If you've
been considering your first Long Range trip, but don't know
if you'll be comfortable on a boat for a number of days,
this page is a must read.
Maybe you're
a veteran of many half day trips, with a few overnight trips
too, You enjoy being on a boat,
but can't imagine spending
seven days or more on one. Here's where the differences
between a short run boat and a
modern long range vessel come into play. The Qualifier 105
is about 30 feet longer and 10 feet wider than the usual
half or three quarter day boat. That's a lot! Instead of a
bench and a couple of stools to sit on, her galley has five
full tables, each comfortably seats six adults. Instead of
a griddle, the Qualifier 105 boasts a full kitchen staffed
by two classically trained chefs. Meals aboard the Q are
themselves memorable, for example, five whole turkeys and
all the trimmings is the traditional final dinner on long
range trips.
The Qualifier 105’s
staterooms have from one to three bunks. They all have sinks
with running water, air conditioning, electrical outlets,
televisions with DVD players, good lighting, and storage
room for
your personal effects. The “Q” also features three
heads with all the privacy you need and nice hot
showers. The galley doubles as a recreation
room with an HDTV for movies and the tables for cards and
other table games.
A day on the Qualifier 105
starts with an early wake-up call to breakfast. Not your
average on board breakfast, but maybe eggs Benedict, fruit,
bacon and juice. Then you’ll move out to the
wide deck to begin the day’s fishing.
The usual maximum
capacity on the “Q” is 34, limited load trips are for 28 or
fewer. There is enough space on her 30 foot stern for all 34
to fish, but the rail continues around for 105 feet, port
and starboard, for a total of 240 linear feet of fishing
rail, that's about eight feet of rail for each angler, even
with a full load. In addition to the fishing deck, there is
a spacious upper deck. There’s plenty of room up there for
working on tackle or just relaxing and socializing. There
are snacks before and after lunch and always a truly world
class dinner in the evening.
A plate of the freshest sushi possible might appear at any
time. After dinner, it’s whatever you want to do. Some will
go on deck to fish or just to be outside, some will go to
their rooms and some will hang out in the galley. There’s
plenty of room for whatever suits your mood and folks tend
to spread out so it’s never too crowded. There’s at least
one crew member awake and at your service at all times, so
if you want to fish all night, you’re welcome to do so.
The picture below shows
the aft third of the boat as seen from the tower.
There are 23 people in the picture, two thirds of the
maximum load. You can see that there is plenty of
room for everyone to move around and fish, and the
ten other guys have the remaining two thirds of
the boat. For many more pictures from trips aboard
the Q, visit our
photo galleries.
The short run fishing vessels
in the San Diego fleet are wonderful platforms for what they
were designed to do. They take folks out so they can enjoy a
day on the water, catch some fish, and then go home. The
Qualifier 105 is an entirely different kind of animal. She
is designed to provide actual living space for her
passengers to enjoy in comfort while they go on the fishing
trip of a lifetime. The Q is as much a home as a fishing
machine, with accommodations as luxurious as you’ll find on
any long range boat and a crew to provide you with the best
service you can imagine. Below is the layout of the
Qualifier 105.
You'll find lots more
information about preparing for your trip,
recommendations for personal gear and tackle and
departure information on our
Trip Info page.
