After essentially a lifetime-to-date as a passionate fisherman, a lot of years of owning small boats and a lot of years waiting for the right time to do so, with some planning and more'n a wee bit luck, a minor league dream has come true. I'm a pretty happy chappie. At the slip and ready to go.

Had the lassie meet her new salty chariot last night, and as I sweated, she checked it out carefully and fully before declaring that she loves it. Whew!

Sweet!!!

A Grady White no less..........

Hey Skipper, CONGRATS!!

Excellent KG!

That one is gonna get used�...

That looks like trouble...

Congrats and best best wishes to you.

Congrats, a fun time to be had..

I'll second that!

Ed

Congrats! Looks like fun. Enjoy!!! Expect we'll be seeing a "boat load" of fish pictures real soon!

You sorry dog! Congrats and have fun!

Sweet!

congrats!

Congrats. Looks like you are going to be busy.

Thanks, lads. Hung the outriggers on it, had all hoses replaced, new batteries, new plugs, cleaned tanks, new fuel senders, new all kinds of stuff. Comm, radar, chart plotter and sounder being checked and double checked. All new safety gear, etc., etc. Not exactly cheap, but shyt, we all get only one shot at this thing we call a lifetime. I intend to continue living it in the way I feel it should be lived. Tallyho!

Boston Harbor.? Cape? North Shore?

Bob

Congrats, L. A couple of my pards own a GW. A boat for a lifetime.

With a ~300 mile range, all of the above.

But the answer to your question is C. North Shore (Merrimack river).

I'm not a superstitious cat, but it just so happens this vessel is the one I caught my first tuna on, maybe some 12 years ago. I plan to make it the vessel I catch my first thousand pound tuna on, too. Come on, karma!

Congrats on not being a cheap ass.

And go to hell for not having a video of Daryl Hannah flickin' her bean when I clicked on this thread.



Travis

Outstanding!

Congrats to ya KG! That's a beautiful Grady. I'm looking forward to pics of her decks awash in blood.

That's a beefy azz trailer too!

Congratulations!

Congrats!

I'm jealous. Congrats and I hope you use it so much you wear it out. I'm talking about the Grady. kwg

Congrats. Are you going to fish her all the way down to Roger's? miles

What? Where's the camo paint job? No Max-4? No marsh grass on the gunnels? What are you going to use this thing for anyway?

I learned long ago that going cheap is rarely--and I do mean RARELY-- the right route. False economy, mon. Cheap choices in outdoor gear especially, but also with about everything else, lead to more cheese getting spent in the long run. Shocking revelation to you, I know...

As far as that freaky hybrid hen, she's upriver somewhere working the spawning beds probably, trying to get her hustle on with some young fools just dying to mix milk with anything that swims. That's a sucker's game, brother.



I won't lie, though: I'd sink the gaff in her right quick if this was still 1985...

Nice money hole Leighton!

Boats ain't cheap, clearly, but not really on this deal. After I re-power in a couple years, then run her for a couple more before likely upgrading, I'll easily double my investment. And then some. Sounds like BS, I know, but that's OK. I've been called a liar here before. I know what I know, and my buddy basically gave me the thing in exchange for paying off the balance on his note. As he's also one of my giant bluefin hunting partners, well, what comes around...

Thanks to all for the well-wishes and congrats. Sea trial yesterday, and yeah, they suck fuel, but the twin 200 Yammies on the back are purring--and roaring when asked. On a good WX day with flattish seas, she'll cruise at 37 knots without hardly breaking a sweat.

Awesome!

Love those Grady Whites.

Let me know when I should come out for a tuna trip.

Hmm. Seems I have seen these pics already.


Is "No Problem" the name she had, or one you came up with?


Sure hope you get the thousand pounder pic on it soon.

After enjoying your fishing stories and photo's these
past few years. I have some inkling of what this means.
Congrats to you, Skipper-son.
May your adventures be many and safe

Congrats kamo!

Someday I hope to have a craft worthy of the ocean...I do love my seafood!

I love my shady Grady. Not near as big as your new ride, but a great boat! Congrats!!

Having had the need to run before the weather, it's nice to know you have the ability to haul butt. No such thing as "too much power"!

I can smell the salt and feel the roll now. I am envious!

Ed

I hope you have a current FBOID CARD.
All your poles legal? 24" or less?
All your spools have a 100' of line or less?
Do you have a permit for all those excess pole holders? - 1 pole per person.
No under age workers on the boat please.
And your crew should have minority representation otherwise you will be in violation of Article PC Section 666.
Please refer to any fish you encounter by their Proper Latin nomenclature - remember fish have "feelings" too.
Now get out there and have Fun - you did pay your Amusement Tax? Yes?

Excellent rig, Leighton. Congrats. Do you have a Captain's lid?

I know only too well about the feelings and emotions fish have. This one shrieked like a toddler with its hair afire. The skipper, as well as the crew, as always, were moved and almost, but not quite frozen in place. The skipper on that run proceeded to place his own emotions for the poor fish aside.

He then hauled back and drove a harpoon with a bronze head right through that grander's fuggin' eyeball with a wicked cry of his own. Sweet dreams, John boy.

Nice!

I wish it were mine. The rig was hauled up from the cape where it lived on jack stands in my buddy's driveway for the last five years. That's a $65K trailer, loaded with hydraulics and rated to haul boats to 45' and 25K+ pounds, I believe...

Thanks, Paul. Not yet. Will be getting my 6 pack ticket over the winter.

I've got a 16 TDB with a 60 hp jet drive, a '69 Lund Ducker with a matching 9.9 hp Johnson, a 14' Starcraft deep V with a 30 horse Evinrude and a coupla' kayaks for ducks. This rig will be used to drag fish around from just outside the breakers off the island to the banks to the canyons (with buddy boat and a fuel bladder aboard just b/c).

That's the plan, anyway.

Naturally.

She's quite a vessel and the perfect addition to your fleet. I foresee many adventures to come. Congratulations.

I appreciate that a lot, friend. And despite risking being labeled a brown noser, will tell you that I've been a fan of you and your input both here and on AR for a lot of years.

Best backatcha'.

Domo, tomodachi.

The former.

Don't see how that will suck.


And, it's about time!

Who's kidding who??
Fishing? bah!
With Father Time creeping up on Leighton, this boat is merely an upgrade for napping in "proper" facilities.
Sure beats those lowly coolers.



Good luck with the new rig and get some blood on those decks. Ran a Grady for 20 years before I got the Ox.

Congratulations, nice looking boat. Hopefully you will have a lot of good times on that boat.

Leighton, I admire your firm denial of reality.

Seriously, congrats on the nice outfit -- and living large & in charge!

John

Waaaaay cool, KG, but that thing is huge. Hope you have enough left in the budget for all the camo netting it's gonna take to hide that from the quackers.

Enjoy it, my friend.

Congrats KG. Catch alot of fish and.....
















NAPS! with your new boat.

Carry some extra stainless and a floating prop wrench.

But that's a story for another day,.........

Nice to see you bought a good North Carolina boat instead of one of those "whalers."

Congrats on your new GW, she's a nice looking boat.

I'm ready to go fishing when you are bro, I can be there in 12 hours, give or take. lol

Congrats!

There is something about having your own boat, finding your own fish, maintaining the boat et al.

Old Sailors proverb:

No matter how treacherous is the sea, a woman can always be more so.



Great looking rig!! What is she....22-24 offshore? I'm sure she will give you hours of enjoyment. Color me envious!!

Thanks again for the comments, y'all.

Ed, the cabin is damned comfortable, and in between feesh there's going to be many a Z caught inside, no doubt.

DND, she's a 25' Sailfish Sportbridge. OAL with pulpit and engine bracket is around 28'. It's a lot of boat for this swabbie, with a learning curve to be sure, but it can't be much different than paddling a canoe, right?

Spent a solid day's work getting everything squared away and cleaned up and set up the way we like it. Was one of those elusive fun work days. Creepy wx events around the state, however. We went from cloudless, blue skies with bright sun to black sky, with ominous clouds and copious lightning in literally minutes; like 5 minutes. Wild, it was. Then, the creepy part to me, was a negligible wind to what I'd wager was a sustained 60 with HEAVY rain. Lasted less than ten minutes, but I was happy we weren't anywhere other than tied up at the dock. System moved E and N and the skies cleared back up. A couple dozen miles south saw wx that wasn't so innocuous. Hope folks are OK down there.











http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/07/...nvestigating-possible-tornado-in-revere/

Jesus KG, that is three things I shall have to knock off when I visit, your wife's cookbooks, your fishing gear, and your boat.

Well done.

Unlock PM box, mate.

Done, I generally keep it that way as it dissuades the nuts.

Ahhh - a tornado! What a fine day to splash the family yacht!!!! Glad you're ok!

The boat looks solid, Leighton. You and the Mrs. look very happy, as usual. Good luck with the new ride, buddy. Do we have a name for the boat yet? Did you christen it?

Leighton, I am late to the party, but want to offer my congratulations. I know that you will squeeze all of the fun and adventure possible from your new acquisition. (Sounds like you got a chance to see some Midwest weather. Glad the worst missed you.) Best, John

Sweet ride! Enjoy!

Leighton, A Big Congrads on your Boat! can only hope for more great Pics from you! you going to rename her? I wish you much luck with the big Tuna Brother!

I'll be sending an avet 80 up there soon spooled with 200# braid

You have a sturdy crafty, a lusty wench and a rising tide. Time to go and plunder the riches of the sea! Congrats!!

Leighton

Way to go. I know the Mrs always has a smile/grin, but thats an extra big one there!

Congrats on it, I know you'll make the best of it!!

Jeff

Building up my hop on the plane at a moments notice fund, Leighton

CONGRATULATIONS!

That's a very very nice boat. A GW is the schit !!!

Learning curve? phttttt. Not for an old salt like you.

One thing I've learned is there's no substitute for small boat experience. It's where and how you learn the basics and it's what makes you a good skipper.

Now, if you need some lessons on captaining or fishing ... I'd be happy to show you how.

One other thing. All the folks that say the best day of boat ownership is the day you sell it don't know what the hell they're talking about. I say you just had a BEST DAY and there's many more to come.

Once again, congrats.

congratulations on a great boat, good luck and may all of your lines be tight.

You sure that's not 'sturdy lust, crafty wench and tiding ride'?



Appreciate the kind words of congrats, all. A long time coming, that's sure. A few more minor issues to address, and then it'll be game on. I suspect more than a few fish will learn to fear this rig and those aboard, yes sir...

Boat's are a necessary Evil. Never ending money pit.

Congrats on the GW. My brother has one and loves it. I am sure you will make good use of it. Good Luck and nice boat.