Home Tournaments Calendar Weather Merchandise Sponsors

Go Back   Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum > Spearfishing Gear > All About Guns

All About Guns What's your weapon of choice, and why? Discuss the beloved speargun here!

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 03-08-2019, 04:35 PM   #1
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Kevin has informed me that due to a purchase of seasoned Burmese teak salvaged from the "Wind Song" sailing vessel that he has been able to produce a limited series of guns using this beautiful timber. Previously forming the handrails that ran right around the vessel and then stored under cover in a timber yard for 15 years this wood has fully stabilized making it an ideal barrel material. In a sense it is a return to duty as this timber will once more serve in the marine environment and all the guns are serial numbered making them collector items in their own right.

These Ocean Rhino guns all use the new "hyperlink" line system seen in the third photo which is attached here.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	burmese teak Wind Song.jpg
Views:	471
Size:	95.3 KB
ID:	241848   Click image for larger version

Name:	Wind Song gun.jpg
Views:	433
Size:	152.6 KB
ID:	241849   Click image for larger version

Name:	hyperlink line system.jpg
Views:	471
Size:	67.2 KB
ID:	241850  

Last edited by popgun pete; 03-08-2019 at 09:54 PM. Reason: typo, once
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2019, 06:42 PM   #2
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

This is the "Wind Song" before she suffered an engine fire that spelled her end as a cruise vessel. One of three sister ships.

Due to the location and the economics of salvaging her she was eventually towed and sunk in over 9,000 feet of water, a rather sad end and a bit beyond recreational diving range, unless you have that fluidic breathing gear they used in "The Abyss" movie!

Last edited by popgun pete; 03-08-2019 at 06:55 PM.
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2019, 11:37 PM   #3
Spear One
Retired Comm. Shooter
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Largo, Florida
Posts: 5,140
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Thanks for posting about the new spearguns Pete. I will post a story soon about the Wind Song and the special teak that we were able to acquire from her before she went to her final resting place. It’s a pretty cool story...........
__________________
Ocean Rhino Spearguns: Designed & Built By Commercial Spearfishermen

Manufactured By: Spearfishing Specialties (727)-548-7686

E-mail: oceanrhino@gmail.com Web: OceanRhino.com
Spear One is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2019, 06:23 PM   #4
Tyson Brown
Mer*Man*. Mer-MAN!!!
 
Tyson Brown's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: New Port Richey, FL
Age: 42
Posts: 2,106
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Nice!
__________________
< this is a "sherpa."
Tyson Brown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2019, 01:13 AM   #5
RichT
Senior Member
 
RichT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Posts: 3,104
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

I got to see some the other day and they are really nice guns!
RichT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2019, 03:50 PM   #6
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Here is a photo of the muzzle equipped with a LED flashlight of 200 lumens (AA alkaline battery or 500 lumens using a rechargeable lithium ion battery). This photo also shows how the "hyperlink" system works which provides a quick changeover line system for swapping spears as you don't have to remove the line slide when doing transfers. Basically the front line (spear) tether and line slide are separate parts, a slider and a line collar that engages on the slider body.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	hyperlink line system and flashlight mounting.jpeg
Views:	151
Size:	95.6 KB
ID:	241852  

Last edited by popgun pete; 03-10-2019 at 04:16 PM.
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2019, 04:15 PM   #7
Spear One
Retired Comm. Shooter
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Largo, Florida
Posts: 5,140
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Quote:
Originally Posted by popgun pete View Post
Here is a photo of the muzzle equipped with a LED flashlight of 200 lumens (AA alkaline battery or 500 lumens using a rechargeable lithium ion battery). This photo also shows how the "hyperlink" system works which provides a quick changeover line system for swapping spears as you don't have to remove the line slide when doing transfers. Basically the front line tether and line slide are separate parts, a slider and a line collar that engages on the slider body.
Thanks for posting the Hyperlink picture Pete as I have no idea how to post pics. The greatest benefit of Hyperlink is for those who Freeshaft and lineshaft during a dive. Basically, a Hyperlink shaft performs exactly like a Freeshaft as you can easily pull the shaft/cone through a fish when the line is not attached. Conversely, when you need to switch to lineshaft to shoot a Cobia, Amberjack, or shoot under a wreck or ledge you can quickly convert the Hyperlink shaft to lineshaft by simply sliding the ring over the end of the spearshaft. So basically, a Hyperlink shaft is both a lineshaft and a Freeshaft.
__________________
Ocean Rhino Spearguns: Designed & Built By Commercial Spearfishermen

Manufactured By: Spearfishing Specialties (727)-548-7686

E-mail: oceanrhino@gmail.com Web: OceanRhino.com

Last edited by Spear One; 03-11-2019 at 05:28 PM.
Spear One is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2019, 04:50 PM   #8
Marcus
Naval gazer extraordinair
 
Marcus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,214
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Sweet new development, Kev. The wood is nice. What brand light did you go with? What's the interface connection? Is there only one company or more making this interface?
__________________
“If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind?”
― Frederic Bastiat, The Law
Marcus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2019, 04:53 PM   #9
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

A few more photos indicating how the "hyperlink" system works for using spare shafts stowed on your gun. The "hyperlink" shooting line change-over system was actually invented by Kevin, everything else is a copy if you have seen it elsewhere.



Serial numbers are branded into the muzzles from underneath.
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2019, 05:03 PM   #10
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Note that there were only so many feet of handrail on the "Wind Song", thus only a limited number of guns and that is it. Kevin sent me a document on how and where the timber was found and its history on how it got there, so I expect that he will soon post it here.

Last edited by popgun pete; 03-10-2019 at 06:22 PM.
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2019, 10:24 PM   #11
Spear One
Retired Comm. Shooter
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Largo, Florida
Posts: 5,140
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcus View Post
Sweet new development, Kev. The wood is nice. What brand light did you go with? What's the interface connection? Is there only one company or more making this interface?
Thanks Marcus. I was actually granted a US patent on this design back in 2012. Therefore, Hyperlink is proprietary technology that only we produce. I decided to call the system Hyperlink because hyper means quick/fast and link means connect.

The Power Tech 1 light came from a Chinese company that made a similar light. However, I had them modify the original design just for me so the light would install in the Ocean Rhino muzzle. There are several key benefits to having the light install like this.

1) There is no risk of shooting line entanglement on the light. Lights that install on the bottom or on the side of the barrel often protrude enough for the shooting line to snag on the back of the light.

2) Once you turn the light on, the light offers “hands free” usuage. Not having to hold a light in your hand while looking into a hole is a huge advantage. This allows you to keep both hands on the gun which makes it much easier to get perfect alignment on the shot.

3) The light has a rather narrow focused beam with a nice halo around it. Additionally, the light is directly under the spearshaft which helps you focus directly on the target.

4) The light is relatively small and light weight so it adds little nose weight to the gun.

5) The light takes a single AA alkaline battery and produces almost 200 lumens. If you use a AA lithium rechargeable batter it boosts the lumens to almost 500.
__________________
Ocean Rhino Spearguns: Designed & Built By Commercial Spearfishermen

Manufactured By: Spearfishing Specialties (727)-548-7686

E-mail: oceanrhino@gmail.com Web: OceanRhino.com

Last edited by Spear One; 03-11-2019 at 05:46 AM.
Spear One is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2019, 06:53 AM   #12
Spear One
Retired Comm. Shooter
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Largo, Florida
Posts: 5,140
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

So, here is the Wind Song story. I would like to thank Frank from Hook & Spear Charters for helping me edit the story. The original version was over 6 pages and admittedly a little more wordy than it needed to be. However, Frank helped me trim it down to 3 pages plus the price sheet so its a little easier read now. Hope you enjoy the story!

The Wind Song Story
By Kevin Bruington


Introduction: Spearfishing Specialties is proud to introduce an extremely limited series of spearguns, the KB Signature Wind Song Speargun and Ocean Rhino Wind Song Speargun. These spearguns are manufactured using teak hand rails salvaged from the 440 ft Holland America cruise ship, the MSY Wind Song.

The Wind Song, a 4 masted “Windjammer” style motor sailing ship, was built in France in 1987 and cruised throughout French Polynesia and Tahiti. While on a cruise in December of 2002, a catastrophic fire broke out in the wheelhouse and engine room that caused extensive damage to the ship. Fortunately, all passengers and crew were safely evacuated. The fire was eventually controlled and extinguished by the French Navy. However, the severity of the damage crippled the ship beyond repair and the Wind Song was declared a total loss.

Salvage companies were sent in to remove anything of value, including undamaged equipment, furnishings, and luckily the teak decking and hand rails. Once the salvage was completed, the Wind Song was towed to sea on its final journey. On January 22nd, 2003 she was scuttled in 9,843 feet of water just off Tahiti, at roughly a latitude of 17.45 South and a longitude of 149.48 West.

The teak decking and hand rails were shipped to the US and arrived at a Florida lumber yard in 2003. The hand rails remained there, forgotten, until late October 2018. I became aware of the existence of the hand rails by a dive buddy of mine who lives in the area. When I arrived to inspect the teak hand rails, they were on a very tall outside storage rack protected only by a tin roof. The rails had been drying and essentially “curing” in the Florida heat and humidity for over 15 years.

This slow air dry process is the preferred method of curing wood. Builders tend to purchase wood and dry it rapidly in a kiln. While this method makes the wood dry faster, the wood is more susceptible to warping, bowing, and twisting. The wood from the Wind Song was allowed to “acclimate” for over 15 years, making it extremely stable. This length of drying time is virtually unheard of these days, making this wood quite rare.

Additionally, the Wind Song wood is “old growth” Burmese Teak. Burmese Teak is known for its beautiful grain and wide ranging color palate. The colors range from a light pecan to a dark walnut with shades of orange and green intermixed into the grain. Once these spearguns are sanded and sealed with Tung Oil, the wood grain has a lot of depth and the colors are stunning. This unique and highly figured wood ensures that each speargun is an individual work of art and that no two are alike.

Researching the Origins of the Wood. After looking over this stunning wood, I made a deal to purchase all the hand rails and brought them back to the shop for trimming and prepping. At this time I did not know which ship the hand rails had come from, but judging from the age and quality of the wood, I knew it had a story to tell. I had asked the lumber yard employee if he had any idea what ship the hand rails had been removed from. He did not know and suggested I contact the lumber yard owner.

The lumber yard owner said he could not be 100% positive but he was pretty sure the hand rails had come from the Wind Song. While he was on an overseas trip purchasing teak for their lumber operations, he had gotten a call about a cruise ship that was being salvaged. He went to the ship and made a deal to purchase the teak decking and rails and shipped the teak to their lumber yard in Florida.

Based on this information, I was pretty certain that the hand rails I had purchased were likely from the Wind Song. However, I still needed additional verification before I felt comfortable claiming that these spearguns were made with Wind Song hand rails. I needed historical pictures of the Wind Song, showing the hand rails I had purchased.

So off to the internet I went, and thanks to Google, You Tube, and Wikipedia, I was able to get a lot of information about Wind Song very quickly. There were several really good photos and videos of the ship on the internet, including many photos of the fire, the evacuation, and close up pictures of the damage the ship suffered.

While I got some really good info on Wind Song from Wikipedia and You Tube, neither of those sites showed me the hand rail pictures I needed. Then it hit me, the Wind Song had two sister ships, the Wind Star and the Wind Spirit. Were they still sailing? If so, there may be pictures of those ships that might show the exact hand rails I had. After all, there were only three ships in this class ever built, I felt I could safely assume that the Wind Song was a duplicate of her sister ships. Back to the internet I went, to search for the Wind Star and Wind Spirit.

Sure enough, I found a link to book a cruise on Wind Star and Wind Spirit. Much to my amazement the sister ships were still commissioned and sailing. I decided to go to the cruise ship site www.windstarcruises.com and there, listed under current vessel is Wind Star and Wind Spirit. I clicked on Wind Star and there were over 50 photos of the interior of the ship. There were many photos that showed the teak hand rails which were the same shape and color of the ones I had in my shop. The rails surrounded the entire upper deck of the ship, the pool area, and the stairwells. They were a perfect match! This was the final piece of the puzzle, the evidence that I needed to be certain that these hand rails had indeed been salvaged from MSY Wind Song.

A New Speargun is Born. I have been building spearguns for close to 40 years and I have built many thousands of spearguns during that time. There is no doubt in my mind that these Wind Song series spearguns are the best spearguns I have ever built both materially and technologically. Each speargun barrel is hand milled using radial arm saws, table saws and routers. All Ocean Rhino Wind Song spearguns are built by me from start to finish. KB Signature and Ocean Rhino Wind Song spearguns have two new body shapes compared to our current line of Ocean Rhino spearguns.

This Wind Song Teak is close to 35 years old and is absolutely the most beautiful wood I have ever had the pleasure of working with. This teak is super stable and straight due to the unique drying and curing process it has gone through. It takes significant time and very meticulous measuring and cutting to remove just the right amount of wood so the grip and muzzle parts align and fit perfectly. Because I measure every piece out and plan all my cuts, the yield on this wood was virtually 100%. The only wood that got thrown away were the trimmed pieces I had to remove from the outer curved areas of the hand rails to get the wood down to the proper rough dimension to begin the milling process.

The Wind Song story is simply a great story. Everyone I have told about this wood and how I acquired it was just fascinated. Plus, the fact that these spearguns are built with reclaimed teak instead of removing existing trees makes them even more special.

Imagine the passengers who were on the Wind Song during a cruise. They are standing on the upper deck of the ship leaning on the hand rail with a drink in their hand. They are waving goodbye to the crowd during the “sail away” or maybe they are gazing out at the windswept ocean on a moonlit night. How could they ever, in their wildest imagination have known that the hand rails they were leaning on would someday return to the ocean as a speargun?

The history and the story associated with this Wind Song teak is quite unique and special. Therefore, I can only hope that these Wind Song Spearguns will someday find a special place in speargun history. I have a very limited supply of Wind Song Teak that yielded only 223 barrels. Because of that, I will only build 156 KB Signature Spearguns and 67 Ocean Rhino Wind Song Spearguns using Wind Song Teak.

Building custom wood spearguns requires a lot of hard work and dedication. However, for me it is a labor of love and very rewarding. When customers send me photos of the fish they have speared with one of my spearguns, it gives me great pride and satisfaction. The huge smile on their faces says it all!

The Wind Song Spearguns have been selling quickly and will likely sell out soon. If you are interested in purchasing a Wind Song Series Speargun, contact your local Ocean Rhino dealer or call or text Kevin @ 727-743-7686. You can also email us: oceanrhino@gmail.com.

Sorry, but these spearguns are not listed on our website at this time. www.oceanrhino.com

If you would like to learn more about about the cruise ship MSY Wind Song, there are several really good videos with color pictures of the ship on You Tube. Wikipedia also has some good information.


Models, Equipment, and Pricing:

KB Signature Spearguns are a limited edition run. The teak hand rails we acquired yielded enough wood to produce 156 KB Signature spearguns in 4 lengths. These spearguns will have serial numbers from 00 to 154.

All KB Signature Spearguns include:
1) Hyperlink Lineshaft System
2) Spare Shaft Holder
3) Flat Wishbone 5/8” dia. Bands
4) Kevin Bruington's signature branded on the barrel
5) Serial number stamped into the barrel
6) Barrel dimension is approx: 1.90” tall and 1.50” wide
7) Tung Oil Finish

Model # MSRP
TX2KB-HL $699.00
TX3KB-HL $739.00
TX4KB-HL $779.00
TX5KB-HL $839.00


Ocean Rhino Wind Song Spearguns have a slightly smaller barrel height compared to the KB Signature barrel. The teak hand rails we acquired yielded enough wood to produce just 65 Ocean Rhino Wind Song Spearguns in 3 lengths. These spearguns will have serial numbers from 00 to 63.

All Ocean Rhino Wind Song Spearguns include:
1) Hyperlink Lineshaft System
2) Flat Wishbone 5/8” dia. Bands
3) Ocean Rhino branded on the barrel
4) Serial number and letters WS stamped into the barrel
5) Barrel dimension is approx: 1.50” tall and 1.50” wide
6) Tung Oil Finish

Model # MSRP
TX3WS-HL $599.00
TX4WS-HL $649.00
TX5WS-HL $699.00
__________________
Ocean Rhino Spearguns: Designed & Built By Commercial Spearfishermen

Manufactured By: Spearfishing Specialties (727)-548-7686

E-mail: oceanrhino@gmail.com Web: OceanRhino.com

Last edited by Spear One; 03-11-2019 at 08:10 AM.
Spear One is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2019, 05:45 PM   #13
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

I own an Ocean Rhino RX with the black coated timber barrel, it being one of the early versions studded with bolts in the rear end which have now been reduced in number and make the gun a lot lighter than it used to be.


The Ocean Rhino is a very handy gun with a quick line rigging and transport system and has one of the best safety mechanisms on the market, something that should be on all spearguns, provided that owners use them properly. One day regulators will step in and require spearguns to have a working safety as up until now we have had a pretty free hand and have largely been left to our own devices. For those who say safeties cost fish I can only say try telling that to the Judge at your trial! Let us hope it never comes to that, but I can assure you that such cases have already been through the courts and often the presence of a safety has been pivotal in someone not having all their possessions sold off to pay costs and damages.
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2019, 09:22 AM   #14
Mana'squal
Registered User
 
Mana'squal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: North East US
Posts: 370
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Quote:
Originally Posted by popgun pete View Post
The Ocean Rhino is a very handy gun with a quick line rigging and transport system and has one of the best safety mechanisms on the market, something that should be on all spearguns, provided that owners use them properly. One day regulators will step in and require spearguns to have a working safety as up until now we have had a pretty free hand and have largely been left to our own devices. For those who say safeties cost fish I can only say try telling that to the Judge at your trial! Let us hope it never comes to that, but I can assure you that such cases have already been through the courts and often the presence of a safety has been pivotal in someone not having all their possessions sold off to pay costs and damages.
There doesnt seem to be much in the way of options for safeties for home builders that i have found.

Do you have any links in regard to that, specifically for midhandle speargun safety systems?
Mana'squal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2019, 02:20 PM   #15
popgun pete
Registered User
 
popgun pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,245
Re: Ocean Rhino "Wind Song" Special Edition Spearguns

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mana'squal View Post
There doesnt seem to be much in the way of options for safeties for home builders that i have found.

Do you have any links in regard to that, specifically for midhandle speargun safety systems?
Ideally you need two safeties, an anti-push rod bump safety (automatic) and a mechanism safety down the back, such as Jay uses which involves a pin on a thick mono tag. In Riffe guns that pin is inserted longitudinally into the sear box rear, but a transverse pin will work in most mechanisms which you pull out after completing cocked gun rigging. Basic principle is "a spanner in the works".

http://www.spearboard.com/showthread...=140346&page=3

http://www.spearboard.com/showthread...=140346&page=4
popgun pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:16 AM.


The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Social Media Forum Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2002 - 2014 Spearboard.com