Archive for the ‘General Nonsense’ Category
AC Boat Show cancelled?
Monday, February 8th, 2010Yes it was, for Saturday at least. The snow that fell Friday into Saturday was enough for show promoters to cancel the show just 10 minutes before it was to open on Saturday. Vendors and patrons that had traveled from all over NJ and from out of state were furious.
The local media claimed there was about 24 inches of snow that fell upon Atlantic City by Saturday morning. I walked from the hotel to the AC Convention Center through some virgin snow and never found any that was even close to coming up to my knees. Not sure where the weathermen on the news were getting their information from but it was not from downtown Atlantic City. I estimate there was 10″ of the white stuff at best at 9:30 am.
The roads were actually pretty clear, most were plowed and were showing 75% or more blacktop. Despite what seemed like only a few inches it crippled the town all day. The outlets, the Pier at Caesar’s and a 24 hour Dunkin Donuts that I tried to stop at were all closed for the entire day.
Some of the casinos had very few tables open claiming they had no staff due to the store. Some of the more upscale casinos we later found out made special arrangements reserving almost a thousand rooms for staff to come in on Friday and stay the weekend to ensure that everything remained open and running smoothly for their guests. We wish that was the case where we stayed…all but one restaurant was open and it was impossible to get a seat a table game all day.
Even when we left on Sunday we could hardly believe how everyone was reacting and what the media making such a fuss about. There still was not 24″ of snow in AC to be found anywhere except where someone shoveled or plowed. We were even more amazed as we pulled into the driveway and saw out grass peeking through the snow…guess you really can’t depend on anything the weatherman says-they were predicting 6-10″ for our area…again 2″ at best was on the ground.
Spring is coming and so is more content
Friday, January 29th, 2010Many of you know I have been busy with taking over administration of Barnegat Fishin’ Hole from Larry. For those that don’t, it has been consuming much of my free time but well worth it.
The site continues to grow, members continue to contribute real information and many learn something or take something useful away almost every day. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this transition and to the sponsors that have renewed for 2010.
We have also moved the hosting of my blog to a new server and will be moving Barnegat Fishin’ Hole to it as well. I am hoping that a much more reliable and faster server as well as the greater capacity of the new server will allow for more free time and not the constant routine of putting out fires.
Once the dust settles I will begin blogging again about the boat and my fishing efforts. In between I will try and update my past fishing adventures as best I can.
Thanks,
Joe
Cod trip a bust again
Thursday, October 1st, 2009This is the second time this year our annual cod trip to Mass was canceled due to weather. I am really bummed out since it was already canceled once this year due to hurricane remnants. But on the other hand, I am a little glad. It is one thing to get beat up on your own boat while fishing sporty or snotty conditions but another thing to have to pay for the trip as well.
We will make the most of the weekend though. Friday night i have a Manasquan Fishing Club meeting. Saturday I will probably run some errands. I got a call from Joe at Sun Harbor Bay Club that my new Do-It Molds are in. I ordered some more flutter jig molds, the 2, 3 and 5 ounce molds which should be perfect for jigging up fall bass. And hopefully Sunday we will get out and find some more blowfish.
Visits from friends…
Friday, August 28th, 2009First we had a visit from Bill last week (the storm and not my buddy from SI) and now Danny (again a storm and not Capt. Red Cup from the marine). Although Danny seems to be loosing steam, thank god. Our annual cod trip up in Mass was canceled due to weather this year and is now pending reschedule based on everyone’s schedules.
Hopefully there will be enough breaks in the rain this weekend, I would like to install three new rod holders and my new to me outriggers. I don’t think the weather will cooperate enough for the latter but I should at least be able to get the new rod holders in.
I created a jig out of a 2 x 6 to help in the drilling of the new holes in the transom and gunwale caps. I made one hole 15 degrees and the other 30. So you can use the one jig two different angle rod holders. I was a little leery about trying to drill straight through the gunwale without a guide and get the angle correct. But I was very surprised at how easily, and on the first shot, that I got the holes in the jig correct. I would assume that if I were drilling directly into the boat and not a disposable piece of 2 x 6 that the holes would not have come out as good.
Now all I need to do is determine placement of the rod holder, clamp down the jig and drill the new holes. Hopefully it goes as smooth as it sounds on Sunday.
For those venturing out this weekend be safe and tight lines.
Took a lay day…
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009…and it was probably a good move with Hurricane Bill racing up the coast creating quite a stir in the last stretch of summer flounder season in NJ. I had originally planned a BBQ on Saturday for the Admiral’s birthday but postponed it till Sunday due to the potential of bad weather.
The party was a good success, we had hot dogs, burgers, chicken and ribs with all the trimmings. Ribs were slow cooked for three hours in a special marinate and then finished off on the grill for a nice charring with homemade BBQ sauce. Oh did I mention all sorts of imported beer, margarita’s and mojito’s? MMMMM!
This weekend we are supposed to head up to the Boston area and head out to Stellwagon Bank for giant cod, pollock and haddock. Right now the weather doesn’t look good and the weather at home this weekend is no peach either.
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
857 AM EDT TUE AUG 25 2009
COASTAL WATERS FROM THE MERRIMACK RIVER MA TO WATCH HILL RI OUT TO
25 NM
ANZ250-260015-
COASTAL WATERS EAST OF IPSWICH BAY AND THE STELLWAGEN BANK
NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY-
857 AM EDT TUE AUG 25 2009
FRI
NE WINDS AROUND 10 KT…BECOMING E WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT
IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT…BUILDING TO
3 TO 5 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. GUSTS UP TO 25 KT THROUGH EARLY
EVENING. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
Dead humpback washes up on NJ shore
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009A dead humpback washed up on Monmouth Beach yesterday. They believe it was hit by a ship due to several broken ribs. Below are links to the APP article and some video on You Tube by Woodman56.
Weekend off
Friday, July 17th, 2009With crappy weather originally forecasted and the marina owners having a big party (150-300 guests) I decided on some down time with the Admiral. A weekend of having to fight to get in and out of the parking lot and fighting potentially angry seas and rain storms is not relaxing so I figured why waste a weekend being frustrated with poor conditions and have some fun. Not sure as of yet what the weekend will entail but you can be on a good read of the recap of our weekend. Tight lines and screaming drags for those who get out this weekend.
2009 Fish Consumption Advisory
Saturday, March 28th, 2009NJ DEP has published the 2009 Fish Consumption Advisory. Pretty much the same as last year, biggest changes are for some of the species from Raritan Bay and its estuaries. What I am curious about is what the recommended intake on sea bass, blackfish, porgies, tunas, shark and mahi would be. Some are mentioned briefly in the Federal Advice for Fish Consumption, but other than that they are not mentioned. Since these are the species most desired by family and friends and the species we target more often than others it would be nice to know the state and federal governments would like to control our eating habits.
NJ Reef News 2009
Friday, March 20th, 2009The 2009 edition of the NJ Reef News is now available. There are a few new wrecks listed…update those plotters!
Tide & Current Charts
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009I just posted the first tide and current charts for 2009. I will typically post weekly updates on the Tide & Current page for the weeekend days and any weekdays that I will have the luxury of fishing.
If you need a chart for a specific day feel free to e-mail me and I will try my best to get it uploaded in a timely fashion.
A weekend without fishing or boating?
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009NEVER! Although it was a very uneventful weekend boating and fishing wise for me, I did squeak a little time in for my favorite pastime. I had a work project that ran most of the weekend and yesterday so I did not get a chance to go down to the marina but then again work is work in today’s economy.
I did run over to the Edison Boat Show for an hour or so with a few friends. It seemed more crowded and it also seemed that there were more boats than the AC Show. There were also a lot of sold signs on the boats, not sure if it was truthful or marketing ploys.
I hope to on Thursday after work run down and pickup my wheels and on the way back some anti-fouling paint for the outdrive and transom assembly. Then this weekend I should be able to get my deck sealed up, the drive and transom assembly painted and the drive maintenance done. Once the deck seal dries, she can be detailed and splashed…we should be on track for the first week of March if everything goes as planned.
All old data finally imported
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009I just finished updating all the old posts. All the content from my old blog is now here and searchable. I still have to finish, more like start importing all the old pictures and inserting them into the corresponding posts but at least the import stuff is here.
West Marine Superstore & AC Boat Show
Monday, February 9th, 2009I got to the marina early to try and get some work done before we headed down to the boat show. Apparently this soda blasting company had other plans for me. I have never seen a blasting company setup such a large tent and then not contain the dust and debris that was blasted off the boat. They were inconvenienced by me working on my own boat since I would not let them use MY swim platform as a workbench or portions of MY boat to tape down the tent for the boat they were working on. Then while I was in the boat they moved my ladder and I then had no way to get down from the boat. At this point I was pretty mad and by the way they were setting up I figured it was best to leave and not be present while they were working.
When we returned from the show the mess was appalling. I am going to have a talk with the marina owners over it. Despite my boat being completely covered there is a coating of bicarbonate and bottom paint on everything. Not to mention the piles of it all over the yard. I can’t imagine how these guys stay in business the way they work.
After leaving the marina we headed over to checkout the new West Marine Superstore on the way to the Parkway. The new store is huge! It is well stocked, at least now if you are working on the boat and need a part, unless it is an engine part they should have it in stock. I hate patronizing the big box stores but on a Sunday afternoon there are not too many places to get parts these days. The bridge like electronics display is pretty impressive, they also have a sound proof audio booth for testing out stereos, speakers and amps, a huge fishing section with tackle from back bay to offshore, a much bigger selection of wire, connectors, fuses and circuit breakers that will come in handy and pretty much every other department has been super-sized.
We had heard that on Friday the boat show was very light in attendance and everyone we know that went was able to park in the convention center lot…big mistake. It was closed and we hit tons of traffic getting to it and away from it. So we made our way over to Bally’s to realize my is too tall to park there so around the block through the traffic and back to the Clarridge. It was like driving through mid-town Manhattan at rush hour.
As rumored there were none of the bigger boats due to restrictions on the bridge, wires and the marina that was used in the past being closed. With the limitation of being trailered in the largest that I saw was the 36 Bertram and the Cabo (not sure if it was the 35 or 36).
We did look at several of the outboard powered pilothouse style and express boats. The new Parker is a beast, the cockpit is enormous but trying to fight a fish that takes you around the transom would be impossible with those huge 350’s on the back. I don’t think you would be able to swing a line around them with a 7′ rod. The rocket launcher on the roof of the pilothouse I think Shaq would have a hard time reaching, standing on the gunwale would give you access to end two or three but after that you would need a ladder or have to stand on the livewell to reach them.
The Everglades was impressive as well. The windows on the bridge are huge.
The most impressive as far as interior space as well as layout was the 34 Whaler. The cockpit was not the size of the Parker but large enough four to five anglers. The Verado’s are much more compact than the Yamaha 350’s so fishing around them is quite a bit easier but still not my cup of tea. The bridge was roomy but down below is where they have the competition beat. The wasn’t another boat in the 34-36′ range that had the interior space of the Whaler. The stairs leading down could be a bit tricking in snotty conditions. My biggest concern with this rig would be the attitude at which she runs loaded. If she tends to run bow high like a Henriques then visibility will probably be an issue. But if that were fine and her handling good, this would be at the top of my list for a mid thirties outboard powered fishing boat.
The accessories section was not bad, a few vendors/manufacturers that I would have liked to have visited were not there. I renewed my Sea\\Tow membership with Capt. Sean, got a warm welcome and gift bag from Michelle and was able to meet Capt. Kermit form Sea\\Tow Manasquan…hopefully the boat shows are the only times I run into Capt. Kermit.
There was a booth for ShamWow but Vince was no where to be found. I am not sure if this was actually the real product or not. It seemed like a knock-off to me.
I was hoping to maybe find a great deal on a auto Garmin GPS unit, I remember seeing them last year but did not find a single one.
There was a booth that had some very interesting LED lights. There were spreader lights, drop lights and some were hard-wired and others were rechargeable. They referred you to the Consumer’s Marine booth for purchase but I did not feel like fighting the crowd around the booth. I am gong to get one of the spreader lights and give it a shot though, it seemed pretty bright at the show.
The guy with the soft-side coolers with the ice under halogen lamps was of course there. I might just have to get a small one to try them out. A couple of years ago they were next to us in the JCAA booth and it really is amazing how well they retain ice.
PlasTeak was helpful. I am considering replacing my carpets with a synthetic decking. I did not realize how expensive that product is though. For them to make the mats would be upward of a $1,000 for a very small area. I think I am going to have to measure better and do the math and see if it really does come out to that much and also compare the cost to the DIY materials they offer.
SeaSuckers were there. I got to talk to John about the issues with mine and he is going to replace them under warranty, I just need to ship him out the suction cups and the vacuum pumps. Will have to get on that later today.
All-in-all it was a pretty good show. I would have liked to drool over some larger boats that I can’t afford but I think they managed to pack in a good amount despite the issues they had of getting the larger boats in.
Sirius/XM
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009I have been an XM subscriber for many years. It seems since the merger the service has gone down hill and fast. I now have no signal in places I never had a problem before, the commercial free music now has rambling idiots which are just as bad as commercials and the customer service when you call in is terrible. If I wanted to listen to Carol Miller, Denis Elsas, Cane, Bodhi, Jim Kerr, Meg Griffin, Eddie Trunk or any of the other NY area DJ’s I can listen to them for free on FM. And god forbid having to listen to Dusty Street ramble about nothing, I would rather watch paint dry while removing my finger nails with a pair of pliers.
I am not sure what the powers at be were thinking when they allowed the merger of the two companies eliminating competition. There is no one to switch to now just the same bad service by another name.
To top it off they are jacking up the pricing now and removing services. I think at this point I am going to cancel my subscriptions and buy an HD radio that also has some sort of portable drive for digital audio.
I just can’t imagine that dwindling customer service, rising prices and offering less features will keep customers that were used to something they are no longer getting. What are you experiences with either service?
It’s official!
Sunday, January 11th, 2009My new site is live and just about finished. I have a few more past posts to upload and then re-add all the pictures within the posts.
There is also a special format for mobile devices which strips down some of the content and reformats it so it is easily read from a phone, PDA or other mobile device. Pictures and galleries are still available through the mobile version as are the links and resources of the site.
I hope you enjoy the new format.
Happy New Year!
Thursday, January 1st, 2009Hope everyone has a healthy, safe and prosperous New Year. I have been thinking about making some big changes to my blog for some time now. I have finally gone ahead and started the design and coding of the new site. It should be done in a few days…can’t wait to finish it.
Happy Holidays!
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008As we grow up we are handed down traditions from our parents and close friends. One that was passed on to me from my best friend’s father, Dave Sr., was slow cooked spiral ham on the grill slathered up with honey mustard all over and in between each slice. As times change we are forced to change our traditions. I am still making the ham for Christmas dinner but am forced to make it Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. My mother has moved into a condo now and they have no terraces so they cannot have a grill. I don’t think it will be a huge let down as everyone loves the ham left over cold, so it will still be enjoyed but not entirely the same.
A new tradition has been the addition of cheesecake to the dessert menu. I posted the recipe a few days back and it should be ready to come out of the oven by the time I post today’s entry. It took some refining and everyone was happy to sample each version as I honed my recipe. We have even figured out the optimal transportation method for winter and summer so it will not run after being carted from our house to our destination.
In recent years it seems we have less and less time on our hands to do things. This time of year make time for your friends and family, and make time to keep your traditions alive and create some new ones you can pass down through your family.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Jersey Joe’s Cheesecake
Thursday, December 18th, 2008I thought I would spread some Holiday cheer and share my NY style cheesecake recipe. It took me about a dozen tries to hone the recipe just right to accommodate fat free cream cheese but I got it, and it was fun along the way sampling all the results. It also works wonders in getting clearance from the Admiral for that weekend long fishing trip. Enjoy.
CRUST:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
FILLING:
- 32 ounces fat-free cream cheese
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 eggs, separated
- 5 fluid ounces heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and butter together in a mixing bowl. Pour the mixture into the springform pan. Cover your hand in plastic wrap and press crumbs into the base. Using your fingers press crumbs in the sides of the pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Let cool.
In a food processor, cream the cream cheese and the sugar together. Add the vanilla, blend until smooth. Add 4 egg yolks and heavy cream, pulse until smooth. Pour into a large clean bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until a soft froth forms. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar slowly to the egg whites and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese, a little bit at a time until fully integrated. Pour into the prepared springform pan. Wrap springform pan and sides with aluminum foil and place in roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with 3/4″ to 1″ of water and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until firm. Let cool for 1 hour and 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least three hours.
Busy weekend
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008Friday, don’t think I will be down early enough for the afternoon bite but will be able to refuel and get the gear set. Also have a fishing club meeting.
Saturday I have a family event so that only leaves me about three hours fishing time…but we will make the best of it.
Sunday I should be out all day depending on wind and if it stays out the West when it picks up.
Not sure if I will be turning right or left yet waiting to hear from some guys who may be fishing to the North tomorrow and Friday. Should be leaving the dock Sat & Sun by 5:30.
Only 12 days, 1 hour 46 minutes till she is hauled out…have to make the most of it.
LED verdict is in
Saturday, October 25th, 2008Had my first real world testing this weekend. The red LED on the way in Friday night was great. The crew was able to sit at the dinette with the light on and it did not affect my vision at all. It made them happy being able to find munchies and beer, read, etc. and I was not blinded in the process.
The white LED lighting was great at night cleaning up, reading, and in the morning making coffee and breakfast. It is not as bright as incandescent bulbs but more than enough light for my needs. I accidentally left the cockpit lights on from when we got into the dock around 7 PM until the next morning and my battery voltage at point had barely dropped overnight…only a few tenths of a volt.
I will be changing out my navigation lights this winter to LED’s as well.
LED marine lighting
Monday, October 20th, 2008I have been slowly converting my interior lighting to LED. For several reasons, but mainly to limit the drain on the batteries. I do not have shore power so when I overnight or weekend on the boat I rely on the house battery to power the lighting, stereo, coffee pot, etc. I had noticed a couple of times that if I had the v-berth light, dinette light and cockpit lights on for most of the night they drew a considerable amount of power. This was when I started looking into the LED alternatives.
I tried a couple of less expensive models out from Ancor and others available at local marine supply stores but they are nowhere near as bright or burn as cool as the Dr. LED lights. After doing some research I decided on the Dr. LED line of fixtures and replacement bulbs. I found the Dr. LED products to have the brightest light, in most cases, the least amp draw. I have installed their MR 16 Magnum Ring to replace the halogens in the v-berth and they are great - bright, cool (no longer burn yourself touching the fixture to reposition it) and plug directly in with no modifications needed. The light is a little different from incandescent or halogen bulbs, the LED’s are much whiter light…excellent for reading…at least for me. I am going to try out their nav light replacement bulbs over the winter.
This weekend I replaced a dome light with a white/red LED dome light, the Red Mars Dome. Unfortunately it was bright and sunny so I am not really sure how well it is going to work yet. The v-berth lights are actually brighter than the old halogens, they don’t get hot and hardly draw any power, so I am hoping the dome light will be just as good. The addition of the red lamp will be great as my crew regularly blinds me on our way out turning on the light to find things, getting rigged up or choosing which donut is next on their menu.
I was unable to test it at night as I did not stay over this weekend but during the day the white light seemed just as bright as my other incandescent dome light. Next time I stay over I will report on how the white and red light was at night.
Another Easterly blow ahead
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008Tomorrow’s weather looks great. I can’t get off of work, nor can I muster a four man crew for a weekday with ease. This coming weekend has forecasted for another East to Northeast blow coming our way most likely keeping everyone at the dock or at least in the rivers and bays.
I guess I will do my oil change, hose, belt inspection, torque nuts & bolts, etc. and then go for a boat ride. Maybe head over to the canal and do some black fishing.
Due to conflicting numbers from my fuel gauge I will also re-measure the tank to re-calculate the volume levels at various point of the gauge. I had previously calculated that at three quarters of a tank I have sixty six gallons, thus only needing twenty four gallons to fill the tank. When refilling this weekend from three quarters it only took twenty gallons to fill the tank. I know it may seem trivial but I like to know my range for longer trips, know that I can go out and come back with less than a full tank with confidence and if I have fuel delivered, how much to have brought in and end up with a full tank.
The dock box could use a good cleaning out, over the season lots of stuff gets tossed in as a temporary storage location and never makes it back out. I also need to get a good inventory of my sinkers for the upcoming wreck season.
As much as I would really like to get a good half to three quarter day of fishing in, I can get lots of odds and ends taken care of for those days when we can get out and won’t have time to do them.
Thar she blows!
Thursday, September 18th, 2008Looks like Mother Nature is getting ready to blow for a few days with a good Nor’easter coming. While it will keep us inshore or in the bays and rivers again this week it may be just what we need to get the yellow fin tuna bite going in the northeast or move the long fin south from The Dip and Fish Tales.
Most likely we will be headed South in Barnegat Bay this weekend searching out keeper sized weakfish. There has been a pretty good bite of puffers and kings with spikes mixed in an occasional larger weak…hopefully we can key in on all larger ones. I hope to net a bunch of peanuts for bait Friday nigh.
Are they migrating early as in ‘05?
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008Curious as to your thoughts on what the weekend’s forecasted heave will do to the fluke fishery. I have a feeling it will be the beginning of the end. In years past when the close was Columbus Day that was a much bigger deal. If my memory and my quick glance at my logs was correct the last time they fled the inshore waters in a hurry before a storm was in September of 2005. What do you think…will the heave starting on Saturday trigger them to migrate back to the shelf? It seems that they are already showing in numbers in the haunts that we typically fish in mid to late September.
Bertha blowout?
Thursday, July 24th, 2008Looks like this weekend is a bust for offshore and near shore waters. I guess the remnants of Bertha are making their way inland. We were supposed to fish the Elk’s Fluke Tournament but I can’t see racing around and getting beat up over fluke. That and if I had to guess fishing will probably be off from the ground swell earlier in the week and the rough conditions tonight. Great conditions for tuna and bass but not finicky ground fish. I will probably just fish the river real early for a couple hours before the boat traffic picks up then go back and work on the boat and the dock.