I've always loved fishing offshore, but I've never been content to ride along on someone else's boat. To me, half the fun of fishing is putting together a plan and finding the fish, not just hooking them and bringing them in.

But owning a "real" offshore boat is not in the cards for me. While I've finally reached a point in my life where I might be able to afford a large offshore boat, other things (like twin boys!) have caused me to re-prioritize where my money goes. I also don't want the hassle of operating a large boat, like keeping a slip, bottom maintenance, and being shackled to a home port. Plus, I fish fresh water occasionally, and having to keep a second boat, or using a rental boat, just doesn't appeal to me.

For years I'd been fascinated with the idea of fishing offshore from a small boat. It started when I read "The Old Man and the Sea", Ernest Hemingway's classic tale of a Cuban dory fisherman and his fish of a lifetime. The fascination grew when I read about Lee Wulff's battles with giant bluefin tuna from a skiff off

Nova Scotia in the 70s. And when Salt Water Sportsman printed articles in the 80s about Hawaiian fishermen battling large tuna and billfish off the Kona coast from trailer boats, I really got the bug.

Finally, about 4 years ago, I decided to put together an "ocean skiff" - an open fishing boat capable of fishing most of the places I wanted to go offshore, which could be pulled on a trailer, kept in the garage, and used for occasional freshwater trips.

My biggest concerns had always been about navigation, motor reliability, and being able to call for and receive assistance if needed. But a number of things: inexpensive GPS units, affordable satellite distress beacons, the evolution of marine towing services like Vessel Assist and Sea Tow, and improved outboard motor reliability, made it seem likely that my concerns could be easily (although maybe not cheaply!) addressed.