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New Style of deep-sea fishing for Kona
West Hawaii Today, Winter 1989
By Dan Breeden
The newest member of the Hawaiian island
chain, Fishing Island, is expected to officially open today as the first paying
customers come aboard to try their hands at catching some of Kona's big game
fish. The 70 foot aluminum boat is permanently moored 3.3 miles offshore of
Kaiwi Point. The process of building the island took more than six years
according to part-owner Ray Nibert who said the necessary permits were finally
granted earlier this year. The boat was towed out and the mooring dropped Nov.
30.
"I've got the clearance, we've got all the insurance," Nibert said from the deck
of his boat, the Double D. "I've been dreaming about this for a long time."
Thought the $250,000 boat measures 70 feet by 24 feet and may soon accommodate
as many as 75 fishermen at a time, it's just a fraction of the size boat planned
by Fishing Island Inc. The original concept dreamed up in 1983 remains, to build
a two-story barge the size of a football field.
The larger barge will probably cost 4 million to build and put into operation
operation, according to Nibert, who said it will be about two years before
financing will be available for it's construction.
In the meantime, Fishing Island officials plan to offer customers the
opportunity to fish for four hours at a time aboard the Double D. Because the
boat is currently uncertified, only six passengers may be aboard the boat at any
time. The boat should receive Coast Guard certification to carry between 49 and
75 passengers within the next six months, Nibert said. Plans for Fishing Island
include making fishing available 24 hours a day at a cost of $40 per person.
The accommodations aboard the Double D are rather Spartan, but Nibert said he
plans to fit it with a snack bar, two separate bathrooms with a total of four
toilets and a desalination plant to make fresh water.
Although the boat is moored in federal waters, just outside the state's three
mile line, Nibert is adamant that he won't have gambling on board.
"Absolutely, positively, no gambling," Nibert said. He said he will have a daily
cash jackpot for the person that catches the largest fish.
Another restriction Nibert is placing on the operation regards the serving of
alcohol. He said the only alcohol he will make available will be beer and wine.
"I don't want the hard liquor," Nibert said.
The Double D is acting as a huge fish aggregating buoy with fish flocking to the
shade and protection afforded by the boat's twin hulls, according to Nibert. He
said he noticed a sharp increase in the number of fish in the immediate area
after only three days.
"We didn't anticipate it getting so good so fast," Nibert said.
The area has long been a hotspot for commercial and charter fishermen.
Nibert said people will find that fishing from Fishing Island is different, and
perhaps more difficult, than trolling in a small boat.
"You've got to be a little better fisherman," he said. He added that it requires
a "little bit more skill than when you're dragging your line through the water."
He said the perch should be ideal for catching mahi-mahi, ono and ahi, but
probably not as good with marlin because the boat is unable to chase fish.
The Double D won't need to chase fish to catch marlin if Nibert is able to
follow through on plans to raise marlin in cages suspended below the boat.
"We're going to start raising mahi-mahi right under the boat," he said. "These
here we'll grow, probably for commercial use only. We can raise anything here."
Nibert is one of four original investors in Fishing Island. Two have since
dropped out because of cash flow problems. George Cline of Alaska remains and
Nibert's brother-in-law, Ralph Sill has since joined the group.
"He's my working partner now," Nibert said of Sill.
Perhaps one of the most unusual aspects of the venture is that the boat is
moored in water that is more than a mile deep. The boat is held in place by a
2,000-pound anchor, 500 feet of chain and 6,000 feet of steel cable, according
to Nibert. The chain alone weighs about 10,000 pounds with single links
measuring 10 inches and weighing 20 pounds each. He said the chain is so heavy
that it keeps the cable constantly taut.
"We dove on it and you can play a tune on that cable," Nibert said.
Everything is suspended by a float created from the drum of a cement mixer.
The mooring cost $40,000 to put down according to Nibert. About half that much
was spent on securing state and federal permission to deploy the system.
Several people have offered to buy the Fishing Island permits and set up their
own business but Nibert said he has put too much work into the project to get
out now. He said he even turned down a $500,000 offer.
"It's not for sale, no matter what," he said.
© Dan Breeden 1990