[frankiesurf]

My wife won a charter trip out to Shinne**** in a benefit raffle. I have never been on a charter trip and was wondering what the customary tip should be. It is for a half day with four people with drinks and snacks included plus all rods, tackle and bait provided.

 

[TonySMJC]

tip

15/20 % of the charter fee or what the charter fee would be

on a six man boat full day 20 per man is the norm with many days well above that few if any trip tip less.

but its is a tip and based on service so if the service is less than stellar ,tip a little less but make sure to let someone know why.

And not catching or having to release fish is NOT A GOOD REASON
for a small or no tip

goodluck and enjoy your trip

 

[MisterX]

$20/person is the minimum I would tip. If the service was good and you enjoyed yourself, $30 per would be a nice gesture.

Take care of the crew and they will take care of you!

 

[SomedayCame]

This sounds like a great trip you have lined up...I must agree with Tony..15% to 20% of what this trip would cost you normally. Taking everything that tony has put in place as well.. Service,skill level,removal of fish,bait the hook, etc,etc,etc..The list goes on..If the captain and crew do the best they can for you and your charter than it seems resonable. This is a benefit trip correct...So the Captain isn't making a dime on this, and if there is a mate the captain still has to pay the mate for the work on deck..Well, all I can say is use your best judgement..Seems like a pretty cool thing to donate a trip for a benefit!!!What was the benefir for!!

Kudos to the Capt. for taking the time to donate to what I can only imagine is a good cause!!!

Capt. Brad

 

[Seajay2]

I don't tip charter captains, they own the business and keep the charter fees. If the captain donated his time that was his choice, donate some money in his name to the same charity if you want to be generous.

If they have a mate (not all charters do) then a minimum of a $50 tip should be given from the party assuming he isn't a #?>@. More if he is provides top notch service.

 

[ag3]

Seajay2 wrote:
I don't tip charter captains, they own the business and keep the charter fees. If the captain donated his time that was his choice, donate some money in his name to the same charity if you want to be generous.

If they have a mate (not all charters do) then a minimum of a $50 tip should be given from the party assuming he isn't a #?>@. More if he is provides top notch service.

I know many captains that do NOT own the boat. Dont assume the captain owns the boat.

 

[MakoMike]

Seajay2 wrote:
I don't tip charter captains, they own the business and keep the charter fees. If the captain donated his time that was his choice, donate some money in his name to the same charity if you want to be generous.

If they have a mate (not all charters do) then a minimum of a $50 tip should be given from the party assuming he isn't a #?>@. More if he is provides top notch service.

In addition to what Al has said, does you statement mean that you don't leve a tip in a resturant if the owner is your waiter? What about Taxis? Do you make sure the driver doesn't own the cab before you tip? My point is that you tip for good service, period. It shouldn't make a difference whether the person that provided that service is the owner or an employee.

 

[janus]

Frank,

I know your wife is going get a really nice Xmas gift from you this year.


congrats



Les iii

 

[TonySMJC]

tipping owners and captains

As an ower I as a rule politly decline tips on occassion a customers is so pursuasive that I am forced to accept either not to insult them or because they stash it behind my back

That said most trips are run by hired captains and crews

full day trips carry a Captain and deck hand while 1/2 days only a captain who does double duty in order to keep the price at a resonable level.
He as a rule sets up your trip, rigs the rods , gets and preps the boat , untangles your backlashes and fillets and bags your catch . then cleans up after you and cleans the boat . All part of a days work , and well deserving of a decent tip.

And in keeping with my new hold nothing back policy here on nor east

50 bucks as a base tip is JUST PLAIN CHEAP

In reality if you leave a 50 buck tip on the charter boat you better have a **** good reason and tell me about it so I can suspend or fire that captain or deck hand the did you wrong.
I have had charters that left tips in the 30 to 50 dollar range and even a passenger on an open oat trip that left a 5 dollar tip on a 120.00open spot . None had a bad word to say about the operation. One said he didnt really need any help so he never tipped much . 1 group said they didnt catch enough and 1 said they didnt realize that was standard practice to tip 15%. Fact is the spots on the boat and dates are just as valuable to the crew as to me , if I allow dead beats to fill the spots my quality crew will not earn and therfore leave and I and my remaing customers would be stuck with 2nd rate hacks

Well after explaining it 2 the 1st 2 to no avail they were told that if they ever rebooked the tip would be added to there bill in advance
And if they couldnt deal with it they were free to book elsewhere

They guy who didnt know is now a regular and top shelf patron

Most operation work hard to provide top tier captain and deck hands
fact is they a top shelf crew is woth every penny in pay and tip that they get
If you think that a top shelf operation will be able to maintain the highest level of service on low budget tips your sadly mistaken. The lack of ability to earn is one of the reasons so many operations are stuck with 1/2 azzed crews

There are only so many days in a season Thats why it only takes 1 time . While the customer is paramount .The crew is very high on the list, an operation is only as good as the crew.

Years ago some resturants went to manditory tipping on large tables
then some when to manditory tipping on all bills

I truly see that coming to the charter and PB industry

While I toyed with the idea of higher pay which equates to higher fares and no tipping . It takes away some of the incentive , to be at your best at all times.

 

[aFineCatch]

It is regional. For instance, went on a 2 day Yankee Capts Dry Tortugas trip. 50% super regulars. The kind of regulars who go behind the counter to get tackle, have birthday cake on board, etc. At the end, they passed the hat. I asked the guy with the hat,who does 20 of these trips a year and who also charters the boat, for his advice. He said $20. On a $300 fare. At $20, I was on the high end of the tippers. Same at the dock for fish cleaning. Asked the mate. $1/fish. For a 12# mutton snapper? OK.

Similar in Alaska on a halibut trip. 12 hours, almost a $300 fare. Mate said $20 is a good tip, inclusive of fish cleaning (two 30lb class halibut). Every fish was gaffed, handled and iced by the mate.

In NY or NJ? No way.

 

[baywatch]

As Usual

Tony once again you amaze me, not only with your reply but your honest good/bad reports as well.

To bad more Captains don't measure up to your standards.

Hopefully this year I will be in November for the Riverview again and maybe we could hook this time weather and time permiting.

Now for the topic..

First he donated a charter at his expence, fuel bait etc.

Second if he is going to have mate I would make 2 seperate tips, 1 for the fuel and bait and 1 for the mates work. I would take a guess saying it will probaly be just the Captain depending on the size of the boat and being a donated trip, so that case what you would of split amoungst the 2 give the whole thing to the Captain

Third it shows some character for him to do this especially if a charatable cause.

My reasoning is this.

If your running a 6 pack and have a mate that's what the mate depends on for a good part of his wage, especially if he is good and doesn't need the Captains assistance. At that point I would suggest 20% of the noraml fee. I they are exceptaional maybe 25%.

The thing that really burns my A$$ is there used to be a fuel service charge on some boats for offshore trips ( prior to this fuel prices we have now), but then they incorpaorated into the base package. So a 1200 dollar charter is now 1600, thus increasing the tip by 80 bucks @ 20%

For the Captain/owner operator it sort a makes me think that he is in it just for the money especially not having a mate for a full 6 people simple words just a hungery type guy.

For doing a smaller charter 2-3 on a smaller boat (21-25 foot boat) the price and expence of running that small charter should be included as cost of doing bussiness.

For this particular situation I would say YES to tipping no matter if it's Captain owner/operator or a for hire captain who is not the owner.

We have flats guides that take no more then 2 people out for there normal rate and I would not tip them as they own the boat. God forbid you wanted to add a 3rd person, the rate jumped up about 35%. Needless to say I don't have a lot of respect for some of these bandits which IMHO is exactly what they are.

I had one guide I fished with for years before I moved down her full time and he was the only person I used, sometime 2-5 times a year and I never tipped him. He was grateful that I was just a return client dedicated to him.

Good example that had happened down here is once there was a group of 16 wounded service people looking to visit the area. A post was made by a local inshore guide of this and asked for volunters to donate there time and boat.

Needless to say in about 3 hours he had over 40 Captains (including myself) offer there services, boat and tackle. I am not a charter boat but do carry a 100 ton ticket.

Within 8 hours the word spread and B&T shope donated, bait, chum, some used tackle that was for sale. ice etc.

Then one marina offered free overnight dockage for a shotgun start, fuel, boxed lunches for the soldiers and one resturant chipped in a full blow out BBQ at the end of the day.

No one wanted or expected as much as a dime, just a good will act by all.

 

[TonySMJC]

woah easy boy

remember same to same

how many Passengers on these trips its not so much regional as getting a fair days pay

sure yankee capts tortugas trip had what 25 to 40 passengers aboard @ 20 pp avg thats a 600.00 to 800.00 wack plus fish cleaning $$ 3 deck hands 200 to 275 per plus fish cleaning plus pay add in the few $$ in side tips that the guys got thats a fare day

The alask trip how many anglers 6 , 8, 10

at 8 its 160 plus pay 12 hour trip that could be ok

We were talking about chartrs and more specific small ones 3 to 6 man

Its all dependant on the amount of Customers and type of trip

 

[onitis]

How much should you as a charterer of a boat tip the guy who delivers the bait that morning?How much should you tip the fuel guy if the boat stops for fuel?If upon returning to the dock somebody hands a line to the mate to tie up,how much to him?Where does it end or begin?I worked my whole life nobody ever gave me a tip.Doesnt the salary of a charter boat captain which must be at least $200-300 a day preclude me of tipping him?Should i tip my Dr. if he cures me or at least tries?

 

[PURSUITWA]

What is the custom for tipping on an owner/ operator small boat charter. 1 captain ( who is the owner) and 2 passengers for a full day trip. I'm assuming the price for the charter includes the current price of gas, bait, his profit etc. Do you tip then? Just a question, not trying to stir a pot here.

 

[MakoMike]

PURSUITWA wrote:
What is the custom for tipping on an owner/ operator small boat charter. 1 captain ( who is the owner) and 2 passengers for a full day trip. I'm assuming the price for the charter includes the current price of gas, bait, his profit etc. Do you tip then? Just a question, not trying to stir a pot here.


Personally I would tip 15-20% depending on the service, personability, etc. But when I've been on the other end (Captain working alone) I have gotten amounts ranging from nothing to 40%. So I guess there really isn't any "norm."

 

[justpassinthru2]

TIPPING..........................

Tipping, IMHO, is for someone who provides above and beyond services. I know I don't get tipped for coming to work and I don't know anybody who does. If you do you're job the way you are supposed to, (what you are getting paid to do) why should you deserve a tip or even accept one????? Now on the other hand if you do more than what your job calls for and you do it well or above average, then you deserve a tip. A tip for doing your job.......it won't come from my pocket. This country has gotten to use to slacking as being the norm, so when someone actually does their job properly, they get tipped..........that?s a load of crap! If someone does not do their job properly, the customer should get the tip for tolerating incompetence! That would straighten out the countries labor force by golly! One more thing......if a fuel surcharge is incorporated into the charted fee, why should someone include that when figuring a 20% tip???????? The tip should only be based upon the services received during the charter and the base fee of the charter........nothing else. After all, the mate is being compensated by the captain for doing his basic job....... Sorry if I ruffled some feathers but this is an area that ticks me off. Incompetence has become this countries way of life. I pride myself on the workmanship I provide to my computer customers. THAT is what keeps me in business, not the tips that I politely refuse......

 

[baywatch]

PURSUITWA wrote:
What is the custom for tipping on an owner/ operator small boat charter. 1 captain ( who is the owner) and 2 passengers for a full day trip. I'm assuming the price for the charter includes the current price of gas, bait, his profit etc. Do you tip then? Just a question, not trying to stir a pot here.


I would not tip for a one man show, everything is cost of doing business as I said earlier.

M/M 40% for a tip? Either your the best Captain in the world or you were naked...LOL

 

[DarthBaiter]

"I don't tip"
"I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job. "

Sry couldn't resist...watched the film again a few days ago. Makes you realize why he was "Mr. Pink"...

When I'm on a charter boat, me and my buddies tip at least $30 each on a full day boat. That works out to around $150 or more depending on the service(leave me alone and keep me in bait), for the boat. How the Capt and the mate divide it is up to them.

 

[rastamon]

you're getting a good trip for free for 4 people, you are blessed. Throw the guy $100 if his service is good.

 

[TonySMJC]

one more time

Some Jobs are tip based

Deck hand is one of them a party boat deck hand gets between 50 and highest I have seen gets 75 for a full day trip

1/2 day guys get 40 to 50 per 1/2 Thats for what turns into an 11 hour day.

Highest paid Charter boat guys on deck get 90 a day thats for a 10 hour day by the time they go home.

If you think you could get good , drug free , english speaking deck hands for this without the addition of tips you have lost your mind.

If I was to pay a good deck hand his worth without tipping , and keeping with my current policy of no chage fish cleaning , no crew fishing, no pullers and no fish selling
The fare would be close to 50 per half day and over 60 at night on the party boat

The charter fee would go up over 100.00

while you think a Captain gets 200 to 300 per trip Captains pay has beeen flat I draw 150 to 200 on either boat.A hired capt with a small cut from a deck tip from the deck hand or from running the whole with a light crowd Captain can maybe get 250 for what turns into a 9 or 10 hour day 25 an hour to take you and your loved ones out safely and provide years of exp. Not a king ransome.

You guys who dont tip are just stirring the pot or making excuses for you stingyness. YOUR CHEAP just say it and then take the screwing you deserve when you frequent a boat the second time.

I dont make the rules
Waiters work for tips
door men live for the holiday tip
cabbies tips
Fuel station attendants at full stations get tipped wash the windowsbigger tip
The guy who fuels the boat his helper gets a tip

There is a begning and an end you are just to foolish to see it Because you just want an excuse for being CHEAP

i have worked both sides and do currently I would never take or expect a tip on my day job. When i run the boat or work the deck i draw the same pay as everyone else and can tell you everyone gets good service but a few well placed $$ go a very very long way . And even when i turn it down is very very much appriciated .

im telling you its coming manditory tipping for large groups and charters and even mandated pool splits . That or severly increesed fares . If not watch the crews on the boats that dont do somthing to ensure there mates get a fair day .
You think some boats have skelly junkie mates now Watch and see what next.

lets see what you guys think a fair days pay is in NY NJ for a 9 to 11 hour day as either a Captain or deck hand on a Party or Charter boat. Once I see you numbers I will show you a few ways to get there.
Remenber we are talikng about Clean, Exp. , legal residents Remember the Charter and Party boat industry in ny and nj as far as i know employees all legal worker no illegals here.

I for one will ensure my crew is properly compensated the are the second most important thing to my operation after the customer