NOAA extends red snapper season
August 20, 2010 11:10 PM
NEWS HERALD STAFF REPORT

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has modified the red snapper season to allow for fishing on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 1 to Nov. 22.

I am happy to say  that I fired our new Ranger Tugs R 27  up yesterday and tested some of its systems . The new Mase 2.7 Gen has a really nice quieter sound and the 180 HP Yanmar motor is typically quiet like a good tier 2 common rail diesel should be . The new Fusion Stereo is a step up from the old Clarion units ,although it cries out for a small subwoofer , however  . Thats an easy add. The new “woody” interior just has a really rich warm feel to it as well . The new A/C unit is quieter and more subtle yet still has 16k BTU. It doesn’t give you the blizzard blast any more but a much softer circulation . The new computer desk is pretty comfy too , considering how compact it is .
I didn’t get out for a sea trial yesterday , just running stuff to get the feel for it . Our R 27 has a Kyocera solar panel on the roof that is putting out nearly 8 amps in the Florida Sun . That is a great thing for cruisers and folks that keep their boat outside as it will keep the batteries topped up and enable one to keep the fridge running or cabin fans on without fear of draining  the batteries . Have not had a chance to play with propane and propane accessories yet, the flatscreen TV, or the 1500 Watt inverter/40 Amp Charger . That will likely happen today , as I have some folks coming in to possibly sea trial her .Ill post more observations as I am struck with them .The Garmin electronics are the same as the R 25 and its a great user friendly system . Ill check to see if she needs a software update and test the Garmin Autopilot as well .

All in all this is the best trailerable trawler I have ever seen !

It tows and launches really well on our custom tandem Float On Trailer . Its got about 20% more capacity than you need , and electric over hydraulic brakes for a trouble free trailering experience .
This boat will be at the Tampa Boat Show along with an R 21 and a brand new R 29 Sept 10-12 . We would be happy to provide tickets for folks interested in the Ranger Tugs and sea trials will be available as we will be in the water , and the boats ready to go .

Come see us in Eastpoint/Apalachicola or in Tampa . Call or E mail with questions or ticket requests .

Marc

Gotta congratulate Team Jeff Hewitt and his Twin Vee 19 Classic for winning the 2nd annual Franklin County Sheriff’s association Fishing Tournament this past Aug 13th. With difficult conditions and a lot of effort { I know , I was out there too} the Hewitt team went out to their spots in at least 3 foot slop with rain [sometimes worse] to achieve the victory [ and tournament records ] in all classes of the Sheriff’s first offshore division in the tournament . The classes were Grouper , King Mackerel, and Amberjack . I have a special respect and appreciation for getting a really good sized Amberack cause you have to go off the beaten path to find big ones these days with the commercial market good and the Grouper in short supply this year . Jeff is a Wefings customer and a member of the Franklin County Sheriffs department and we are glad he won the tournament ! Ill sure be letting Twin Vee know about this ! Its a great testament the simple safe boats they build and the great sportsmen that are using them . Congratulations Jeff !!
Marc

Cant see it , so it must not exist .

EPA says Houdini and some bacteria apparently made the oil [ oh sure, easily 75%] disappear . Big news . Nothing to see here , move along………
So who really believes its “gone” ?
Certainly not the folks on the Louisiana Bayous and Marshes that watch oil come in and out with the tides . The folks there that wont eat their own seafood and worry about their grandchildren’s health .Not the  folks along the Panhandle that hear of the sightings [ real or not ] just offshore .

One told me , Ill have to make him[his grandchild] a hunter instead of a fisherman .

The best part for truly affected  small businesses  is they are nullifying claims based on financial comparisons to the worst years in anybody’s post depression memory .
Works for them !
With the promise and evidence of a good start to the year , it all came crashing down in May . We are not in a position to make a claim if we worked our asses off to make up the difference in non sustainable endeavors and equaled or surpassed our subsistence of the prior year , sold a few non typical items due to non typical demands,events and circumstances , and invested time and money in vain on equipment to protect our environment to find out that the money stays in the Oil Industry family , no matter what they say about buying locally. If you worked harder , it worked against you . I would like my summer back . Can I file a claim for that ?
Someone said to me , ” if someone held you captive and held a gun to your head for 95 days but never pulled the trigger  , would you be affected even though they didn’t shoot you” ? I feel like that is what happened and we were affected , as well as a lot of other businesses . Some folks got lucky and got a windfall riding around on boats and sweating a bit for a lot of money. Congratulations to them ! Some, like us ,  just worked harder for less .

But there’s an oil well and an industry out there with blood on it’s hands  and in it’s wells too , yet  the Gulf Coast will just be a speed bump that they had to slow down for  . Fill er up ?

Marc

Part of it is here and more is to follow . The invasion of the contractors and cleanup folks is official and will be around quite some time . It has changed many peoples lives and has caused stress far beyond the existing economic stresses we have endured . That alone has caused a shift in folks behavior as I have seen folks change and respond to the economic stresses in strange and unpleasant ways even before this calamity .
Now we want a piece of the BP economy in some way shape or form . Some have ridden the vessels of opportunity train , it seems like a temporary placation and opportunity that’s not entirely going to the right folks and certainly not accomplishing alot for the money spent . It seems a corporate PR move for now and I hope that seemingly endless supply of money supporting these redundant operations is truly endless and when the real need for our county appears ,the money is not in bank accounts of folks who played the game and took advantage of the program for a quick buck . They know who they are , the ones with unrelated careers and the ones from out of the area and even out of state , that are displacing folks that are in the business of making their living on or around the water here .
Apparently the town of Bayou La Batre in Al. has taken over management of the program locally as they know who should be out there working ,those that know the waters and truly make their living there .Doctors should treat patients , Insurance agents should sell insurance,attorneys should tend to their clients .That the point of the movement in Bayou la Batre

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/gulf_oil_spill/bp-program-partners-with-bayou-la-batre

That’s a great way to circumvent the Industry / Buddy system that’s now in place . It would also be nice to know which of the suppliers and contractors are really related to the corporation responsible of the problem , and how the game is truly played . It a great opportunity for the county and other counties to be taken for a very expensive ride by some opportunists masquerading as environmental specialists……….I will be interested to see the accounting of what was billed in terms of time,supplies  and equipment in comparison to what could have been sourced locally . And 5 years from now , what was the effect of putting our environment in the hands of folks with no real interest here .
Just my morning thoughts as I try to fight my way through the greed and find the need .And stay in business.

So with our lives potentially be turned upside down , there are some hard choices to make for Wefings . We have no intention of giving up on what we do in our day to day lives , which is sell and service recreational boats [like Sundance , Ranger Tugs and Twin Vee Catamarans] and provide service to the working water men of our area . We have planned our business around that and we were on the way out of the economic doldrums and back seemingly on the mend . Alot of our customers come from outside the area as well and we travel to boat shows with our unique products . But the feeling I have now is we need to reinvent our selves once again . As much as I hate the thought of “working for BP” I think its our future to embrace the potential for sustaining our business with the demand for product related to protection, and god forbid cleanup of our waters . So I will have to consider the large risk of purchasing items that are outside our normal scope of business or in larger quantities than we are normally comfortable with . I know that if there is a demand and you don’t have what people need they will find it elsewhere .Thats IF you can identify the need ! So with much to lose and some to gain ,we will ramp up for the efforts . The hardest part of the process is we have to disrupt our own recovery to create a new one . Makes life fragmented and unsure , but we are all facing that now . Its a test of principles and the will to survive . We need to have what it takes no matter what happens . And that takes alot of extra time and effort and risk . And a little support from our customers and community
Marc

Went to the morning safety meeting so I could better understand the massive amounts of boats burning fuel for no apparent reason in our bay . I suppose when the S**T hits the fan , we may be better prepared , but I also suspect when said event occurs [and I hope it does not] many [especially the deckhands]will quit . There seems to be a big disparity between what the boat owner/captain makes and the deck hands . That will interesting to follow as it develops . I also gathered they they are not getting paid in a timely fashion and that is certainly bad for morale ,and trust . The folks running the VOO program seem dedicated to the safety of the Workers and Captains . We at Wefings Marine have been supplying safety gear as required and as the quantities increase we are able to purchase in quantity and thus get the prices better for the folks on the water . They are required to wear PFDs at all times and have some specialized gear on board that is not normally carried by small boats . We are continually trying to see what the needs are and to provide quality equipment at a great price . Some will always complain with out justification no matter what you do , but we have tried hard to be the best and most reasonable in the area . Always will . I have also been working on a few projects to make the boats more identifiable for the contractors . That helps with the organization and safety of all concerned .
Marc

Sitting in Jacksonville , waiting for some safety gear for on of the local contractors so I can have it on the job site this afternoon . We have begun to get some requests for items that will be used in the prevention and cleanup of the BP Oil spill , as it affects Apalachicola and Franklin County . We are very experienced in sourcing out marine and safety related product , and it appears we will be able to put this experience to use . We are still in the boat business and have some great inventory , so feel free to call us for you boating needs here in Eastpoint!
Marc

The oil keeps pouring , the money keeps being wasted , the dog and pony show continues .
For the last few days I have been trying to procure some much needed work boats for our county’s benefit for the impending “economy shift” . We are transitioning from an ecologically sustainable tourism and fisheries based economy to an oil dependent economy . I can see it happen before my very eyes . In an effort to provide useful services and replace our now antiquated business model I have focused on commercial endeavors that are related to the restoration of our area.
I so far , have not found anyone that understands the situation , can grasp our future needs or can see far enough into the future to realize that when those support vessels are needed [landing craft,water based medical support,amphibious vehicles, etc], we will not have them . In this south eastern region , all of those type of resources will be first come first served and we will be last . Everybody is relying on outside contractors for everything and that’s an uncomfortable situation for me. But its just my opinion and opinions are like gas tanks ,everybody has one .

I spent all day in the store trying to grasp what our role will be in the habitat oiling prevention and cleanup arenas . I found that there are lot of boats in the “Vessels of Opportunity” Program that have been “activated” out practicing today , looking for oil and familiarizing themselves with the bay .Rumors are flying, people with little or no interest in the bay are collecting checks , and that in turn has made it difficult for folks that truly rely on this resource to get help. Unfortunately the locals that know the bay best , the oystermen, have vessels that are subsistence boats and will not stand the type of work they are now hired for . The inshore Charter fishermen have a much better chance of making a few weeks of work .The non locals that say they’re boats are located here are collecting monies that should remain in the hands of locals . BP cannot discern who is who. The pay and handouts from BP are causing some locals that dont work or have unrelated jobs to get saltwater products licenses one day and collecting 5k checks from BP the next . Human nature is rearing its sometimes ugly side . We have such a pristine resource to protect here , and its so taxing to see it managed in a haphazard way . Our goal at Wefings is to stay in business so my staff can have careers they can count on . Maybe there will be an opportunity to replace our normal businesses . Maybe folks will take a long ,long time to return and we will all have to reconfigure our lives and business models . It very stressful for all . Just trying to cope, be smart and be open to find ways to help .I might be going on my last offshore fishing trip for the foreseeable future tomorrow. That makes me sad , cause I know its a very real possibility .

Marc