[mykidsluvfishin]

I have taken a particular party boat for a few years now both for personal trips with my son, as well as for my organization. I have always been impressed by the kindness, patience, professionalism and enthusiasm displayed by the Captain and the crew. (In particular when I organize events for my organization when we take our adults with disabilities out for a day of fishing.)Even on days when fishing was slow, the crew made the trip enjoyable and informative as they passed on knowledge about fishing.

I have always recommended this boat to others.

Over the weekend, I took a trip on this boat with my son, expecting the same level of service.

We got on the boat early and were given our spots - then we got "bumped" because we were told that "they needed the spot for a group".

Next, the boat became maxed out with passengers. - Instead of cutting off the passengers when the boat got full, we had a steady stream of patrons getting on, then having to leave the boat when there was no room. Then, the boat was held and left 10 minutes late while they waited for someone from the group to arrive?

As the boat left, it was clear that they didn't have enough mates for a regular trip - much less a maxed out boat. An experienced passenger (who evidently was known on the boat) began helping to set up the rigs.

When the bait was passed out, the spearing was already in poor shape (limp, guts protruding etc.)- bait was not refreshed during the trip.

With a maxed out boat and a number of novice anglers aboard it was predictable that we would have alot of tangled lines, inculding 3 and 4 way tangles, along with the always fun "underneath the boat" tangle.

The short staffed crew couldnd't keep up, and at one point all lines were ordered up - and the boat didn't move while lines were cleared.

Throughout the day there were delays as anglers waited for tangles to be cleared - fish to be removed or netted etc. - This boat was very lucky that fishing happened to be slow!

A novice angler had been previously instructed by others to call for a mate when he landed a fluke. (because of their propensity to flap off the hook) He brought the fluke to the surface and called for a mate - the Captain came out on the deck and yelled at the patron "Let it fall off - it's a short anyway!"

At the end of the trip the Captain didn't even bother to thank the patrons for their support. (Which one would think is important -especially on a day when there were only a handful of keepers - and when we know that boats are struggling due to rising gas prices.)

To add insult to injury I went to the boats website to check their report. While they accurately reported the results from their successful A.M. trip (Based on the fluke carcasses I saw while getting on the boat), they inflated the # of keepers on my trip by 5X!!!!!!

Business is business, and $ is tight - Maybe I should start taking my business elsewhere?

 

[codmaster]

I probably would at least look around, given your report. Wonder how many people would have been as nice as you were to move from a favorite spot??

This post edited by codmaster 12:38 AM 08/05/2008

 

[Captneilf]

Good morning,

You state that many fine trips have been experienced by your groups in the past. That is a good indication of the business operation.

It sounds to me like they had a bad day. This is a very difficult season for the pb operations. Not working a boat this year I am out of the loop abit. Lack of patrons may mean mates have looked else where for money making opportunities. Maybe all the anglers came out of the wood work on the same day. Who knows what the real answers are.

I would go right to the source, the OWNER. Contact the person, explain what happened, I am sure he/she knows about the trip, give the person the chance to reply.

Think about all the times these PB's sail with so few people and they could have stayed tied to the dock. I am sure anglers enjoy those trips. A full deck load this year is hard to get.

Talk to the owner.

Neil

 

[Seajay2]

Where you sail out of? I have a number of Long Island, Sheepshead bay and bronx PB's that I have sailed on that I can suggest for you, PM me with the location.

 

[fisherdanski]

Definitely talk to the owner. As a longtime customer, he should take what you have to say seriously, which will help him make sure days like that don't happen again. At the very least, he should make sure you aren't bumped from your spot!

 

[637089]

I Had the same thing happen to myself and a friend on a northshore partyboat a few years ago. We arrived at 6am we loaded all our gear in position on the rail and enjoyed a little breakfast as we looked forward to the boat sailing at 7 am. about 650 am a mate starts moving our gear and putting someone elses gear in our spot when we complained we were told that they had a group outing booked and that they would get the best spots. The sign hanging on the boat said OPEN BOAT 7AM BLUES. I have fished partyboats for many years and always thought it was first come first served . IFyou are running a charter say so when people board . we would have fished elsewhere. As things turned out 1/2 the group got drunk and the capt made little effort to locate fisH. I would fish 15 times a season on this boat , a pretty steady customer . that was my last trip on that boat.

 

[fish4me]

Having been a loyal patron for all these years, I would go to the Capt.
Maybe it was just a bad day. We all have them.

 

[MakoMike]

Definately contact the owner or the captain and tell them whathappened, they aren't in business to drive customers away. If they are good buisiness ment they will do what they can to make things right. If you don't get any satisfaction, then its time to find a new boat.

 

[crabman1130]

I'd tell the owner about how you felt. Ask him if this is a standard pratice with him. If so, find a new boat.

BTW I would never fish on a railled boat. There is always tomorrow.

 

[CaptPaul]

I don't know of too many operations, including some of the "high level" ones, that will turn away the opportunity to rail their vessel. Very few of us will limit the size of a group we take. The number of profitable days of the season become fewer each year, and the expenses climb. Some operations are more up-front and fair about it, but a full boat is a full boat.

You can call ahead and ask if they have any groups coming that day, and make a decision from there. If you are lied to, then you know. Otherwise, understand that businesses need to make money, as the owner should understand if you need to get off on such a trip.

Paul

 

[aFineCatch]

Was this an owner/operator running the boat, or some rent a hack? If the second, I'd put the blame dead center on the hack. Good boats can have the occasional loser employee. How they respond to your feedback (assuming you give it) will show their true colors.

 

[CaptPaul]

Can you charge the "rent-a-hack" w/ undercrewing the boat, booking a large group, and not having them set up until close to the sailing time? It's easy for an owner to schedule a different operator on a nightmare trip. looks better for him, and easier to explain.

Paul

 

[Captneilf]

"or some rent a hack"

As a USCG licensed captain who was not fortunate to own his own pb I take offense at that statement! Why? First, because I worked very hard to be the very best mariner for customers safety. Secondly, I worked as hard as I could to uphold the owners standards and also up grade them while treating the customers to a fish and a fun filled trip.

None of us except the originator of the thread was on that pb. We do not really know what happened and why. You have to go right up to the capt while on the vessel if you have a problem, real or perceived.

I will accept your apology on behalf of all the fine captains that operate owners vessels.

Captain Neil, Retired

 

[ctwhitechin]

Rent a hack????

I don't know but some of the sharpest guys I fished with never owned their own boat, and some "Rent a Hacks" started running other peoples boats and now have very very successful businesses of their own.

"Hired professional Captain" is more like it

 

[aFineCatch]

Certainly there are exceptions. Probably the best capt on LI, Kenny from the Laura Lee, is a hired professional capt. The owner/operator of a certain non sponsor in Huntington has earned the worst rep of any partyboat capt anywhere.

But those are exceptions. The capt runs the boat. If he chooses not to care, I'd bet on him being a rent a hack most of the time.

 

[mykidsluvfishin]

Thanks for the feedback - I e-mailed the owner and got an acceptable response - chalk it it to a bad day I guess.

 

[Captneilf]

Interesting?

aFineCatch

I did not see an apology in your last post. You insulted many fine hired captains!!!

CN

 

[fredbird]

What I did

Since Sunday was such a nice day, I decided at the last minute to head to Captree to fish the 1pm trip. I arrived at 12:20p and waited for the boat. I would normally board the boat as soon as possible in order to secure my favorite spot, but not this time. While I was waiting I noticed a lot of people milling around and I'm thinking - are they ALL waiting for the same boat? The answer was yes. After counting over 70 passengers, I decided it would be more enjoyable to eat my Pastrami King sandwich and go home, rather than deal with all the tangles for the possibility of catching a decent-sized flat fish.
The boat was so full that the capt was asking for extra deck hands from the other boats. Not sure whether he was successful or not.

To my amazement, I saw people running to the boat from the parking lot when I was leaving.

As for forcing people to move for a group, I would've been upset. It's not right.

This is not a charter.

 

[TonySMJC]

just asking

What would you do

A customer calls hey Tony
We are coming down today me and a few guys like 10 put us up in the (pick your favorite spot)end of the day the deck hand forgets to put up the rods. You come down and take one of the reserved spots

What would you do?

As to "rent a hacks"
Some of the best operation run multiple boats on multiple trips per day

Even the small operations run 2 or 3 trips

Hired captains on the whole are good some great and all very much needed and appriciated

Some of the best captains I have ever meet were hired

And do you really think that if a boat had to sail even with the greenest new capt that the owner or full time capt ever sends the boat out cluelee
Just like on your jobs if we need to send a relief guy he gets the full rundown
Where we found em where we didn't what time what tide what piece of bottom the whole thing its not like youy ever get on a boat where the guy at the wheel doesn't have a clue
In this age of electronics its really not a problem except maybe in the deepeest water or on the toughest days bottom fishing

As Capt. Neil said you owe a lot of good men an appology

Getting of a crowded boat and scrambling for crew

In years gone bye that was nevwr a problem most days you knew what crew you would need and rarely would you need to send a guy home due to a light crowd
Now a days its common to only have enough work for 1 or 2 deck hands so what can you do other than scramble when a full load shows up

I can understand not wanting to fish with a crowd but if you are a regular on that boat and he has taken light crowds in the past then I think you should have taken your sandwhich and gone

Just my opinion on that

Its a different industry than it was some years back
We try to understand the changing dynamic of customers without rods who only want to go in pristine condition one day and seasoned old salts that want to go no matter what the next

Light crowds when we sjould be railed and large crowds when we should have none

Regs that change what seemslike daily
And the never ending day where one or more boats sail round the clock if they are turning a profit or not

So try not to be in such a hurry to kick a guy who took a few passengers or had to scramble for crew one day

He's not trying to screw ya he's just trying to keep all the balls in the air so you have a place to fish and they can pay the mtg.

I'm not complaining or bitchin
I chose to do what I do and still enjoy it Just a trying to give some of you guys that think they know how it really is a little better idea
How it really is

Wow you know how long it takes to type something this long on a blackberry

 

[Seajay2]

Perfectly ok for a captain to have a large group on the boat along with other fares, and if it is railed and crowded with inexperienced fares causing tangles, well that is part of open PB fishing.

It is OK to ask people if they don't mind moving to accomodate a group. But for the mates to decide to move people's poles without permission is plain wrong. Possibly the mates did it on their own to make their group happier and get bigger tips. But if the Captain is going to be asleep while this happens he is just as wrong and would cause me to question his judgment on other matters of greater importance. Talking to him after the fact may make him change in the future, but it may not.

I have sailed on many hundreds of PB trips over the years on many different PBs, have seen a few boneheaded things done and have rarely crossed any PBs off of my list, but in this case I would do so.