InTheBite

Two-Minute Warning: Health Alert

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Photo courtesy Matthew Spivey

By Capt. Scott “Fraz” Murie 

Everything that has to do with our business takes a great deal of maintenance. In order to keep our boats, tackle and equipment running the way they should, we perform maintenance. When we do that maintenance, we think nothing of the cost. We just want the best product for that particular job at that time.

As crew, we spend countless hours doing upkeep on our boats. Maintaining all the systems is a never-ending process. Think about it—from engine room maintenance and pumps, to interiors, metal, fiberglass, skiffs, davits, paint, from stem to stern, the maintenance never stops. But that’s a good thing because that’s what we do. The fact that boats need constant attention keeps us employed, and we enjoy our work.

A boat that is properly maintained will hold its value and last for many years and be very dependable. On the other hand, the boat with no maintenance stays broken down, is undependable, unreliable and is pretty much worthless. Now to my point…

The US Coast Guard has been cracking down on captains in recent years. They are holding back licenses and renewals because of numerous health conditions. Areas of Coast Guard concern include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart problems, sleeping disorders and vision just to name a few.

As crews, we are always on the go! This is especially true for traveling crews and tournament fishing crews! We get very little sleep while underway, eat whatever the sea conditions dictate (and most of that is junk food). Some of us smoke too much and maybe ingest a little too much alcohol!

I believe it’s very important that we do the proper maintenance on our own bodies. Everyone needs to get checkups and do some preventative maintenance on our own bodies. With today’s technology and advancements in medicine, we can often reverse such things as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. No one thinks twice about maintaining our boats or what it cost, so I’m telling you to take time to maintain your health.

You young guys are “bulletproof”— or so you think. Some of us older guys have learned this the hard way and we need to think healthier, too. I see guys my age (and even younger) who are broken down with health issues that might have been preventable. If only they would have done the maintenance required, just as they would have done on their boat! I did it by changing my diet and losing some weight. I reversed some health issues that I was facing with a simple change of diet.

Take the time for yourself and get some maintenance done so you can remain dependable and reliable. You are more valuable than any boat. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Hold your value and last many years. Don’t be broken down and undependable! Do the maintenance on your own body and keep yourself in top running and working order. When you hit that 60 plus mark, you’ll be glad you did!

– That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

Boat Brokers and Captains Relationships

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By Capt. Scott “Fraz” Murie

I’ve been a captain since 1978 and have taken boats from coast to coast, fishing hot spots for years. I’m still fishing but trying to stay closer to home. Let’s face it, I’m getting older.

  • Bionic Bait

Over these many years, I’ve met and developed relationships with many boat brokers. These relationships, for the most part, have been an asset to my career. I’ve had referrals for captain’s positions, delivery jobs and other positions I otherwise wouldn’t have known about, except for a broker. So, with that said, I’ve learned to appreciate the work of a good boat broker.

I heard a question the other day from a captain. He wanted to know the industry standard commission rate from a broker to a captain in yacht sale. He thought it was 5%. That’s just stupid!

There is no standard, nor is it ethical, for a broker to pay a captain a pre-arranged commission. That would be like a broker wanting a percentage of a captain’s salary if the broker found that captain’s job. I’ve heard it all. Things like, “Man, that broker is making 10% for doing nothing but showing the boat.”

Wrong!

What these captains (who are on salary and getting paid anyway) don’t realize is a broker is paid by commission only. These sales can take countless hours and weeks and months to come together.

They also require thousands of dollars of out of pocket expenses such as flights, hotels, food, professional photography, advertising and even then, a deal can fall apart. So, if you think it’s so easy, go get your broker’s license and get you some.

My advice to you captains is to develop a relationship with good brokers by helping them. A good, hard-working broker knows and meets a lot of people in our business. That broker just might be the person responsible for advancing your career down the road one day by his referral.

A good boat broker also knows the value of a good captain. If the captain goes out of his way to help the broker in every aspect of the boat sale, a good broker will express his appreciation by giving that captain a well-earned tip. It would always be after the sale finalizes and it could be substantial sometimes.

For a captain to demand a certain amount of money from a broker is ignorant and possibly illegal. It also shows what kind of captain they really are. So just do your job and take what you get.

– That’s my two-minute warning.

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

In It For The Long Haul: Secrets To A Long Career In The Captain’s Chair

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By Capt. Scott “Fraz” Murie 

Job security is something you must earn in our business. The job of a private captain is ultimately to provide for the enjoyment of the wealthy. We always have to keep in mind that the boats we fish on, and the crew employed upon them, are not a necessity for the owners.

Because fishing operations are a luxury, you must earn your job security because…there really is no job security in our business!

When economic circumstances change, there is no doubt in my mind that the first thing the owners get rid of is their boat. Once the boat is sold, the crew is next.

Beyond changes to the bank account, there are also times when owners just get burned out. Generally speaking, when owning a boat and hiring a crew is more of a burden than a source of joy, the operation will not last much longer.

Over the years I have seen a lot of crews come and go. The most common reasons for crews going by the wayside? They are let go for such things as poor work ethics, spending money foolishly, immaturity, too much partying or no common sense. This type of crew does not last long on the same boat.

I believe that you earn your job security by proving to the owner that you can be trusted with the responsibility of maintaining, operating and managing their multi-million-dollar hobby. You must set their mind at ease, treating their money as if it was your money. Knowing that they can trust you with managing their funds means a lot to owners.

Managing yourself and crew is very important to them as well. For instance, rumors that fly around the dock about certain crews getting drunk is not very impressive to the owners. I can guarantee that they are glad that such rumors are not about their crew!

Loyalty, honesty, and trustworthiness are the keys to a job that lasts a long time. It’s pretty easy to tell the crews that are not going to last long just by the way they act around the dock. Conversely, the same goes for the crews that have been on their jobs for a long time.

Just look at their work ethic and the way they conduct themselves. You can see why their jobs last for many years. I also fully understand that regardless of how one acts, there are a few owners out there that can be irrational – but we won’t even go there!

So pay attention to the crews who have been working for the same owner for numbers of years. You’ll see why they keep a job.

– That’s my two-minute warning.

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

How Much? A Question To Ask

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By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie

I had been managing a refit on a sportfish boat one fall and winter and was able to hire a crew (captain and mate) at the start of this project. As we started at the pointy end and worked our way back to the square end, it became obvious that it was going to be a big job.

There were numerous aspects to the project that I needed to sub out. These included welding, fiberglassing, electronics, engine rebuilds, and enclosures to name a few. I understand we all have our favorite subcontractors that we know do good work, but I was still insistent with my crew in getting two to three bids on the jobs for which we needed the subcontractors. The fact is, there is a lot of competition out there these days.

I was pretty amazed at some of the price differences that were quoted. Everyone has heard the old saying, “You get what you pay for.” While this is a true statement, in some cases, on certain projects, it really doesn’t matter. Consider jobs like sandblasting, powder coating, cut glass and the list goes on—why pay more than you have to?

We were able to save the owner of this boat thousands of dollars by doing what we could ourselves and by wisely choosing which subcontractors to hire. There is another old saying, “If you have to ask how much something costs you can’t afford it.” In my opinion, that statement is a crock of…. well, you know what’s in the crock.

I’m sure there are a few owners out there who don’t care how much money they spend, but it has been my experience that the majority of boat owners want to keep costs down when possible.

As crew, our job is to do just that. I’ve seen owners come and go many times in our business. Many are undone by overspending crews who drain their bank accounts at lightning speed. Believe me, an owner sees the effort you put forth in trying to save them money in an already expensive sport! On the other hand, they also see when their crews just spend and spend with no regard to costs.

Most people that own these multi-million dollar boats are not stupid. For owners who are new to fishing, it might take them a while, but they will catch on to ignorant spending sooner or later. What happens to owners who are bamboozled by overspending? Many get out of the sport altogether. Just remember the crew has a lot to do with whether or not the owner stays in the sport or not. So keep them in the game—your job may depend on it.

—That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz

Do you have any comments or questions for us or Fraz? We’d love to hear from you.

Bi-Annual Dry Dock

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boatyard

Dry docking your boat is necessary maintenance that we must do. That said, the routine of doing it once a year seems a little too often in my opinion. I believe that the annual dry-docking routine started back in the day when all boats were made of wood.

In those days, you had to keep up with adding cotton to the seams when you needed to keep them tight. Also, it was necessary to keep an eye out for worms eating away at whatever they could, as well as replacing planks where needed. Monitoring the worm shoe on your keel was also important. I highly recommend dry docking a wooden boat and inspecting it annually.

On the other hand, as the majority of boats have transformed from wooden to fiberglass, the haul out routine has never changed. With the products on the market today, if you take some preventive maintenance steps you can extend your haul-outs to every two years – or at the very least eighteen months. This is the routine that I have been doing for some time now.

I currently manage several boats. I have my boats on a plan that includes divers to come and clean the bottom monthly, keeping an eye on all zincs, checking all thru-hulls and sea chests, checking rudders for play, inspecting and cleaning wheels, cutlass bearings, shafts and trim tabs.

Also, you want to make sure your diver pays close attention to electrolysis. (For instance, if one rudder is clean and the other has signs of electrolysis you probably have a broken or corroded bonding wire on that rudder topside. If you keep your bottom clean there should be little effect on your fuel burn). These services cost an average of three dollars per foot. A 60-footer, for example, is $180 or you can do it all yourself if you really want to save some money.

Then there is waxing. Now there is no doubt waxing the hull is easier when the boat is out of the water. But with a little extra work we do it in the water and it’s no big deal. This is one way to save thousands of dollars every other year. Simply get out of the same old routine and do things a little different by getting your money’s worth out of the high-tech products we are all using today.

After all, as crew or owner you know the boat better than anyone: where it’s been, what it has been put through, if you’ve bumped bottom or whether it needs hauled and blocked. Use common sense. How many times have you hauled your boat out of the water and said, “Dang, she looks pretty good.” Probably just about every time because you just hauled her out twelve months ago!

So, go another year, or six months, and save a pile of money. Keep up with your dive maintenance and when you haul your boat out in two years, you’ll probably say, “Dang, she still looks pretty good!”

– That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz

Do you have any comments or questions for the Fraz? We’d love to hear from you.

 

No Whiners

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Have you ever been around someone whose attitude is always negative or whiny?

This is especially frustrating when they are part of your crew. You know the type of person and how they act… When you see them in the morning and say, “Good morning, how are you?” their response is usually something negative like, “I don’t feel good” or “I can’t believe we have to do that today!” If it’s not talking about the way they feel or what they have to do, they really like to talk about wanting to make more money.

This type of crew can bring down the morale of the whole boat by whining because the boss wants to go grouper fishing and they wanted to go marlin fishing. By pouting all day, day in and all day out, this type of crew are called crybabies. I’m sure most of you have had at least one of these types of people on your deck at one time or another.

In our business attitude is everything. If you wake up in the morning and don’t feel well, or your stomach hurts, or your headaches – just fake it. No one cares what’s ailing you or how much money you make. If you work on a charter boat people spend money to have a good time. Fishing may be slow, but a crew with a good attitude can compensate for the slow fishing. Tell a good fish story or a joke or two. Have pleasant conversation with the guests, and in return, their trip will be more enjoyable and so will yours.

When the boss comes on board, the crew should go out of their way to make things as pleasant as possible with an upbeat attitude. Sure, the boss can make a few suggestions that you may not agree with, but it’s his boat. So just clap and smile.

For you whiners out there, go ahead and wear your cry baby hat at home, but take it off before you get out of your truck (or Prius – crybabies might as well all drive Priuses) at the dock. Your charter doesn’t want to hear or see it, your Boss certainly doesn’t, and if you’re going to the marina all day, the crews on the other boats don’t want to tiptoe around any crybabies either! So, for all you whiners – get over it or you won’t last long in this business.

It’s been proven that happy is healthy. The scriptures tell us in Proverbs that a merry heart is good like a medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. It’s a choice, so choose health and be happy!

– That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz

Tower or Not

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By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie

I’ve been asked questions about towers several times lately. The question I’m getting most is, “Do I need a tower?”

I’ve spoken with several crews and owners about this topic. Some say they never use their tower and others say they use it all the time. The answers I’m getting to the tower question are all over the place.

I believe there is an advantage to having a tower, but that having a tower today is not nearly as advantageous as it was back in the days before electronics. The advantages back then included things like spotting fish on a rip, sight fishing cobia, or spotting birds and bait.

Nowadays, when you’re dredge fishing and you have a designated spotter (or tower man) he can see the dredge in the water (and a fish approaching it) from the tower way better than he could by being on the bridge or in the cockpit. I must admit, however, that I personally don’t climb the tower nearly as much as I did when I was a young man. That said, I do like having someone up there scanning the waters as much as possible.

Another question when talking to the crews and owners is, “Do tower boats catch more fish?” That’s a trick question because it depends on what you’re fishing for. I can tell you this, I see plenty of boats without towers that consistently find themselves in the winner’s circle and they can be hard to compete with.

Back in the day, towers were a huge advantage when fishing for bluefin tuna off Cat Cay in the Bahamas and when running the flats reading the water.

With today’s electronics things have changed. This is especially true when it comes to the use of sonar. When using the sonar, your head is glued to the screen—adjusting and readjusting.

With that said, now I can use the sonar to see what’s ahead on the rip or what’s below near an object like an oil rig. I can see bait on the surface and below the surface. I can see birds miles away with my radar. So, the question was, “Do I need a tower?”

The short answer is no. It’s all in what you want. Some owners want them because they think they look good; others think they’re ugly. The fact of the matter is that if you’re not going to use it, save the tens of thousands of dollars it costs to outfit your boat with one—not to mention the knot or two you gain at sea without one.

I do however believe that towers are a must for enclosed bridge boats. Enclosed bridges should have towers just for visibility if for nothing else. Beyond that, towers are a matter of personal preference. With today’s technology and electronics, times have changed. The advantages of a tower are not near what they used to be.

There was a time when I personally couldn’t imagine a boat without one. I could hook a fish in the tower and climb down with the rod in one hand. Those days are gone. I’m perfectly content with my cushioned helm chair right on the flying bridge.

– That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz

Common Sense: Safety at the Helm

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Safety is not just a word, it’s an action. People in our profession sometimes get too comfortable in their routines and forget that disaster can happen in a split second. It probably won’t, but what if it does? After all, it has happened before. Tragedy can happen and unfortunately, sometimes it does.

If you’re a traveling boat, I think it’s necessary for two crew members to be on the bridge at all times when underway. You can keep an eye on one another that way. If there is only one guy on the bridge and he slips, bumps his head and falls overboard, who’s going to know? We’re all guilty, but that doesn’t make it right.

We lost a fellow fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico not too long ago. He was running at night and was on the bridge by himself. When a crew member came up on the bridge to relieve him, he was gone. The last time he had been seen by anyone was a few hours earlier.

Nobody will ever know for sure, but they think he left the bridge to use the head and fell overboard in a choppy sea. Not only was he gone, but the unmanned boat could have hit another boat and killed who knows how many people. If someone else was on the bridge that night, things might have happened differently.

In another instance in the Gulf of Mexico, the captain left the bridge at cruise speed with the helm unattended to do something with a fish in the cockpit. The boat plowed into a shrimp boat almost killing everyone on both boats. If the captain just would have used common sense and stopped his boat when he left the helm, he wouldn’t have risked everyone’s life. Common sense goes a long way when it comes to safety.

Entering and returning into rough inlets, day or night, with two people on the bridge can make all the difference in the world in preventing accidents. On long crossings, just the company of another person on the bridge can keep you more alert and awake—in foul weather it’s a no brainer. We all know this, many of us even talk about how important it is, but for the most part we just don’t do it.

Also stay out of the tower unless it’s absolutely necessary. With today’s superfast boats, accidents seem to be more and more frequent. Thirty-five knots and five- to eight-foot seas can be pretty violent. Just hanging on is a chore! So, slow the heck down! You’re just tearing things up and greatly increasing the chances of something bad happening.

We’ve all lost several buddies in recent years in ways I believe could have been completely preventable, so keep an eye on one another. Try to use some common sense and chances of a tragic accident will go way down. Make sure all your safety gear is up to date—lights, flares, fire systems, etc. After all, you never know when you might need them! Even with the warning to keep them up to date and in proper function, I hope you never need them!

—That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz

Two Minute Warning: Build and They Will Come

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By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie

There are many similarities between farming and fishing. A farmer has to plow his field and plant his crop. Then, after a while, it’s harvest time. In the fishing business, if you’re willing to do the work, it’s a lot like farming. This is especially true when it comes to creating and deploying artificial reefs.

Reef building is rewarding but requires much red tape. All of the permitting and inspections can be very frustrating. In our area of the Northern Gulf, the spring season brings the migration of cobia in large numbers. By making your own fishing spots you can significantly increase your chances of catching these fish. We use FADS, or fish-attracting-devices (which are simply underwater kites), to congregate the fish as they pass through.

We place them just under the surface in a safe zone where no boats can hit them. They attract and hold large amounts of bait. This in turn, attracts larger fish. The FADS also work well in deep water (several hundred fathoms) for the purposes of catching wahoo, marlin, dolphin and live bait. We are in the process now of building some large reefs, which will be homes for grouper, snapper and amberjack.

We’re building them out of concrete drums and commercial grade chicken coops. It’s a ton of work but the harvest is worth it. Unfortunately, it’s not all fun and games. The hurricanes have
destroyed, buried, and moved our artificial reefs in the shallow water, forcing us to start all over again. Another frustrating situation is when you see a boat sitting right on top of your reef,
catching the fish that you worked so hard to harvest.

After all, you hauled the reef out there and you bore all the expenses. But in reality, it’s all fair game and there’s nothing you can do about it. With today’s electronics, you can’t let other boats get too close to a reef you’re fishing, or they can what we call, “zap you,” when they use their electronics to get your exact coordinates. Even still, all the work and frustration are worth knowing where you’re going instead of hoping and poking.

The reward of building your own reefs is a great harvest from the sea. So, get out there, plow the field, plant the seed and get ready for the harvest.

– That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz