Captain's Log!  This weeks adventures updated 2/18/10
                                         
                                             Captain Satchie's ... Wells harbor Weekly

                                                                                                    

    
                                            

Week ending 2/08/10...  Who Dat! It was pure meham in our house last night as our New Orleans Saints came roaring back to become the Super bowl champs.Captain's Whit and Den both native New Orleaneans have been waiting since they were iust little tike's for this moment. I wasn't even a bit nervous even when we were 10 points down because, like Drew, I truly believed it was our destiny. Following the Saints as closely as I do, I also new we had the better and most cohesive team, held together by strong ties of real love, trust and respect for each others abilities. You really have to be proud of the Saint's and of our entire country, last night the Saint's became America's team. I'm really confident that 2010 will be a much better year for all of us. I'm looking forward to us pulling together to get our whole great country back on it's feet, the way the city of New Orleans has just four years after Katrina.

This week, I started mailing out your 2010 season newsletters. They came our really nice and should be a good read on a cold February eve. If you left your address in our guest book you should be receiving your copy in the next 10 days. To be fair to all, our 2010 season  reservations will begin Saturday morning, Feb 27th at 8 am sharp! Ensign Ed has agreed to help again this year, so you should be able to get through on either his phone or mine with out much problem.

Gloria and I escaped for our 1st winter weekend getaway. We were invited to my good friend Wayne Guyette and his wife Karen's home in Spofford Village, New Hampshire.We were treated like kings and  had a wonderful time. The weekend was highlighted by the Guyette families 5th annual Chili festival. Couples from all over the Keene area come together to beat back the cold winter doldrums and offer up their "Secret Chili Recipes" for annual bragging rights.Pictured on the right are this years winners. "Left to right", Mike 2nd place, Amy 1st place, our hostess Karen, and 2nd place Madeline. Mike's chilli was the hottest and one of my three favorites. Amy's first place entry was made with her husband and my good friend "Bob Posner's" venison steak". Karen's my personal favorite,  was the first "cod fish chili " I've ever experienced. Move over Mexico! Pictured on the left is Gloria with "Wayne and Karen's" three loving boxers, Zoey, Bo, and Ceirra. Karen and Wayne has been involved with "Boxer Rescue" and other orphaned canine organizations for over twenty years.


                          

Week ending 1/25/10... Saints win NFC Championship! For the first time ever, and after a 43 year excruciating wait our Saints are off to the Super Bowl. As many of you know both Captain Whit and Captain Den were both born in New Orleans. We attended every home game in the Dome when they were little guys usually with brown paper bags on our heads to hide our identity as avid Saints fans.If you haven't lived in the "Big Easy" you just can't imagine what it like to be a Saints fan, inadvertent whistles and all. Anyway the entire family had one heck of a celebration last night with even Whit's old coon hound "Cooper" howling to beat the band ..When the Saints come marching in.. Archie's son Payton better buckle his helmet on the 7th.. See you in Miami.....

We enjoyed a fun Maine outdoor winter weekend. My lifelong friend Terry Shortelle (CT) came up for his first trip to Maine after retiring from his families business after 40 years. Always a true friend andAlready 2010 is shaping up to be a  very kind guy,Terry brought  little McCarey a full downhill ski outfit that his daughter had outgrown. Ski's, boots, poles, helmet, goggles, snow pants and jacket. Like every other sport he takes to McCarey took right off like the champ that he is. Pictured "left" all suited with his dog Fisher. Saturday, we spent the day at Powder House Hill in So Berwick. A super little beginners slope not five miles from the house, they have a real nice rope tow with 150 skiers maximum, and no lift line. Once he mastered the rope tow "second try", McCarey made quite a few friends and over 70 runs down the slope.We had a wonderful time enjoying the great snow conditions.

On Sunday morning, Captain Whit called and invited us ice fishing with his friends at Kennebuck Pond. It was my first time on the ice since we pulled "India" out of the water on Jan 15th. The fishing was very slow but the weather was beautiful. Looking at the horizon when your on a lake ice fishing in Maine is like your on another planet, another experience you can't really put into words.. If you haven't done it, please call and come up, the boys and I will be glad take you. Pictured on the right is 7 year old "Hunter" He ran head over heels to the only flag of the day and landed this nice 14 inch small mouth bass. Spring's coming, it's not getting dark till at least 5:23....  Best Satch


                                                   

Week ending 1/015/10...Winter preparations for the 2010 season begin ..



 



  Yesterday Frank Davis and I braved the chilly 6 degree morning air, taking the "India Marie" for a little ride out of the harbor, around the bell buoy and back to the launch ramp. Pictured right is Frank in the wheel house as we warmed up the engine for her last ride of the season.

 Capt.Scott Worthing hauled her about noon time and gave us a prime dry dock spot right next to the "Gath IV" in his Webhannet River boat yard. Over the next 90 days the crew and I will do our best to pretty up the two girls and bring all their mechanical and fishing systems to like new condition.There's always a lot of annual maintence and a major project or two on each vessel. I can assure you we're going to be very busy refurbishing both boats and bringing them up to the standards we all enjoy ever summer. Lets hope for kinder weather this spring that will make the work more enjoyable. I'll keep you updated on our major projects and our progress every week or two throughout the winter.

                                                  India's launch is scheduled for April 27th and Gath's for May 15th.

 


Yesterday, I submitted our list of lucky anglers to the Maine Dept of Marine resources. This season we had thirty five guests who landed beautiful fish large enough to be recognized by the state of Maine as Tackle Buster Trophies. I'm sure some of these fish were also the largest fish of that species caught anywhere in our state during the 2009 season.We'll soon know as they will be posted on an annual Maine state recreational fishing newsletter. The other really "outstanding cool thing" is that almost all of out trophy fish were voluntarily released back to the ocean unharmed by our forward thinking guests.

Inshore Captain Whit landed more twenty five pound plus trophy stripers than in any of our previous twelve seasons, fourteen in total. Our two largest ever, Rich Palmer (CT's) 47 pound 44.5 incher and Sharon Waterhouse (ME's) 37 pound, 44.75 inch lead the pack.

"Center picture" below is 11 year old Suzanna Van Gelder (NY) and her dad Ed, they are long time annual guests on the Gath III. Suzannah's 35pound, 40.5 inch striper was our 4th biggest of the season. All  four of these fish were released alive and kicking after their pictures were taken. Pictured on Suzannah's left is our good friend of many years, Frank Fazio (NH) with his 24 pound, 35 inch striper. On her right is another long time friend Kelly Cleveland (NY) with one of our biggest trophy cod of the 2009 season. Kelly's cod also released alive, wieghed in at 26 pounds, 39 inches. I can't thank you all enough for making 2009 another really fun,special and successful year for our Capt Satch and son crew.


  

 

Week ending 1/02/10....Happy New Year! Wishing all our good friends and guests good health and the hope of easier financial times for those in need this coming spring. We spent a few days over Christmas break with my grandson McCarey's Jamaican Grandma. Ms Patsy, I believe she summed it up best. "We are praying to God for continued good health and the strength to support our families in the coming new year." Here in Maine we are very blessed to have such a good life, clean water, great schools, caring friends and neighbors, a couple of strong seaworthy boats, our own farm and plenty of wood for a warm family hearth. It's my hope that we will continue working together over the next few years to make it easier for those who have so much less.

On Thursday, we officially ended or 2009 season aboard the "India Marie". On the last day of the year, Captain Whit, little Dennis and I hauled in the rest of Whits lobster gear back to Wells harbor. Pictured on left are Whit and Den seated a top a fully loaded "India Marie".  In her role as commercial lobster boat she is superb, able to haul at least 40 traps to and from the fishing grounds in heated comfort. " For the Captain in the wheel house at least". We enjoyed a very good fall lobstering, but all good things always come to an end and with the oncoming cold weather and heavy snow it was time to call it a season. I believe we timed it almost perfectly getting our gear in before this very large winter storm hit this weekend.

                 



At noon time, I rode down to the harbor and tied additional storm lines on "Indi". The forecast is for northeast winds with gusts to 40 knots tonight and tomorrow morning.On the ride home I passed Captain Whit (pictured left) he was out helping his brother Den make a first pass on his ambitious snowplow route. Both boys will be busy plowing for a few days cleaning up this big mess.

 I've already made arrangements w/ Captain Scott Worthing to have "India" hauled out at his Webhannet River boat yard early next week. Then little Dennis and I can begin working on our list of winter maintenance items. Whit and  little Den spent a few days over the holiday insulating his new maintenance workshop. This will give Ms. Jeanette, Frank, and the rest of the gang a nice warm, well-lighted place to hang out make jigs and rebuild our fishing gear. Now that the seasons over, I'm already looking forward to a nice relaxing day ice fishing with my boys before I get immersed in submitting our guests trophy lists and my annual season newsletter.

                                     Anyway Happy New Year and sincere thanks for another successful season..Satchie


Week ending 12/20/09...Annual Gath III Christmas Party!

Last night we celebrated our 13th annual company Christmas party. Our fishing family and crew met at the house to celebrate the close of another safe and successful season aboard "Gath" and "Indi". A grand time was had by all. it's the only time during the busy year that all the crews wifes, families and special guests are able get together as one... Captain Whit and I do our best to thank everyone for putting up with the long strenuous hours the crew families experience during the busy summer season. I'm truly honored and in awe of the efforts my crew exerts to make your trips with us possible. An example of this was pointed out in this years funniest story presented by Captain Den. He spoke of observing Ensign Ed mowing his lawn with the reservations book bungee corded to his yard tractor as he tried his best to keep up with all the rescheduling conflicts caused by this seasons unusually bad weather.I can't say how humbled I am by how much time, hard work and sincere effort you all put in to keep our guests happy and secure in the fact that they our experiencing Maine's best charter fishing boats.

Pictured below, Ms. Jeanette is slicing the ham my wife Gloria, the Bobinator, Ensign Ed and his wife Jodi are in the background.Gloria was up a 6am preparing all day for the evening festivities. There was just so much great food, baked ham,venison meatballs, shrimp cocktail , baked lobster tails, homemade lasagna, special chesses, cakes, assorted home made fudges, blueberry pie, chocolate chip pie,chocolate and coconut date squares ..you get the picture!  In the center,Captain Whit, Mellisa Porter, Jeanette, the Bobinator and Captain Satch enjoy a quick end of the season cigar in the 10 degree night air. As always the highlight of the evening for me, was sitting with our friends and crew telling stories about another great season we are leaving behind, and their expressing the hope for our renewed adventures in the spring of 2010. On right, mama Sarah opens her Santa swap gift as Mary Ann, Gloria and Little Dennis wait in anticipation.




 

The picture on the right is of the "only giant leather back sea turtle" I have ever seen in Maine waters. Nancy Noyes (Me) was kind enough to e-mail it to me. She was able to snap this picture of him this August ,when I was driving "India" back from a 10 hour offshore trip. It was taken about seventeen miles offshore.


                



 Week ending 11/01/09....Another memorable and rewarding season comes to an end! Sincere thanks to all our loyal friends and guests that helped make our twelve fishing season another very enjoyable and successful one. It's so hard to believe how fast the time fly's. It seems we just get the boats launched each spring and the short days of late fall are upon us. Despite the crummiest weather I have ever personally encountered "in over twenty years of taking guests fishing" and the worst of the worst economic conditions, our faithful friends and guests have stuck by us through a season that has financially sunk a few good competitors in our areas charter fishing fleet.


   



   2009 was by far "our best year ever"for landing "Maine State Trophy stripers. Captain Whit and his crew landed fourteen Maine State trophy striped bass that were over 25 pounds in wieght. Almost twice the number of trophy size stripers than we've ever landed in any previous season. Also, the two largest striper's ever landed aboard the Gath III, the Gath IV and the India Marie were landed this season! (Center)  Rich Palmer (Ct.) with the help of the Bobinator proudly displays his 44.5 inch, 47 pound trophy bass, our largest ever! (Right) Sharon Waterhouse (ME) now doomed to 2nd place with the largest fish of her life, a 44.75 inch 38.5 pound striper.  For the first time in over ten years, Marilyne Lamb (NY) finally outfishes all her brother and sisters with the biggest fish of her life, a 30 pound 40.25 inch Trophy Striper. All three of these conservation minded anglers were kind enough to release these beautiful fish back to the ocean unharmed shortly after these pictures were taken. They weren't required to do so by law, but just cared enough to help the striper fishery recover for our future generations.
 

                                                           Mom with Captain Whit abord the "India Marie."

                                                         

   Week ending Jan 9th...  Our dear friend ...My dear friend and our chief mechanical engineer Bobby Helinski passed on today. Bob was one of the kindest and most brilliant men I have ever met. He will be sorely missed by my family and all our friends and guests. Bob spent the winter with Whit and I last year installing the new Cummins engine in  "India". For those of you who enjoyed one of our 75 offshore trips last summer ..Bobby was the one behind the scenes that made it all such a success. He was our "Click and Clack". The India Marie's equivalent to the Bunny Clark's Dave Pease. One of the kindest closest friends I've ever had. Bobby was also a gifted teacher who taught me more about engines than anyone else ever could and also some very special lessons about what life is really all about.
 




                                                    

                                       Bob works out.....how to fit that big heavy engine in that little hole. "March 06".

                                            Mrs Gath Coombs with Den and Whit during Gath's rechristening, July "96".
 
                   Gath bought the champange to celebrate her rebuilding.* Note that the boys were still in high school at the time.

                                                                

  Picture of Captain Bobby Coombs, taken in 1943 in his New York Giants uniform....... Bobby received his Captains license in August of 1951, the month and year of my birth. In the early 1950's he  began taking guests aboard the Gath II, which he sold to Mr. Bush in Kittery Me..prior to purchasing our own Gath III a few years later.   Photo and history courtesy of his son," young Bobby Coombs".

For information and reservations call office (207) 324-9655 or boat (207)337-0716  any day between 6 AM and 9 PM.
 

 Captain Satch

  
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