Do you motivate and manage those around you? Do you inspire others to care and take pride in their work? Do you lead by example?
I believe one of my greatest accomplishments and rewards is seeing those that have worked under me move forward and thrive in what is becoming an increasingly competitive industry. I would never take credit for their achievements, but I hope that my leadership and mentorship played a role in their path to success.
(Photo/Bayliss Boatworks)
There are many “good,” but far fewer “great,” captains and mates floating around the industry. The age-old question from owners, captains, and aspiring captains is how to make it to the top echelon, make a name for yourself and maintain that status as a great captain or a great crewmate. For many, the answer might not be what you expect: a symbiotic relationship amongst all the members of the crew, even the owner.
(Photos/Pepper Ailor)
Watching a NASCAR race can be monotonous until a crash occurs. Many spectators tune in for hours in the hopes to see a few seconds of a death-defying wreck. You watch the race carefully for hours, scheduling restroom and food breaks in conjunction with commercials, or if watching live, a dash to the concessions. Normally, the moment you step away from the action you miss the big event. This same scenario takes place every day while sportfishing; long days at the helm or in the cockpit and a lot of open ocean can easily create a mind-numbing scenario for even the best crew.
Photo courtesy: Simrad
As much as we’d like to take credit for a great idea, longtime subscriber and boat owner Mr. Saeed Almaktoum provided the inspiration for this article. Saeed sent us a note suggesting such an editorial regarding role ambiguity after reading the 2019 Captain & Owner’s Guide.
“I have a background in the aviation business. If I leave one company to go to another, the standard operating procedures are the same—even from one country to the next. The expectations and the job description are almost identical. We have standard operating procedures and guidelines for every employee to know what is expected of them,” he says. “Strangely, when it comes to boating, a multimillion-dollar business, I could not find a guide that defined the expectations that a boat owner should have of his captain.”
By Jan Fogt
After talking to owners and captains about the best way to ask for a raise, we came away with this startling conclusion: most captains rely on their boss’s goodwill to provide cost of living and merit raises even though such raises usually are negotiated upfront in the business world.
Considering the majority of big game captains today manage hard assets costing well over a million dollars we think being a licensed sportfishing captain should be considered a professional occupation. Yet few captains and owners see the owner-crew relationship quite that way.
By Dave Ferrell
Taking the helm of a sportfishing boat, traveling the world’s oceans in pursuit of billfish, represents a “dream job” for a whole lot of people…many of which have never spent much time offshore. The image of a tanned captain, beard wagging in the sea breeze, steering the boat over the horizon with nothing but freedom and fishing on the calendar for the days ahead, fuels a lot of daydreams in corporate boardrooms all across America. It’s like being a quarterback for the Dolphins (Give me a break, I’m from Florida!)…you just can’t imagine having a bad day at the office!
By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie
What is life like after being the “Big Skipper?”
What do captains do when they want to quit traveling and spending many months each year away from home? Well, I have observed that many captains who have been at the helm for 20 or 30 years, have changed careers so they can stay at home and do things they never had the time to do as a traveling captain. Things that may seem simple to people in other professions—like spending time with family and friends, personal travel, and attending some sporting events—are sometimes not possible for traveling captains.
By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie
I’ve witnessed a few crew changes over the last several months on some pretty nice sportfishing boats. Let’s face it, crew turnover is inevitable. Sometimes a mate will take a job opportunity to try his luck at the helm. Other times a mate will be fired or quit for one reason or another. Maybe an owner will fire his captain and mate at the same time hoping for a fresh start. Whatever the circumstance, it is a small world in this business. At times like these, it seems everyone has an opinion or theory on why so-and-so got fired or quit. It becomes quite dramatic, akin to the Housewives on the Waterfront with all the dock talk.
By Capt. Scott “Fraz” Murie
It seems like everyone wants to drive the boat these days. The mentality of a lot of crews these days is that the captain has the easy job. So why not get a captain’s license and be the captain?
By Scott “Fraz” Murray
So many times, I’m asked about how much a captain should get paid. Sometimes, I’m asked by the captain and sometimes I’m asked by the owners. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason on what a captain should or shouldn’t make.
Back in the day, there was an unwritten rule that a captain should make a grand per foot. I don’t know who came up with that…but it was ignorant.
