Riversong
2008-12-08 16:29:10
The short story:
I'm looking to spend summer 2009 as deckhand on a troller to:
a) ponder whether or not its a reasonable/realistic way for me to make a living.
b) make sure I can handle it, physically, emotionally, financially.
c) learn the ropes.
I'm looking for someone to take me on and teach me the drill. I am a hard worker, fast learner, can cook and get along with most folks.
I'm a professional land surveyor, have raised my kids, done the responsibility thing (for too long) and now want to wake up in the morning working hard at something I really want to be doing. Southeast is calling to me and I'm determined to answer.
I've much more to offer than I'm going to post here, now, and am asking forum members to first off let me know if they are looking for a deckhand, know someone who is, or can pass on any ideas for finding a good skipper short of walking the docks.
I am available starting the last week in May to the end of September, am eager to help out with pre-season preparation, and would be willing to work for a discounted crew share for the right skipper. The discounted crew share is intended to compensate for my inexperience and your willingness to really teach me.
Public comments are welcome or pm me if you've got a serious lead for me to follow up.
Riversong
p.s. Jon, thanks for creating and maintaining this forum, I can tell its a labor of love for you (meaning it certainly doesn't pay your bills) and want you to know how much I appreciate it. Might make it possible for me to accomplish what I'm setting out to do.
Hi,
The best and surest way to get a job on a boat is to be next to the boat on the dock or at least in the town/port. I rarely see a person looking for a job in town during the summer who doesn't get one. I commonly observe folks not getting jobs who are not in town unless they are related to the skipper. Many fisherman begin the path by sleeping under a tarp/tent in a rainy place wondering what is going to happen next. I slept under my truck out the road. Of course, this is just my experience and I'm sure others will advise you otherwise. Good luck.
Oh,
And I also advise to never openly advertise that you are willing to work for less than a crew share. Many fisherman will take advantage of you if you agree to lesser wages. And,
Riversong
2009-01-30 19:30:11
Great,
I get it that a contract is important, so, I'd be really interested in hearing how you typically structure a contract with your deckhands.
percentage of gross?
percentage of net?
after deducting what expenses?
What do you consider a fair percentage for SE power trolling?
How do I find out what are fair wages in other fisheries, like PWS or Bristo Bay gill netting?
p.m. me if need be,
Riversong
All the power trollers I know pay their deckhands 15 or 20% of gross.
yak2you2
2009-01-31 02:01:25
Make sure you have a written crewshare agreement signed by the skipper and you, making sure you have a copy of course.
A good skipper will flop the pay stub or pink slip on the table for all to see at the end of each trip.
Crewshare percentage is generally based on net proceeds, with (reasonable deductions) that should be specified in the contract.
Some examples of reasonable deductions include; Fuel, ice, bait, food, and any gear provided for the crewman. i.e.- gloves, or raingear.
Some examples of what I personally would not consider fair deductions, insurance, citation fees, maintenance expenses, etc.
As far what to expect, 15 to 20 % percent for a troll crewmen sounds right, for an experienced hand, some skippers might want to " half share"you for a trip or 2 until you get the hang of things.
As far as other fisheries go, their all different, and vary according to how much money is on the table, and how many other hands there are. i.e.- A winter crab fishermen can expect 5 to 8%, but there's usually 4 or 5 guys to split the work load with, and the boat might make 250,000 dollars per trip, so it all evens out. You'd have to go check out each fishery your interested in and ask around.
When you find a boat thats looking for a hand, give yourself a moment to check it out first, ask around a little bit on the docks or in the bars, see what you can find out about the boat. There might well be a good reason why there's an opening.
The best two pieces of advice I can offer about this is, take a good look at the boat, make sure it's safe, and has proper safety equipment, i.e.- raft, survival suits, fire extinguishers, medical kit, etc., and scope out how's maintained. If she's clean and looks well cared for, that can tell you a lot right there.
~good fishin!~
Once and Future
2009-01-31 13:51:52
Riversong- did you catch that Jon and Yak above are telling you two very different things? Jon says 15-20% of gross, Yak says 15-20% net, after reasonable expenses, such as fuel. It is well to sort out these terms ahead of time, in writing, as they say. I would say the simpler deal the better. % of gross leaves much less to argue over, even if the percent is somewhat less. Also, most captains would prefer not to reveal all their books to you.
Subject is close to all of our hearts - we've all been burned. I noticed when I was a deckhand that rare indeed is the opportunity to work with a real good captain with no issues. These guys always can get a grandson or nephew or whatever. If no one who knows to the guy wants to work for him, what does that tell you? And this makes me realize you can't hardly negotiate a good deal. I'd rather work for the good guy for food alone, instead of some tyrant for 20% of gross! How do you get a captain to specify in writing whether he is a nut job or not? :)
But, you are much better off with a guy that willing to sign a paper with you than one who is not.