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(By Stuart Foreman) My dad helped build this boat with Omie Tillett and others in 1975. They had a vision to take charter fishing to a new level, and that’s exactly what they did. He owned and ran the boat for five seasons, and during that time, he founded what’s now Pirates Cove Marina in Manteo, NC.

He had to make a financial decision and sold the boat to keep Pirates Cove moving forward. He went on to finish out his sportfishing career on “Country Girl,” which is now owned and operated by my brother Charles. Our dad would tell us how much he loved “Gal-O-Mine” (now Al’s Gal) and his regret of having to sell her.

Things worked out for me in 2018, and I was able to buy her back. We changed the name to Al’s Gal to honor my dad and his love for the boat. Al’s Gal was the name of my dad’s first charter boat, and likewise, it’s also the name of mine. Every year, she’s received some love, upgrades, and repairs within the boatyard. I wish my dad could see her now because we know he’d be proud…

My cousin gave me a t-shirt that’s fitted for a toddler, and I kept it for inspiration. It bears the original boat name, Gal-O-Mine. I had it framed on my wall as a reminder to work hard and someday own a sportfishing yacht of my own. For Al’s Gal’s 50th season of charter fishing, we decided that our biennial t-shirt should mimic the original design.

The BIG news is that we plan to give a t-shirt with this design to every angler that fishes with us during the 2025 season! That’s right… if you fish on Al’s Gal, you and your crew will each take home a special souvenir.

And… to top that off… I’m getting my captain’s license so that I can run a few charters myself. As a kid, I aspired to be a captain just like my dad, but he really wanted me to be an entrepreneur. He said, “I want you to make a bunch of money so you can buy a boat and fish when you want to, not because you have to.”

We all wish he was still here to see what his Gal looks like today. For me to say, “fishing on her is special” is an understatement. The past six seasons have been an absolute blessing. I’ve met so many new friends, learned her history, and I’ve had the opportunity of multiple “catches of a lifetime.”

My first day at the helm from Oregon Inlet, I set out to catch a blue marlin… guess what?! The first fish we hooked and caught was a 300+ pound blue marlin! I WAS HOOKED! We got the “release,” and then the sea monster decided that he was gonna “release” himself…

It was an experience that is separately described in my aunt Blair Jackson’s children’s book, Captain Al and Big Blue. In the book, my nephew Banks gets to go fishing with his granddad, and they catch and release BIG Blue. I’m not gonna spoil the ending, so you’ll have to read it to your kids to know how it happened…

My dad was a legend, as local Outer Bankers put it. He had more than 50 years of experience fishing out of Oregon Inlet, so he’s among a handful of men that have earned the same title. Sportfishing boats weren’t as big and fast as they are nowadays, and my dad’s passion had a lot to do with that. North Carolina boat building changed forever in the spring of 1975. That summer, they released an impressive number of marlin. His mate, Irving Forbes, told me:

“I can’t remember the total, but we caught 9 blue marlin in eleven days… all on the port rigger with a swimming mullet. Around 2 p.m. each day. It was amazing. I remember just picking up the rod and putting it in the chair. No drop back or anything. Never lost a one.”

I sure miss you, Dad.

When I bought her, she was named Fight-N-Lady. Capt. Sam Stoke’s first words to me were, “You’ve got big shoes to fill… and I’m talking about your daddy.” Sam ran the boat as Fight-N-Lady for 38 years. He and boat owner Joe Perez wanted to ensure that I would be the next owner of the 53-foot piece of history because they knew that I would love her as much as they did. They were very helpful the first couple of seasons. Joe offered to do the teak one last time before our 2019 season. I still have people telling me stories from the ’80s and ’90s of the trips they had with Sam. In 1987, they caught a record-breaking 1,020 lb blue marlin.

Gal-O-Mine, the 53-foot sportfishing yacht, earned my dad the nickname Big Al… it had nothing to do with his stature, considering he stood at about 5’5″. My dad was born a little guy, but his heart and passion for sportfishing were as big as his 53-foot yacht that he helped build in 1975. His passion for fishing started as a kid. His cousin Jeb Stuart actually wrote a book about those years titled Big Al and Me. The book talks about all the shenanigans they had hunting and fishing while growing up in Eastern NC. It also details the painstaking experiences they had while getting my dad’s first and second charter boats ready for fishing. Trust me… it’s a good read.

Gal-O-Mine was my dad’s third boat, and she’s still considered Oregon Inlet’s “Queen of the Fleet.” Now that I’m the new owner, I’m obligated to continue the tradition of “6-pack” sportfishing charters, just like my dad did many years before… Come check us out at the newly renovated Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, and hopefully Al’s Gal will get a chance to provide you and your crew with a catch of a lifetime, like she’s done for the past 50 years!

Stuart Foreman

High Speed Welding – CEO

Al’s Gal Sportfishing – Owner

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