Has anyone had their first charter of the season yet???

[EasyDayDiveCharters]

Well,

I thought by mid April I would have had a few charters under my belt already, but good ol' weather has other plans. This is my first season as a charter owner/operator and think I'm gettting more and more stressed about not having ran my first charter.

How's everyone else doing, now that its mid April?

Hopefully, here soon I'll get the first one in the books! Meanwhile, I keep stumbling on things that need-a-fixin


Cheers,

Brandon

 

[Tortuga James]

Brandon, it is April. I look as my season being 7 months...April through November. I realize that is 8 months, but in my thinking April and November equal one month. The weather is that iffy here in NC during those months. I used to try March but totally gave up on that. I had my first booking the weekend of the 14th. I had full days on Sat/Sun and an afternoon trip Sunday. That Thursday the weather looked good to run both days. Even Friday night when the wind was blowing a gale, the forecast was for it to turn NW and fall out in the morning. We woke to calm winds, but by the time we got to the boat it went NE @ 20-25. No one called for that. I gave them the option to cancel or come back at 1pm and do a half day inshore. They choose to try it. It was still blowing a steady 15 and we made it 12 miles to the Indra, where we found 2-3 seas very close together. To make matters worse, the viz on the wreck was <5'.

Sunday was dead flat calm and we stayed inshore for both the morning and afternoon trips. Viz cleaned up to about 20'. Olympus went to the Papoose and had 30' and Captain's Lady went to the Schurz to find the same. I got a full day and 2 half days out of my first weekend. Not too bad.

But it was back to reality this past weekend. It blew so hard Saturday and Sunday I couldn't even putz around the boat at the dock.

Lets hope this coming weekend is good.

By the way, another Captain told me about fishweather.com I have been looking at it for a few days and it has been spot on with the short term wind forecast. I think I am going to buy a subscription.

 

[EasyDayDiveCharters]

James,

Thanks for the fishweather.com info, I will definitely look into that. Yeah, its been nasty here for a bit, but the conditions are perfect for the next few days. I'm just trying to get some charters out!

Good luck this weekend!

Brandon

 

[Tortuga James]

I ran May 1st (a weds) for an opening day for grouper. My turbo went bad and I limped back from 14 miles out at 8 knots. I was hustling to get it fixed so I wouldn't lose 3 full days and a half day when the weather took the pressure off. I cancelled all last weekend, it was a full blown Nor'easter. FInally the weather straightened up this week, got the new turbo on yesterday and now the weather looks iffy for this weekend. Week after that I blocked to go to (and pay for) my stepdaughter's wedding in New Orleans. I pleaded for her not to schedule during dive season but some early dates fell through with the venue. So here I am faced with the prospect of a "no revenue" May with the expense of a new turbocharger and a wedding.

Gotta love the Dive Boat business.

 

[Seiler]

I like fishweather.com!

Thanks.

 

[EasyDayDiveCharters]

Ouch Tortuga!

Sounds like May wasnt very nice to ya at all. Well, June is right around the corner for you! How long is the season up there in NC?

 

[Akyla]

James,
Sorry for your turbocharged pain. But glad to hear you got it fixed fairly fast, though I am sure not easy or cheap. At least it happened now and not in the middle of great weather and back to back trips.

It has been a very tuff spring and I just hope the warmer water moves in by mem day weekend for us. I am also hoping they get the channel dredged properly before then as well. The problems with the channel shoaling in and the gales we have been having up in Hatteras made me glad I had nothing scheduled early this year.

Congratulations on your daughters wedding. Hope it all goes off well and you have a great time there. Just keep saying to yourself " it's a lifestyle with a business attached".

 

[Tortuga James]

James,
Congratulations on your daughters wedding. Hope it all goes off well and you have a great time there. Just keep saying to yourself " it's a lifestyle with a business attached".

Dave, I write an article every month for Carolina Salt Magazine. This month the topic is exactly what you are talking about. You will get a kick out of it.

Living the Dream

 

[Akyla]

"I am a Dive Boat Captain; it doesn&#8217;t get any better than that.&#8221;

On the good days there's nothing better, on the bad ones there certainly is but the bad ones fade in your memory or get glossed over a bit. I figured a way to do it part time for many years and now not so part time and I still love that feeling in morning of going to sea. I get your article completely.