Smithys Fishing Charter Boat
The offshore boat used for fishing charters is a Reelax Capricorn Sportfisher built at Woongoolba between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
For Qld survey purposes the boat measures 7.7m and can carry 8 people in total (7 customers).
Its operational limit is 50Nm from land or partially smooth waters legally putting it in range of fishing hotspots like Noosa Canyons, Cape Moreton Canyons, the Hards, the Barwon Banks, Cape Moreton, Caloundra Wide, the Caloundra 12mile, the 50m line, Chardons Reef, North Reef, etc., plus numerous wrecks and that is just off the Sunshine Coast.
It is powered by a 240hp 4 cylinder inboard Yanmar diesel engine coupled to a ZF-Hurth gear box, shaft and propeller maintaining a genuine 18knot cruise speed in most seas and a 23knot sprint speed.
Electronics wise, the boat is fitted with a Lowrance 5300C GPS Chartplotter, iCom VHF radio, a 1kW FCV-800 Furuno sounder and satellite compass, Raymarine 7″ Axiom and autopilot and AIS and a USB/SD/FM radio player. A 36V, 112lb Minn Kota electric trolling motor with spot lock GPS has just been fitted.
In the fishing department the boat sports all the best Reelax gear, a large live bait tank, as well as a Scotty electric downrigger. We use and recommend Gary Howard Custom Rods and Okuma rods and reels, TT jigheads and Z-Man soft plastics.