An Angler's New Angle

One of the three control stations—and Lazy Bones III was the first Rybovich model to have three—is in the 24-foot-high aluminum "tuna tower." The tower itself is another striking Rybovich innovation. It was originally designed for Bimini and Cat Cay tuna anglers who had difficulty spotting schools of giant bluefins as they migrated northward across the shallow Great Bahama Bank. The tower was so successful off Bimini that anglers are now using it up and down the Atlantic Coast to spot all varieties of fish, particularly swordfish in northeastern waters.

Even the gin pole (see drawing) has a special purpose. Though Lazy Bones III's transom door is large enough to ship any fish, Harry Peters says, "I don't want a mako shark in the cockpit with me." Peters knows his angling business. The mako shark is a contrary creature, one which has been known to gnaw a cockpit to splinters if boated alive. Hoisted by the tail and lashed to the gin pole, he can only expire in splinterlessfrustration."Besides," adds Peters, "a fishing boat just doesn't look right without a gin pole, and I can always hang my pram from it."

Lazy Bones III has been in the water for three years now, fishing more than 100 days a year and proving her perfection to Rybovich and Peters. But she convinced a lot of other people a lot sooner. She was so handsome that even before her maiden trip topnotch anglers with $70,000 to spend for the best in boats began to form a line.

During the last three years seven sister models have been finished and an eighth is almost ready for delivery. While Lazy Bones III was still in the yard, D. H. Braman of Victoria, Texas ordered Cosa. Then, in order, came Georgie May, built for the Critz Buick Co. of Savannah, Ga.; Three Kings, built for P. Ballantine & Sons of Newark; Ban-Gee, built for Gene Goble of Miami; Ses-Sah-Moie II, built for the Phillips Petroleum Co. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Tireless, built for Roger Firestone of Pottstown, Pa.; and, finally, Siki, just launched for John S. Lucas of Cleveland. Within two months, the eighth Lazy Bones copy, to be named Etco, will be ready for John Engel-horn & Sons of Newark.

After another successful summer season at Montauk, N.Y., Lazy Bones III is now on her way from northern waters to Cape Hatteras, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and the Bahamas. Harry Peters will fly down to meet her and go right on proving that she was and is a salt-water angler's dream boat. "I wouldn't change a thing," he says.