We had a tough day yesterday, very challenging. In the face of an insurmountable mechanical problem with one of our two generators, we had to make a very difficult decision.

Mazatlan is 2018 is done - cancelled at the last minute due to mechanical failure of a generator engine that will need to be completely rebuilt. Needless to say this is an extremely disappointing development.

During the ride up from Cabo the guys experienced a problem with the engine that they appeared to overcome. In the end the problem was much larger than expected becoming near catastrophic by the time the boat arrived in San Diego. After diagnosing the problem and searching for any possible short term solution it became clear that there was none. This is a problem that can only be corrected by rebuilding the engine - if we are lucky. If we are not, it will have to be replaced.

In these very rare circumstances I want every long range angler to understand a couple of things. We are bound by law to have two perfectly functioning generators and main engines at all times. The obvious safety provided by this redundancy speaks for itself. But more important that any regulation to us is the law of the sea.

Safety is absolutely foremost to a responsible Captain, regardless of any written law. There is no way any experienced Captain would depart on a voyage of this scope and length with one of their two generator engines broken down. The list of potential catastrophes this kind of negligence could elicit is endless. We are not in the business of courting “Murphy’s Law”. We adhere to safety with uncompromising diligence.

So for only the second time in my thirty years of long range fishing we were forced to pull the plug on a scheduled voyage due to mechanical failure. After investing so much time and effort in the development of these new voyages from Mazatlan I am unspeakably disappointed. I’m sure that the anglers so looking forward to their upcoming trip feel the same. That said the inconvenience this last minute cancellation causes pales in comparison to a breakdown at sea that leads to a boat dead in the water exposed and vulnerable.

Rest assured Royal Star anglers that we will prevail, make the necessary repairs, and be back up and running as soon as possible. If we are able to get her squared away in the next couple of weeks look for a few 1 1/2 day voyages on our schedule. I’ll keep the daily narrative updated over the next couple of days with some photos of the engine project as it unfolds.

In closing I extend my personal apologies to every angler that was forced to cancel their vacations as a result of this breakdown. We hold ourselves to incredibly high standards when it comes to maintaining our vessel. It makes a breakdown such as this that much harder to stomach. Big mechanical systems are not flawless. A margin of error is statistically guaranteed, especially when a number of them must function simultaneously. More than anything times like these make us reflect on our amazing history of safe operation. Rest assured my friends that the leadership team at Royal Star considers your safety foremost. We will never compromise when it comes to ensuring that our anglers are one hundred percent secure while at sea on our vessel.

Sincerely,

Tim Ekstrom