Royal Star Sportfishing Review

Randy Toussant and Tim Ekstrom (L-R) owners/capts.

Click on pic for larger view.

8-Day Trip Review June 28 - July 6

Overview

On a scale of 1 to 10, this was a strong eight. The only improvement would have been to have tuna boiling along the rail. This trip was pretty much a slow steady bite along the 30 degree line 150 to 200 nautical miles south of San Diego, Calif.
If fish boiled off the sides in a wide open bite, I'd give this trip a perfect ten. That means everything under the boat's control was perfect. And, it was. No kidding. Here's a breakout.

Food Quality
Okay, I admit it's a priority. I place a high value on food, but, hey, it IS a vacation. The Royal Star comes equipped with two full-time chefs. We had three delicious hot meals and two snacks a day. A nice mix of American, Italian, French, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. The sushi snack was of cookbook photographic quality, but I was busy fishing. If you don't gain ten pounds in eight days, you would have to be puking over the rail.

The Boat Ride
The first two days provided moderate seas with a nice wind chop. The Royal Star rode smoothly with nice wave cutting capability. Seems to be well balanced, though there is a bit of yaw with port to starboard roll typical of a deep trawler-style hull. Bunks are positioned laterally so the roll kind of feels like Magic Fingers with a gentle traction action. At least you're not clinging onto your bunk. About 25% of the passengers prayed over the rail during the first 36 hours. So, don't be proud. Take the prevention before a cure is needed. I recommend Meclizine HCl 25 mg. This preventive tablet was recently made available over-the-counter (formerly prescription only). No side effects that I noticed. One or two tablets lasts 24 hours. I bought 100 tablets at Walmart in San Jose, CA for $3.74.

Cleanliness
On a short trip a little sardine smell in the bunk is okay, but on an 8-day, it would be Hell. In a nut shell, the Royal Star looks better than most homes. No odors, no grime. Spit shined and polished. The cutest little sea shell sconces cover lights in the staterooms. Mahogany trim and cedar lined closets throughout. Comfy bunks. Air conditioned salon, staterooms. Impeccable galley. And Italian lights around the dining area add a revolving restaurant touch. Heads are spotless. I hate to say it, but it, but in the tradition of Portman hotel designs, this was nicer than my home.

The Crew
Nicest, most helpful bunch of pros you could ever imagine. Their help improving fishing skills was subtle, but effective. I don't think anyone felt uncomfortable. As you hook up, someone is by your side constantly to be sure you have nothing between you and your fish but the line. I took my 14 year old son and he received royal treatment. Deck boss commented that all kids get special treatment (duck taped in the galley) since it's their future customer base.

The Management
This is what sets the Royal Star apart. It has not one, but two owner/captains. Randy Toussant spent 4 years skippering the Excel before joining Timmy Ekstrom in the purchase of the Royal Star. If you don't believe having owner operators makes a difference, try comparing chef-owned restaurants in New York to those with hired guns. See. No contest. If these two guys fail to please you, they go down the tubes like an unarmed torpedo. Luckily, these are two very sharp and talented captains with great reputations for service and fish catching. This trip was no exception.

Wives, Mothers, Daughters, Mistresses Welcome
There were three women on this trip. I think they felt very comfortable. Comical crew members temper jokes to a mixed group. Only down side is that you can't get an all-over tan on the sun deck.

Fishing Experience
This was rather early in the season for Yellowfin and Big Eyes but they made a respectable showing. For the last six or seven years, Pacific Bluefin have been showing in nice numbers. That made up the bulk of our catch and sizes were medium. 25 to 115 pounds is a nice fish at this time of year. In eight days with 23 fisherman (people) we caught 215 bluefin, 177 yellowfin, 3 bigeye, and 68 yellowtail. If you didn't have 500 pounds of fish from this trip, you must have been feeding your face in the galley.
In case you're interested, here's a photo of my 14-year old son and his first 69.8 lbs. bluefin shown beside Capt. Timmy Ekstrom.

Trip Cost
This 8-day trip left at 12 noon on 6/26 and returned at 8:30 a.m. on 7/6. Cost was $1595 plus Mexican permits and a fuel surcharge. All meals and bait included. Free use of quality boat tackle for out-of-state folks by prior arrangement. Terminal tackle available on board at dockside costs. Tons of live bait were also included. I bought scoops of sardines earlier in the year in Marina Del Rey at $5.00 per scoop so this is a significant cost for the operators. Divide the cost out. I don't think you could find a comparable hotel room with meals included for the price.

Further Information
Check out the Royal Star's homepage for trip schedules and other info. Or you can e-mail them at Royalstar1@aol.com
For lots more information on tuna fishing all over the world, please visit TNT... the tuna tracking page by Tyrone.

My Credentials
I began fishing out of San Diego on half-day boats in 1961 with my grandmother. Have chartered San Diego 6-packs and fished full-days on the Holiday and Producer. Multi-days on the Spirit of Adventure, Vagabond, and the Pegasus. This is my fourth 8-day and the first on the Royal Star. The other 8-days were made on the Polaris Supreme, another great boat. Folks, the Royal Star is the best I have ever seen or heard of. Imagine sight casting to 70 pound tuna and you get the idea. If I was able to, I'd retire and clean heads on this boat for free passage. It's that good.

Comments, Questions, Complaints to:
Bob Luedeka
rluedeka@jphogan.com

Back to Vistar's Homepage

To add a Web-Counter to your home page...

Last updated: 23 October 1997