estimate the project at around 3-4 weeks depending on the weather and getting the tubes glassed in,” Furlough states. Most of their customers who have completed this work then head for the islands on their own bottom or a transport ship to immediately put their new tools to work in finding fish. The learning curve associated with operating these units is another consideration worth mentioning, as some owners are reporting varying results. Captains must invest time to understand and adjust the settings to maximize the sonar’s effectiveness, or consider dedicating another crew member to its operation. Afterall, it’s only a valuable tool if someone is paying close attention to what pops up on the screen. A few local Captains who have mastered the new tech are offering to help others, and Furuno does have instructional opportunities, says Messick. Despite any installation or operational challenges, the consensus within the sportfishing community is resoundingly clear: omnidirectional sonar is an indispensable asset, and now a musthave feature on the modern sportfishing yacht. “This has changed the way you fish offshore because you can cover so much more ground now than you could five years ago,” Furlough concludes. The adoption of omnidirectional sonar has marked a new era in competitive sportfishing, offering exciting advancements in fish finding, tracking and trolling presentation. Its widespread adoption in modern yacht construction and tournament regulations underscore its significance to the sport. As technologies continue to evolve, the sportfishing community must strike a familiar balancing act; leveraging the latest innovations while also working to hone the traditional skills that define a successful angler. John Donoghue grew up in Maryland but has spent most of his adult life living and boating in southern North Carolina. As a teenager on the northern Chesapeake, he got his first boat at the age of fourteen and has owned at least eight boats over that time. He explains at one point he was looking at hull one of the 35’ Ocean, but around the same time, he and his wife found out they were expecting their first child—with a young family in the making, they decided a serious boating lifestyle would have to wait. They went many years without a personal boat, but John’s business career involved owning a car dealership, and one day he took in an old boat on trade. He kept it for a couple years for personal use and his kids wound up loving it, leading to multiple sets of family jet skis, a center console and their own lifetime appreciation for on-the-water recreation. John explains that in 2014, he eventually bought his dream boat, a 35-foot express fisherman purchased at the Annapolis THE VALHALLA V-33 BRINGS THE DONOGHUE FAMILY TOGETHER COMING FULL CIRCLE 19 2025 SEASON
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