Captain's Log!  This weeks adventures updated 12/20/09
                                         
                                             Captain Satchie's ... Wells harbor Weekly

                                                                                                    

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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.




 



Tommorrow, I'm making a quick trip to Connecticut before Christmas to show my Mom's little house to a potential renter and to thank a few close relatives for all their help getting it ready this fall. If you know of anyone looking to rent a really nice little private house in central Connecticut "Wallingford"  let them know... I just finished refurbishing my Mom's and have them call or e mail me.                                                                                                                                       
                  Thanks Satch...

                                              




Week ending 12/06/09..Lobstering in December. Captain Whit, Little Dennis and I pulled Whit's traps beating the first snowfall of the season yesterday by just a few hours. We had a great day, the wind was out of the north at about 17 knots making for a cool, brisk day. There were only two other boats on the horizon working their traps. It sure is rewarding to still be enjoying fishing with the crew in December. By January, the seasonal snows will cause the shallow water within three miles of shore to become to chilly to  support the lobsters and they will complete their annual migration offshore to deeper water to return again in the spring. In January we'll haul the "India Marie" out of the water, clean her up and begin preparing her for next springs charter trips with you folks.

In the picture below, Captain Whit displays a notched tail on a female that indicates her as a breeder, she'll have to be returned by Maine law in order to produce many more offspring. Although you can catch quite a few lobsters in a trap, most will be returned because of their size or because they are egg bearing. We really look forward to spring and fall lobstering. It's not as hectic as taking our friends fishing in the summer, but we still do enjoy taking friends and guests along for a winter lobster adventure. If you'd like to go check it out just give Whit or I a call on the boat cell. The cabin is heated but be sure to bring your mittens and a winter hat if you want to spend any time on deck with the crew.

                                    



We feel so lucky to live in Maine, and weekends in the off season we enjoy family time. This week, McCarey and I brought in a big load of fire wood before the snow came. It's a great environment for kids to learn his real life working values. He was also able to pick out and saw down the family Christmas tree at our local tree farm this week. Gloria and I are getting the house ready for our annual crew Christmas Party! Since our first season, we've always taken a special night to honor and enjoy all the special folks who've built our business over the last thirteen seasons. We're shooting for the weekend of December 18th and really looking forward to this years extravaganza.

                         



 Week ending 11/27/09  Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you are able to gather your families together for a special traditional Thanksgiving day. My cousin Tom and Lesli arrived last night from Philadelphia to share the weekend with us. Gloria's mom has prepared the pumpkin pies. Captain Den is deep frying the turkey. I've prepared a few bake stuffed lobsters and Gloria working on the pork roast, gravy and all the trimmings.

                                                  

 I hope you found the pictures of your family that I posted on our 2009 season slideshow video on You tube. Last week I was also able to edit and upload a "really cool" 5 minute flick of Paulie Mier (PA) catching our largest Bluefin Tuna ever. It's titled Paulie's 15th birthday surprise (click here). There are at least seven Captain Satch videos on you-tube. When you are watching one, if you look to the right there is a highlight: more from Captain Satch, click on that heading and all seven will pop up for your perusal.

Please feel free to e-mail me any video clips you may have of your trips aboard Gath or India. If you'd like to share them with our other guests, I'll try to make a clip of them to post on you tube this winter.

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 11/09/99  This Season's Highlight Video'  is now on You Tube !  click here 2009 Season highlights
  to view a really neat video I produced from this seasons best pictures. I spent about 26 hours preparing it, hope you all enjoy it, please post a comment on the you tube site if you have the time.

Captain Whit, Jeanette and I are going lobstering in the morning. Can't wait to get away from the office and this computer. Now's the time to call if you'd like to ride down and pick up a few lobsters at a very reasonable price for the holidays. We plan on keeping "India" in the water and lobstering at least until the New Year. Captain Whit can be reached at (207) 651-6353, Satchie's winter cell is (207) 337-0800.

                                                   



 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  twenty Maine State trophy striped bass that were over 25 pounds in wieght. This amounts to 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.
 

It was also a super year for family fun on our 2 hour evening trips. (Left) is Captain Satch enjoying an evening "chillin" with the Jamacian side of his family.  My youngest grandson, McCary center met his grandmother Patsy for the very first time. She traveled  all the way to Maine to meet and visit with him this August. McCary's 1st cousin, 10 year old Ty (Center left) "looks just like him" landed the 25 incher, we all shared for supper.
   On the (right) is Captain Whit and little Dennis with the Herir family (MA), Grampa John, and his sons Mark, Kevin, and Danny have been coming offshore with us since the early days of the Gath III. This year they were joined by their newest generation thanks to the Gath IV's abilty to take a few extra family members along on our inshore trips.
 

                                   


 

 Ms Jeanette Dublois(NJ) a newly retired life long grammar school teacher and councilor, flanked by the Mier Brothers (PA). John left in graduate school and his younger brother Paul a senior in high school already. A few of the kind folks behind the scenes who believed in our little business from day one.



                                                                  



 
Offshore, Keith and I had another exciting and wonderful time with our guests this summer. Many of you will recognize Leo Drinkwine (NY) center with his 25 plus pound Trophy Monkfish. Which one looks like he has the worst bite? (Left) is Jeremy Vanderpool (PA) with his 30 pound, 40 inch trophy wolffish, the largest ever landed aboard the India Marie. (right) The honorable Chuck "Tread" Porter (Me) with his largest cod of the 2009 season a nice 19 pounder.


           


 Week ending 7/15/09 Best fishing in years.... We are enjoying the best fishing we've seen in at least five years years both inshore and offshore.  Inshore Captain Whit and his Gath IV crew have landed their guests more "State of Maine" Trophy stripers in the last two weeks than they did in the entire 2007 and 2008 seasons combined. In fact, Whit just called a few minutes ago with the news that Gerry Frankensfield's "NH firefighters crew" landed the 5th  "Twenty five pound plus beauty"  in the last six days. All the folks who have consistently supported us all these years are now enjoying the fruits of a fairly slow tourist season along the Maine coast. "Gath and India" are still departing daily. ***Thanks to you guys***
 
Offshore fishing is excellent. Cod and Pollock are spread out along the grounds in more places and greater numbers than we've seen in quite a few years. It is fairly well established fact, that haddock and pollock are making a good comeback and returning to their traditional spawning spots in the Gulf of Maine. But this is the first year in over twenty years that I am personally seeing greater numbers of spawning size cod beginning to increase in both numbers and frequency across the grounds. Great news for the kids, even if economic times and family priorities are keeping a few avid fisherman ashore this season.
 
Twelve year old, Shane Park "NJ" is shown on left with his 31 pound Maine state trophy pollock. I believe it's the largest pollack landed in the State of Maine so far this year, the largest fish of his life and one of the largest ever caught aboard the "India Marie".  Mackerel Bob Engvold "NY" and his brother Gary and family enjoyed a special day aboard yesterday. Bob landed at least five double keeper catches, two fish on the same line at the same time, Gary's daughter "Tori " and her friend "Megan O'Brian both landed the largest fish of their lives, a 15 pound pollock and a 13.5 pound cod respectively.




                                                          



    Week ending 6/15/09  Our largest striper ever!..Ms. Sharon Waterhouse (ME) got our 2009 striper season off with a  big bang on Monday evening's inshore trip aboard the new Gath IV. Captain Whit and I hosted Sharon's family from Tempe, Arizona on a picture perfect four hour inshore trip. Everyone had a wonderful time catching lots of mackerel, feeding the seals, riding under the drawbridge @ Perkins Cove, and getting a few snaps of some of Maine's famous lighthouses. Then we tried our hand at striper fishing. Sharon's dad Harold landed the largest fish of his life a nice 13 pound striper, most everyone landed a real nice striper or two. Then just as getting ready to present the award ceremonies. Sharon yelled out, help help I can hold on to it ..and it was off to the races.
  Thank god both, Captain Whit and I were their to operate the boat and chase the big one, it literally took the two of us working frantically .. as a very excited Sharon took on the fishing battle of her life. After a 12 to 15 minute struggle the largest striper we have ever caught in over twelve years broke the surface. It certainly didn't seem real, more like a good dream.. A jubilant Sharon and Captain Whit display her 44.75 inch, 38.5 pound striper. Sharon was kind enough to released it back to the ocean alive and healthy and just a bit tired after the long struggle.  Special congratulations to Sharon,Captain Whit and the "new Gath IV". I'm fairly certain it's the largest striper caught so far in the State of Maine this year.  


                                                                 






   
Week ending 6/08/09 Our first trophy of the 2009 Season.. Yesterday's offshore trip was as good as I imagined it would be. We were treated to a special day with some of my oldest and most enjoyable guests. Stacy Williams and her husband Lee were up from Texas for a few day's. Stacy landed our 1st Maine state Trophy cod of the new season. Her beautiful fish weighed in at 26 pounds. She was kind enough to try and release it back to the ocean alive. But try as I might I couldn't get the fish to recover. The trophy fish was hooked in the eye as reflected in the picture, this really seems to stress a fish. In addition it took Stacy over 8 minutes to reel up this great fish which she hooked on her jig....besides this fish she also had an eleven pound pollock on her line which was hooked on her fly above the jig. The two biggest fish of her life at the same time.Wow!

On Stacys right, is Greg Brown (VT) my summer neighbor with the largest cod I've seen him land on "Indi" a nice twenty pounder. On her left is "Whit's little buddy" Eric Sprague (Ma) with his second biggest cod ever... a nineteen pounder.. Last year Eric landed a 20 pounder offshore aboard the India Marie.. Eric caught his fish early in the day and thought he had the pool won hands-down..Another life lesson learned for this young fishing star. Everyone on the boat landed cod in excess of 11 pounds including Ms. Jeannette Dublois (NJ)@ 11 pounds with a haddock or two to boot,, Eric's dad Mark @ 15 pounds, and Stacy's husband Lee who landed two 13 plus pounderson the same line at the same time. What a day!                                                                                                  
                                                             Thanks so much to my special guests. Satchie



          





  Week ending 6/06/09 Birthday Boy's....Sam Knowles (ME) celebrated his ten birthday with his school chums aboard the new Gath IV over Memorial Day weekend with both Captain's Whit and Satch along for the excitement. A great time was had by all as we slammed the mackerel catching over 70 fish on Sam's big day! All the guy's caught  silver and green sided Atlantic Mac's two and three at a time, as a brisk westerly breeze made it feel a little bit like the Deadliest Catch TV series It was an exuberant group of 4th graders that will never forget thier first trip on Gath..Thanks Mom!. 

                                              

 

                                                
                                                            Pic from the past!
 Fourty-five years ago..aboard Dad's lobster boat.  My father,Uncle Bud at the helm.On the housetop left to right, Cousin Tim, Satch @13 years, Cousin Rich and Cousin Tom.

                                                   



 

                                       

                                                           

 

 Our 20009 Christmas party celebrated and honored my Mom, Carolyn who passed on unexpectedly at our home, just a week before Christmas. As those who new her can attest she was a truly a lovely, special, and kind lady who really cared and added significantly to her community and all those she touched. She will be sored missed by everyone in our family. Mom was one of my closest confidants and advisers.Someone who always cared about our little successes, our guests and our boating adventures. I'll do my best to carry her wonderful, caring spirit in my heart for all to share.
                
                                                         
                                                           Mom with Captain Whit abord the "India Marie."

                                                         


 Week ending 12/8/08... YouTube video's...I spent a few long nights last week and finally figured out how to upload you pictures to youtube! Once I did, I was so excited I couldn't help but spend a few more long nights putting together our "first" three video DVD's with a score of your special fishing pictures. Please check out my preliminary attempts a movie making... and click on a rating star... Thanks!

        **The action....  I think these three pictures taken aboard the "India Marie" give a true indication of the fun and action our great guests have been experienced last season.


      


left...Leo Drinkwine (NY) and Keith battle and land our largest fish of the 2008 season. The boys from New York landed a  400 plus pound Blue shark after an 1.5 hour, 3 mile fight! The Drinkwine and Sweat families never head home without having a super time while landing special fish besides. center... Keith helps my grandson "little Whit" land a nice 12 pound blue, his largest of the season.  right... The famous Al Timm (MA) comes wicked close to "having and catching" the big one. Al's lost tuna harpoon the only one ever landed aboard "India" weighed in at over 21 pounds.

   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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