Frozen Qualifier

[dunn6253]

Hate to see such a pretty boat look like that, but those are some amazing pics.......

[Nauti Natured]

Hard core ... for sure!!! Awesome pics.

[Ponce]

That is a fantastic set of pictures.

[rabcoman]

wow. not me

[Bare Bottom]

Is that the brand new Paul Mann 56?

[scattered_grass]

Is that the brand new Paul Mann 56?

yep, his first cold mold
these pics came from the thread below..

New Paul Mann 56

[Nimrod]

Got an email from Capt Jeff on Obession last night that they, Qualifier, Country Girl and Goombay all made it to Isla on Friday after a very cold & hellacious trip. Let's hope they slay the sails this season.

SUNDAY JAN 3: THE TRIP FROM HELL!!
With the F/V Qualifier & Country Girl we left Pirates Cove on Sunday with the winds blowing 25-35 knots out of the WNW and the temperature 21..... but we had to get rolling cause there was a window of weather forecast for Thursday & Friday to cross the Gulf.....so off we went..... we were not even an hour from Pirates Cove and just getting out of Old House Channel and into the Pamlico sound, with a 3 hour trip with no leeward shore when the first spray hit us and immediately froze over!!! And as the spray hit us excessively and continuously for the next 3 hours it built up on our curtains and outriggers and bow and covering boards and deck and we were not happy.... a bit concerned.....worried my outriggers were going to come apart there was so much ice on the starboard side riggers..... thought of turning around but didn't know how we could even tie the boats back up.....finally got to Neuse River with some lee, and then continued down Adams creek and joined the F/V Goombay in Morehead and all continued down to Wrightsville Marina, all the time beating on the ice to get it off the riggers & putting space heater on curtains to get ice off them. Needed a few drinks when we finally tied the OBSESSION up for the evening!

MONDAY JAN 4...DAY 2....Windy but much better day!!
Left Wrightsville Beach in 20 degree temps and 20 knot NW wind.....got in ocean and throwing a little spray with some icing up but when sun got up, that ended and we so we got to Hilton Head by sunset in calming conditions.... still ice scattered around the boat, but things were looking up.....picture below from the day before.... kinda felt that day like the guys on the Northwestern crabbing in the Bering sea, but when they iced up they had rubber sledge hammers and shovels and blow tourches.....all mate Richard had to beat ice off the OBSESSION with was a plastic squeegee and a chamois mop!!

TUESDAY JAN 5: JUST WHEN THINGS SEEMED TO BE GOING SO WELL!!
Left Hilton Head at 5 AM with intentions of getting to Ft Pierce FL 300 miles south that evening after dark, which would make up for lost time and get us in position to cross Gulf during forcast calm weather window Thursday nite to Friday morning.... still freezing (25 deg) even down in Hilton Head but seas were not bad and all was looking good....till three hours out and 11 hours to go, when my generator quit!! damm thing is old but had been doing good....and I need it for the trip to keep freezer with $3000 of bait and $1000 of food frozen....cap'n Jeff was not happy....arranged for mechanic to meet me that evening.....got to Ft Pierce fine but mechanic could not fix it then....said call dealer and hope he has a riser for it it the morning....cap'n jeff getting worried again as window for crossing is only 24 hours!

WEDNESDAY JAN 6: HOPEFULLY THE PROBLEM SOLVED!
Wednesday morning, with the help of a good mechanic in North Carolina, I was walked thru some diagnostic work and we got the generator going....for now. Have some parts being put on a boat heading to Mexico next week of me, but with the generator running, we headed to Miami.... still cold....freezing in the morning and still wearing UGS and fleece lined jeans but it is getting warmer.

FRIDAY JAN 8: WE MADE IT!
We left Miami at 6 AM on Thursday.....wind falling out all the time as we ran down along the keys and weather forecast is less than 15 knots of north wind thru Friday night across the Gulf of Mexico, and then the shit hits the fan..... 25 knots north. Got to Key West at 1 PM and fueled up and along the the Goombay, Country Girl and Qualifier, we headed out southwest passage at 2 PM and into the Florida Straits with 340 miles to Isla Mujeres....wind fell out the whole way and we arrived at noon, Friday morning in calm seas.....ran with the curtains open the whole way and got no spray on the curtains....beautiful, calm, uneventful crossing.....after the first part of the trip we were finally able to relax.....everyone wound up tight. Cold front came thru ISLA saturday morning, and for here it is cold and windy but sailfishing has been good and weather should improve during the week.....We start fishing later in the week.

http://obsession-charters.com/news.php




versus......

[Sea Draggin]

Those frozen rigger lines make my hands cold just looking at them.

[marlin magnet]

so how did all the exterior joints hold up. Did you get any paint cracks from the extreme cold and Ice on the boat. I've always been under the impression that custom boats have to be kept in the warm as to prevent all the contraction.