05/23/2026
The dead of winter in New England can often be a bit lonely for West Marine store crew members. But at the Branford store, we were lucky to have some special customers who kept us busy this winter.
Winter in the Branford, Connecticut West Marine store crew can be a bit lonely given the New England weather that brings most of the marine activity to a seasonal halt. But this year we were lucky to have the opportunity to work with one of our Pro Customer on a special winter project.
Steve Schambach is the operator of Mudslides Charters, LLC, a family owned and run charter business based in Branford, Connecticut. Mudslides offers fishing, sight-seeing and custom private charters on Long Island Sound including in the waters of the Thimble Islands.
The Branford West Marine store crew got to know Steve this winter as they assisted him in supplying his upgrade of his new addition to the Mudslides Fleet, a 2001 EdgeWater 225CC charter vessel named “Mudpuppy.”
His upgrades centered around the addition of a Garmin Force Kraken Trolling Motor (36V, 100Lb Thrust, 75” Shaft) , but also included these upgrades of West Marine sourced items:
Abyss 36V LiFEPo Battery
2-Bank AC Battery Charger for 12V & 36V Batteries
DC - 36V Battery Charger for the Mercury Outboard
SeaSwivel Trolling Motor Mount
All associated wiring & electrical connections, breakers, etc.
New VHF Radio
Garmin Radar Replacement
Freshwater Pump, Washdown & Shower
Lighting, Cupholders, Rodholders, etc.
New Penn Conventional Fishing Rod/Reel Combinations
New Tsunami Spinning Fishing Rod/Reel Combinations
In addition, these other upgrades were added:
New T-Top Canvas
New Combing Pads & Seat Cushions
New Custom T-Bag for Life Jacket Storage
Custom Tackle / Storage Center
Cooler Slide & new Yeti 65 Cooler
Custom Center Console Dashpad
Steve just returned from a two week “sea trial” on the Mudpuppy in Marathon, Florida to check out his new craft and make sure everything was working for the upcoming charter season.
“The boat performed better than I had expected,” Steve reported. “Especially exciting was the performance of the Garmin trolling motor. The boat is equipped with the Garmin bow mount quick-release bracket that allows for an easy way of taking the motor off and putting back on when needed. What made this installation work best was the purchase of a SeaSwivel trolling motor bow mount system that integrated perfectly with the Garmin motor and quick-release bracket. The SeaSwivel mount was the only way to go to have the motor mounted properly and get the best performance out of it. It also made the install much quicker and easier than expected. Now it only takes seconds to deploy the motor for use or to stow it while underway.
Because the Trolling motor was a Garmin, it integrated seamlessly with the other Garmin electronics. In fact, the older model chartplotter connected to the motor when it was first powered up and even has a toolbar on it for additional trolling motor controls. When I found a spot where I wanted fish, I just selected the waypoint on the Garmin display to navigate to the fishing spot. When I confirmed, the Garmin system took over the helm, navigated to the spot and engaged the ‘Anchor Lock” on the trolling motor to hold us in place without ever having to pull out a real anchor. Even after considerable time fishing at that spot under extreme current and wind conditions, the trolling motor battery still had plenty of charge to continue the day, It was really amazing!”
Mudslides Charters is just one of the many West Marine Pro customers who operate in the coastal Branford, Connecticut waters, home to the Thimble Islands with numerous residential vacation homes, great fishing and boating, and also some very challenging and potentially hazardous navigational areas.
For more information on Mudslides Charters, LLC, got to www.MudslidesCharters.com.
Interested in upgrading your watercraft? Stop by the Branford West Marine store and tell us your story.
