IN THIS ISSUE: The New 251 CE | Owners’ Club News | Letters & Photos | Grady Buddies

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It’s Winter Show Time!

When It’s the Journey, Not the “Recreation”

Crossing the Gulf of Mexico, and One Off the Bucket List By Charlie Hamaker, Chase 263, Reel Therapy

I had worked the offshore oil fields of Louisiana as a commercial diver, and was familiar with many of the inlets and coastline from the Texas border up to the Mississippi River, but had never been on that river itself. Joe was from Louisiana and was familiar with areas east of the Mississippi. Neither of us was familiar with an entrance that would get us to Venice without going to the mouth of the river, which would add 75 miles or more. Good navigation equipment with up-to-date GPS charts was a must-have to locate navigable tributaries. So equipment was purchased and my Reel Therapy went through a preparation checklist that might rival a NASA space shot. We plotted a course through the many oyster and sand bars that border the main channel, and calculated the distance and heading to our selected entry point of North Pass. It is 356 miles from our departure point of Cedar Key, FL, to North Pass, and a total of more than 400 miles to the first fuel stop in

Venice. With my twin 200 HPDI Yamahas and a three-blade prop, cruising at 30 to 32 MPH, the crossing should take between 12.5 and 13 hours. The fuel consumption at 3500 RPM averages 15 GPH, so 13 hours averages 195 gallons. Reel Therapy’s main tank capacity is 206 gallons. We opted to bring 30 extra gallons. We left Cedar Key around 7:45 A.M. and, gaining a hour for entering the Central Time zone, we figured arrival to the North Pass area would be about

7:45 P.M. local time. After stops for relief breaks and the extra fuel transfer, actual time was 8:15 P.M. Trouble was it was dark, and zooming in on the GPS picture revealed no channel or day markers along the pass. Among the thousands of lights from countless oil rigs, we saw a single huge bright light along the black horizon of the Delta, with orange-white rays glowing skyward eerily, like ET’s spaceship. But it was Venice, and we were going to get there somehow! It was now close to 10 P.M.

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A close friend, Joe Clardy, and I were returning from a wahoo trip out of the St. John’s River, Jacksonville, FL, back in 2012. It was a 70-mile run to the inlet, and we were passing the time talking when I mentioned, “One of the things I’ve always wanted to do is cross the Gulf of Mexico to Venice, Louisiana, and fish for those big yellowfin tuna.” Joe replied, “Me, too…let’s do it!” We sealed the deal with a high-five and started planning.

One of the many large production rigs located in the east Mississippi Delta

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Bucket List… continued from page 1

We backtracked several times until we located the small-print “dredged inlet,” having to run east into deeper water then turn back west to line up with the pass. Finally we made it to Venice, which is 26 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, on the west bank of the Mississippi. We worked our way up dead-end canals trying to find our marina and motel. By the time we located our facilities they’d closed: it’s 2:00 A.M.! Joe says, “Ya know, we got up at 3:00 A.M. to haul the boat over to Cedar Key. We’ve been up 24 hours.” I replied, “Yeah, ain’t it fun! I love adventure.” So we pulled out the beanbags and bedded down for the remainder of the night. Daylight broke; we serviced the boat and refueled. The main tank topped off at 179 gallons, so there were 27 gallons left from the original 236. Total fuel used in the crossing was 209 gallons, and the GPS indicated the distance traveled was 404 miles. We’d achieved 1.93 miles to the gallon. After checking in at the motel, we headed offshore to locate the yellow-fin. We managed to catch a couple

Spanish mackerel but were unsuccess-ful on finding any yellowfin. The following day brought predica-tions of early weather changes and fairly strong winds on the Florida west coast so we planned our return, making arrangements with friends to get the truck and trailer at Cedar Key and meet us in Panama City. Panama City was a 200-mile run, so we fished some of the oilrigs and trolled the weed lines on the way over. We arrived at the Panama City inlet around 9:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight

Time. As we entered the bay, a Florida wildlife officer stopped us. He wanted to know if we had any fish onboard and where had we been. We told him we’d left Venice earlier that morning and there were no fish aboard. There was a long pause, then the officer said, “Where?” Joe and I simultaneously answered, “Venice, Louisiana.” The officer made a complete search of the boat. Every hatch was opened and inspected. Florida fishing regulations state that certain species of fish must remain in

“whole condition” until brought ashore. (I would argue that once you have entered an inlet you have passed the “line of demarcation” and are ashore.) Should we have been lucky enough to catch some yellowfin tuna, cleaned them on the dock in Venice, and packed them in brine solution to bring them home, do you think the officer would have believed us? Or would we have been guilty of bringing a species of fish ashore that should have remained whole? By the numbers: total distance traveled was 784 statute miles. Distance in open ocean: 714 miles. Total engine running time: 34 hours. Average speed, 23 MPH. Total trip time: three days. Target species caught: none. Value of trip: priceless. Solo trips like this are not for everyone. The boat must be in perfect operating condition, and the operator should under-stand the mechanical functions. An important thing to understand is how to use a magnetic compass for “dead reckoning” navigation, which is calculat-ing time, distance, speed and holding a heading. The magnetic compass is the only piece of equipment that you can always believe. Ask any ancient mariner.

REEL THERAPY ON THE LIFT and ready to begin the journey

REEL THERAPY BACK HOME in the Arlington Marina at Jacksonville, FL

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BOATS INCORPORATED supported the Town of Niantic, CT, as it painted Main Street pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Week, and sponsored a local teacher and several customers participating in a 26.2 Mile Walkathon fundraiser.

FISH TALE MARINA, Ft Myers Beach, FL, goes where the traffic is to showcase their Grady-White boats! A new venue: the Southwest Florida International Airport, where this Freedom 225 dual console can catch many an eye. There are also posters inviting all Grady owners to the exciting Grady Fest IV being held March 21-23 at Fish Tale Marina.

Dealer News & Events Grady-White dealers sponsor hundreds of events every year—seminars, tournaments, trips, cookouts, sightseeing voyages and much more. See www.gradywhite.com for events in your area.

The first of November was fishing derby time for JACOBSEN’S MARINE, Seattle, WA, with the annual Grady-White Invitational. First place went to John Laws with a 14.2-lb. chum caught off Possession Bar. Rob Powers was second with a 12.4-lb. chum, and third was Scott Clements with 10.1-pounder. Fourth to tenth places were a mixture of chinook, chum and coho salmon. Twenty-nine boats with 80 anglers participated.

Find a Boat Show Near You! gradywhite.com/boat_shows

The Grady-White 251 CE First of the new Coastal Explorer Series

Learn about all of the exciting new Grady-Whites. Visit a winter boat show or your dealer’s showroom!

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The Grady Life: Owners’ Clubs Here are highlights from recent Grady Owners’ Clubs events and outings. If you have Grady club information to share or are interested in information about Grady clubs in your

area, email anchorline@gradywhite.com. Go to www.gradywhite.com for links to club websites.

THE SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND GRADY-WHITE CLUB held its annual Oktoberfest at sponsor Boats Unlimited, Niantic, CT. About 75 people had a big time enjoying the food, polka, raffle prizes and beer. Raffle proceeds are donated to the Connecticut Children’s Hospital for its activity fund.CHESAPEAKE BAY GRADY-WHITE CLUB families took a Friday afternoon skipjack cruise during the

2013 Grady Palooza.

It was Grady Palooza time again in August for the Chesapeake Bay Grady-White Club, and there was a lot to enjoy at Knapp’s Narrows, MD. Boat hopping, bike riding, exploring and pool time led up to the Friday night docktail party and the evening skipjack cruise. The air was crisp and the sky starlit as many folks continued conver-sation and story telling into the night. Saturday activities included kayaking and a fierce golf competition beside the

dock. Club sponsor Tri-State Marine representatives arrived aboard a 2014 Express 330 and gave demonstrations of Yamaha’s new joystick steering mecha-nism. The evening banquet was an opportunity to thank key volunteers, and TriState’s Ron Young presented the club with a $2000 check in tribute. Sunday morning showers didn’t ham-per the complimentary Coast Guard boat inspections, and one by one boats left for home. A terrific weekend!

The Lake Erie Grady-White Club had ten teams fight it out in September for bragging rights in the 2103 Perch Tournament. As has been a consistent Perch ritual, anglers had to face a very rambunctious Lake Erie with a strong cold front and corresponding winds. On Friday there were five- to seven-foot waves in certain parts of Lake Erie, and four- to six-footers in the balance. Fortunately the small craft advisory was lifted 4:00 A.M. on Saturday, but the

Lake still had some waves in the three- to four-foot range that caused some to short-en their water time. The top five winners were Jason Brooks with a total 58.125" (Jason has won three of the last four tour-naments!); Jim Janasko, 56"; Mike Manion and Joe Nicholas tied with 53.875" each; Justin Lopriore, 51.625"; and Rick Raup, 49.125". The awards dinner at the Huron Yacht Club saw a big crowd. Thanks to sponsor South Shore Marine for providing financial support.

LAKE ERIE GRADY-WHITE CLUB members and guests gathered at the Huron Yacht Club for the 2013 Perch Tournament awards dinner.

Join us at…

The All American Grady Fest IV March 21-23, 2014Ft. Myers Beach, Florida

The Fish-Tale Grady Club invites all Grady owners and enthusiasts to join them in beautiful Ft. Myers Beach at Fish-Tale Marina March 21-23 to celebrate the Grady Life and all things Grady-White. From Friday afternoon’s Dock-Tail party with food/refreshments and a live band, to Saturday’s main event with informative seminars and demonstrations and a planned raft-up Sunday morning, this is the place to be. Everyone is encouraged to register early, plus book hotel reservations. This is a popular spring break getaway and rooms fill fast. Dockage is available at Fish-Tale Marina on a first-come basis. Seewww.gradyfest.comformoreinformationandregistrationdetails.

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Low Country Grady Club members got together for an oceanfront fish fry on Hilton Head Island, SC. On the good neigh-bor front, members Don Simmons and Stan Sadowski and friends aboard Seafarer 232, Southern Way II, participated in the Children’s Relief Fund “Fishing with Friends” event to give special needs children an opportunity to enjoy the waterways. Hilton Head Boathouse sponsors this club.

A crew of five boats and additional Tarpon Coast Grady-White Club members had a terrific Labor Day outing at Burnt Store Marina, Punta Gorda, FL, where they threw a surprise birthday party for Burt Wahlburg, followed by dinner at the Ice

House and then sunset drinks at the Tiki Bar. The gathering included new members Tony and Julie Fann on their Marlin 300, Grady Lady II. Ingman Marine of Port Charlotte, FL, sponsors this club.

The Vero Beach Grady Bunch enjoyed celebrating its 25th anniversary with its annual ten-day boating vacation in the Abacos. The group weighed anchor in Vero Beach the morning of July 10 and got under way to the first night’s stay at Old Bahama Bay on Grand Bahama. From there it was off to Abaco with the first stop at the Green Turtle Club on Green Turtle Cay. As always, the scenic

beauty of the Bahamas really makes an impression on the first-timers and this year was no exception. Next was a four-night stay on Elbow Cay at Sea Spray Resort. This has become a favorite place over the years, geo-graphically perfect and situated in what’s known as the “hub of Abaco.” Based here the group did it all: They fished, swam, snorkeled, explored, ate too much, and never missed a Happy Hour. Day trips to Pete’s Pub at Little Harbour, Man-O-Mar Cay, Tiloo Bank, and Fowl Cay put the icing on the cake. Vero Marine Center, Vero Beach, FL, sponsors this club.

Burt Wahlburg was feted by other members of the TARPON COAST GRADY-WHITE CLUB with a surprise birthday celebration during a Labor Day outing in Punta Gorda, FL. His and wife Eileen’s Express 330, Sweet Surrender, was festively decorated!

The VERO BEACH GRADY BUNCH celebrated the club‘s 25th anniversary! In the Abacos were (standing on dock) David Cope, Mike O’Reilly, Tyler Thompson, Bruce MacIntyre, Tommy Nelson and Tom Nelson; (seated on dock) Keith Thompson; and (in the Grady) Laurie Cope, Marie O’Reilly, Heidi MacIntyre, Linda Nelson, Marquesa Cope, Terri Thompson, Julie Thompson and (in front) Bridget Nelson.

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Letters & Photos6

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What’s happening? Have an interesting story or photo? Email us at anchorline@gradywhite.com or write to Anchorline, P.O. Box 1527, Greenville, NC 27835.

TIM KANE WITH SONS JAKE AND TUCKER showcase their tuna catch from a trip 50 miles offshore from Martha’s Vineyard on their Marlin 300, Raising Kanes.

A Dark and Stormy NightDear Anchorline,A fleet of five Grady-Whites set out from the Solomons Island, MD, area in June for a week at Hatteras Island, NC. Tropical Storm Andrea had turned the Chesapeake Bay to six-foot chop, and our three Express 330s, an Islander 270 and a Sailfish 282 pounded south to Hampton Roads, VA, to the entrance of the Elizabeth River, then wended our way through Norfolk’s naval shipyards. Entering the Intracoastal Waterway we were grateful for the calm water and relaxed pace, and made Coinjock, NC, late afternoon. Given the news of expected rougher weather, the group decided to continue on to Hatteras in the fading daylight. “It was a dark and stormy night” as we made way into the channel and the marina for a 10:30 P.M. arrival.

The next day we offloaded our sup-plies into our beachfront rental house, and were joined by a couple that had trailered a Strike 247. After a day of watching an ocean white with foam, the weather calmed and we spent our vacation doing all the right things–exploring the island, lolling on the beach and pool, body surfing and surf casting, and of course deep sea fishing! Three trips out, and fish were brought back each time. The nights were spent feeding each other gourmet meals, and sitting around the table until the sand-man beckoned. A week and a day later, beautiful weather made for a much easier trip up the Chesapeake aided by a following breeze. It was a trip to remember, for the activities, for the fishing, but most of all for the friends.

Maryanne GommeArnold, MD

On the bounding bay, a fleet of Gradys felt the effects of Tropical Storm Andrea as it made way from Solomons Island, MD, to Hatteras, NC.

THOMAS STARNES WRITES, “You can see the craftsmanship in every detail.” His 1962 Hatteras is truly a work of art!

LARRY LARSON HOLDS HIS 28-LB. CHINOOK caught in the Queen Charlotte Strait, north of Vancouver Island, aboard his Express 330, The Storfisk.

JEN HOISTS HER BIG STRIPER caught off Rhode Island with John Stavrakas on his 2001 Sailfish 282.

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HER FACE SAYS IT ALL! Sydney Godfrey accepted Caleb Newsam’s proposal Labor Day weekend along Lake Martin, AL, on parents Steven and Sandy Newsam’s 1992 Tournament 190.

SALTY is having a big summer day with his buddy-boy, Luke, on George Gyarmathy’s 2006 Express 330 near Moriches Inlet, Long Island, NY.

WILLY is on watch in the Oyster River, Chatham, MA, area on Jim and Julie Chapin’s Gulfstream 232, Corker.

VINO is one smiling dog, boating with Andrea and Brian Trematore in Boca Raton, FL.

CISCO AND BRANT are happy to spend another day on the waters of Nantucket aboard Richard Elkman’s Freedom 205.

ROSCOE is ready to go cruising the Biscayne Bay, FL, on the Jose Morales family’s 1992 Marlin 280.

SHEP is a faithful companion to Grayson Glazier and family, seen here on the Chesapeake Bay aboard their Fisherman 180.

SETH AND ANIA CHARNA TIED THE KNOT the weekend of October 5-6 in Charleston, SC, and the wedding cake was modeled after their 1988 Tournament 192, SeanAh!. They are members of the Charleston Grady-White Club sponsored by Seel’s Outboard.

WELCOME TO THE GRADY FAMILY! Joe and Karen Connelly took delivery of their Canyon 306 this year from South Shore Marine, Huron, OH.

Who’s Your Grady Buddy?To share a photo of your furry Grady friends, email us at anchorline@gradywhite.com or write to Anchorline, P.O. Box 1527, Greenville, NC 27835.

TESSIE enjoys a day on Lake Tahoe aboard Dr. Jeff Wachs’s Sailfish 282, Emerald Angler.

Kris Carroll, president Eddie Smith, Jr., chairman, ceo

Dear Grady-White Owners and Enthusiasts:We hope that you enjoyed warm gatherings with family and friends during the holidays, as we have, and are looking forward to the best of times in the New Year. May 2014 bring the happiest, fun-filled days aboard your Grady-White! Winter finds us all in the midst of boat show season, dreaming of a new boat–and your local show and dealer showroom are perfect places to find out which of the 29

models of Grady-White boats is just right for you! Will it be a Freedom Series dual console for go everywhere-do anything activities? Or a walkaround or express cabin model for all-day and overnight adventures? Grady center consoles are the most comfortable, highest fishing-and-family functional style on the water. And here we come with a totally new and sporty Grady design, that debuted at our dealer “boat show” conference:the 251 CE, the first of our Coastal Explorer Series! Your dealer has awesome incentives to get you in a new Grady-White. Come see us at a show near you!

EDDIE SMITH AND KRIS CARROLL

252-752-2111 www.gradywhite.comGrady-White Boats, P.O. Box 1527, Greenville, NC 27835

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beautiful sights…meaningful moments…all the things that bring you happiness. may these be yours during the season and throughout the coming year.

8-yr-old Lachlan O’Day fishes on his family’s Tournament 180.