CON SONAR...TARGET BEARING ZERO NINER ZERO!!!

Capt Josh · 02-13-2008, 09:22 AM

I have to admit Wilmington, North Carolina didn't exactly roll off this westerner's tongue with any degree of swagger 15 hours ago. Referred to as a "small" town locally in NC i only recently heard of the place while searching for the next Conquistador, and when i mentioned Wilmington to others while researching i usually got "they build some nice boats around there" and "nice, little college town by the beach" right back.

Well, let me tell you both of those descriptions fall under the category of "TYPICAL GRAND SOUTHERN UNDERSTATEMENTS".

Yes, while it's true they do build some incredible boats in North Carolina...what's more impressive, particularly in Wilmington's case, is that they manage to do so while under the close, watchful eye of a maddeningly volatile population of rowdy college women that greatly outnumber the seemingly sexually taxed males by a landslide of 8 to 1. That kind of situation just SOUNDS naughty...and it wasn't long before i realized Wilmington and i were going to get along just fine.

Getting to Wilmington from Puerto Vallarta is slightly more difficult than it sounds and lord knows this trip was rife with anecdotes. For the first leg of the trip, PV to Los Angeles, i was treated to a first-hand lesson in germination as the Asian Chicken Flu seemingly spored and multiplied within the body of the teenage kid sitting next to me. The sneezing, coughing, phlegm flying circus got so bad i half-jokingly requested a HAZ-MAT suit from the flight attendant, and later turned to the kid and asked him if he'd contemplated writing his last will and testament on a cocktail napkin. After a huge sneezing and snorting fest made short work of the aforementioned tissue i decided to leave it at that, opting to cover myself with the synthetic airline blanket praying the tightly woven fabric offered at least a marginal defense against the biological warfare going on to the right.

The next hurdle quickly presented itself at the arrivals gates as Air Malaysia, Air China, and Air Somewhere Other Than Norte Americano vomited their confused and non-english speaking travelers into the "visitors only" section of LAX customs and immigration just seconds before our arrival. As nearly all 200 passengers from my flight b-lined for the empty "US residents only" section i was forced to deviate right and chew the cud and lock horns with the million other cattle. Happy, happy...joy, joy. To this day i'm wondering how those customs agents come to posses their seemingly herculean tolerance, preventing them no doubt from drawing their weapons and firing blindly into the crowd. It's situations such as these that are entirely aggravating at the time, but unquestionably funny in retrospect.

After hours in customs i finally made it to Steve's house and enjoyed a beer with his black lab, Chopper, before retiring to bed. Sleep came easy as it often does after elongated days of travel, and it wasn't long before visions of custom carolina boats began plowing backwards after marlin in my head.

The next morning came all too quickly, and as usual i was up before the alarm. Shopping for these fine boats for me is as much fun as fishing them and Chopper certainly wasn't surprised to see me bounce out of bed with excitement long before dawn. Thankfully i seemed to shake off my travel demons overnight and the next leg of the journey from LA to Charlotte, NC was thoroughly enjoyable. By the time i landed in Charlotte i felt rested and well versed in the finer points of custom boat building thanks to a formidable library i'd brought with me detailing the history and techniques of this highly-technical craft.

I haven't been to the south in a long time, outside of Florida anyway, and walking through the airport in Charlotte was like walking back in time. Accents, hospitality, rocking chairs and BBQ are all things the south is famous for and it's all there on display in Charlotte just like i remembered. Genuine politeness you do not find in Los Angeles permeates the place, it would be impossible to get angry there i'm led to believe.

I brought these thoughts with me from Charlotte to Wilmington shortly thereafter, and when my broker Riggs met me at the airport, having already checked me into a hotel, lined up a welcoming party and arranged for anything else that may have caused me to actually do something for myself, i knew i was coming to the right place to find the unique kind of boat i was looking for. For me, boating and fishing shares equal importance with things like family and love and if choosing a boat is so much like choosing a lover i knew all of the mojo and personality of this part of the world was going into the craftsmanship behind their boats. Somehow, deep down...i knew i was about to fall in love.

While it was nautical love i may have been looking for the festivities later that night with Lee, Curtis, Riggs, and a number of other western Atlantic pirates certainly presented enough opportunities for trying out some of the other kind. True to it's reputation the "small" college town by the beach did not disappoint. 8 to 1...i'd say!!! Details are hazy, and better left alone...as they should be.

Capt Lee, a true sport fisherman in the deepest sense of the word, complete with rickety old pick-up truck, retriever co-pilot, and salty appearance earned only from countless days spent a long way from shore, somehow managed to roust Curtis and i from the hotel room before 7am the next morning. No small feat i assure you, helped along by the fact Curtis and i passed out leaving the door wide open to the street. We probably shouldn't have done that to ourselves so early into the trip but i know i can't be trusted in situations like this. And now i know apparently neither can Curtis either.

We met Riggs and his partner and headed over to the shop to see what i flew across the country for. While it did take me nearly two hours to uncross my eyes, it only took two seconds once inside the shop to confirm my instincts remained true. I had the feeling before i even got on the plane in Vallarta this was going to be a productive trip, and now, LO AND BEHOLD...right before my very eyes was the boat i had been diligently searching for. Nearly 60 feet of Caterpillar powered, sleek, fast, efficient, sexy carolina craftsmanship patiently waiting for a Canexican to come court her. When the new Conquistador arrives on the west cost there are going to be a lot of heads snapping in her direction, and make no mistake about it...a lot of behemoths dancing in her wake.

Folks in life there are those times when everything just comes together...and this morning in Wilmington i heard those love bells ring loud.

Thanks to all of you who helped this search along with insight, experience, honest opinion, and good faith...i couldn't have done it with out you.

It's been a loooong year of searching but we have been rewarded for our diligence. THE NEW CONQUISTADOR IS COMING SOON!!!!

(Now i'm in Miami...SOUTH BEACH BABY!!!...for the boat show. Staying with the Fischer productions boys and ESPN at the mansion then back to Puerto Vallarta for a few days on saturday then right back to North Carolina on thursday next week. I'll probably be out of touch until i get back to Vallarta...there's serious trouble to get into here in South Beach and i'll need all of my resources to stay sharp! So good luck out there amigos...signing back in from somewhere soon...)

hrdcor32 · 02-13-2008, 09:32 AM

Glad you enjoyed Wilmington Capt Josh! We like that 8 to 1 ratio, so we don't let that info out too often!

Capt_John · 02-13-2008, 10:30 AM

I was born and raised in Wilmington and I miss the places. I do hate the fact that it's grown so much since i was there, but oh well. Congrats on your new rig Josh. Can't wait to hear the reports.

dknott77 · 02-13-2008, 11:53 AM

josh-you stated all 8 to 1 reasons why it took 5 years for me to graduate from UNCW. Wait til' it gets warmer it only gets better.

brandon558 · 02-13-2008, 12:04 PM

Wilmington is an interesting yet beautiful place. And you aint kiddin bout the 8 to 1

Glad you enjoyed your visit..and good luck with the boat!

Sea Draggin · 02-13-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capt Josh

While it was nautical love i may have been looking for the festivities later that night with Lee, Curtis, Riggs, and a number of other western Atlantic pirates certainly presented enough opportunities for trying out some of the other kind. True to it's reputation the "small" college town by the beach did not disappoint. 8 to 1...i'd say!!! Details are hazy, and better left alone...as they should be.

Sounds like I missed a good one. Probably better off for me that way anyhow.

squirtis · 02-13-2008, 04:21 PM

Where did he go???

Where did who go......

Don't remember much....thanks for that JT

See Ya in a week or two..

Can't wait to see the look on the West Coast Boyz faces riding in the new girl....gonna be pretty

Curtis

stockweiser · 02-13-2008, 04:32 PM

Capt. Josh, Congrats on the new rig.
Yeah, been to Wilmington Beach a few times in the day. Crazy place, especially in the summer. Def. need a boat to cruise during the summer.

gottaflylee · 02-13-2008, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squirtis

Where did he go???

Where did who go......

Don't remember much....thanks for that JT

See Ya in a week or two..

Can't wait to see the look on the West Coast Boyz faces riding in the new girl....gonna be pretty

Curtis

Josh & Curtis...with me, what happens in Wrightsville Beach...stays in Wrightsville Beach...

I guess that a old fart can hang with you young pups after all...

It was a pure pleasure hanging with you both. I should have taken a picture the next morning of the 2 of you...

now that I think of it maybe not...

definably not...

see stated above...

JT looking forward to your return in a week or so and the 2 of us harassing some Red Drum in the skinny water together...

Wilmington does NOT know what is in store this spring if all goes through...

Let me know when you heading back JT, so I can get the right coast fishing lined up...

Curtis, I'm putting it in print, so let him know, "41 days in a row is all he can last"...

squirtis · 02-13-2008, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottaflylee

Josh & Curtis...with me, what happens in Wrightsville Beach...stays in Wrightsville Beach...

I guess that a old fart can hang with you young pups after all...

It was a pure pleasure hanging with you both. I should have taken a picture the next morning of the 2 of you...

now that I think of it maybe not...

definably not...

see stated above...

JT looking forward to your return in a week or so and the 2 of us harassing some Red Drum in the skinny water together...

Wilmington does NOT know what is in store this spring if all goes through...

Let me know when you heading back so I can get the right coast fishing lined up...

Curtis, I'm putting it in print, so let him know, "41 days in a row is all he can last"...

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! CRAZY IVAN

Classic Lee, enjoyed hanging with ya man...

El Cigaro muchas appreciatos...hahahaha

Looking forward to doing it again..

I don't think 41 is even doable....hahahahaha

Curtis

02-13-2008, 09:22 AM	#1
Capt Josh Crab mustard is good Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Posts: 674 Credits: 6,316.2 Occupation: Making Dreams Come True...One Massive Detonation At A Time...	CON SONAR...TARGET BEARING ZERO NINER ZERO!!! I have to admit Wilmington, North Carolina didn't exactly roll off this westerner's tongue with any degree of swagger 15 hours ago. Referred to as a "small" town locally in NC i only recently heard of the place while searching for the next Conquistador, and when i mentioned Wilmington to others while researching i usually got "they build some nice boats around there" and "nice, little college town by the beach" right back. Well, let me tell you both of those descriptions fall under the category of "TYPICAL GRAND SOUTHERN UNDERSTATEMENTS". Yes, while it's true they do build some incredible boats in North Carolina...what's more impressive, particularly in Wilmington's case, is that they manage to do so while under the close, watchful eye of a maddeningly volatile population of rowdy college women that greatly outnumber the seemingly sexually taxed males by a landslide of 8 to 1. That kind of situation just SOUNDS naughty...and it wasn't long before i realized Wilmington and i were going to get along just fine. Getting to Wilmington from Puerto Vallarta is slightly more difficult than it sounds and lord knows this trip was rife with anecdotes. For the first leg of the trip, PV to Los Angeles, i was treated to a first-hand lesson in germination as the Asian Chicken Flu seemingly spored and multiplied within the body of the teenage kid sitting next to me. The sneezing, coughing, phlegm flying circus got so bad i half-jokingly requested a HAZ-MAT suit from the flight attendant, and later turned to the kid and asked him if he'd contemplated writing his last will and testament on a cocktail napkin. After a huge sneezing and snorting fest made short work of the aforementioned tissue i decided to leave it at that, opting to cover myself with the synthetic airline blanket praying the tightly woven fabric offered at least a marginal defense against the biological warfare going on to the right. The next hurdle quickly presented itself at the arrivals gates as Air Malaysia, Air China, and Air Somewhere Other Than Norte Americano vomited their confused and non-english speaking travelers into the "visitors only" section of LAX customs and immigration just seconds before our arrival. As nearly all 200 passengers from my flight b-lined for the empty "US residents only" section i was forced to deviate right and chew the cud and lock horns with the million other cattle. Happy, happy...joy, joy. To this day i'm wondering how those customs agents come to posses their seemingly herculean tolerance, preventing them no doubt from drawing their weapons and firing blindly into the crowd. It's situations such as these that are entirely aggravating at the time, but unquestionably funny in retrospect. After hours in customs i finally made it to Steve's house and enjoyed a beer with his black lab, Chopper, before retiring to bed. Sleep came easy as it often does after elongated days of travel, and it wasn't long before visions of custom carolina boats began plowing backwards after marlin in my head. The next morning came all too quickly, and as usual i was up before the alarm. Shopping for these fine boats for me is as much fun as fishing them and Chopper certainly wasn't surprised to see me bounce out of bed with excitement long before dawn. Thankfully i seemed to shake off my travel demons overnight and the next leg of the journey from LA to Charlotte, NC was thoroughly enjoyable. By the time i landed in Charlotte i felt rested and well versed in the finer points of custom boat building thanks to a formidable library i'd brought with me detailing the history and techniques of this highly-technical craft. I haven't been to the south in a long time, outside of Florida anyway, and walking through the airport in Charlotte was like walking back in time. Accents, hospitality, rocking chairs and BBQ are all things the south is famous for and it's all there on display in Charlotte just like i remembered. Genuine politeness you do not find in Los Angeles permeates the place, it would be impossible to get angry there i'm led to believe. I brought these thoughts with me from Charlotte to Wilmington shortly thereafter, and when my broker Riggs met me at the airport, having already checked me into a hotel, lined up a welcoming party and arranged for anything else that may have caused me to actually do something for myself, i knew i was coming to the right place to find the unique kind of boat i was looking for. For me, boating and fishing shares equal importance with things like family and love and if choosing a boat is so much like choosing a lover i knew all of the mojo and personality of this part of the world was going into the craftsmanship behind their boats. Somehow, deep down...i knew i was about to fall in love. While it was nautical love i may have been looking for the festivities later that night with Lee, Curtis, Riggs, and a number of other western Atlantic pirates certainly presented enough opportunities for trying out some of the other kind. True to it's reputation the "small" college town by the beach did not disappoint. 8 to 1...i'd say!!! Details are hazy, and better left alone...as they should be. Capt Lee, a true sport fisherman in the deepest sense of the word, complete with rickety old pick-up truck, retriever co-pilot, and salty appearance earned only from countless days spent a long way from shore, somehow managed to roust Curtis and i from the hotel room before 7am the next morning. No small feat i assure you, helped along by the fact Curtis and i passed out leaving the door wide open to the street. We probably shouldn't have done that to ourselves so early into the trip but i know i can't be trusted in situations like this. And now i know apparently neither can Curtis either. We met Riggs and his partner and headed over to the shop to see what i flew across the country for. While it did take me nearly two hours to uncross my eyes, it only took two seconds once inside the shop to confirm my instincts remained true. I had the feeling before i even got on the plane in Vallarta this was going to be a productive trip, and now, LO AND BEHOLD...right before my very eyes was the boat i had been diligently searching for. Nearly 60 feet of Caterpillar powered, sleek, fast, efficient, sexy carolina craftsmanship patiently waiting for a Canexican to come court her. When the new Conquistador arrives on the west cost there are going to be a lot of heads snapping in her direction, and make no mistake about it...a lot of behemoths dancing in her wake. Folks in life there are those times when everything just comes together...and this morning in Wilmington i heard those love bells ring loud. Thanks to all of you who helped this search along with insight, experience, honest opinion, and good faith...i couldn't have done it with out you. It's been a loooong year of searching but we have been rewarded for our diligence. THE NEW CONQUISTADOR IS COMING SOON!!!! (Now i'm in Miami...SOUTH BEACH BABY!!!...for the boat show. Staying with the Fischer productions boys and ESPN at the mansion then back to Puerto Vallarta for a few days on saturday then right back to North Carolina on thursday next week. I'll probably be out of touch until i get back to Vallarta...there's serious trouble to get into here in South Beach and i'll need all of my resources to stay sharp! So good luck out there amigos...signing back in from somewhere soon...) __________________ Capt Josh Temple Puerto Vallarta, Mexico & Beyond 57 Dean Johnson "MAXIMO" 40 Cabo Express "CONQUISTADOR" www.primetimeadv.com captjosh@mac.com Last edited by Capt Josh; 02-13-2008 at 09:47 AM.

02-13-2008, 10:30 AM	#3
Capt_John I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Jacksonville,NC Posts: 1,872 Credits: 2,261.1 Occupation: charter captain	I was born and raised in Wilmington and I miss the places. I do hate the fact that it's grown so much since i was there, but oh well. Congrats on your new rig Josh. Can't wait to hear the reports. __________________ Capt. John Mallette captjohn86@yahoo.com http://www.myspace.com/captjohn86 "ALCOHOL,TOBACCO,AND FIREARMS should be a convieniece store, not a government agency". 1(910) 934-2628

02-13-2008, 11:53 AM	#4
dknott77 Yep, your gonna need stitches Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 89 Credits: 1,478.7	ahhh...Wilmington josh-you stated all 8 to 1 reasons why it took 5 years for me to graduate from UNCW. Wait til' it gets warmer it only gets better.

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02-13-2008, 09:32 AM	#2
hrdcor32 Stop staring at my Avatar. Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 362 Credits: 1,199.1	Glad you enjoyed Wilmington Capt Josh! We like that 8 to 1 ratio, so we don't let that info out too often!

02-13-2008, 12:04 PM	#5
brandon558 I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Wilmington NC Posts: 2,210 Credits: 2,396.1 Boat: Triton Bay Boat Home Port: Wrightsville Beach Best Catch: Family Occupation: School	Wilmington is an interesting yet beautiful place. And you aint kiddin bout the 8 to 1 Glad you enjoyed your visit..and good luck with the boat!

02-13-2008, 04:21 PM	#7
squirtis Crab mustard is good Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NC/Panama Posts: 732 Credits: 1,311.2 Occupation: masterbaiter	Where did he go??? Where did who go...... Don't remember much....thanks for that JT See Ya in a week or two.. Can't wait to see the look on the West Coast Boyz faces riding in the new girl....gonna be pretty Curtis

02-13-2008, 04:32 PM	#8
stockweiser Sit down Shut up And fish Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 495 Credits: 1,405.6	Capt. Josh, Congrats on the new rig. Yeah, been to Wilmington Beach a few times in the day. Crazy place, especially in the summer. Def. need a boat to cruise during the summer.