The FV Odysea is the deep sea charter to book on Cape Cod when giant bluefin tuna is the goal. Running out of MacMillan Pier in Provincetown, the boat has appeared on the Wicked Tuna television show, but the real reason to book it is location and record: it carries a perfect 5.0 across 98 trips, and Provincetown sits closer to the Stellwagen Bank tuna grounds than any other Cape port, so the run to the fish is short. Captain Ralph runs a tight, well reviewed operation built around bluefin and inshore striped bass.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.5 the Odysea is second in the Cape Cod ranking and a book with confidence call, the pick for a small group chasing giant bluefin tuna without a long steam to the grounds. It suits an inshore striped bass day just as well. The honest limit is scope. This is a 32 foot Downeast boat that fishes up to six, built around tuna and striped bass rather than the full groundfish and multi day menu that the Helen H fleet offers out of Hyannis. For a larger boat after shark and tuna out of Barnstable, the Lady J review is the call. Compare the field on the Cape Cod ranking.
The boat
The Odysea is a 32 foot BHM Downeast cabin cruiser, a 1988 hull restored in 2021, on a single 375 horsepower Caterpillar diesel. It is the classic New England tuna boat shape, a sea kindly Downeast hull with a cabin to get out of the weather on the run, and the restoration means an older boat in sound condition. It fishes up to six, though the inshore trips are priced for four, which keeps the deck workable when a big bluefin is on. It is a smaller, more personal boat than the head boats and the larger sportfishers in the port, which is the trade off: less room, but a single dedicated captain and a short run to the tuna.
The fishing and what you target
This is a bluefin tuna and striped bass operation. The headline trip is the 10 hour giant bluefin run, leaving at 5 a.m. for the Stellwagen Bank and backside grounds that sit close to Provincetown, June into the fall. The inshore half and full day trips work the rips off the tip of the Cape for striped bass and bluefish, with Spanish mackerel and herring around. Bluefin tuna is a federally managed fishery, so the boat carries the Highly Migratory Species permit and a licensed captain, and the retention rules are set by NOAA and change through the season. Striped bass runs under a one fish slot limit. What the Odysea does not do is the groundfish and cod menu, which is a head boat job.
Trips and prices
The pricing is clear and booked by the whole boat. A 4 hour inshore half day is $800 for up to 4 anglers, a full 8 hour day is $1,600, and the 10 hour bluefin tuna trip is $2,200 for up to 4. Extra guests beyond four are $50 each on the half day and $100 each on the full day, and fish cleaning is included. For a giant bluefin trip, $2,200 on a boat with a short run to the grounds is fair value, since much of a Cape tuna day can be spent steaming. Our cost guide puts the rates in context, and the head boat versus private charter guide covers the private format, which is what you book here.
The crew
Captain Ralph runs the boat as an owner operator, so you fish with the same captain who takes your booking, and the 98 reviews behind a perfect 5.0 describe a hard working, knowledgeable captain who is good with families and puts in the effort to find fish. The record is deep enough and recent enough, with catches logged through late 2025, to read as a genuine pattern rather than a lucky run. For a bluefin boat, where the difference between a captain who knows the grounds and one who does not is the whole trip, that track record is the main thing you are buying.
Booking and what to know
Book through the FishingBooker listing, well ahead for the prime summer and fall tuna weeks. Bring food, drink, layers for the early start, and a cooler; gear is aboard and cleaning is included. The 5 a.m. departure on the tuna trip is early even by charter standards, so plan the night before. For a group larger than six, or for a groundfish trip, look to one of the larger boats in the port.
How we scored it
The Odysea earns its 8.5 on a perfect, deep review record, a genuine bluefin tuna program, and the shortest run to the tuna grounds of any Cape port. Track record and captain and crew are its strongest factors. It sits just below the flagship on scope: a smaller boat with a tuna and striped bass focus rather than the full deep sea menu. See how we scored this boat and the Cape Cod rankings, including Helen H and Lucky Lady II.