Proline 2950 - Getting "Albacore Ready"

[C-Lark III]

Spent some time this winter setting up my 2950 for Albacore this Fall.  Thought you might like to see the results.  Most notable are the enclosed helm, Schaeffer outriggers, and a pair of swivel chairs on pedestals in the cockpit.  Both stern drives have been gone through, as have the Volvo Penta AD41B diesels.  Now, if the tuna remember to show up....
 

[231CALIFORNIA]

What ports do you fish out of?

Wash , OREG, CAlif? others?

Nice riggers, even braced, looks like a battlewagon now.

Albacore are A blast.

[C-Lark III]

What ports do you fish out of?

Wash , OREG, CAlif? others?

Nice riggers, even braced, looks like a battlewagon now.

Albacore are A blast.

I fish out of Ilwaco, WA.  I have over 40 years of salmon fishing experience across the Columbia River Bar, and this Fall I will baptize the boat with some tuna blood!   -- this is first year with an Albacore - ready boat.  I've had "Albacore fishing" on my "bucket list" for a long time, and this is the year I get it done.  (And every future season for as long as I can).   

[C-Lark III]

Here are some photos of the helm area.  I replaced all the instrument panels, and all the switches, and replaced the "dashboard", with new electronics also.  First photo is the "old" helm.  Then, the panels removed.  Third photo is the "new" helm area, and last photo shows the new switch setup on the left side instrument panel.  Ready to fish !

[C-Lark III]

Well, it's Winter again, so am spending time (and $$ of course) playing with the boat.  Added a bait prep station with pole holders at the stern, and a new helm seat setup.  Replaced the bench seat with a new Todd double seat setup.  Here are the photos.

[231CALIFORNIA]

Nice , are those 2 singles? i didnt try and look them up.
Are Both of those seats on stbd side?, entered from port, or is there center pass through? looks like dbl port, are they on pedestals , or bases on top of either an aftcabin, box assy or  other deck apendage?

[C-Lark III]

Nice , are those 2 singles? i didnt try and look them up.
Are Both of those seats on stbd side?, entered from port, or is there center pass through? looks like dbl port, are they on pedestals , or bases on top of either an aftcabin, box assy or  other deck apendage?

Both are on the starboard side.  They are a fixed, common base double unit, marketed as the Todd Miami Double Wide.  Todd does make the same seat in a single version, but this is the double wide.  Entered from portside, same as with the original bench seat.  They are mounted on a common 1" flat base (made of Starboard), bolted through the top of the existing fiberglass molded in bench seat box assembly.  The original bench seat was on top of the molded in "box", which houses the built in tackle boxes, so I temporarily removed the tackle boxes for installation of the seat mount bolts.  Nice clean installation, with no exposed bolts.  And the new seats are the same width and depth as the original bench seat.  With the flip up bolsters on the seats, they are a bit snug if you enter the helm with the bolsters down, but access is quick and easy by flipping up the "passenger side" seat bolster when entering.  And with the bolsters up, you've essentially got a leaning post for both seats, so I can stand up and lean back with my butt against the bolster while running.  Picture attached of the seats with bolsters up.  I've also attached a picture from the rear, so you can see where they are mounted.  There is a "jump seat" in the photo, just below the tackle boxes.  The jump seat is mounted above the single "captain's bunk" located at the rear of the cabin area.  (See window below jump seat).

[231CALIFORNIA]

Very clear now.
Now lets hope there are albacore this year
Is this an  el nino or la nina, I havent checked temps lately.
last year our locals had hit and miss but there were some  stray dorado and yellowfin all the way up to morro bay and monterey.

[C-Lark III]

Very clear now.
Now lets hope there are albacore this year
Is this an  el nino or la nina, I havent checked temps lately.
last year our locals had hit and miss but there were some  stray dorado and yellowfin all the way up to morro bay and monterey.

Supposed to be La Nina.  Last season off the Columbia River was spotty for most of the season (July - Mid September), then turned on in October and into early November, when the weather turned sour.  Wide open bites in October.  Unfortunately, I loaded my boat out in Mid September and took it home for the season.  (Circulating water pump bearings went out on port engine, and stern drive developed seal leaks).  So I missed the hot bite.

Jim

[yodaone]

Looks great. Great idea with the cleaning station.
Is that removable?

[C-Lark III]

Looks great. Great idea with the cleaning station.
Is that removable?

On the transom mounted station, There are 1" high starboard spacers between the bottom of the cleaning station and the stern railing, and it's bolted on with SS u-bolts.  So it could be removed, with difficulty.  However, I used the spacers to raise it a little,  and located it so that the lids on the fishbox and the bait box still open to their normal height. So, I don't need to remove it to access the boxes.  The larger box is actually a livewell, but used as a fishbox when fishing salmon, and used as a livewell if using live bait for albacore.  I use the station for prepping bait, and for filleting albacore (or "carking" as it's called).  And there is a pole holder mount in each of the corners, which give easy access to the poles when using downriggers or multiple poles for albacore.  When I'm cleaning salmon, I use a cleaning tray which mounts on the railing on the port side of the cockpit, which makes it handy to transfer the salmon from the transom box to the cleaning tray.  You can see that fish cleaning tray in the pictures of my boat, and also the attached picture below, and you'll notice the raw water hose available in the corner.  (The pictures were taken prior to mounting the transom station, so they don't show up there).
Follow up note:  Sorry, yodaone -- forgot your boat is a 2950 -- You already know how the transom boxes are setup!!  Sorry -- maybe the info will still be useful for others boats.  Jim

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