Liveaboard and Fishing?

[WhipCO]

My first post.

I am working on a plan to liveaboard in the Lower keys.

My question:

How uncomfortable is it to use your house has a fishing platform?

The Smells?

Keeping my house clean?

Will I need a second boat or can I take my house to the Marquesas for an overnight or day fishing trip?

I am thinking something like a Carver 444, Cruisers Yachts 5000, or even a traditional trawler....I know not all these boats have a rear deck to fish from

I also know the fuel costs don't make it efficient but that isn't the goal.


Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[OloteleMtn]

The Keys and the Marquesas are not accessible for a day sail.....different oceans separated by thousands of miles. Clean your fish outside, guts etc overboard, rinse and wash up afterwards, no stench.

[Captn_Black]

Why spend all day holding your rod when you can feed yourself and two more with an hour or two spearfishing?
Takes a few months to get good, but worth it.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by OloteleMtn

The Keys and the Marquesas are not accessible for a day sail.....different oceans separated by thousands of miles. Clean your fish outside, guts etc overboard, rinse and wash up afterwards, no stench.

That was my initial thought too. But the Marquesas Keys are about 20 miles west of Key West


The Carver 444 or Cruisers Yachts 5000 would be great for fishing and overnighting there.

[BlueH2Obound]

Just like anything else, if you fish, catch, and clean your fish, make sure you clean up thoroughly afterwards, and there's no smell. Our last boat, a GB 36, we had lines out every time we were away from the dock more than an hour or so, but we traveled at about 7.5 kts, perfect trolling speed. Didn't have a lot of experience fishing, but we caught a LOT of fish! If you want to do a LOT of running around, and into shallows, it wouldn't be too difficult to use a dingy as well. Good luck with your plans!

[WhipCO]

Originally Posted by StuM

That was my initial thought too. But the Marquesas Keys are about 20 miles west of Key West


The Carver 444 or Cruisers Yachts 5000 would be great for fishing and overnighting there.

Sorry, yes, I meant the Marquesas Keys.

Thanks

[WhipCO]

Originally Posted by Captn_Black

Why spend all day holding your rod when you can feed yourself and two more with an hour or two spearfishing?
Takes a few months to get good, but worth it.

That could be part of the plan.

[SVHarmonie]

You clean up... it's not hard.

I have been fishing from boats (and living on them) for almost half my life. The only boats that smell are ones that aren't cared for.

When I lived on land, I cleaned fish in my kitchen. I cleaned up, it didn't smell.

[Captn_Black]

Originally Posted by SVHarmonie

You clean up... it's not hard.

I have been fishing from boats (and living on them) for almost half my life. The only boats that smell are ones that aren't cared for.

When I lived on land, I cleaned fish in my kitchen. I cleaned up, it didn't smell.

Yea, and there is a big difference in smell between fish that is straight out of the sea and stuff that you get from the shop.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by WhipCO

Keeping my house clean?

I am thinking something like a Carver 444, Cruisers Yachts 5000, or even a traditional trawler....I know not all these boats have a rear deck to fish from

Neither that Carver nor that Cruisers look optimal for fishing... but they both look like they could be made to work. As could some trawlers. The distance from helm to cockpit could be an issue, but probably solvable -- or at least you can live with it. Hopefully there are ways you could install a rod holder or two, etc.

It's common to clean fish on shore... so while there's a bit of a mess in the cockpit when you bring fish aboard... you can generally confine that, clean it all up, keep it out of the house... and do the really messy work at a cleaning station in your marina.

Of the two examples you cite, I'd guess the Carver 444 CPMY would be the better dual-purpose house/fishboat... but that's only from a glance at the Powerboat Guide, not from having seen one in person.

-Chris

[prajna101]

We live a board and fish all the time. The only issues is where to store fishing gear. And bait in the limited fridge space is a challenge sometimes too. We have a stern swim platform, so I just clean the fish there and rinse it down.

[WhipCO]

Originally Posted by prajna101

We live a board and fish all the time. The only issues is where to store fishing gear. And bait in the limited fridge space is a challenge sometimes too. We have a stern swim platform, so I just clean the fish there and rinse it down.

I didn't think about the gear.

Could be an issue as well.

[WhipCO]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Neither that Carver nor that Cruisers look optimal for fishing... but they both look like they could be made to work. As could some trawlers. The distance from helm to cockpit could be an issue, but probably solvable -- or at least you can live with it. Hopefully there are ways you could install a rod holder or two, etc.

It's common to clean fish on shore... so while there's a bit of a mess in the cockpit when you bring fish aboard... you can generally confine that, clean it all up, keep it out of the house... and do the really messy work at a cleaning station in your marina.

Of the two examples you cite, I'd guess the Carver 444 CPMY would be the better dual-purpose house/fishboat... but that's only from a glance at the Powerboat Guide, not from having seen one in person.

-Chris

Things to consider

Thanks

[Captain Bill]

Not that I've ever heard of a liveaboard getting busted for this, but technically Florida fishing regulations pretty much make it illegal to possess fish on board in anything but an intact state minus basic gutting. The FWC regulations just don't address anything but recreational fishing day trips where the fish are returned to land and then filleted or otherwise processed and then stored on land. It is actually illegal to have fish fillets on your boat, even if purchased at a grocery store. I guess this is limited to species found in Fl, but the regulations don't actually say that. Oddly enough if you are on your way back from the Bahamas and actually haven't touched land yet you are OK, as long as you keep a piece of skin on the fillets so the species can be identified. As soon as you touch land however the fillets become illegal to keep on your boat. The feds are in on the act as well, since you must keep many species intact while aboard. Apparently the NMFS is not any better at recognizing that some people actually live on their boats.

[MicHughV]

in my collection of boats, I also own a fishing boat.

To properly fish, you need a fishing boat. Period !!
Fishing boats come in every size and shape, with single or multiple engines.
Bring a big checkbook.

Add to this, various and sundry fishing rods...I have 17....a lot you might think..but not so......fishing is like golf....you need a different rod setup to catch different fish. I will usually always have 4 rods out, with another 4 in " reserve"....when fishing is hot, you simply replace the entire rod, while you deal with the caught fish.
Your fishing line can be 10 lb test to 100 test or more...braided line, fluoro line, etc, etc, etc..you can spend a fortune on lines and lures.

You can spend a fortune on a good rod and reel. Sure, you can buy something at Walmart for $40....but you get what you pay for. Expect to pay several hundred dollars for a single proper setup.

You can " bottom fish" and also " troll"....both fast and slow trolling depending on your targeted fish..these all require different baits and different rod setups...and the knowledge to rig properly.

You can buy frozen baits, but to really catch fish requires "fresh" bait fish, so you need to become proficient with a cast net and then you need a bait well to keep the bait fish swimming. Chasing after bait fish is an art. That would be very tough to do with a trawler. Bait casting is usually done from the bow. Yes, you can get portable bait wells to lash to your aft deck.

Then comes a proper fishfinder/chart plotter combo, you can drop several $1,000's on these..but you need one in order to find the fish.

To bring a big fish onboard, invariably requires a gaff. A gaffed fish will bleed profusely and if you step on the gaff, you too will bleed profusely.
Then the fish needs a big iced down cooler before it spoils.

Filleting a fish on board is a messy business. You need a fish cleaning station and a constant stream of water.

You can catch fish in 10' of water or 1,000' of water....anchoring in 1,000' is a tad difficult.

I can burn several 100 dollars in fuel costs for a single trip...and not catch any fish.

At the end of the day, catching fish is a sport.

I've always set out a few trolling rods behind my sailboat, but catch mostly barracuda if anything at all.

Most importantly :

You can buy fresh fish at the fish market for a fraction of the cost and hassle.