THE RIDE
THE OFFSHORE LIFE IN ANY WATERS
Anglers Journal:
My Boat My Life: "My Regulator"
Excerpt from the Fall 2018 issue of Anglers Journal. Written by Frank Saccente, photographed by Tom Lynch.
I've owned boat for 50 years. I built them from wood and plans, restored basket cases in both wood and glass, and purchased them new. But for the past decade, I entertained a naval architecture fantasy that came to fruition earlier this year.
My Regulator 23’s price tag exceeded what I ever imagined I would spend on a boat, but it had a number of things in the plus column that made writing the check much easier. I needed a heavier hull with a deeper vee that would afford me ocean access in a greater range of conditions. The Regulator’s weight and 24 degrees of deadrise filled that need. No more u-turns at the mouth of Manasquan Inlet because conditions outside were too snotty. She is a safe and solid fishing platform that theoretically should increase my time-on-water-to-fish-caught ratio dramatically.
Aesthetics also came into play. My boat is a “looker,” and the lines drawn by naval architect Lou Codega create the appearance that she’s doing 50 knots while tied up in the slip. She represents the perfect marriage of form and function.
As my boat was built, I received the equivalent of nautical sonograms from the factory, showing each stage of construction. The hull being pulled from the mold, the stringer being installed, the hull liner and deck cap being put in place. I remember getting choked up as the shrink wrap was removed, realizing that this beautiful piece of engineering was mine. Finally, I could use the phrase "my Regulator." I smiled and thought that someday, my grandkids will call her their Regulator.
Look for the full story in the Fall 2018 issue of Anglers Journal or online at www.anglersjournal.com.