This was my first long range trip, and first trip aboard the Royal Star. I had been invited into the charter by two guys I had fished with last year, but neither of them could make it due to Covid, etc. Lacking co-morbidities in myself and my household, being in great health, and come hell or high water, yeah, I went by myself.
My niece dropped me at the landing at about 7am for a 10am departure. There was one guy in line, Mike, who was very nice and friendly right off the bat. He was soon joined by his friend. I wandered off to get a coffee and breakfast sandwich. The carts filled in, I signed in with the wonderful and efficient Tracy, and we loaded up.
Already, I am experiencing happiness and relaxation, which as most who will read this know, is a rarity during the boarding process. Everyone was so chill and helpful to each other, not just the crew and red shirts, but the other passengers. You can tell a lot about a group from moments of excitement and stress, and this boarding and initial settle-in told me all about this great group of guys from the very beginning.
So we put up our tackle - I never did see a real crummy spot on the boat - put up our rods in their numbered places, plopped our stuff down below, and cast lines. The guys had already loaded bait and fuel, so we cleared the point way before noon, headed south. Randy Touissant was driving, and he let us know that we would be trying for fun size bluefin later in the afternoon. We readied our setups, and slipped our way south in a mixed swell
My niece dropped me at the landing at about 7am for a 10am departure. There was one guy in line, Mike, who was very nice and friendly right off the bat. He was soon joined by his friend. I wandered off to get a coffee and breakfast sandwich. The carts filled in, I signed in with the wonderful and efficient Tracy, and we loaded up.
Already, I am experiencing happiness and relaxation, which as most who will read this know, is a rarity during the boarding process. Everyone was so chill and helpful to each other, not just the crew and red shirts, but the other passengers. You can tell a lot about a group from moments of excitement and stress, and this boarding and initial settle-in told me all about this great group of guys from the very beginning.
So we put up our tackle - I never did see a real crummy spot on the boat - put up our rods in their numbered places, plopped our stuff down below, and cast lines. The guys had already loaded bait and fuel, so we cleared the point way before noon, headed south. Randy Touissant was driving, and he let us know that we would be trying for fun size bluefin later in the afternoon. We readied our setups, and slipped our way south in a mixed swell