Advertisement

Legendary captain Hamlin joins up with Release Boatworks

The plan calls for Capt. Hamlin to run a brand new Release as part of a fractional ownership arrangement

Miami, Florida/Casa Vieja Lodge, Guatemala – Big-game pioneer and legendary billfish skipper Capt. Ron Hamlin will soon end his long and storied career as a charter boat captain, taking the helm of the Release Boatworks fractional ownership program where he will continue to chase his 30,000th billfish release.

The plan calls for Capt. Hamlin to run a brand new Release as part of a fractional ownership arrangement, with approximately four shares available. Jim Turner, owner of Release Boatworks and Casa Vieja Lodge, will own one share-he and Hamlin will manage the boat and the operation, fishing the Eastern Pacific from Mexico to Panama and into the hotspots of the Caribbean Sea on a rotating basis.

“Our thoughts are to put together a multi-year program so the boat is in the world’s best destinations at the best times of the year,” Turner says. “Obviously you can’t fish them all in one season so we’ll rotate around different areas, many of which Ron has not only fished but also pioneered. This is a tremendous opportunity for a very select group of owners to have at their disposal not only a brand new gameboat but also one of the world’s legendary captains.” For those who wish to book a few days of charter fishing with Capt. Hamlin, Turner says that a few dates remain open for his final season in 2011 out of the world-famous Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala (www.casaviejalodge.com) but he did indicate that they would probably go quickly once the fractional ownership arrangement was announced.

Advertisement

Capt. Ron Hamlin pioneered the use of specially prepared baits that would stand up to higher trolling speeds during his time in St. Thomas, a practice that soon became the standard for boats targeting blue marlin along the North Drop. He was also one of the first Americans to fish the pristine billfish grounds off Venezuela and also developed the circle hook as the standard for the prolific sailfish waters in Guatemala, a practice that has now spread around the world and led to a vast decrease in post-release billfish mortality. An inductee into the IGFA Captains Hall of Fame, Hamlin’s contributions to the sport are indeed numerous. He currently has over 27,000 billfish releases to his credit and is seeking to top 30,000 in the next season or two.

For more information on the Release Boatworks fractional ownership opportunity, please contact Jim Turner at 305-854-4665 or via email, jim@releaseboatworks.com. To view the Release Boatworks line of custom sportfishing vessels, please visit www.releaseboatworks.com.

Advertisement
Advertisement