08-26-2012, 07:15 AM
Story from Captainonboard.org your Daily read.
“Good On a Boat”: How To Get Invited Back as a Guest.
Posted on August 26, 2012
I get guys all the time asking me if they could “come along on the next trip.” So many, that I just can’t take them all to find out if they are good on a boat. When I do get an open spot, I usually ask around about somebody, to see how they were on someone else’s rig. I let the person describe how it went when that particular guest was on board, and listen for red flags. Some guys/girls get the simple nod; ”good on a boat.” That is the sentence that says it all.
I am not looking for an expert in any particular field. Not a Captain or cook, fish filleting expert or hotshot at the rail. I want someone that just plain gets it, and knows how to roll with whatever comes along. For me I prefer a total novice, with no skills whatsoever. That type tends to be easily trained on simplest of tasks, as long as they don’t complain. I’m no tyrant, or slave driver. I do it all and am accustomed to doing it all by myself, so if a guest wants to help out, it kinda has to be my way. The person with the flexibility to do what is asked with a positive attitude gets invited back, again and again.
First, if you are asked to fish on someone’s boat, get there early. If they are not going to be there, ask if there is a key you can access to get on the boat (if they know you well enough). Load your stuff if you know where it goes, otherwise leave it on the dock and await instructions. Take your shoes off if the deck is spotlessly clean, and look to see if the captain does the same. Of course you brought exactly what the captain told you you’d need, and nothing more. Do not bring your 130W INT and the bent butt rod “just in case a giant mako shows up”.
Upon departure, ask which dock lines come off first, and where the captain wants you. Find out where the fenders go, and never leave them out while the boat is underway (even for the shortest of moves). When all the dock lines are on the boat, say “CLEAR!”, not “GO”. Go sounds too much like “NO”. When things are not ready say “STAND BY”. The word “WAIT” over the sound of the engines sounds like”OKAY!” When it’s time to stow the fenders, announce the opening of a hatch (ANY hatch) by saying “OPEN HATCH!” You would not want the owner or captain to step into the hatch YOU just opened. Wait until the captain gets near the bait barge and ask “which side do you want the fenders on?” Then place them in the spots where they were at the dock, or where the captain tells you to put them. Make sure you have established a line of communication with whoever is running the boat, in case anything should go wrong (like a loose dock line falling in the water near the props).
Once at sea, be diligent about keeping things “ship shape”, but don’t guess where things go. Always ask. If you were invited on a boat with special guests, cater to their needs. Coffee, blankets, or a comforting if they feel poorly. Ask the captain if there is any rods that need to be rigged, and how he wants it done. If you are not a knot expert, say so. Don’t fake that or any other qualifications. All duties are easily and quickly taught how to be done right. Honesty is much better than “fake it til you make it.”
Refrain from drinking alcohol, unless the captain lets you know it’s okay. For me, that’s never. Obviously, drugs are not okay on any boat. If you smoke, make sure the captain knew that before you got on the boat, and ask him where the smoking area is. I smoke cigars, often at the helm, but that does not mean that cigarettes are acceptable by the owners standards. Always best to ask first. Find out where all the safety gear is, and go over in your mind what you would do in case of an emergency so you are prepared.
The best guys I’ve seen watch me like a hawk, and soon begin to offer to do the tasks they’ve seen me do. I’ll say, “time for an engine room check” and the guest will offer to do it if he has watched me several times. I once had a guest come up to the bridge and tell me “I just fixed the head, it was plugged.” I never knew it had an issue, and as a captain, that was just what I wanted to hear. The simplest things like how a gaffed fish is dispatched, and where it is put after the hook is removed, are easily copied. It does not take long for a watchful guest to learn what to do, when to do it, and where things go. Of course you can take a nice long nap and enjoy all the food in the ice chest if you never want to be invited back.
If the weather is bad you are are not comfortable, keep it to yourself. Rest assured that nobody else is comfortable either. If the fish are not biting, that’s fishing. Don’t complain or question the game plan of the captain or owner unless that is what you were invited to do. To do so without any predetermined skills is a sure fire way to be erased from the contacts list of whoever got you on the boat in the first place. If you find that the operation is not up to yours standards, you are free to not accept any future invitations.
Occasionally I run boats for guys that are not that hardcore of fishermen, but expect to catch fish. I ask people to come with me to fish, and fish hard. If a wad of seabass swims under he boat and I see them on the meter, only to look into the pit and see just rods in rod holders, I know an opportunity has been missed. Make sure you DO what you were invited to do. If the owner comes out and you have a fish hanging, be sure to offer a “hand off” to the big boss.
This will most likely be denied, but still go a long way to getting you invited back. If you are not adept at filleting the days catch, say so, but be ready to help package the steaks.
Most of all be upbeat, positive and obviously grateful to be there. Clean the boat after the trip with a smile, and never leave before the captain, unless instructed to do so. Help the owner carry his gear to the car, and shake his hand with a “thank you”. This goes a long way towards not only being invited back, but opens the door to possibly being considered as part of the “team.”
After all, you asked to be invited on one of these trips, probably because the boat is known for catching fish on a regular basis. There is nothing hard about being either the captain, or the deckhand. It’s just a little bit of work. Even if you did not like the captain, owner (or his wife), being good on a boat will get you a good recommendation for other rides. Just imagine if you were the owner or captain and what you’d expect of a guest that asked to come along. That should give you an idea of how to act.
“Good On a Boat”: How To Get Invited Back as a Guest.
Posted on August 26, 2012
I get guys all the time asking me if they could “come along on the next trip.” So many, that I just can’t take them all to find out if they are good on a boat. When I do get an open spot, I usually ask around about somebody, to see how they were on someone else’s rig. I let the person describe how it went when that particular guest was on board, and listen for red flags. Some guys/girls get the simple nod; ”good on a boat.” That is the sentence that says it all.
I am not looking for an expert in any particular field. Not a Captain or cook, fish filleting expert or hotshot at the rail. I want someone that just plain gets it, and knows how to roll with whatever comes along. For me I prefer a total novice, with no skills whatsoever. That type tends to be easily trained on simplest of tasks, as long as they don’t complain. I’m no tyrant, or slave driver. I do it all and am accustomed to doing it all by myself, so if a guest wants to help out, it kinda has to be my way. The person with the flexibility to do what is asked with a positive attitude gets invited back, again and again.
First, if you are asked to fish on someone’s boat, get there early. If they are not going to be there, ask if there is a key you can access to get on the boat (if they know you well enough). Load your stuff if you know where it goes, otherwise leave it on the dock and await instructions. Take your shoes off if the deck is spotlessly clean, and look to see if the captain does the same. Of course you brought exactly what the captain told you you’d need, and nothing more. Do not bring your 130W INT and the bent butt rod “just in case a giant mako shows up”.
Upon departure, ask which dock lines come off first, and where the captain wants you. Find out where the fenders go, and never leave them out while the boat is underway (even for the shortest of moves). When all the dock lines are on the boat, say “CLEAR!”, not “GO”. Go sounds too much like “NO”. When things are not ready say “STAND BY”. The word “WAIT” over the sound of the engines sounds like”OKAY!” When it’s time to stow the fenders, announce the opening of a hatch (ANY hatch) by saying “OPEN HATCH!” You would not want the owner or captain to step into the hatch YOU just opened. Wait until the captain gets near the bait barge and ask “which side do you want the fenders on?” Then place them in the spots where they were at the dock, or where the captain tells you to put them. Make sure you have established a line of communication with whoever is running the boat, in case anything should go wrong (like a loose dock line falling in the water near the props).
Once at sea, be diligent about keeping things “ship shape”, but don’t guess where things go. Always ask. If you were invited on a boat with special guests, cater to their needs. Coffee, blankets, or a comforting if they feel poorly. Ask the captain if there is any rods that need to be rigged, and how he wants it done. If you are not a knot expert, say so. Don’t fake that or any other qualifications. All duties are easily and quickly taught how to be done right. Honesty is much better than “fake it til you make it.”
Refrain from drinking alcohol, unless the captain lets you know it’s okay. For me, that’s never. Obviously, drugs are not okay on any boat. If you smoke, make sure the captain knew that before you got on the boat, and ask him where the smoking area is. I smoke cigars, often at the helm, but that does not mean that cigarettes are acceptable by the owners standards. Always best to ask first. Find out where all the safety gear is, and go over in your mind what you would do in case of an emergency so you are prepared.
The best guys I’ve seen watch me like a hawk, and soon begin to offer to do the tasks they’ve seen me do. I’ll say, “time for an engine room check” and the guest will offer to do it if he has watched me several times. I once had a guest come up to the bridge and tell me “I just fixed the head, it was plugged.” I never knew it had an issue, and as a captain, that was just what I wanted to hear. The simplest things like how a gaffed fish is dispatched, and where it is put after the hook is removed, are easily copied. It does not take long for a watchful guest to learn what to do, when to do it, and where things go. Of course you can take a nice long nap and enjoy all the food in the ice chest if you never want to be invited back.
If the weather is bad you are are not comfortable, keep it to yourself. Rest assured that nobody else is comfortable either. If the fish are not biting, that’s fishing. Don’t complain or question the game plan of the captain or owner unless that is what you were invited to do. To do so without any predetermined skills is a sure fire way to be erased from the contacts list of whoever got you on the boat in the first place. If you find that the operation is not up to yours standards, you are free to not accept any future invitations.
Occasionally I run boats for guys that are not that hardcore of fishermen, but expect to catch fish. I ask people to come with me to fish, and fish hard. If a wad of seabass swims under he boat and I see them on the meter, only to look into the pit and see just rods in rod holders, I know an opportunity has been missed. Make sure you DO what you were invited to do. If the owner comes out and you have a fish hanging, be sure to offer a “hand off” to the big boss.
This will most likely be denied, but still go a long way to getting you invited back. If you are not adept at filleting the days catch, say so, but be ready to help package the steaks.
Most of all be upbeat, positive and obviously grateful to be there. Clean the boat after the trip with a smile, and never leave before the captain, unless instructed to do so. Help the owner carry his gear to the car, and shake his hand with a “thank you”. This goes a long way towards not only being invited back, but opens the door to possibly being considered as part of the “team.”
After all, you asked to be invited on one of these trips, probably because the boat is known for catching fish on a regular basis. There is nothing hard about being either the captain, or the deckhand. It’s just a little bit of work. Even if you did not like the captain, owner (or his wife), being good on a boat will get you a good recommendation for other rides. Just imagine if you were the owner or captain and what you’d expect of a guest that asked to come along. That should give you an idea of how to act.