bertram31.com

Capt. Mike Holmes

Sounds like you might.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I reneweded mine last September. If all they would do is not renew me in five years, I can keep my $100, they can have the license. Might do that after 9/08, anyway.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Doug, but does that mean your current license is invalid, or you just can't renew? Guess I'll have to call the Coasties, see if they know.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Walter, was anything said about penalties for non-compliance, other than not getting your license renewed? I did an informal poll among "captains" at a Houston fishing show last weekend, didn't find any who even knew what TWIC was, much less that they had to participate. Of, course, some of these gu...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Down here in Brazoria County, TX, unimproved land that is mostly jungle and maybe a little swampy goes for $3,500 to $4,500. Higher and a little cleared might go to $6,500. I saw a 20 acre tract with a small trailer, an old frame house, new well, etc. - all big oak trees but cleared out underneath w...

Capt. Mike Holmes

About to start lookign around seriously, have been sorta looking for awhile now. Thinking of broadening my writing to the shooting sports, figure I can do that longer than I can bounce around offshore in boats.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Pat, I'm thinking of "joining" you. Might sell the boat, the waterfront property, the house near the coast - move up in the hills somewhere away from hurricanes and TWIC cards, raise hog dogs and shoot stuff.

Capt. Mike Holmes

As I read it, the card is also needed for access to secure areas of VESSELS, which is why we are being forced to get them. Instead of an enclosed bridge area that can be locked and secured as on a supertanker, however, the average charter boat may not even have an enclosed helm - anyone on board can...

Capt. Mike Holmes

The National Association of Charterboat Operators has been fighting it, also. They claimed the victory for at least delaying the scanners, because they would probably rust up in no time in a small boat marine environment. Of course, the gov'ment isn't going to pay for them, so what do they care. We ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

ID's for running fishing trips are gonna be like computer passwords. I have so many damn passwords to use I don't even try to keep up with them anymore.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Doug and Walter - I just renewed in September, and I won't be doing it again. Probably should get a refund, because I doubt I'll use all 5 years on the license. When they started issuing six pack license certificates that said "Merchant Mariner" our doom was sealed. To avoid the expense of handling ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

It's the "secure areas of vessels" we neeed to work on - most of our boats don't have them, hell, CAN'T have them.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Just got off the TWIC website, more bad nws. The second part of this dealie will be to require card readers for the TWIC to be carried onboard, at the vessel owner's expense. This was delayed in the initial program while they shop for one that doesn't conk out in a marine environment. I was under th...

Capt. Mike Holmes

In Mexico, every few years the peons used to rise up, kill all the leaders, put their heads on poles, and put a new bunch in power. When the new guys got too bad, they did it over again. Sort of permanent term limits.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Well, probably some have - and some of them were yours. I think a lot of this is government taking a one size fits all approach to marine licensing - like classifying six pack captains as "Merchant Marines" on our documents. What they are doing is crushing a segment of the small business market - an...

Capt. Mike Holmes

But Harv, can't you write that off? There comes a point when the cost of doing business exceeds the business. We aren't there yet, but ... Capt. Dana, we have guys who are drunk all the time, who snort white stuff up their noses, and they seem to somehow stay in businesss. We also have a bunch who o...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Bob, Walter, thanks for the input. I don't know if there is any future left for the charter business, and I don't know why there is such a push to get rid of us. For most peopel, the only way they will ever fish offshore is on a recreational-for-hire boat. Once those are gone, it will be strictly a ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

It has cost $135 every five years to renew the federal charter license for many years. The TWIC card will be an extra charge. In Texas, if you fish state waters, there is a state guide license fee of $200 per year added to that.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I renewed last September, they told me it wasn't settled yet, but the info they gave me then made it appear charter captains would be exempt.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Pat, the way I had read it in the last notice I got was the same as you, which would mean a charterboat captain would not need it. Now they are saying, maybe, or yes, depending on who you talk to. A lot of the problems we are seeing come from gov'ment cutbacks, in that it seems easier to them to adm...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I know a lot of B31 owners are licensed to charter, even if they don't pursue it as a full time vocation. Capt. Randle Hall down in Port Mansfield, TX, was boarded recently, and asked for his TWIC card. He didn't even know what it was, much less that he needed it. I am working on an article about pr...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Also depends on your needs and expectations. My son and I have stayed aboard my 31 for 2 weeks, my wife and I for a week a few times. Of course we lived in a cabover pickup camper in the driveway for 5 months while tornado damage was being repaired to our house.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Bruce, our local paper said the victim was a lawyer? I always thought sharks refused to bite them, out of professional courtesy?

Capt. Mike Holmes

I've had tall guys bump their heads in my cabin. The 28 actually has more headroom. I gave Gary Jordan a tour of Lil' Bert at Port Eads one year, and he had no problems inside. He'd have been stooped in a 31. But, like others have said, once on deck or the flybridge, no problem - and it's a fishing ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

John, I just found out that the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept decided NOT to mirror federal snapper regs, at least for 2008. While acknowledging that if they did go along with the shortened season and 2 fish bag it would make Gulf law enforcement easier and perhaps help in a Gulf-wide snapper program,...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I heard a rumor a few years ago that the Coast Guard locally was stopping charter boats and checking safety equipment, fish, and for alcohol violations. I called the local station, the kid I talked to said that couldn't be true, "we don't mess with charter boats". Again, locally, they don't mess wit...

Capt. Mike Holmes

John, I guess I was just counting the Gulf coast. The Texas Parks & Wildlife people have never believed the bleak picture painted by NOAA Fisheries was true - at least in Texas waters. For many years they tried to get the Gulf divided into two regulatory bodies, so the fragile snaps in Florida could...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Harv, if you fish in Texas, you pretty much land your fish there - too damn far to go to anywhere else. We not only have the longest coastline on the Gulf or Atlantic, but we have a foreign country on either side - Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the east. Our problem is the difference between our...

Capt. Mike Holmes

John, thanks! I had been feeling a little down, but your reply left me laughing so hard i couldn't help but cheer up.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I really don't think the Coast Guard here locally are bright enough to do that, and it was the director of coastal fisheries for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept who told me, "Well, if we don't see ythem fishing outside state waters, we can't prove it." Whay most of them do is fish offshore most of t...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I also run 900 series Racors on my Cummins. I started with 500's, but they weren't enough. If you have trash or sludge problems in the tank, water migth be a secondary issue, and the larger filter size of the 900's can help get you home, also help clean things us faster and with fewer element changes.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Daniel, I've been busy cleaning up the other lot, closed on that deal yesterday, but I still have some work to do. Finally got my light pole up at the new place, but haven't run power anywhere yet. It's a little shallow in front of that dock, so I'm trying to figure out how to dig it out a bit. Bulk...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Yeah, then you just have Noe drunk and stupid by then. Better to drop it off in the evening.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Ernest, Charlie still takes your name in vain occasionally, but always asks about you and wants you to visit some time.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Sim, I made my own fairing block from teak and fiberglass, and it's about the same size as the transducer, which is big, but not as big as the "high speed" transducers they try to sell you. I'm sure the big one works well, but they claim it reads to 17 knots, and on a calm day mine was reading botto...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I went with the C series Raymarine plotter/sounder last year, with the 12" display screen. Haven't used the GPS/plotter yet, but the sounder is wonderful - great for aging eyes, color is bright and good in direct sunlight, easy to use. I used a 1 kw bronze through hull transducer, reads bottom good ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

It looks even better in person, great boat!

Capt. Mike Holmes

I almost asked about Andre's, thought you might want to PM that one.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I'm in. Timmy, send your credit card number, and UV and I will be there with bells on!

Capt. Mike Holmes

It gets worse at electoral high school time, but even worser than that, the actual president has probably alread been picked by those REALLY in power a long time ago.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Charter captains in Texas who have been getting around the federal red snapper restrictions somewhat by fishing in Texas waters, where the season is open year round, the bag limit is still 4, instead of 2, and the size limit is a bit more liberal are about to be torpedoed by the Gulf Council, which ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Probably so, but not enough to retire to Panama, or anything like that - maybe beer money, though.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I finally got the windows out of my "extra" '62 express cabin top. The frames turned out to be in pretty bad shape, so they are now scrap. One front window -they open just fine - got broken, but the port side one, and the sliding side windows on both sides are good (glass). The plexiglass corner pie...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Buddy of mine had I think a 140 hp Corsa - the flat 6 with 6 one barrel carbs.. He had blown up a 289 Mustang Hi-Po the first night he owned it, the Corvair lasted years. Besides riding many miles in it, he used to let me borrow it a lot, really fun little car, and quick.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Probably had something to do with LSU's win! I'll be coming through BR Sunday, have another SPR meeting Monday and Tuesday in N.O.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Scot, I didn't go, was out deer hunting, but the 31 isn't ready yet, Now they plan to show it at the Fishing show in March.

Happens everytime I try to help somebody, they don't hold up their end.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I bought a C120 not that long ago, went with an older 1000 watt bronze 'ducer I was able to get from West marien for $245 (wholesale account). I made my own fairing block, and not nearly as long as the "high speed" models, and I can read bottom well at over 17 knots.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Dos Amigos boatyard in Freeport, Texas, has the molds for the "Classic 31" which was a "pop" off a 31 Bertram with a few improvements, like a wider chine and prop pockets. He hasn't had the world beating a path to his doorstep to build new boats with it, but if you are interested I can put you n tou...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Pat is correct about the bugs in diesel, and Vic is correct that they grow best in the interface of water and fuel. There is no water spec on diesel from the refinery - they don't care. I've tested diesel fuel in the lab and found 100 ppm water, routinely. Most diesel is still produced by distillati...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I use the ISSPRO with magnetic pickupns on the flywheel pulley.

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