Blind Fishing Boat

Welcoming Aboard Six new Sponsors

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the latest six sponsors of the Blind Fishing Boat project and the 2008 Blind Fishing Adventure program.  Their support makes my research that much easier, and the new personal relationships that follow are certainly the icing on the cake. 

Salus Marine wear, (www.salusmarine.com):

Salus manufactures quality marine ware in North America.   I’ve personally drooled over their personal flotation devices designed for fishing at a number of outdoor shows, and was more than pleased when Steve Wagner from Salus agreed to equip the Blind Fishing Boat core team with a set of PFDs.  So long to wearing a fishing vest over my old PFD, and hello to a comfortable PFD made for fishing with pockets.  More importantly though, it also means my wife and two small children will be able to accompany me in the Porta-Bote on our camping trips; a crucial first step when creating the necessary GPS points-of-interest on any new lake. 

AutoTether, (www.autotether.com):

The AutoTether device will be used on the power catamaran equipped with the 115 Evinrude E-Tec outboard provided by Laurentian Marine and Evinrude.  The device works similar to a string tether ignition kill switch, only there’s no actual string connecting the pilot to the ignition switch.  The pilot wares a remote transmitter that triggers the kill switch if submerged in water.  A second transmitter can be worn by the co-pilot, and if submerged will trigger an audio alarm as opposed to  turning off the motor.  However, both transmitters have an optional emergency switch that can be used for remotely triggering the kill switch.  The AutoTether will let me know if my co-pilot falls overboard, and will allow the co-pilot to turn off the motor should an emergency stop be required. 

Bush Country Camp, (www.bushcountrycamp.com):

I met Art Southern of Bush Country Camp at the Ottawa Boat and Sportsman show this past February.  Art has generously offered to host a 2008 Blind Fishing Adventure at his island fishing resort .  Miles Hilton-Barber from the U.K. will join me for this Adventure,
www.mileshilton-barber.com
along with two local fishing guides.  We’ll be pursuing Walleye, Pike and Trout.  Stay tuned for what should be one exciting  Blind Fishing Adventure report. 

Northamfishing Tackle, (www.northamfishing.com):

J.P. Ostiguy introduced me to Northamfishing spinnerbaits last summer and I was more than a little impressed.  These baits are manufactured in North America by Frank Laurin and are of the highest quality.  Frank has generously agreed to provide a variety of baits for this season’s Blind Fishing Adventures.  Spinnerbaits are ideally suited  for fishers with limited or no sight as you need only cast and retrieve – no need for precision casting or finesse retrievals.  The baits themselves are also quite resistant to snags or picking up trailing weeds. 

Garmin, (www.garmin.com): 

I met Steve Cuppy of Graywoodsporting.com at the Toronto Boat Show last January and with his assistance I was able to obtain several Blue Water II maps for the Garmin 430S Chart Plotter that came equipped with the 20-foot power catamaran.  These maps are preloaded on SD cards and provide both bathometric and satellite imagery of various bodies of water.  The maps allow the Garmin 430S to create GPS tracks either automatically or manually, which can then be used for navigating the boat.  My plan is to tap into these tracks with the AudioPilot device built for me by RealTime in Australia. 
www.alphalink.com.au
The AudioPilot will omit different tones and rates of beeps depending on whether a course correction is required to starboard or port.  Stay tuned for some sea trial reports on the Garmin and AudioPilot later this summer. 

Airmar Technology Corporation, (www.airmar.com):

In my search for a smart traducer to mount on my Porta-Bote I met Paul Strawbridge of Airmar Technology.  Paul gave me the information I needed to be sure that the Airmar smart traducer, an external sounder / water temp / speed transducer would work with the Marine Talker device.  The traducer transmits actual NMEA sentences without requiring a video display or other receiver.  The talking receiver is also made by the same company that made the AudioPilot, RealTime Controls in Australia.  The union of these two technologies should give me talking depth, speed and water temp information; it’s just unfortunate that RealTime decided to discontinue manufacturing both the Marine Talker and Audio Pilot devices.  Hopefully, with the reports and interest I generate through my reporting on the usefulness of  such talking devices, someone else will pick up the ball.  I’d like to thank peter Braffitt of Gemeco for providing me with an Airmar Traducer at his wholesaler’s rate, much appreciated.