SPORT FISHING
102
TREASURE COAST BOATING
JIM CAREY
The Sea Lion II was photographed in the late 1960s as it motored out of Walker’s Cay on
one of its many sport-fishing adventures.
“He (Nixon) was nice and intelligent,” Carey
said. “He could talk to anyone about anything. He
was one of the smartest men I ever spoke with.”
Sea Lion II was featured several times on
American Sportsman and was in the opening
credits of the show for years. It was also seen on
the Walker’s Cay Chronicles. An avid competitive
fisherman, owner Abplanalp poured his money
into Walker’s Cay to attract fishermen from South
Florida and built much of the facilities on the tiny
island. In a sad footnote, Walker’s Cay has been in
disrepair and uninhabitable since it was battered
by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004.
FAMOUS FOR SPORT FISHING
From the winter White House on Key Biscayne,
Nixon and his Secret Service entourage would
fly by helicopter and stay at a house Abplanalp
owned on an island near Walker’s Cay.
There were dozens of trophies from tournaments
and the boat’s prominence helped the
surge in popularity of the sport-fishing industry.
In 1977, the U.S. record was broken when a 1,071
pound tuna was caught with rod and reel aboard
the Sea Lion II.
“We had a 40-year love affair with the Sea Lion
II,” said Abplanalp’s son, John, who grew up fishing
on the boat. “We went up and down the Intracoastal
Waterway and with its classic lines, people
paid attention to it. The summers in Montauk had
some of the best fishing in the world.”
GREG GARDNER
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With more than 2,000 people watching the restoration on social media, the Sea Lion II project also draws weekly visitors to Willis Marine.