Quetsion about payments from COop's to boats...
PooKow
2010-04-23 05:06:17
I was wondering how boats get paid from the coop.
I have never fished commercially, so this is a whole new world for me. I just got hired today as a deckhand on a troller from june-sept. I guess i'll be making 8-10% depending on how much the skipper likes my work. He said he's part of a coop and that the pay is a confusing subject - it proved to be during the interview and thats why im here! He said I won't be getting a big ole' check when I fly home, instead, since he's part of the coop he will get paid in a few seperate checks, spread throughout a number of months... So for example if were done in sept. he could get a check from the coop in Oct-Dec.- maybe even all the way into March..? I just don't get why I won't be getting all of my money at once when im done working, and i REALLY want to understand this more. especially if we dont catch much fish and my 8% turns out to be $6000 for 4 months work, well, it would suck to have that six grand spread out over 6 months potentially. Can someone explain the method to this madness for me? How does the coop pay boats? Why is it Spread out? You would think 18 hour work days deserve to be payed in full at the end of the trips.. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
salmon4u
2010-04-23 05:17:49
I can't speak for this skipper, there's different methods used to pay crew and it's all open to negotiation. I've always paid crew at the end of the season, or when I've had to let someone go. SPC pays members 70% of dock price on delivery. then markets the fish and passes on extra price increases or decreases to the members after paying plant expenses in January and April.
How you negotiate your crew share is really up to you. If you hold out for a share from the co op payments it's somewhat like the stockmarket. you could do a little better or you could do worse. the majority of the time you'll do better.
Hope that helps... good luck.
PooKow
2010-04-23 05:31:29
Ok it's starting to make a little sense.
So I think thats the same coop he is a member of. 70% of dock price is what he said as well... So I think I remember him saying he paid a deckhand at the end of the season, because the deckhand wouldnt wait the 6 month span for multiple payments from the coop. The deckhand got all of his money which was 5k in sept. But he may have lost out on another 4k by not waiting for those multiple payments from the coop. He could have made 9k if he let that original 5k stew in the "coop pot" for a while... does that sound like the way it works sometimes? is that a good example? did I possibly missinterpret this story? Thanks-
DiamondLil
2010-04-23 20:45:43
I've always paid my deckhands at the end of the season based on SPC dock. There's no waiting for settlements, but no gains either.
Joe
Salty
2010-04-25 07:12:14
8-10% of what?
Gross, or gross after fuel, ice, bait, groceries, gear loss, etc?
I recommend a little homework on going crew share rates. Perhaps an experienced crew member can chime in. Remember this, "there is no net in trolling".
kalitan97828
2010-04-25 14:26:06
I pay my crew on dock price minus the 3% we pay for hatchery enhansment--in otherwords 97% of the gross dock price. Be sure to have a written contract with the skipper and might ask around, seems percentage is a little low. I pay all expenses except poersonal ones like licence, gloves ect.
Salty
2010-04-25 23:08:01
Competent troll deckhands in most situations are worth 15% of the troll gross after enhancement tax and or fuel and grocery expenses.
I pay an experienced, top of the line troll deckhand 20%. In exchange I expect them to cook, scrub down, run gear, unload, keep the boat tidy and clean, tie gear, thread herring, clean fish, stand wheel watch, remove pests (birds) from the cabin as directed, keep their mouth shut about our lowline production, notice anything that needs fixing, fix what they can, learn constantly, and keep me good company only when I want it and otherwise not be a distraction.
I know it is a lot to ask for 20% so I end up going by myself a lot.
squarehead
2010-04-26 03:13:07
I pay an experienced, top of the line troll deckhand 20%. In exchange I expect them to cook, scrub down, run gear, unload, keep the boat tidy and clean, tie gear, thread herring, clean fish, stand wheel watch, remove pests (birds) from the cabin as directed, keep their mouth shut about our lowline production, notice anything that needs fixing, fix what they can, learn constantly, and keep me good company only when I want it and otherwise not be a distraction.
I know it is a lot to ask for 20% so I end up going by myself a lot.
made me chuckle, well put.
PooKow
2010-04-27 19:40:42
Hey thank's y'all. Good to go.. -cheers
Kelper
2010-05-03 04:41:04
I've been paid 15-20% of the gross as a deckhand on several different boats. I'd never go below 15%. Some of the questions I'd be asking would be: Will you be running gear? Does the capt expect you to do all the fish cleaning and icing, or does the Capt help out with that? I won't crew on a boat where I don't run gear. On the good boats I've been on, I worked one side of the boat, the Capt worked the other. We both cleaned fish, and we both jumped down in the hold to ice fish during a hot bite. I'd also ask around and make sure the Capt doesn't have a rep of being unsafe and has a good catch history. I've had some very good times crewing on trollers. Great memories. But, I've heard some horror stories. Do your homework.
Lance
2010-05-13 17:46:53
Kelper,
I crewed for seven seasons before running my own boat. Based on the norms for ice boats then as well as now, I would be embarrassed to provide anything less than 15% of dock to even a marginally competent but reasonably earnest greenhorn. Stellar hands get more and the option to play the SPC pool along with me.
Good for you for doing your research.
Salty
2010-05-15 00:00:11
Remember to get paid a percentage of the gross. There is no net in trolling.