Armstrong Cat

[Chaps]

Armstrong is like a lot of local alloy builders when it comes to what they are going to bring to the show. They bring the last boat they've finished and it always already belongs to a customer because they don't build anything on spec. This year they brought a big cat that is designed stem to stern as a dive charter boat. Interior had multiple settees for customers to enjoy hot lunches and the after section included all the usual dive stuff including nitrox fills, etc. Its designed for cold water diving with lots of warm cabin space, hot water washdowns, etc. It was very nice.

[welder]

That is one heck of a boat , WOW , but I would have welded the gussets to the bottom of the rungs on the ladders so my divers would not cut their booties or feet .

One AWESOME ride.

[JETTYWOLF]

Can ya imagine, trying to build something as single purpose as that out of glass. And we're only seeing just a snippit of the boat.

Damn, dive boat for cold water.

All I can say is someone's economy is doing very well....

How the hell can someone build a boat for such a purpose (for a luxury activity)

There really is a distinct difference in areas of the country where the "season" is short, compared to where there is no closed season.

They must rake it in like mud, to make a commitment like that. In today's world.

[Chaps]

Dave,

Diving up here is year-round since the water is much clearer in the colder months.

But yeah, I agree that the owner is really sticking his neck out but he's probably a retired-at-40 microsoft exec with money to burn. We have lots of those around here.

He'll get his business from the dive shops, most of whom don't have their own boats.



Puget Sound WOLF EEL. Any resemblance to my mother-in-law is purely coincidental

[ruggit]

Those cats start to grow on you after a while.

[JETTYWOLF]

yeah, but compared to the old junkers in the Bahamas and other islands, where you can dive naked, I can't believe there's such a calling.

I've seen the short season charter boats in N.C. can do two half days for 5 months solid if the weather's okay. Inshore at lets say $400 a 1/2 day, that's $800 a day, I'll even approx. 100-150 days works out to be 8-15K for not even a 1/2 years work. Not bad taking people out to catch a Redfish and a few Trout, and maybe a Striper or two.

Makes me sick, compared to a 12 month a year fishery. And no touristo's.

[spoiled one]

My neighbor's business partner is just finishing a build on a 70'x20' aluminum cat up here in AK. It will be powered by twin 1001 HP CAT diesels pushing hamilton jets. I do not have any pictures, but it is HUGE! Total build price is about $2.2 million. Wish I had that kind of disposable income. Looks similar to the Armstrong cat.

[ruggit]

I've wondered about fuel consumption using Hamilton jets vs DP outdrives or straight inboards. Jets make a lot of sense if you are in skinny water, or operating where there is a lot of deadheads and debris in the water.

[welder]

70'X20' and 2002 HP and ALLOY , Oh Man , I have wood now .

We need pictures of that Monster. :shock:

[JETTYWOLF]

My neighbor's business partner is just finishing a build on a 70'x20' aluminum cat up here in AK. It will be powered by twin 1001 HP CAT diesels pushing hamilton jets. I do not have any pictures, but it is HUGE! Total build price is about $2.2 million. Wish I had that kind of disposable income. Looks similar to the Armstrong cat.

WHAT'S THE BUSINESS?
IF IT WAS HERE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE COCAINE SMUGGLING!

do I need to be up there? In what seems to be "the land of plenty".......plenty of C-O-L-D, but $$$$$$$.

[spoiled one]

My neighbor's business partner is just finishing a build on a 70'x20' aluminum cat up here in AK. It will be powered by twin 1001 HP CAT diesels pushing hamilton jets. I do not have any pictures, but it is HUGE! Total build price is about $2.2 million. Wish I had that kind of disposable income. Looks similar to the Armstrong cat.

WHAT'S THE BUSINESS?
IF IT WAS HERE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE COCAINE SMUGGLING!

do I need to be up there? In what seems to be "the land of plenty".......plenty of C-O-L-D, but $$$$$$$.

He works in communications laying fiber optic cable. Very bright man. I will see what I can do about Pics.

[Chaps]

My neighbor's business partner is just finishing a build on a 70'x20' aluminum cat up here in AK. It will be powered by twin 1001 HP CAT diesels pushing hamilton jets. I do not have any pictures, but it is HUGE! Total build price is about $2.2 million. Wish I had that kind of disposable income. Looks similar to the Armstrong cat.

WHAT'S THE BUSINESS?
IF IT WAS HERE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE COCAINE SMUGGLING!

do I need to be up there? In what seems to be "the land of plenty".......plenty of C-O-L-D, but $$$$$$$.

Dave, them dollars spend even if they're froze as stiff as boards but do yourself a favor and stay put . . . you may be strugglin' but y'er warm

[Ironwoodtuna]

Jettywolf,

If you want to stop fishing so much, and come to work in NY for me, I could use another good guy with mechanical ability. I am drowning in work I'll teach you the electronics side of things, I guess you have the mechanical ability...

As far as the CAT goes,

With Hamilton Jets and big Diesels, thats what I want on my new CAT rig.

That is some rig! But, not very good for my type of offshore fishing, but with some different design and a Hysu Foil it would be a sweet rig.

<Marty>

[JETTYWOLF]

Thanks for tips fellas.....Super Bowl Sunday I usually fish because there's no one on the water. Most of the time it's cold (40-50 degree high) and usually windy.

When the Super Bowl came to J-ville Fla in 2005 (don't know who was paid off to make that happen), I left the dock (Marty....listen up...)with the Pepitones, Sal Sr. and Sal Jr. who fished out of Montauk on their Tiara.

Fed-Ex exectutives hosted them, meaning brought them down from Long Island to see the game, and paid for everything. Sal was in the kids clothing biz.

Yep, Sal Pepitone is Joe Pepitones cousin (famous baseball player....can't remember if it's the Yankees or Dodgers?)

We left out that morning with a gale force N.E. wind and at the dock at 8am it was 27 degrees.

Sal jr. cracked me up when he said, "but isn't the water still 70?"......"hell no", I said. "it's 53, and our fish die in that temp. Let's go and see if any are still alive...."

It was me with the Pepitones, and a fellow guide buddy with the Fed-Ex excecutives.

By 10am myself and the other guide thought DEATH WAS IMMINANT!The Pepitones were in sweat shirts and leather jackets. I looked like the man from Michilan. I couldn't move I had so many layers on.

Well, today is Super Bowl Sunday once again...(I'm not a fan, of "Team" sports, and the only "ball oriented" game I like is Golf)

But I didn't fish today....never got a single call for a charter, ZIP, ZERO.....
and it was 80 DEGREES IN THE SUN, BRIGHT, AND CALM.

BTW, the boat ramp parking lot looked like a a Walmart parking lot on Welfare day!

So, with that story....yeah it's Florida, and so the hell what??

[spoiled one]

We are lucky if the water temps hit 53 in the summer...HAA! Funny stuff. I used to swim in it when I was a kid. I never claimed I was very smart.