InTheBite

Tipping: The Dockmaster’s Viewpoint

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From The Archives

by Jan Fogt

We ran a story on “Tipping While Traveling” and interviewed four well traveled captains to provide their insight on tipping. In response to the article we had several dock attendants and dockmasters comment on the subject and think its fitting to follow up with some of their responses on the subject.

Barbara Roderick, American Yacht Harbor Marina, St Thomas USVI

Dockmaster Barbara Roderick has done it all at the famed American Yacht Harbor marina on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, from working the fuel docks to running the store.  One of the busiest marinas in the Caribbean, she was happy to express her own ideas on tips and tipping.

Tom Farlow, Pirate’s Cove Marina Manteo, NC

Tom Farlow oversees one of the most professional marinas in North America – if not the world.  The 195-slip Pirate’s Cove Marina is one of the few marinas with an on site, 24-hour a day dockmaster.  In addition, guests are offered personal business cards with cell numbers from anyone and everyone who takes care of them, from the guy who delivers ice to the attendant helping them fuel.  The marina also offers a concierge service for off site needs and has an offsite marine repair facility to take care of pretty much anything that can befall a boat.  “Our goal is to try and provide anything and everything our guests might need,” says Farlow.

Yvonne Shults, Orange Beach Marina, AL

With 165 slips for boats to 100 or more feet, the Orange Beach (AL) Marina is one of the largest on the Gulf Coast.  Store manager Yvonne Shults however has a way of making boaters and fishermen feel welcome, like they are special guests, which might explain why she too often receives tips.

Q:  Under what circumstances is a tip expected from a captain and or owner? What sorts of tips are customary?

Roderick:  Sometimes I feel like we’re the red-headed stepchild here at Red Hook. I don’t know what it is but for whatever reason, some guys think tipping is not necessary when they come here.  Where do I think it is appropriate?  The fuel dock for sure because those guys are always having to do a lot of running back and forth, delivering carts so the guys can unload their gear, or passing them water and fuel hoses.  In the office, the girls that work really hard for our guests, arranging for rental cars, helping them get reservations, checking on flights and a hundred other tasks and hardly ever get a thank you much less a tip, which would be very nice to see because they always provide good service with a friendly smile.  I’m not saying it has to be a big tip, just something to say we appreciate what you do for us.  As for amounts, for the guys at the fuel dock I’d say something like $5 to $20 is a nice tip for helping with the lines and getting people on and off the boat, or delivering a cart and helping them fuel. It kind of depends how much they do.  And for the guys who deliver heavy batteries and help during oil changes, I don’t think $20 is too much because those are services that are not part of their job description, yet are things they cheerfully do for our guests.

Farlow:  I would estimate the average tip for helping a boat tie up and refuel and to guide them through the paperwork we require – for the first time – is about $20.  Every time an attendant assists a guest it is not usual for them to receive a $5 to $10 tip. For the week, our attendants might receive about $100 in tips. During tournaments, however, the tips would be more because the level of service increases. For instance, it is not unusual for our guys to be delivering ice, newspapers, coffee and biscuit sandwiches at 4 a.m.  And when the boats get in, they are there to wash the boats and tackle and help refuel and do whatever it takes to make sure that boat is on the water fishing the next day.  So normally the tips are bigger, usually in the range of a $100 a day per boat during tournaments.

Shults:  I like to think our guests always tip the dock attendants and employees whenever they go the extra mile like running bags of ice across the marina or staying late to weigh a fish or to fuel a boat.  Those are things we’re always doing.  Even so, tips are not what I would call expected.  It’s always up to the discretion of the customer to do what they think is appropriate.  As to various amounts, I’d say a $1 is a nice gesture if the guys deliver ice.

Q:  Do these circumstances vary between a very large boat of say 70-90 feet and a smaller vessel of 40-55 feet?   Would it be different for someone who had permanent dockage versus a transient?

Roderick:  Not really, although I have to say, we sometimes do get transients in who have no idea how to dock a boat, so the guys end up with hooks and lines maneuvering the boat into the slip because the guy doesn’t know how to.  And while permanent guys usually don’t tip on a day-to-day basis, most of them do try to offer something around Christmas time like a bottle of wine for me, money for the girls in the office or money for the dock guys.

Farlow:  The circumstances don’t vary at our marina between overnight boats and permanent boats, however most of the charter boats at our docks do not routinely tip for services by our staff. I think they probably should, but they don’t as a rule.

Shults:  Size doesn’t really matter. However transients do seem to tip more easily than our permanent guys, I guess because tipping is part of travel.  My experience as store manager is that I don’t really get many tips.  However, sometimes at the end of the year or maybe once or twice a year permanent guests will give a very generous tip for some special service.  For instance, just the other day I stayed late to weigh a 180-pound tuna for one of our fishermen and he gave me a $50 tip for staying an extra hour.  It was a surprise and much appreciated.  Our regulars don’t tip all the time but every now and then they’ll do something totally unexpected like that.

Q:  If a captain or owner fails to offer a tip for extraordinary service, is that something that might come back to haunt them?

Roderick:  Not really. Our guys work really hard and take a lot of pride in offering the people in our marina good service.

Farlow:  Our employees are well trained.  They understand that tips are something that’s a bonus, which is discretionary. They understand service is what is important.  And, that if anyone were to see them acting like they are owed a tip for some service they performed for a customer, they would be disciplined.

Shults:  Not to the extent anyone would ever say anything to a customer.  But I suspect people being human; they might be a little less joyful about providing services you normally would receive a tip for.

Q:  What would you think if someone gave you a T-shirt and hat? 

 Roderick:  T-shirts and hats are a real good one.  Some of our guys even collect them.

Farlow:  T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts and sometimes fish are always well received by our staff.

Shults:  The guys absolutely love it when an owner or captain gives them a logo shirt, hat or jacket.

 Q:  Does your staff appreciate fresh fish as a gratuity? 

Roderick:  We do get a lot of fish and appreciate it.  But a lot of us don’t have freezers and it spoils.

Farlow:  Yes and no.  Fish are plentiful here. Most of our dock attendants fish on their own boats, and consequently, catch fish to eat.

Shults:  Fresh fish is nice.

Q:  What is the best advice you can give someone about making a good impression with your staff at your marina in terms of behavior, treatment, etc.?

 Roderick:  We try our darnedest to treat our boaters and fishermen like good friends and valued customers.  So whenever I see my guys going the extra mile, hauling heavy marine batteries, helping captains with maintenance issues or rolling 5-gallon drums of used oil down the dock, I just think they should be compensated with a nice tip without me having to mention it because the captain didn’t think of it first.

Farlow:  We hand out business cards and welcome packets to everyone who ties up at our marina.  In those packets we try to instill one idea—don’t be shy about asking the dock crew questions or telling them what you need.  Basically we are here to serve and to make our customers feel like welcome guests.

Shults:  More than anything, being courteous is important. Of course tipping is gratefully appreciated if the customer feels they have received exceptional service.  At the same time, when the service is bad, as a manager that’s something I appreciate knowing so we can improve.

So, what have we learned from these interviews?  That no matter what the culture is, tipping is always appreciated and it is of course, always a discretionary act.  So if you do not think a tip is necessary for certain services, don’t tip.  But if you feel like people have taken good care of you, it’s okay to be generous.  It might just come back to haunt you – in a very good way.

The Young Guns of Sportfishing: Captain Deane Lambros

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by Capt. Jen Copeland

When the owner of Canyon Runner Charters, Captain Adam LaRosa, sends a message nominating one of his captains be featured in a future Young Guns expose’, it’s quite an endorsement. Rarely does an owner have the time to read such features, but to have him take the time to describe his captain is inspiring. Originally from Westport, Connecticut, Captain Deane Lambros, one of our younger guns, runs and oversees much of the Canyon Runner operations – from maintenance to charter trips. Deane has worked for the company since he was 19.

Six years ago, Lambros was in the middle of an oil change when Mr. LaRosa approached him with an opportunity that changed his life. One of the Runner’s captains was unable to make a scheduled trip and LaRosa asked if 22-year-old Deane was comfortable running the boat.  Without hesitation, his answer was an unequivocal, “Yes.”

With three years of training fresh in his mind, Captain Deane took the helm of his first Canyon Runner charter. Banking on the confidence LaRosa had in him, and remembering the old adage “safety first,” Lambros managed to keep it together enough to produce a successful trip. “Being totally in charge for the first time was a real challenge,” says Lambros. The young captain recalls being a bit out of his comfort zone on his first trip. “I was dealing with fog and trying to keep the anxiety at bay, all the while smiling and producing bites,” he recalls. Lambros’ pep talk to himself that day was a familiar one to anyone who makes a living in this line of work – one that we all have to occasionally remind ourselves of. “We’re just going fishing.”

Today with 300+ giant tunas to his credit, some 15,000 hours of wheel time, and over ten top three tournament finishes under his belt, Captain Deane has put the work in by fishing hard, fishing fast and having fun while doing it. All traits of a great captain… traits he learned at Canyon Runner. At 28, Captain Deane Lambros names nearly all past and present Canyon Runner captains as his professional influences – each bringing certain philosophies and skills to Deane’s attention. From the knowledge he’s gained at Canyon Runner, he is able to understand the needs of his charters and is confident in the critical decisions that must be made day after day. As importantly, Lambros reads between the boss’ lines in order to compliment his personality and smoothly run a business in the aggressive northeast charter industry.

No matter how grateful he may be to the “A” list of qualified professional influences, Deane gives the first and foremost credit to his parents for the example they’ve set. According to Lambros, it was his parents who “rigorously reinforced” a strong and honest work ethic during his childhood.  His father, who still works full-time at age 86, continues to lead by example to this day.

Lambros takes his job very seriously – something all prospective captains should aspire to do.  He believes young men need to prove themselves to others by demonstrating they are polished, conscientious and driven. “It’s refreshing to see a young person wanting to be part of a team and asking questions with a willingness to learn, and if you put in the effort, you will succeed.”

Mates who put safety first and represent themselves in a manner which is non-threatening to the charter guests are an important part of the customer experience. For a charter operation, those who can’t relate with people put themselves out of the running for advancement. Whether charter or private, a young mate’s attitude toward his job is a direct reflection of himself. According to Deane, “There isn’t a single boat owner who wants a reckless, unprofessional captain running their boat.”

Captain Deane Lambros’ professional philosophy is one that sets him well for decades to come. His outlook is characterized by a high level of organizational skill, situational awareness, and an ability to “play well with others.” He executes a meticulous maintenance schedule that ensures tools and spare parts for repairs on the fly are readily available, keeping the program seamless and uninterrupted.

Mature and well-spoken, Lambros’ level-headed personality has allowed him to rise up quickly in LaRosa’s army of Canyon Runners. “I have been able to accomplish in ten years at Canyon Runner what may have taken me 30 years in the private sector,” he says. “Joining a charter program will plain and simply give you a fast learning curve.”

For a young man not yet 30, Lambros’ candid understanding of what it takes to succeed in his line of work is impressive. “Charter fishing is an industry of customer service,” Deane insists. “We are expectation managers. You must know what is expected of you by the owner, the guests, and the crew. You then draw from past experiences when the weather gets dicey, the fish get finicky or the boat breaks down.” Captain Deane fully understands the many facets that go along with charter fishing. There is little doubt that owner Adam LaRosa is thankful for this—perhaps that encouraged Deane’s nomination.

International Billfish Tournament of Club Náutico de San Juan

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IBT of Club Nautico de San Juan from Oct. 15-21

Over 40 boats and nearly 200 anglers, including 30 from abroad and representing five countries: South Africa, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, United States and Puerto Rico will participate in the International Billfish Tournament (IBT) of Club Náutico de San Juan next week. Oct. 15-21 with the waxing gibbous moon of October.

“Fishing is excellent. Many boats that are going out there are reporting 4 out of 3 or 5 out of 3 billfish releases. We have a lot of action out there”, says Salvador Egea, Jr., chairman of the 65th anniversary edition, tournament leader for third year in a row.  “It’s all about the experience and we provide the best yachts and fishing grounds to fish a tournament to remember.”

Dorothea III and Post One Update– $26K Raised During Marlin Mission

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An update from Dorothea III and Post One: 
September and October have been a busy few months for us as we’ve traveled ~2200NM from the Azores to Southern Portugal to the Canary Islands, where we’re currently based in Lanzarote.

We’ve been fishing along the way, finding the Atlantic to be a different beast than the Pacific, where we’ve been fortunate to have spent the majority of the past 6 years. In the Atlantic, the fish are big but bites are few and far between, which has been a humbling experience in and of itself. We’ve raised a host of white marlin and, thus far, we’ve caught 3 blue marlin towards The Marlin Mission. We will continue to fish for the next few months as we depart for Cape Verde on Tuesday and head onto Brazil late November.

With your generous donations, we’ve raised $13,000 and received a matching donation to bring our total to $26,000, half of which will be spent next month in Cape Verde. To put this in perspective, the annual household income in Cape Verde is $500 so with this money alone we’d be able to support 26 families for an entire year. We’ve begun purchasing school supplies and other basic necessities for the children (shoes, toothbrushes, etc.) and are planning to spend the majority of the donations once we arrive. We have been in touch with the local agent and are looking into the possibility of purchasing school uniforms (kids can’t go to school without them) and eye glasses/exams for children (most cannot see while in school). We’ll know more once we’re there and will do what we can to best improve the lives of the kids that need it most.

We’ll send out another update from Cape Verde and will take plenty of photos to share with you all. Your support has made all of this possible and we can’t thank you enough!

IGY Marinas Finishes Revamp of Maximo Marina

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IGY Marinas Completes $25 Million Dollar Redevelopment of Maximo Marina, St. Petersburg, FL

Maximo Marina continues to be the largest covered boat slip marina in Florida, boasting covered wet slips for vessels up to 100 feet in length.

October 6th, 2018 – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – IGY Marinas, announced today the $25 million renovation at Maximo Marina in St. Petersburg, Florida is complete. IGY has overseen all aspects of design, redevelopment and operations of the marina since 2015, on behalf of the owner, Bixby Bridge Capital, a private real estate investor and lender. The marina was completely redeveloped over the last 18 months, with ORION Construction serving as the general contractor for the project. The marina continues to be the largest covered boat slip marina in Florida, boasting covered wet slips for vessels up to 100 feet in length.

“This was a complex project from a design, permitting and execution standpoint. The marina was over 50 years old and IGY took great care to ensure that this marina was redesigned to be responsive to the market and the evolving sizes of vessels both for today and for the next 50 years. IGY worked with us to ensure that all the critical customer touchpoints were addressed and that the uniqueness of the marina was maintained, all while making sound cost-benefit recommendations. IGY was able to institute a phasing plan that allowed a portion of the marina to stay open throughout construction which was very important to our customers. We are very pleased that IGY and ORION were able to deliver this project on time and under budget,” said Steven Fass, a principal at Bixby.

Maximo Marina’s transformation now provides world-class amenities such as floating concrete docks, state of the art fuel dock, covered slips for vessels up to 100 feet, boat lifts for vessels up to 36 feet (24K lbs.), complimentary Wi-Fi on gigabit enabled fiber network around the marina basin, renovated support facilities, and the opening of Getaway Maximo Restaurant (the largest restaurant opening in south St. Petersburg in more than a decade).

With all major phases of construction complete, Maximo Marina has the ability to welcome more than 200 vessels in wet slips, 142, of which, are covered and 58 equipped with boat lifts. The facility can also accommodate an additional 88 vessels within inside storage racks and another 200 vessels in outside dry storage racks. The covered boat lift slips are a product offering that enhances our existing dry stack marina product because customers can use their boats on their own schedules, independent of the lift-well hours of operation, while still having a protecting environment for the boat. “It’s a very unique product,” says general manager Lee Hicks. Maximo Marina also features a full-service facility offering haul outs for vessels up to 50 tons giving it the ability to service any and all boats in the marina.

IGY Marinas is well known in the industry as a leading marina operator. A lesser known fact is that IGY Marinas also features an in-house development and construction services team that has undertaken marina projects all over the world. This combination of development and operating experience positions IGY Marinas at the leading edge of the marina management industry. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with Bixby and provide third-party development and operational management services on this very unique project. Boaters are seeking innovative marina amenities and services combined with added-value destination offerings and we were pleased that the marina owners called on us to help them achieve their goal,” said Tom Mukamal, CEO of IGY Marinas.

The Maximo Marina redevelopment is a critical component to the revitalization of the Skyway Marina District, one of five special commercial districts in the City of St. Petersburg – the marina is open with plans to participate in the block party celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Skyway Marina District on October 6th .

InTheBite Dock Talk: 62′ Spencer “Showtime!” Reconstruction

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Captain Wink Doerzbacher walks us through the reconstruction currently taking place on the 62′ Spencer Showtime! in this edition of InTheBite Dock Talk.

Tournament Kite Fishing for Sailfish– What is the X-Factor?

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By Captain Nick Gonzalez

Equipment

Kite fishing has been met by a number of innovations over the last 10 years. Electric kite reels have gotten faster, more reliable, and easier to use. To compliment these kite reels and increase efficiency, light, high-speed conventional reels with smooth drags and high gear ratios came into the market. A number of different rod manufacturers began making excellent rods with soft tips and moderate backbones that are ideal for kite fishing. In addition, circle hooks became mainstream and a number of different manufacturers make chemically sharpened circle hooks that are tournament legal and very affordable.

The Boats

Kite fishing is such a specialized method of fishing that even the boats themselves have adapted to corner this niche market. Complex live well systems and rocket launchers are the standard for most boats in South Florida. In this day and age there are thousands of boats and crews that are more than capable of busting out a kite spread. You add all these different variables together and throw in kites designed for every wind speed and you have a system that is applicable to all conditions. Unfortunately, superior tackle won’t set you apart from the competition. It’s the status quo nowadays.

The equipment has become standard but kite fishing is an art that few have mastered. With a 15-knot wind and a 4-person crew, just about anybody can manage a 6-line spread. On the contrary, if you put yourself alone in the cockpit managing 6 kite baits, a mid rod, and a bottom rod while the wind fluctuates from 10-30 knots and squalls of rain push through, can you really keep up? For most mates, the answer is no. For most captains, the answer is no. Throw in a red-hot bite and you’ll see how quickly a perceivably “experienced” crew can be overwhelmed.

The Crew

There are a handful of boats that seem to always be at the top of the leaderboard. What is the prevailing factor that puts them in that position with such consistency? Do they have some extra special bait? Did someone find a way to cross breed goggle eye with spanish sardines? Do they use tinker mackerel on 10lb fluorocarbon? Do they practice Santeria? No! These crews just fish as hard as they possibly can and have logged thousands of days on the water. The x-factor that many teams look for boils down to that one thing: experience. The best teams have caught more fish and even more importantly, lost more fish than many of the other teams combined.

Experience isn’t something you can buy (with the exception of hiring a top notch crew). How do you consistently win sailfish tournaments? Go fish rain or shine 300 days a year. No matter how big, fast, or expensive your boat is, you will be the underdog if your team hasn’t logged THOUSANDS of days on the water. There are a number of different captains with a long list of tournament wins on their resumes. For even the best captains, the only thing longer than their list of wins is their list of losses. It sucks to lose but failure can be very insightful.

Experience

 Building experience is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m only 25 years old and in the last 5 years I have spent over 1,000 days on the water. Why does this matter? I learn something new every day. In this timeframe, my crew has experienced some of the worst and some of the best fishing Miami has to offer. I have been blessed with the opportunity to fish with some of the best captains and mates out there. I have witnessed first hand how a crew with thousands of days of experience operates vs. a less experienced crew. There is no comparison. To kite fish properly, everything is a delicate balance. With the right crew, baits are deployed and retrieved faster. Doubles usually turn into triples. Triples often turn into quads.

For a good crew, bait management is the standard, not an advantage. Seasoned goggle eye, threadfin herring, and Spanish sardines are a must. When it comes to tackle, everything needs to be meticulously maintained. You also need a good platform to fish on that has both vantage and speed. Most importantly, your crew needs experience and chemistry. A successful team adapts quickly to changing conditions. They fish regularly so they have a network of reports and know where the fish will be. An experienced crew also has a very high hook up ratio on bites. The best teams don’t just create opportunities; they capitalize on them. When it comes to communication, arguments should be kept to a minimum, instruction should be clear and concise, and criticism should always be constructive. When attention to detail and the bigger picture come together, the results can be tough to beat. There is no short cut to being the best. You just need to get out and fish.

Double Threat Fishing Charters

www.FishMiamiCharters.com

2018 InTheBite Captain of the Year Cup: Winners Update

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Here are the winning results for 3 of the 5 Divisions in the 2018 InTheBite Captain of the Year Cup presented by Hatteras:

Congratulations to the following Captains!

Release Ruler Hawaii Division
Capt. Rob Ellyn, Lightspeed, 1250 Points
Costa Gulf Coast Division
Capt. Jason Buck, Done Deal, 2150 Points

Airmar East Coast Division

Capt. Alan Neiford, Mister Pete, 1750 Points