Going out of Port A. How far out are the floaters? Thinking about trying it in Oct. Boat will cruise at about 12.5 mph for optimal gas consumption. What's going to be out and around that time of year. What is the air temp going to be? Thanks for y'alls info. Plan on staying at least for at least 2 full days of fishing not including going out or in.

I would guess around 100 miles or more depending on where you go, so I would figure around 10 hrs out and 10 hrs back in optimum sea's at that speed. Would need alot of fuel and 2 engines and all the safety gear you can afford. With 2 engines, probably 250 gallons of fuel depending on fuel burn. Buddy boat would be the way to go. You will have plenty of replies on this one

We're planning on doing a buddy boat system. Were looking at using a world cat with twin 250 suzukis. Both motors are run through to Lowrance Electronics to give precise fuel consumption ratings. We have already Procured a 50 gallon drum for extra fuel and are now thinking about adding another. Going to take a shorter range test run sometime before the end of the month to see how it handles seas. The guy that owns the boat claims that it has a 330 mile range on just the tank onboard. The more replys from guys that have been out there the better.

I did that trip not too long ago on a buddy's glacier bay (26 canyon runner, twin suki 140's) you should be fine although a buddy boat is a good idea. Couple of things to note, do the math on fuel burn before hand, then do it again! Make sure that you have ALL of your electronics and safety gear in good working order and file a float plan. It is a LONG WAY from anywhere out at the floaters and trouble can happen fast. The three guys who just learned that the hard way made the most fundamental mistake there is, they did not post a watch. With multiple people on the boat, safety demands that you set a rotation for sleeping. If those yahoos would have done that then there would have been someone awake to realize that there was a problem and take action. As it was, by the time they woke up it was far too late. The deep water IS nirvana, but it can also be a really good place to get yourself killed if you do not pay attention and do the simple things properly. Good luck, hope the tuna cooperate!

BTW- when you do the math for the fuel burn, don't forget to take into account that you are going to be running at least one motor at all times! You will be best served if you alternate which motor is running to avoid heat issues with the motors. That is about a 118 mile trip one way plus fuel to run the motors all night and any trolling you plan to do. If your friend is right about the range then that only leaves a 94 mile safety net on the main tanks--probably should think about at LEAST 100 gal if not 150gal of extra fuel...remember to account for the added weight in fuel on the trip out, it will increase your burn a good bit on the first leg of the trip.

Leaving a motor running has been what we've done on the last trip but this newest boat has a generator. That's also in our gas consuption budget. I'm kinda trying to figure out what is going to be out there and the above water temperatures are going to be at the end of October or the begining of November. I'll pack plenty of coveralls but I've never fished out there in the fall. Went out there in the early summer two years ago and everything was fine in a 28ft Trophy and a 26 Mako Teaming up.

Carry an EPIRB. Best safety issue item of all. I wouldn't be surprised if it soon becomes mandatory for offshore.

The boat that we'll be on has all the gear. 2 EPIRB's, Flares, Liferaft, 2 radios, Smoke,Life jackets, orange die, And I'm taking my Sat Phone.

It sounds like you guys are set up well with the safety gear.

One of the biggest factors heading out there is weather...cold fronts can create tough conditions. Just make sure you know the forecast before you head out and continue to monitor it while at sea.

The yellow fin fishing has been show, but it should be fired up by then!

Do your fuel figures plan for trolling during the day? You will be in prime bill fish waters, so usually crews will troll all day, then drift at night for tuna.

Ice is another thing to think about...you have to keep all that tuna fresh! It takes a lot of ice to handle a good overnighter and even more for a multi-day trip.

The temps can be a mixed bag. Some years it will be 85* in December out there, other years it is cold. You will be able to work that out as the trip gets closer.

Good luck, tight lines and screaming drags!

Cheers,

tp

I've got to get down there at least once to check this rig out before I'm going to risk my hide on a trip that far out. The guys that want me to go have two boats. One is the 31 or 32 foot Cat and the other is a 40+ foot lurs with twin diesels. The bigger boat will be our "base" and hold most of our Ice and extra fuel while we use the smaller boat for trolling and running around. My biggest worry right now is trying to get off work for the run down there. If I get the green light on a run down there I'll hollar at you TP and see if your interested.

BV is 153 miles from Port A. You better go faster than 12.5 mph if you want to get there this century. Sounds the boats you're taking are both capable. Watch the weather forecasts for the best conditions and seas. Avoid going if any cold fronts are approaching. They can sometimes really accelerate as they near the coast.

I've spent a lot of time offshore and have owned offshore boats. My last one was a 42' Hatteras back in 1981. I've also been out there in much smaller boats. I've been on the freshwater since 1990.

Instead of all the hassle and risk of doing it yourself, I would encourage you to hire a trustworthy charter on a big boat. It probably won't be any more expensive than what you're going to spend already and you'll be on a vessel that's built for it and with a professional Captain. No preparation, just bring your stuff and get on board and go.

What are the floaters?

Boomvang/ Nancen sister offshore Oil Production Platforms that were pre assembled onshore and floated out to sea with tugs/ barges. Then flooded and lowered into place.

Bazz

The floaters are also commonly known as SPAR rigs. They float because of the extreme depths where they are deployed. It's not possible or practical to build structure all the ways to the bottom.

They offer structure in otherwise open and featureless ocean and therefore hold lots of fish and variety.