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Issue No.   Sept/Oct 2002

Editor: Joshua Radon

 

Santa Cruz's 22 Reasearch Vessel

The featured boat this month is the U.C. Santa Cruz research boat, which was recently completed and delivered. The specifications of the new vessel are 22' x 8'6'', and the boat is powered by twin 115 horse power, 4 stroke Mercury outboard engines. We spent an entire day testing the 22', first by charging out to Anacapa Island, and then running up the back side of Santa Cruz Island. On our return trip, we ventured around the east end of Santa Cruz Island, where Mother Nature kindly blessed us with a 20 knot wind gusting to 25 knots through the Santa Barbara Channel. We had to quarter up into the wind all the way across, and I was very pleased with how the boat handled. We had a chance to test the new engine models, but more importantly, this was the first chance I have had to run one of our 22's for any length of time within the past 6 months. Needless to say, the new Radon not only met, but exceeded, our expectations.

Don Radon, President, D.R. Radon Boat Building, Inc.

Santa Cruz RV Photo

For Official U.C. Research Only: The Santa Cruz 22' floats on the surface of the water in its successful test run. Now if they could only stop running the boat for long enough to research something other than the 22's ability to cut through rough waters with ease

 

Great Customer Feedback

Lately we've been getting a lot of great letters and e-mails from Radon Boats customers and enthusiasts, telling us about their experiences with Radon Boats.  One particularly cool letter was fromTony Araki, whose father decided to hand down his 1986 Radon sport to his son instead of selling it.  As Tony says in his e-mail, this development left him "stoked out of his mind"; an understandable sentiment when your dad decides to give you his boat!  Like your humble editor, Tony has been riding on Radon Boats since he was just a little kid, and now he is the proud owner, as he puts it, of "The Best Hand Made Fishing Machine this side of the Mississippi."  Thanks so much for your e-mail, Tony, it gave us all something to smile about. Another great response we got was from Casey andAnna Schmitt, who wrote us a letter describing their first trip to Santa Cruz Island on their new 22'.  They were blown away by the performance of the boat and thanked us for the quality product.  But, hey, that's what we do best!  They also let us know that they "get so many compliments on the new boat!"  Great to hear!  We hope you have a lot of amazing trips out to the Islands.

 

Port San Luis Christening

 

 

Port San Luis Christening Photo1

Port San Luis Christening Photo2

Top: Don and Linda (right) help Port San Luis celebrate the arrival of the new Harbor Patrol Boat. Bottom: A harbor patrol crew member tests out the state-of-the-art water pump.

On September 19, Don and Linda attended the christening of the new Port San Luis Harbor Patrol boat, which was featured in the last issue of Radon Team.  The ceremony began with Greg Weisberg, a leading member of the Port San Luis Harbor patrol, introducing the new boat to various members of the community. Among those in attendance were representatives from the sheriff's department, the coast guard, the harbor commission, and city hall.  Mr. Weisberg also described the main duties and functions of the boat, and the process they went through to get the vessel. The christening also served as an open house to the public and those who will benefit from the rescue capabilities of the boat.

 

Shop Tip of the Month

This month's shop tip comes from Rob, our woodworking specialist.  When I asked him how he makes his job easier and more efficient, he gave me some basic guidelines for working with wood.  First of all, he stressed the importance of using the proper tool for the job.  This is essential, he explained, to doing the job well.  If you have the wrong tool or one that is not in good condition, you are more likely to make mistakes and the job is probably going to take longer than it should.  This brings us to his next point - maintenance of the aforementioned tools.  For ideal working conditions, keep you tools clean, and keep your saw blades sharp.  When your blades are sharp, your cutting will be more precise and will take less effort.  With a worn out blade, you are likely to rip and tear the material you are working with.  Plus, you will end up exerting a lot of wasted energy fighting against the tool.  And finally, above all, Rob (seen below, cutting wood) stressed the old adage, measure twice, cut once.  When working with wood, this is especially salient, since so much of the aesthetic quality of the boat is determined by the quality of the woodwork.

Rob Cutting Wood

 

Fishing Tip of the Month

This month, we have a fishing tip from Doug Chessmore of Ocean Aire Electronics.  Doug was kind enough to give me some inside information on albacore fishing.  Word has it, there are a bunch of albacore off of Arguello point, in the waters of Arguello canyon.  Albacore, Doug explained, like to hang out in water that is about 62 degrees, so if you are looking to catch albacore, cruise around in your custom Radon until you find some water around that temperature.  Once you are there, the best way to catch albacore is to troll with some black and green feathers on your rig.  When you get a hook up, slow the boat down and start circling the area where you snagged the initial albacore.  Then, start throwing in live bait to attract the school and encourage it to hang around your boat.  After that, just sit back and start reeling them in!  Much thanks to Doug for the tip.  And go check out his website @ http://www.oceanaireelectronics.com.

 

Sadly, we have come to the end of another Radon Team newsletter.  But never fear, we'll be back next month with more tips and photos from D.R. Radon Boat Building.  As always, we'd love to hear from you, so e-mail us at [email protected].  Until next month, keep fishin'!

40 Foot Radon
Ron Radon Circa 1974 with a 40' Radon

 Last Updated 5/19/13