About
Sweet Sadie is a 37 foot Merritt Sportfisher, a boat painstakingly crafted in 1968 by IGFA Hall of Fame Captain Alan Merritt.
Meticulously maintained her entire life, Sweet Sadie has been extensively refit to include new clean-running, odor-free Cummins diesel engines, a state-of-the-art Release Marine fighting chair, new comfortable interior finishes, fresh paint, and varnish, and an air-conditioning system that will keep you in comfort all day long. She is a fully restored classic, absolutely perfect for fishing Kona’s calm waters .
Some say it’s like fishing out of a vintage Ferrari — her ability to maneuver in tight quarters gives our anglers great shots at marlin, mahi mahi, tuna, shortbilled spearfish, and the many other trophy gamefish found off the coast of Kona.
THE CAPTAIN
Captain Mat Bowman has spent his entire life around the water fishing and running boats. He is a graduate of the Maine Maritime Academy with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Transportation, and one of Mat’s greatest passions is fishing Kona for blue Marlin. Indeed, Mat has fished Kona full-time for over 12 years, and has caught many huge marlin, including a jaw-dropping 1,309 pound blue marlin for which he was awarded the In The Bite Captain of the Year for 2015.
Mat has also run marlin boats in Madeira, Portugal, another of the world’s great marlin fisheries. In Madeira, the boat captained by Mat was the “top release boat” for three years running, meaning Mat and his crew caught and released more blue marlin than any other boat in Madeira during that time.
Mat has been involved with Sweet Sadie from day one, helping to select the right boat, overseeing an extensive refit, and selecting all the fishing gear to ensure Sweet Sadie is the ideal boat for fishing the waters surrounding Kona.
FIRST MATE / RELIEF CAPTAIN
As a native Hawaiian and third-generation fisherman, Kyle Vannatta has fished Kona his entire life. His first real job was on a charter boat in Kona, as a young teenager, and there’s probably not a species of fish swimming in Kona’s waters that Kyle has not caught!
Kyle has seen and caught too many blue marlin to count and, like Mat, has landed more than one grander in Kona. Beyond his time fishing Kona, Kyle has honed his skills on big fish working in places like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Madeira, Portugal. Kyle has been the mate on a number of IGFA record catches, most recently a billfish on a fly rod in Kona.
½ Day Charters — $1200
Off the dock early between 5:00AM - 6:00 AM. Lines in the water before the sun is high.
Spend a couple action-packed hours hunting Hawaii’s ultimate game fish. We’ll head offshore to troll for legendary Blue Marlin while working a full pelagic spread for Ahi (Yellowfin Tuna), Ono (Wahoo), and Mahimahi.
This is a fully private charter guided by a veteran crew who knows exactly where the fish are running. You’ll be back by early afternoon with incredible stories—and plenty of time left to enjoy the rest of your day.
¾ Day Charters — $1450
Off the dock early between 5:00AM - 6:00 AM. Lines in the water before the sun is high.
The 3/4-day charter is the ultimate angler’s choice, giving our seasoned crew the time they need to track down Blue Marlin and work the full pelagic spread for Ahi, Ono, and Mahimahi. Enjoy a premium, private boat experience and head back to the docks by mid-afternoon with a cooler full of stories.
Full-Day Experience — $1650
More time on the water means more blue water covered—and more shots at the fish of a lifetime.
This is the ultimate layout for serious anglers and anyone who came to Kona for the definitive big-game experience. You get the exact same premium setup as our 3/4-day trip—a fully private boat, expert local crew, and a relentless full lure spread—but with the crucial extra hours needed to hunt the deep trenches and do it right.
If you're here to chase a giant, give yourself the time to make it happen.
