Mosquito: Maiden Voyage

[jrodda]

I decided I don't like kayak fishing very much. Too much work! So I got a 15' Saturn Heavy Duty Kaboat. I spent the last month or two working out the configuration of it, ie. storage, outboard size, rod holders, all the other accessories.

Registration has been too long of a process. I mailed in my documents for registering the boat almost a month ago and they still haven't even cashed the check, so I'm being tortured by the DMV (as usual), and can't legally get out with the boat yet. I'm not sure what the turn around time should be, but it's driving me nuts.

I risked it with a friend and did a test launch with it last weekend to see how much trouble it is assembling, launching, landing, and packing it away. Not as bad as I thought! It's a process, but nothing overly cumbersome.

I dub thee, the Mosquito. I heard somebody calling the small boat/skiff flotillas the "mosquito fleet" so I thought I'd embrace it.



We ended up testing our luck and leaving the harbor. We went up the coast, found tons of bait, caught countless smelt and a few mackerel. I even saw a keeper white seabass in a kelp bed, lurking under the smelt we were targeting with sabikis.

30 minutes into being part of the boating world, a 50ft hatteras was cruising at 20kts, headed straight for the kelp bed we were on. They made a hard pivot at the last second, which pushed quite the wake our way. They blissfully waved at us as they made their arc around the kelp. I forgot to turn on my VHF at the time, but I would have nominated him for D!pS#!t of the year if he had made it into the kelp. Instead he will settle for the weekly honor.

Awesome little boat. Easy planing, stable platform for its width, and overall a thrill to ride around in. WOT with the 6hp Mercury outboard, with 2 guys and another 70 pounds of gear (100lb boat hull), was about 13-15mph. I was very impressed by that. Glassy ocean helped a little bit.



Fuel consumption was not as impressive as I thought it would be. I think it was around 13mpg, which is certainly better than most of my fiberglass counterparts. Half the 3 gallon tank burned with a 22-25 mile trip. I thought I would be getting 20mpg minimum, though. I'll get a better idea with more trips. Fish finder was dead so I didn't have the exact route logged, instead I guesstimated on google earth after the fact.

Really itching to go out on it again, but I don't wanna risk any tickets. I even feel a little weird writing a report about the trip, not that I expect to be ratted on or anything like that, but I don't wanna condone it either. I just wanted to complain about the DMV and rave about my new sled is all. So I'll be twiddling my thumbs on shore for who knows how much longer. I wanna take it out of San Diego this fall, and hit the Sacramento River in November with it, among other trips like for local rockfish, bass, and mackerel frenzies. Crossing my fingers!

Jeremy

[Latimeria]

Congrats on the "Mosquito"!   Looks like an awesome little boat!

As for the DMV, they have been trash like this as far back when I first had to visit them in 1988.  I think in all these years, I've only had one (or possibly 2) good experiences.

As for the big boats, be careful.  Those fuggers always drive by small boats and almost swamp us.  I have no ides why, but it happens every friggand time no matter where in the ocean you are.

Congrats again and happy boating boss!

[vdisney]

It was good talking to you yesterday Jeremy, looks like a fun toy. 

[sasquatch]

 Thats a cool little boat.