Discussion Board
QUALIFER 105
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 05/26/2012 09:41 AM
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fyermn
Joined: 10/21/2005
Posts: 250
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QUALIFER 105
On the other board, I just read that the Qaulifier 105 has closed its doors and gone out of business as of Thursday May 24th. Looks like another casualty of tough economic times. I will miss her and all the wonderful times I fished on her over the past 15 years or so.
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05/26/2012 11:20 AM
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Brad_G
Joined: 02/14/2007
Posts: 7007
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re: QUALIFER 105
That's a bummer. My first longer trips were on the Q, the "FishFest" trips that used to happen on Allcoast were on the Q, and I was lucky enough to do one of their calico skiff trips, a great experience. Some great people worked on that boat over the years.
Best of luck to Joe and the whole crew.
Brad_G
Common Sense is not Common Enough
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05/26/2012 08:20 PM
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fishybuzz
Joined: 04/22/2007
Posts: 17896
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re: QUALIFER 105
you could see it coming for years......the boat just wasn't maintained and many trips were canceled for various reasons.......always sad to see a operation go under....
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05/29/2012 07:48 PM
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Oakey520
Joined: 04/02/2011
Posts: 310
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re: QUALIFER 105
I have seen many go down the last five years. You have to be a glutton for punishment to start out in the the fishing industry these days. Even if you make a few hundred grand a year.....divide it by the hours you grind and you mine as well be working in a sneaker factory in El Salvador. Competition, weather, fuel prices, people holding on to their cash, bag limits, time away from family, shorter seasons, coastal shut downs...the list goes on....God bless 'em all...it must be a hard life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVlDSzbrH5M&feature=related
This post edited by Oakey520 05/30/2012
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05/30/2012 04:06 AM
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Brad_G
Joined: 02/14/2007
Posts: 7007
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re: QUALIFER 105
A real tough business for sure, something you'd get into for love rather than money.
Here's some info posted here in 2005 to help explain why fishing costs were rising by Chris Randel, long time owner/captain of the Indian, another recent victom of the times:
Let me try to paint the picture as to why things keep going up. Before the boat gets any money the landing takes 15%, the bait company takes 15% and the port of San Diego takes 7% of our gross; now thats almost 40% of every dollar and the boat has not even left the dock
Now of the remaining 63%, I have a boat payment $40.000 a year, insurance $14.000, Mexican boat permit $12.000, payroll $80.000, just came out of dry dock at Knight and Carver bill $33.000 and $7.0000 for materials at Marine Exchange. Did we forget fuel? I can remember paying 71 cents a gallon when I bought my boat in 1997 not $2.20 a gallon, this year around $70.000 for fuel. This all adds up to $256.000 but because I am only getting 63% I will have to gross at least $400.000 if I want to keep my head above water.
So you may now have a little better feel as to why it costs so much to go fishing--too many fingers in the pie, fuel, inflation, Mexican permits, higher insurance premiums and boats are very high maintence. And as for higher prices in prime time its supply and demand just like a hotel their winter rates can be dirt cheap but try a Saturday in August and expect to pay a lot more. Well I hope this helps some understand what is really going on.
Brad_G
Common Sense is not Common Enough
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05/30/2012 07:41 AM
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Oakey520
Joined: 04/02/2011
Posts: 310
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re: QUALIFER 105
Brad_G wrote:
A real tough business for sure, something you'd get into for love rather than money.
Here's some info posted here in 2005 to help explain why fishing costs were rising by Chris Randel, long time owner/captain of the Indian, another recent victom of the times:
Let me try to paint the picture as to why things keep going up. Before the boat gets any money the landing takes 15%, the bait company takes 15% and the port of San Diego takes 7% of our gross; now thats almost 40% of every dollar and the boat has not even left the dock
Now of the remaining 63%, I have a boat payment $40.000 a year, insurance $14.000, Mexican boat permit $12.000, payroll $80.000, just came out of dry dock at Knight and Carver bill $33.000 and $7.0000 for materials at Marine Exchange. Did we forget fuel? I can remember paying 71 cents a gallon when I bought my boat in 1997 not $2.20 a gallon, this year around $70.000 for fuel. This all adds up to $256.000 but because I am only getting 63% I will have to gross at least $400.000 if I want to keep my head above water.
So you may now have a little better feel as to why it costs so much to go fishing--too many fingers in the pie, fuel, inflation, Mexican permits, higher insurance premiums and boats are very high maintence. And as for higher prices in prime time its supply and demand just like a hotel their winter rates can be dirt cheap but try a Saturday in August and expect to pay a lot more. Well I hope this helps some understand what is really going on.
Interesting....as I have said, back home you just walk on the boat in the morning or at night for a 1/2-full day trip. For overnighters you call the captain direct or talk to his wife and book the trip. No landing dipping into your profits besides slip fees to the marina or town.. Bait is not nearly as expensive as there is not as much live bait used. I think the trade off back home is weather. You get blown out more often back east. So you are not spending as many days earning as you are here. Either way it is a tough to make a living..
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05/31/2012 07:07 AM
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SteveT
Joined: 05/11/2007
Posts: 819
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re: QUALIFER 105
Very sad indeed.
The bulk of my long-range fishing was done on the Q, it's been quite a few years since i've done a long-range trip (2003 was the last) I've done a dozen plus trips on the Q including 3 Revilla fly-downs, 4 - 10 dayer's and numerous others from 3-7 days, I made many good friends from passengers to many of the deckhands.
Along with rising prices, the economy and buying a home I just couldn't afford to do them any longer.
Unfortunately, IMO the average income fisherman got priced out of the long-range experience years ago and it seems like it's just upper income/retired individuals with large disposable incomes that are fortunate enough to partake.
No sour grapes here, it's just the way it is now and hopefully some day I'll be able to afford to get back out there, unfortunately though, the Q won't be the boat of choice for me.
Best of luck to you John, and thank you for many years of great memories!
SteveT
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05/31/2012 08:03 AM
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sactotuna
Joined: 03/30/2007
Posts: 1327
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re: QUALIFER 105
SteveT wrote:
Very sad indeed.
The bulk of my long-range fishing was done on the Q, it's been quite a few years since i've done a long-range trip (2003 was the last) I've done a dozen plus trips on the Q including 3 Revilla fly-downs, 4 - 10 dayer's and numerous others from 3-7 days, I made many good friends from passengers to many of the deckhands.
Along with rising prices, the economy and buying a home I just couldn't afford to do them any longer.
Unfortunately, IMO the average income fisherman got priced out of the long-range experience years ago and it seems like it's just upper income/retired individuals with large disposable incomes that are fortunate enough to partake.
No sour grapes here, it's just the way it is now and hopefully some day I'll be able to afford to get back out there, unfortunately though, the Q won't be the boat of choice for me.
Best of luck to you John, and thank you for many years of great memories!
That's an outstanding post.
Human beings, who are unique in their ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their disinclination to do so.
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05/31/2012 11:36 AM
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Oakey520
Joined: 04/02/2011
Posts: 310
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re: QUALIFER 105
As is the case in all offshore big game fishing, the two most important factors in order to be a good fisherman are time and money. It was just as true with Zane Gray a hundred years ago as it is with the guys who travel the globe today fishing sea monsters. I applaud them all....I love the pictures and reports. 
This post edited by Oakey520 05/31/2012
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05/31/2012 02:02 PM
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fishybuzz
Joined: 04/22/2007
Posts: 17896
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re: QUALIFER 105
Oakey520 wrote:
As is the case in all offshore big game fishing, the two most important factors in order to be a good fisherman are are time and money. It was just as true with Zane Gray a hundred years ago as it is with the guys who travel the globe today fishing sea monsters. I applaud them all....I love the pictures and reports.
True.....very true.
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06/03/2012 02:59 AM
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Hagridfish
Joined: 06/13/2008
Posts: 77
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re: QUALIFER 105
To read this truly breaks my heart. I started in this obsession with the "Q". Dena was my first contact, and allways treated me like family. The captains ( Jeff, and later Rodney, Brian, and Joe) were always top notch, and John was really pleasant. However, the crew was what set them apart. The ones that were on her forever. Cal, Travis, and Armando. Those guys always treated me like gold. The cooks were always special, especially old Riverboat Mike. He seemed rather "crusty" at times, but if you took the time to get to know him, he was really a lot of fun, and a wealth of information, and who could ever forget Chris and Cappy. It was a great boat to ride on, as wel as a great fishing platform.
I haven't fished on her for a number of years due to difficulties with the office, but I will miss the people. I always had a great time on that boat, and she will be missed. I just hope someone puts her back together again, and restores her to the days of glory that I had on her. A sad passing though. I made a lot of friends there, and will forever hold o the the memories she created for me. If someone has the inside skinny, please post it here, as to if it has been sold? of will it just sit at the dock and rot..... What a shame....
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