Week Ending 1/15/2010

Week ending 1/015/10...Winter preparations for the 2010 season begin ..

Yesterday Frank Davis and I braved the chilly 6 degree morning air, taking the "India Marie" for a little ride out of the harbor, around the bell buoy and back to the launch ramp. Pictured right is Frank in the wheel house as we warmed up the engine for her last ride of the season.

Capt.Scott Worthing hauled her about noon time and gave us a prime dry dock spot right next to the "Gath IV" in his Webhannet River boat yard. Over the next 90 days the crew and I will do our best to pretty up the two girls and bring all their mechanical and fishing systems to like new condition.There's always a lot of annual maintence and a major project or two on each vessel. I can assure you we're going to be very busy refurbishing both boats and bringing them up to the standards we all enjoy ever summer. Lets hope for kinder weather this spring that will make the work more enjoyable. I'll keep you updated on our major projects and our progress every week or two throughout the winter.

India's launch is scheduled for April 27th and Gath's for May 15th.

Yesterday, I submitted our list of lucky anglers to the Maine Dept of Marine resources. This season we had thirty five guests who landed beautiful fish large enough to be recognized by the state of Maine as Tackle Buster Trophies. I'm sure some of these fish were also the largest fish of that species caught anywhere in our state during the 2009 season.We'll soon know as they will be posted on an annual Maine state recreational fishing newsletter. The other really "outstanding cool thing" is that almost all of out trophy fish were voluntarily released back to the ocean unharmed by our forward thinking guests.
Inshore Captain Whit landed more twenty five pound plus trophy stripers than in any of our previous twelve seasons, fourteen in total. Our two largest ever, Rich Palmer (CT's) 47 pound 44.5 incher and Sharon Waterhouse (ME's) 37 pound, 44.75 inch lead the pack.

"Center picture" below is 11 year old Suzanna Van Gelder (NY) and her dad Ed, they are long time annual guests on the Gath III. Suzannah's 35pound, 40.5 inch striper was our 4th biggest of the season. All four of these fish were released alive and kicking after their pictures were taken. Pictured on Suzannah's left is our good friend of many years, Frank Fazio (NH) with his 24 pound, 35 inch striper. On her right is another long time friend Kelly Cleveland (NY) with one of our biggest trophy cod of the 2009 season. Kelly's cod also released alive, wieghed in at 26 pounds, 39 inches. I can't thank you all enough for making 2009 another really fun,special and successful year for our Capt Satch and son crew.



I hope you found the pictures of your family that I posted on our 2009 season slideshow video on You tube. I was also able to edit and upload a "really cool" 5 minute flick of Paulie Mier (PA) catching our largest Bluefin Tuna ever. It's titled Paulie's 15th birthday surprise (click here). There are at least seven Captain Satch videos on you-tube. When you are watching one, if you look to the right there is a highlight: more from Captain Satch, click on that heading and all seven will pop up for your perusal.
Please feel free to e-mail me any video clips you may have of your trips aboard Gath or India. If you'd like to share them with our other guests, I'll try to make a clip of them to post on you tube this winter.

Week ending 1/02/10

Happy New Year! Wishing all our good friends and guests good health and the hope of easier financial times for those in need this coming spring. We spent a few days over Christmas break with my grandson McCarey's Jamaican Grandma. Ms Patsy, I believe she summed it up best. "We are praying to God for continued good health and the strength to support our families in the coming new year." Here in Maine we are very blessed to have such a good life, clean water, great schools, caring friends and neighbors, a couple of strong seaworthy boats, our own farm and plenty of wood for a warm family hearth. It's my hope that we will continue working together over the next few years to make it easier for those who have so much less.

On Thursday, we officially ended or 2009 season aboard the "India Marie". On the last day of the year, Captain Whit, little Dennis and I hauled in the rest of Whits lobster gear back to Wells harbor. Pictured below are Whit and Den seated a top a fully loaded "India Marie". In her role as commercial lobster boat she is superb, able to haul at least 40 traps to and from the fishing grounds in heated comfort. " For the Captain in the wheel house at least". We enjoyed a very good fall lobstering, but all good things always come to an end and with the oncoming cold weather and heavy snow it was time to call it a season. I believe we timed it almost perfectly getting our gear in before this very large winter storm hit this weekend.


At noon time, I rode down to the harbor and tied additional storm lines on "Indi". The forecast is for northeast winds with gusts to 40 knots tonight and tomorrow morning.On the ride home I passed Captain Whit (pictured above) he was out helping his brother Den make a first pass on his ambitious snowplow route. Both boys will be busy plowing for a few days cleaning up this big mess.

I've already made arrangements w/ Captain Scott Worthing to have "India" hauled out at his Webhannet River boat yard early next week. Then little Dennis and I can begin working on our list of winter maintenance items. Whit and little Den spent a few days over the holiday insulating his new maintenance workshop. This will give Ms. Jeanette, Frank, and the rest of the gang a nice warm, well-lighted place to hang out make jigs and rebuild our fishing gear. Now that the seasons over, I'm already looking forward to a nice relaxing day ice fishing with my boys before I get immersed in submitting our guests trophy lists and my annual season newsletter.

Anyway Happy New Year and sincere thanks for another successful season..Satchie

Week ending Jan 9th...

Our dear friend ...My dear friend and our chief mechanical engineer Bobby Helinski passed on today. Bob was one of the kindest and most brilliant men I have ever met. He will be sorely missed by my family and all our friends and guests. Bob spent the winter with Whit and I last year installing the new Cummins engine in "India". For those of you who enjoyed one of our 75 offshore trips last summer ..Bobby was the one behind the scenes that made it all such a success. He was our "Click and Clack". The India Marie's equivalent to the Bunny Clark's Dave Pease. One of the kindest closest friends I've ever had. Bobby was also a gifted teacher who taught me more about engines than anyone else ever could and also some very special lessons about what life is really all about.

Bob works out.....how to fit that big heavy engine in that little hole. "March 06".