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This boat anchored out in front of our house last night. We're a few kilometers North of Loreto and they have three pangas on davits. It stayed here most of the day then took off South toward Loreto then came back a couple hours later and keep going North. They played nice Mexican music starting at about 6:00am. Maybe they have something to do with the Conservation Convention that is going on in town??????

Any pictures with better resolution???

Same picture, better resolution. Looked like the name on the bow was Kunimatsu 9. I couldn't see that it was flying any flag.

I recall seeing some Japanese fishing boats with that same name a few years back, and they all came numbered like this one.

It certainly does not look Mexican. If you see it again I would call the Port Captain and ask him to check it out!

Absolutley no doubt that it's a Japanese fishing boat. The name Kunimatsu is fairly prevalent in Japan.

The only curious thing from my perspective is that is is really not that large a ship. A long journey, but seemingly limited capacity. But given the demand in Japan for certain types of seafood, maybe understandable.

Originally Posted by Bajahowodd

Absolutley no doubt that it's a Japanese fishing boat. The name Kunimatsu is fairly prevalent in Japan.

The only curious thing from my perspective is that is is really not that large a ship. A long journey, but seemingly limited capacity. But given the demand in Japan for certain types of seafood, maybe understandable.

Could be that that ship and others catch a n transfere to a larger refigerated ship anchored some where else?????????

The name is certainly Japanese but it doesn't look like much of a fishing boat to me. No net rigging that I can see unless they set the nets with the pangas. The logo looks like it might be some kind of a research vessel.

Hope somebody finds out. I am really curious.

Maybe they're hiding from my compadres.......
Sea Shepherd Successfully finds the Nisshin Maru - Sea Shepherd

You watch Whale Wars too???



Whale Wars : Animal Planet

Oh yeah, although this season hasn't been as eventful as past seasons, I still like watching and admire the work that these people do. I guess this earthquake and subsequent tsunami have been a God send for the whales, as the Japanese stopped all whaling.

What a show, some of the worst seamanship I have ever seen. Sometimes I find myself rooting for the whalers. Very entertaining.

They definitely are working with a crew; many who are there for their passion, not for their sea skills. I have even yelled out at the TV a time or two, while cringing at some of their decisions / maneuvers.

But in the end I always root for the whales...

Originally Posted by rplarry

What a show, some of the worst seamanship I have ever seen. Sometimes I find myself rooting for the whalers. Very entertaining.

I take it then you haven't seen Deadliest Catch, now that is some real sloppy seamanship. And now I've learned that Captain Sig signed a multi-million dollar endorsement with a Russian Corp. that is illegally exporting the protected crab to the U.S.A. The U.S. has very stringent guidelines for harvesting of crab. ( only males over 7" wide can be legally harvested.) And apparently these boys are doing as they wish and keeping all crab, and in doing so, the price of the crab has fallen substantially.

So. What's new? Anything for a buck.

Don't know much about boating/seamanship; what do they do that is so shoddy?

I have seen lots of navigational errors as well as poor overall planning / safety skills for the crew, boat and chopper. For example - you don't send a chopper off your deck, in the fog with limited fuel to find another ship 50 miles away to land (also in the fog), and then leave your last known position without giving the pilot a direction. If the chopper pilot is unable to find the other ship and loses radio contact (which he did) then you are setting the poor guy up for a disaster as he will come back to find an empty sea in the fog where you used to be and an empty fuel tank. And of course the pilot never bothered to ask before lifting off either.

I like their mission goals and acknowledge their bravery but no need to run what appears at times to be very poorly thought out operations. The wide open sea is very unforgiving and such simple minded approaches they seem to take with some of this stuff, as well as the fact they haven't suffered more disasters, absolutely amazes me...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

I have seen lots of navigational errors as well as poor overall planning / safety skills for the crew, boat and chopper. For example - you don't send a chopper off your deck, in the fog with limited fuel to find another