“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”
Henry David Threau
I’m not a fisherman, but I still like to fish sometimes. SeaSea has a couple of rod holders, and charterers have successfully pulled their catch onto her decks, but we opted to hire someone who knew what he was doing and knew where to go. Lawrence of Drift Charters met us early one morning in Caneel Bay. Typically, the morning rendezvouses are at Compass Point Marina, St Thomas, or the National Park dock in Cruz Bay, St John. With advanced notice, however, there was no problem arranging an alternative meeting place. There are quite a few options when booking a fishing trip. We opted for a six-hour offshore outing. Captain Lawrence took us on Nonsense, a 34-foot Regulator center console, to the South Drop, somewhat obviously south of St John, where a giant ledge drops from a few hundred feet deep to thousands.
We sailed in the same area on our way to St John a day earlier. The ledge was so dramatic that I thought something was wrong with our fathometer until I looked at the chart plotter and ascertained that the depth finder on SeaSea is only good to 600 feet. The big fish must like this subaquatic feature as it is a favorite feeding ground when the tide and current are right.
Our day at the drop was filled with excitement as the barracuda were particularly hungry. They were the only species feeding that morning, with the exception of a bonito. However, as many philosophers point out, the true objective of the recreational fisherman isn’t always about the catch, whether they know it or not. We had a fantastic time. Lawrence’s knowledge and professionalism added to the enjoyment making the experience even more memorable.
As SeaSea’s owners we really, really appreciated the care Lawrence exhibited when rafting up against our boat to take us aboard. At the end of it all he even cleaned our fish.
I highly recommend Drift Charters. https://driftcharters.com
Sailing Sea Sea 