Geo Shipyard Delivers Party Fishing Boat

By Larry Pearson

A party fishing boat is not your usual passenger vessel. It is a vessel outfitted for people to whom fishing is more sport than recreation and catching the "big" ones represent a mental and physical challenge.

To accommodate these sportsmen takes a special boat with accommodations for anglers who may spend one-two nights on the vessel.

Geo Shipyard, New Iberia, La. just delivered a 68-ft. by 27-ft. catamaran party fishing boat with facilities for 83 fishermen on day trips and 40 on overnight voyages.

Williams Party Boats, Inc of Galveston, Texas is owner of the vessel. In business since 1946, the company is operated by third generation owner Capt. Johnny Williams. The vessel is named Capt. John for Williams' father. One of the major features of the vessel is its 25-knot speed. " We can now cover a much broader area for our day fishing trips, visiting offshore areas we could not reach within the time allotted." said Williams. The Coast Guard for 200 miles certifies the Capt. John offshore. "That certification comes in handy for our overnight business," Williams added. A pair of Luggar 700 hp turbocharged diesel engines, one in each catamaran hull, powers the all-aluminum catamaran. There is also a 33 kW Northern Lights genset in each hull as well plus two 1,00 gallon fuel tanks, one in each hull. Crew quarters are also located in the twin hulls with a water tank below each crew space. Each crew space has a locker and a double bunk. Marine gears are by ZF and they turn 32 by 30-in. Hy. Torque propellers. "One of the reasons for the twin generators is that we use lots of light on our overnight trips," Williams reported. "Not to light the boat, but to illuminate the water around the boat to attract bait fish which in turn pulls the fish our customers want to catch such as tuna within range of their tackle."

The main deck has fishing spots for 83 anglers plus bait trays and cooler boxes to store the catch. Each angler has a rod holder. Six-ft. rods by Shimano with 80 lb. test line are provided. Much of the main cabin is enclosed with 10 areas that can seat 8 fishermen and sleep four on overnight trips. There is also a large snack bar/galley and separate men's and women's heads. The third deck is open with bench seating. Forward on the upper deck is the pilothouse two Furuno radars, a pair of bottom sonar units and SSB and VHF communications gear by ICOM. There is also a Simrad autopilot and engine controls by ZF.

The company also operates the Texsun II, a vessel that operates four-hour bar and jetty trips in the Galveston area . . .