Can fish really feel your stress when you are fishing?

So I just spent my savings on an alaska fishing vessel?

• I just bought a 9000 dollar 34 ft. aluminum herring skiff It holds 16 tons of fish. I been fishing in alaska for some time now and am pretty good at steering and navigating a boat around southeast alaska. But because I've always leased a fishing vessel with a 200 volvo and 290 outdrive I never really learned to much about engines and outdrives because the owner would keep up to date on that. The boat I got has 2 350 chevy small blocks in em. I got a crash course in mechanics when I test drove 2 vehicles to make sure they were running good, which they were, Then we took them out of the vehicles and took off a whole bunch of stuff in the front. Power steering, and a couple other small car pieces but I dont know what. Then removed the manifolds and put on marine manifolds, Think thats what there called If not tell me what their called. I learned that they make a dry exhaust to wet exhaust So it can keep the engine cooler Why does it do this though? Because a marine engine works harder? Well anyways I'm hiring an mechanic to put on a outdrive for me because one of the 280 outdrives wasnt put on when I put it on the barge and the other outdrive was already installed (Had to make a saturday noon deadline or my boat wouldnt make it to my hometown in time for our herring fishery) We put the out drive bell housing and other outdrive stuff around the hole and inside the engine. Where would I learn about outdrives Because I do not know nearly enough to work on these yet. But I'm a fast learner. So anyways I still have to make sure my morse controls work on all my steering stations Which I think they do. I have to find out a way to take out the old gas because the bost has been sitting for a long time Again if you could tell me how I could do this also that would be great The owner gave me another 350 engine that they said was running great but I never got to test and he threw in another half an outdrive as well. Come to think of it I still need to put on my wet exhaust manifolds as well I been hearing from fisherman that they know people that can pull out 350 engines and take apart outdrives at an incrediblw speed. This I want to learn!! I need to attach my lights and buy a fathometer and vhf as well. I been around boats all my life and I can tell a good hull when I see one and this aluminum hull is 1/4 inch thick and no cracks on the welds on the whole boat I looked very carefully. In fact the boat I been leasing was in pretty bad shape and the deck was rotting The fiberglass hull hit a rock going at a pretty good speed. The boat was fine It never sank yet and that was 2 years ago But I think It might get soft just like the deck from a little small hole in the fiberglass Or maybe not Maybe those hulls are built to take punishment, You would think Huh? I don't know if the steering on the boat works either but the owner said they both were when he parked it I have 2 of then so chances are one will work I just hope if one of them dont the broken one is he inside one Because I feel more comthable steering from the bow with my fathometer . What are your opoions on my new situation that I seem to put myself in. I feel like a school girl waiting for a prom date all anxious and nervous My first boat and I'm in my 20s Shits getting pretty exciting for me. Do you have any advice for me I'll take any and all will be apreacited I will have 4 days to get to know my boat and put on the other outdrive before I have to go fishing. All the old salts in my small fishing community are saying we have like 9-10 days but I'm just assuming the worst so I will be more prepared.I never fished this type of fishery as a captain either I always deckhanded But I have a prety good idea. I will only be using what I think is my best outdrive and motor. The other engine and outdrive will be turned off in case anything happens to one of them I will have an extra one to use The fishery will only last 5 days or so Then I will be able to really spend some time with my boat and learn everything the right way. But until then I'm kinda new at this taking care of my boat thing Oh ya I plan on changing all my oils, fluids New plugs and wires, and a new distributor cap on my engines and outdrives before I go fishing I would like to do this in a day Is this possible and how much do you think everything will cost me? Man I hope I didn't leave any thing out?

• Answer:

  well that was a pretty exciting story young man god bless you and your boat, sorry I can tell you a lot about chevy 350 but not related to a marine environment, you seem to have a good handle on many aspects, and as you say you learn fast, which is a very good survival tool considering where you will be, I would make some lists, and double and triple check, because you know well the one minor thing can be the disaster in the making. sounds like a lot more fun than a prom date though those fiberglass hulls are going to be around long after we are gone that is some tough stuff, your skiff has quarter inch aluminum hull seems like you have some extra parts, that's good and having a back up plan like a second engine and out drive is a good idea hope it all goes well captain living the dream is good but that is what risk is, no matter how it goes you can do what you are good at