had purchased there new Yamaha powered 31TFS Contender, they wanted it to be something special. Being no stranger to fishing, Buddy Hughes, when not working as a painting contractor, can be found on the water. Having fished all his life Buddy even got to do some TV, fishing on the East Team in the East vs. West Shark Hunter Series. more
20 YEARS OLD
ANTIQUE OR REBIRTH?
by Captain Chris Squeri

  Our family purchased the Lady E in 1994 at her young age of 6 years old. The family business was doing great and I was just about to graduate from Temple University, finishing a four-year manager scholarship with their basketball program. My father, Jeff, knew it was time for a new boat as our 29-foot Phoenix was getting up there in age. It had become too small for our family and our demanding offshore fishing needs. more
MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
BACK IN THE FAST LANE
by Captain Len Belcaro

  Some say I’ll be buried in my 1980 3208T 300 HP Caterpillar powered 32-foot flybridge Blackfin sportfisherman. I’ve owned her for 27 years, which probably makes me the longest-running Blackfin owner ever. I’ve repowered, repainted, rewired, and I can’t remember how many times I’ve upgraded the electronics. There is absolutely nothing original on her but the hull. Some say I am the boat’s “Portrait of Dorian Gray”—The better the Blackfin looks, the worst I look! more