Thursday, March 26, 2009

Maiden Voyage Part 3



Now that the first fish was recorded and in the fish box it was time to relax and enjoy the rest of the fishing trip. That day the crew of the ‘LizAnne’ boxed 3 Wahoo and 3 Dolphin; as well as hooking up to a sailfish and shark by surprise. All and all it was a great fishing day and the weather couldn’t have been any better. ‘LizAnnes’ port #2 was Port Lucaya around Freeport area. Port Lucaya was a much more populated Marina and a very popular fishing spot. To some it is the hub of the Grand Bahamas for fishing and for college students it was known as Spring Break 09. As ‘LizAnne’ pulled into her slip the surroundings were lively with yachts, loud music and chanting college student as the typical scene. Being the newbie’s all eyes were on the boat as they pulled in. Once the detailing and fish cleaning was done, everyone was ready for a well deserved cocktail and some fresh caught raw and cooked fish.

The Final results for the next day of fishing was 6 Dolphin on an exciting time. Everybody had a chance to contribute in the action and no body was left out of the fights. With the trip concluded as the first- it will begin as the start of many that this sport fishing boat will face. All and all it was a great trip and the crew and family of 'LizAnne' can finally label this boat with a 'FISHING' stamp.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Maiden Voyage Part 2



Day 2


Fish Day. As the ‘LizAnne’ left port on the first fish day there seemed to be a feeling of anxiety in the air as everyone kept to themselves. Each crew member knew this day would be the day of the first fish caught, but nobody wanted to seem overconfident. When the call for “lines in” came you could tell there was a bit of confusion. Mike and Andrew paced from port to starboard anticipating lending a hand as Captain John, who was handling the cockpit at the time, was hustling around the rods, dropping the riggers, and throwing the baits. Capt John seemed very comfortable navigating himself around the bait boxes and fighting chair, then again he did build the boat, as Mike and Andrew tried to find their place. Breaking in and finding your way around a boat that had never been fished is tough, comparing it to buying a new truck and driving it across country trying to figure out where the best place to put your soda and which compar
tment holds the coins. It’s an adjustment that will take time as you fish more.

Once all the lines were in it became a waiting game. It was already predetermined that Bob Sr. would be reeling in the first fish. Some of the crew became nervous when Sr. began to practice catching the big fish while quoting a fishing show he saw, “you need to put your rod
tip down and pump the rod back and forth.” He was blind to the idea of circle hooks and its benefits. With that said the moment finally came; Capt John was checking the bait on the flat line as he began to reel. With a loud shout you heard, “FISH ON,” and the crew took position. Mike and Andrew starting to clear the major lines and Bob Sr., coming out of the salon [kitchen], rushing over to take the rod. When he was reeling in you could tell it wouldn’t be a long fight. No one was too sure what it could be until Bob Jr. yelled, “it’s a Wahoo,” from the helm. The crew prepared the deck to gaff the fish. “Flap, Flap, Flap” was the sound as the 20lb Wahoo was hitting the deck. A congratulations and a sign of relief was felt from the crew of the ‘LizAnne’.

When the fish was tamed and ready to be held, the cockpit turned into the red carpet. Champagne, video, and digital cameras came out as each crew member took turns with the famous Wahoo. If anyone was watching they would have thought the crew caught the world record as they celebrated the catch.

Check back for part 3….




Monday, March 16, 2009

Maiden Voyage Part 1



When Captain John Ball took a look at the extended forecast for the Bahamas it was not looking good for the ‘LizAnne’ Maiden Voyage Fishing Trip. A low pressure system that swept through the east coast and the Caribbean still had rough seas lingering. Anyone who has passed thought the Gulf Stream knows that it could be an unpleasant trip if you catch it at the wrong time. Owner Bob Mormile who was closely tuned to the forecast as well said, “It would be a game time decision on where we take her.” Regardless of the forecast the preparations for the Fishing Maiden Voyage still had to carry on. Appointed mates, and sons, Mike and Andrew Mormile got all the preparations needed from boat detail to previsions. As the morning came, Captain John and Bob looked at buoy weather with immense anticipation. After talking it over the announcement came and it was decide that the trip to the Bahamas will continue as planned. Once the call was made the crew of the ‘LizAnne’ quickly completed the final touches and headed out.

Day1

‘LizAnne’ left port and hit the inlet of Palm Beach, Andrew Mormile brought an ancient ritual to the crew’s attention when launching a ship. He explained, “The Greeks called on their gods to protect the seamen and the ships as they launched. The most notable Greek god of the sea was Poseidon; he should be honored with a symbol of a blessing.” The blessing was a bottle of red wine to honor the Gods and as the boat hit the inlet Andrew began to pour the wine into the ocean after taking a drink himself to salute the Gods.

After the superstitions the trip was finally underway. Captain Bob Mormile steered the ‘LizAnne’ across the Gulf Stream heading straight into 20-30 knot winds and 3’-5’ seas. He averaged 20-25 knots as she pierced her way into the Caribbean on course to the boats port #1, West End Grand Bahamas. The West End is one of the first ports coming across the Gulf from Palm Beach. It is very small and not much around other than a couple slips, beach, and a hotel. After going through the long process of registering and going through customs, the crew decided to prepare for the next day fishing and call it a night.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

‘LizAnne’ takes the Fishing Maiden Voyage

Intensity Boat Works family will be taking the fishing maiden voyage this weekend, March 7-10. The crew consists of Captain John Ball, Owner Bob Mormile Jr., father Bob Mormile Sr. and sons of owner Mike and Andrew Mormile. The destination is still undecided and a tossup between Bahamas, Key West or West Palm Beach. Regardless, the weather is supposed to be great and the anticipation is INTENSE…..

Check Back for Updates

‘LizAnne’ gets the spotlight for IBW

Intensity Boat Works received recognition from Master Entertainment Group during the 2009 Miami Boat Show. MEG, who produces TV programs for SUN Sports, Verses, and ESPN2, routinely attends boat shows to cover and find boats or products that stand out in the crowd. The Miami Boat Show offers various types of unique boats and top products in the fishing and boating industry. When IBW received word that MEG is interested in producing a 3min spot on the ‘Lizanne’ their first reaction was in excitement; quickly followed by, “holy shit.”

Upon anticipation of production, on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, IBW walked through how we would present the beauty of ‘LizAnne.’ They had everything prepared from who will talk about which area and what need to be said. Once the film crew and host came on board we gave them a quick tour. Leading to the start of filming, the Host realized there was no way they could cover all this boat has to offer in 3 minutes. MEG was so impressed with IBW’s story that they increased the 3 minutes spot to a 30 minutes full show segment. When the last ‘take’ was filmed everyone was on cloud nine. The feeling of being notice for all the hard work and sweat that you put into a project like this finally pays off. It seemed to be a great experience to even go through the process, even if it doesn’t hit the main stream. Any exposure is better than no exposure and especially if you are just entering a competitive industry like IBW.

As of now, IBW is unsure when the piece will air. There is still more filming that is going to be done at their corporate location in Philadelphia to show the parts and components division.IBW is told that it will air at least once on the Verses channel and three times on the SUN sports channel in Florida. Check back for further updates on an exact times for the segment.

2009 Miami Boat Show


A few weeks removed from the 2009 Miami Boat Show Intensity Boat Works is thrilled with the responses giving from the builders and fishing enthusiasts alike. ‘Lizanne’ had her first big test in the travels down from North Palm Beach to Miami with 4’-6’ seas going straight into 15-20+ winds. To say the least she handled so delicately without breaking stride. I believe she earned a mutual respect during the travel down by gracefully passing the Vikings and Oceans alike.

During the entire show the weather was beautiful and the traffic of people was steady throughout. IBW saw interest from several parties both nationally and internationally. If we could quote a majority of people that came by the boat it was a consistent, “I have never seen a boat with so much shape.” Also, we have had a great reaction on our parts and components section from boat manufactures and custom builders. Attention was grabbed upon hearing the fact the Toe Rail was machined and shaped with our CNC router. Our hand craftsmanship teamed with our in-house CNC machinery really showed in the finished product overall. Another big hit was our A/V Crestron unit from Judge AV. Those who aren’t familiar the Crestron unit controls our entire audio/visual components from one central station. We have the ability to lower/raise our mechanical shades in the salon, choose any tune of our liking with either satellite radio or IPod, view electronics from the helm right on the Salon TV and dial into hundreds of channels through satellite TV or DVD.

Intensity Boat Works would like the thank everyone who stopped by the boat to make a great showing. A special thanks to Judge AV for helping us put the best high-tech boat together we could build and Applied Concepts Unleashed for continuing to help us think outside the box.