Captains

[redfox]

If I could start my life over, that's where I'd be or Louisanna delta Area.

[Tugted312]

What you wanna know. I'm a captain with a 1600masters oceans license, not some kid who went to sea school & got their 100ton.

[sut]

I had an offer to help mate one time i really thought about it. I decided not to as i like to fish to much to turn it into work and loose the enjoyment.

[Fish]

Just wondering what is the best way to get a mate job on a boat. I have fishing expirience and want to get the ball rolling in becoming a charter capitan. I know about the licenses I have to get and everything, I just want to go ahead and start at mate. I have pretty much been my dads mate on his offshore boat all since I was old enough to learn the ropes offshore. I also do varnish and detailing in boats. What I'm struggling with is finding the right boat to mate on. What is the best way to go about obtaining one of these jobs?

Move somewhere like Nags Head or Morehead City. There's only a few decent charter boats that run enough days to make it worthwhile in SC and the rest suck.

Define "fishing experience".

[Fish]

I had an offer to help mate one time i really thought about it. I decided not to as i like to fish to much to turn it into work and loose the enjoyment.

This guy brings up an important point.

I worked on a boat called the Calcutta out of Atlantic Beach NC back in the mid 90s. I thought i had "fishing experience" until i got on that boat. I was pretty decent when I stepped on but I was solid when we ran the last trip that winter. We fished offshore 65 days straight once. I loved it more and more the harder we went. If you don't have it in you, just don't even aggravate a guy who's trying to make a living running a charter boat. If you sign up to be a deckhand on a real charter boat, you've hot to be there on time, every day, and you can't suck.

Oh, and one other thing. Guys that get all worked up about running the boat, navigation, and being good at backing the boat into a slip, in my experience, suck as fishermen. Knowing what to look for when you're out there and focusing on that is the mark of a fisherman.

[CAMO SNOB]

spend $30 bucks on some business cards with your name and cell #- stating that you want to work and can be called on short notice- the need will arise- be prepared

you can also hand the cards out to fresh ass and tell them you can PERFORM on short notice also- just be sure and your hands dont smell like MULLET

...I too recommend the cards

[Trailblazer]

Get your ass down to the dock and start talking to captains. You need experience besides your dad's boat. So the right boat to mate on is anyone that will put you to work. Make sure you keep on top of the captains and let them know they can call you at any your if they need a mate. I landed more than a few good jobs by answering my phone at 4 am and hussling down to the dock when someone's mate no showed after a night of drinking. Keep a log book of all your hours, sea conditions, etc.

Listen more than you talk, be prompt everyday, work hard. Realize that it is a job, and not just going fishing. These people pay good money and take vacation for you to show them a good time. Always be positive and helpful, no matter how shitty your day is.

That just kinda got me jacked up this morning, thanks man

[Maggie Glover]

Almost every mate's first job is for no money just tips. I am not saying that you have to but if you are willing to work for tips then you will make a big impression. Be sure to tell the captains you will work for tips. You can also get your mates license, which is beneficial to those captains operating under a 6 pack because you do not count under the 6. This law may have changed but some captains got real heat for having six paying charters and a unlicensed mate on board. Good luck, you will have fun and it will be work. MG

[Fish]

A mates license? Never heard of that as it pertains to charter boats. To my knowledge, the lowest rated license the USCG offers is an OUPV, formerly know as a six pack.

I know a guy who obtained a mates license and it was a big deal, but that license applied to commercial shipping, not charter boating. No one, I repeat, no one tips on those.

[FishSticker]

Almost every mate's first job is for no money just tips. I am not saying that you have to but if you are willing to work for tips then you will make a big impression. Be sure to tell the captains you will work for tips. You can also get your mates license, which is beneficial to those captains operating under a 6 pack because you do not count under the 6. This law may have changed but some captains got real heat for having six paying charters and a unlicensed mate on board. Good luck, you will have fun and it will be work. MG

I am calling BS on this. A six pack does, and always has, allowed you to carry 6 passengers for hire, plus necessary crew. Please don't steer the young man wrong by giving him bad information. A mates lic has nothing to do with working on a charter fishing boat.

My advice to the OP, make sure you are there when it's time to wash the boat at the end of the day. Offer to help rig baits for the next day. Ask to tag along as an unpaid second mate and work your ass off. Be respectful and soak up every bit of information that you can. There's a pretty good chance that the "experience" you have on your daddy's boat is not near the experience you need to run as a mate on a 2500 dollar charter. As has been stated earlier, there are not a whole lot of boats left in the Charleston area. They are in Mexico as we speak. Don't expect to get paid any time soon. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, work your ass off!!!

[Maggie Glover]

It's not meant to be bad advice, there is plenty of that on this forum. However, there was a period five years ago or so that USCG was cracking down on drug testing, licensing, etc and many captains (they felt) were using the "MATES WORK FOR TIPS ONLY" as an excuse not to call or consider them employees since they didn't pay them. I personally heard them with one captain telling him that they either worked for him or were part of the charter count of six. If he was wrong then so be it, but that Coastie was very serious during that discussion. MG