Fall is officially here; the kids are back in school, and summer vacation is over. This is the time of year when travel to the Keys slows down, and our crew members get to take some well-earned time off to travel and visit family.

We have been fishing here and there still; for instance, we had a center console trip this past week after Hurricane Helene passed. Captain Steve and Alex took the trip and caught some Yellowtail snapper, Mutton Snapper, and an excellent big Yellow Jack.

Over this past weekend the wind died down so we ran a customer’s boat to the Marathon hump and caught some Blackfin Tuna. It was a much-needed break from the boat work and windy weather.

After some rest and relaxation, it is time to start on the dreaded boat maintenance! Boat owners are all too familiar with the toll that saltwater and constant fishing can take on a vessel. So, in the slower months, we rotate boats out of operation to perform maintenance. Some vessels might get a new paint job, engine overhaul, or other upgrades.

This year, we decided to pull out the deck of the Main Attraction, our 43′ Torres, and build it back from scratch. Captain Marty Lewis and his son Alex started by removing the first layer of decking by cutting around the live wells. Once those were removed, Marty assessed the stringers that held up the decking and decided to replace them while it was opened.

Removing the decking gave Captain Marty a great view of the fuel lines, so he decided to be proactive and replace them while he had easy access. Even though the fuel lines were not an immediate issue, they could be in the future, and now was a good time to replace to avoid setbacks or lost time during the high season. Captain Marty is no stranger to projects growing beyond their initial scope, it can be expected, but this one turned out to be more challenging than he had anticipated!

Working on fiberglass is extremely itchy, especially with the hot Florida sun. The guys wore protective suits and masks to avoid it as much as possible, but you can’t avoid the heat. They draped a tarp over the cockpit to provide shade, and kept the fans constantly blowing.

Captain Marty also had to purchase wood for the stringers and coat it with epoxy to seal the wood from moisture and rot. He also purchased Cusa board for the decking. Cusa board is a heartier material and much lighter than wood, but it also requires fiberglass material. About mid-way in, Captain Marty regrets his decision to do this himself, but he was committed to this point; he knew he would stay the course!

While the project is ongoing, Captain Marty had a much-welcome break from it today with double half-day trips! He spent the morning catching Yellowtail Snapper and the afternoon catching Snapper and Blackfin Tuna. Captain Marty will be back at it again tomorrow, and we will be sure to update when the deck is complete!