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Author Topic: Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon  (Read 442 times)

Offline Gunthr

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« on: June 16, 2007, 04:56:05 PM »
fishing for dolphin with 3 friends Friday 06/15 off Marathon in FL Keys and we came upon this raft well off shore.

Capt. wouldn't go nearer than a few hundred feet because he had been warned just the day before about balseros hiding in the bottom of rafts popping up with guns when you get near enough to them.   i really wanted to check out the raft, but i can understand his decision even tho i think there is a duty to help people at sea.  i would have, if we had been in my boat.

when he got as close as i could persuade him to, i snapped a couple photos.  we couldn't make out the writing on the side of the raft, but when i got home, the writing on the side was clear, and it was obvious that the US Coast Guard had either already picked up the occupants or verified it to be empty.   you can see the mast laying down on the far gunnels and 4 makeshift oarlocks.


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Offline Laurie

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Re: Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2007, 05:22:06 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Gunthr
fishing for dolphin with 3 friends Friday 06/15 off Marathon in FL Keys and we came upon this raft well off shore.

Capt. wouldn't go nearer than a few hundred feet because he had been warned just the day before about balseros hiding in the bottom of rafts popping up with guns when you get near enough to them.   i really wanted to check out the raft, but i can understand his decision even tho i think there is a duty to help people at sea.  i would have, if we had been in my boat.

when he got as close as i could persuade him to, i snapped a couple photos.  we couldn't make out the writing on the side of the raft, but when i got home, the writing on the side was clear, and it was obvious that the US Coast Guard had either already picked up the occupants or verified it to be empty.   you can see the mast laying down on the far gunnels and 4 makeshift oarlocks.




You get things like this off Malta.

If i found one of these sort of 'boats'that hang around off malta that try to smuggle africans into europe, I would personally pay to have the potentially illegall immigrants on the raft transported to the most inland part of africa, and destroy the raft once they were there. i am fed up of paying taxes  for looking after these sort of ppl.
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Offline john9001

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2007, 05:22:21 PM »
i can't believe the CG left it there, that's a hazard to navigation.
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Offline Meatwad

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2007, 05:33:16 PM »
Should of just sunk it. Some 20mm would work just fine
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Offline Furball

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2007, 06:05:41 PM »
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Originally posted by Meatwad
Should of just sunk it. Some 20mm would work just fine


or just undo some of the string holding it together.
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Offline Fishu

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2007, 06:14:20 PM »
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Originally posted by Furball
or just undo some of the string holding it together.


Shooting is more fun.
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Offline Furball

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2007, 06:18:48 PM »
I am british, i am not allowed... ;) :D
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Offline Wotan

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Re: Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2007, 06:22:57 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Gunthr
fishing for dolphin with 3 friends Friday 06/15 off Marathon in FL Keys and we came upon this raft well off shore.

Capt. wouldn't go nearer than a few hundred feet because he had been warned just the day before about balseros hiding in the bottom of rafts popping up with guns when you get near enough to them.   i really wanted to check out the raft, but i can understand his decision even tho i think there is a duty to help people at sea.  i would have, if we had been in my boat.

when he got as close as i could persuade him to, i snapped a couple photos.  we couldn't make out the writing on the side of the raft, but when i got home, the writing on the side was clear, and it was obvious that the US Coast Guard had either already picked up the occupants or verified it to be empty.   you can see the mast laying down on the far gunnels and 4 makeshift oarlocks.


I will be in Marathon from the 21st of June until 1 July - towing the boat down from Jacksonville. Will drop the women at Hawk's Nest and hope to spend at least 7 days on the water.

Last time I was down there and there was a Seafury at the Marathon Airport - We had chartered a flight to spot wrecks and other fishing spots (well thats what we told the women) - mostly bay side for reflaxing snapper fishing with kids.

Any Haitians or Dominicans we catch we will throw back - Cubans are ok - Castro sucks... :aok
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Offline Ripsnort

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2007, 06:50:14 PM »
Hehe, a chinese-made kiddie pool that acts as a floatation device. Cool! :aok
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Offline Gumbeau

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2007, 07:15:43 PM »
If the CG had investigated it, they would have sunk it.

You have a wise Captain.
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Offline Gunthr

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2007, 08:40:55 AM »
Good luck fishing Wotan.  We had a 23 footer, stayed at Coconut Cay - gulf side- at the end of the Marathon runway.  saw a P-51 come in for a landing - full flaps, he was dragging it in over the fence.  we were about equidistant from the 7 mile bridge and Vaca Cut.  we used Vaca Cut to get ocean side because there is a marina you can get ballyhoo and ice on the way out.

i can recommend the Cracked Conch Cafe, not too far the other side of the airport,  Atlantic side.   great cook there.  great conch dishes, fish - the wasabi tuna very good, and good cuban dishes, cuban coffee.  i agree about the cuban refugees.   i welcome them ...  haitians not so much.

tight lines!
« Last Edit: June 17, 2007, 08:43:05 AM by Gunthr »
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Offline Maverick

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2007, 12:06:05 PM »
Ballyhoo???? WTF izzat, bait or booze?:confused:
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Offline Gunthr

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2007, 12:56:51 PM »
heheh, bait.  for trolling.  they are dolphin candy, but everything loves them.  when rigging, you have to break the beak off to make them troll straight without spinning.  








I should add, for Wotan, even tho we had ballyhoo out on two lines and Billy Baits on two lines, this trip almost all our dolphin (32) were caught on purple Billy Baits mini turbo - this is a must for the keys.  good for tuna too:

« Last Edit: June 17, 2007, 01:16:07 PM by Gunthr »
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Offline lasersailor184

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Empty raft 25 miles off Marathon
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2007, 01:39:56 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by john9001
i can't believe the CG left it there, that's a hazard to navigation.


It's more of a hazard if it's under water.  Sometimes you get floaters just under the surface that are far more hazardous because you never see them.


That's why sailing across the ocean is incredibly dangerous these days.  One of those metal cargo boxes can easily fall off the cargo ship.  And they have a bad habit of floating a foot under the surface of the water.

Nothing can ruin your day quicker then slamming your 50-100 foot yacht into a sharp metal box that you never saw in the middle of the night.
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