Pictures of the boats from Tropical Star Lodge

captbone · Post by **captbone** » Jan 26th, '10, 15:45

Hello

Does anyone have any pictures of these boats? I am just interested in see some close up shots of the boats. I know a couple guys have gone.

Thanks

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 26th, '10, 15:59

there are tons of shots on their site.......meanwhile

captbone · Post by **captbone** » Jan 26th, '10, 16:05

Thanks! I love that top shot.

I been all over their website but no real good shots of the boat mostly just the fish.

AndreF · Post by **AndreF** » Jan 27th, '10, 09:54

[img][img]http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg10 ... ctures.jpg[/img][/img]

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 27th, '10, 10:32

nice shot andre!!...........i wonder how deep the water is right there..100 feet?

AndreF · Post by **AndreF** » Jan 27th, '10, 15:51

Prob more. We caught a sail right in the rocks but those people are trolling for roosters.[img][img]http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg10 ... ter2-1.jpg[/img][/img][img][img]http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg10 ... 043-20.jpg[/img][/img]

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 27th, '10, 20:08

yep

Bob H. · Post by **Bob H.** » Jan 28th, '10, 14:41

Andre & Randall...

Heaven to me would be the second picture....waking up on that beach and looking out over that cove seeing nothing but Bertrams...and one big mother ship. The Green Bahia Mar really stands out..BH

captbone · Post by **captbone** » Jan 28th, '10, 14:51

That single 31 Bahia Mar is unique in the group. Any story behind that single one?

I would love to see how they standardized the vessels.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Jan 28th, '10, 16:24

Every B-31 with a bridge is EXACTLY the same with the exception of the color. Right down to the bucket, which is placed in the same place in each boat. They are the Sportsfish model with the windshields glassed over with two small windows inset. The interiors are gutted with a set of drawers on either side and cushioned tops which allow you to lie down and snooze on the way out and back. Crews and captains are interchangeable if need be as everything is stored in the same place on each boat. They have it down to a science! Walter

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 28th, '10, 18:50

and......since the closest dirt road that goes anywhere is 100 miles away.....they do it ALL there. a shop for every system and they know what they are doing.

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Jan 28th, '10, 19:01

Actually, that one green one is a Bahia Mar. It's the only non sport fish of the bunch.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 28th, '10, 20:29

And its the one they tried the 170 Yannies in....fast, but burns 30% more fuel than the 4-53 DDs. They use about 550 gallons of fuel a day in the boats and the two big Cat gensets....can store 20,000 gallons on site.....it all comes 150 n.m. from Panama City on that red supply boat. Anmazing place....walking through the shops is worth the trip for us B31 Faithful....they have original parts for B31s all over the place, and the craftsmanship there is pretty impressive, not even considering where it is.

UV

captbone · Post by **captbone** » Jan 28th, '10, 21:53

Being that close to shore, I am surprised that they dont try a 25ft FBSF with a single v drive 4-53. Half the burn and maintance.

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 29th, '10, 09:04

no need.....its just easier to have every boat exactly the same. also a day can be a run out to the reef to catch bait, or bill fish if they are there,4 miles. or a run up the coast to catch bait or bottom fish, as much as 25 miles. or go offshore for tuna and mahi and billfish. or all that and more. when i had the boat to myself i spent the morning scouting surf spots ..........and still caught eight or nine sailfish and a big rooster...........they know how to do it.

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Jan 29th, '10, 09:16

i could look at thous pics all day

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Jan 29th, '10, 09:47

Vic,
Know we've talked about another trip. How about it? Sure would like to go with this group.

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 29th, '10, 10:20

cwj wrote:i could look at thous pics all day

heres some that show the cockpit layout

Mack · Post by **Mack** » Jan 29th, '10, 10:34

I still have a lot of picutres from that trip on my screen saver. I get goose bumps every time I see them.

They wake you up at 5:30 with coffee service. I was up at 5:20 every morning as soon as I heard them turn the first key on one of the 4-53's.

I am going back as soon as my personal recession ends.

We fished that Bahia Mar one day when we had a breakdown. I was amazed at how fast it was, not to mention a great fishing platform.

BTW, forgot what kind of fish that is with Mike. Did we ever determine what Andre is looking at behind that sail...or is this "don't ask, don't tell?!"

Great to fish with all of you on that trip.

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 29th, '10, 10:42

"ribbon fish"

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 29th, '10, 12:57

Mikey - I'm going on August 20 with my son and son in law. There is plenty of room at the Lodge that week, and the past few years they have had a tremendous marlin bite the last of August and first part of Sept.

Y'all come.

UV

AndreF · Post by **AndreF** » Jan 29th, '10, 14:32

Looks like a rainbow runner. Good for bait. I'll send a pix of UV w/a large needle fish.

AndreF · Post by **AndreF** » Jan 29th, '10, 21:36

[img][img]http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg10 ... -015-6.jpg[/img][/img]

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 30th, '10, 08:45

The look on the mate's face shows he's had little experience with Coonasses around fresh fish of any kind.....first you make a roux....

UV

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 30th, '10, 09:46

There is a big article in the Feb. issue of SWS about roosterfishing at TSL.

Nice job, Mr. Brownlee!

UV

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 30th, '10, 10:09

vic...when andre and i went kayak fishin i caught a needle fish... fought hard.........was about a third the size of that one!!!....maybe

roosters........

caught it at the next surf spot up the coast

Buju · Post by **Buju** » Jan 30th, '10, 13:28

I think you had a world record houndfish there UV... Pretty sure the all tackle
houndfish is less than 10 lbs.
Unless there is some pacific subspecies of houndfish that gets much bigger. Which is the case with their sails and blues.

John Brownlee · Post by **John Brownlee** » Jan 30th, '10, 15:31

Thanks UV!

TSL is one great spot, the best I've experienced. Here are a few of my photos from various trips.

JB

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jan 30th, '10, 15:56

John,

The last image is the best... Tell Poppy HI for me and that she's still one of my favorite girl friends.

Br,

Patrick

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 30th, '10, 16:17

thanks john ..great shots....and great shots of the boats...the original idea.

AndreF · Post by **AndreF** » Jan 30th, '10, 23:50

[img][img]http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg10 ... 7-21-1.jpg[/img][/img]

John Brownlee · Post by **John Brownlee** » Jan 31st, '10, 08:25

Thanks Patrick!

Poppy says "hello" right back at ya. And a quick note on the single 31 Bahia Mar: That's the personal boat of the owners, Mike and Terri Andrews.

JB

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 31st, '10, 09:29

speakin of patrick

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 31st, '10, 16:34

John's picture of the marine railway and the winch used to pull the boats up into the shed is interesting. Most of us B31 Faithful are pretty hard core gear heads, let's face it......that winch would normally be powered by a worm gear electric motor, right? But they didn't have a worm gear electric motor...but they did have a big ass hyd. motor, a bunch of pipe and an electric motor with a hyd. pump....soooooooo, they made the most elaborate hyd. system you ever saw just to power that winch. I stood there and admired it for a long time.....Carlos Alvarez, the head of maintaince at TSL (and a genius) walks up and asks what I'm looking at...."the winch, senor"....."ahhhhhhh, the winch! Pretty cool, Si?"....pretty cool....proving once again there are more ways to skin a cat than feed it melted butter. An amazing place. Mike Andrews was one of the head operation guys for the Panama Canal Company, so they know how to get stuff done without a Home Depot around the corner.

And the martinis in the swimming pool.....

UV

Mack · Post by **Mack** » Jan 31st, '10, 21:46

That needle fish is one toothy cridder. Not a place to go swimming, especially since you can get cocktails, fresh mahi fingers and tuna sashimi at the pool.

Hueso · Post by **Hueso** » Feb 2nd, '10, 17:08

John:

Great quality images. What did you use to get those pics. Digital or 35mm?

John Brownlee · Post by **John Brownlee** » Feb 2nd, '10, 19:02

Hueso:

Many thanks! I shoot Nikon D300s. I was a late convert to digital (I have about 10,000 transparencies still in my office closet), but it's amazing technology. We don't even accept slides at the magazine anymore. It's amazing how the world changes.

JB

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Feb 9th, '10, 00:08

bertram31.com

Pictures of the boats from Tropical Star Lodge

Pictures of the boats from Tropical Star Lodge

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