I️ was a deckhand on a Salmon seiner out of kodiak 15 years ago. I’ve wanted to buy my own boat and work for myself ever since. I’ve decided to make that dream a reality. I️ now hold a kodiak Seine permit and the means to buy a boat. My experience is limited. I’m looking for someone with experience to run the boat and train me. Or better yet, sell me a boat and skipper/train.
but what is your budget? I can find you a boat and gear but I need to know what you want to spend?
are you in the NW or planning to come here soon? a few boats down this way but most are up north necessitating a trip to Homer, Kodiak, Seward, etc… to look them over.
have you been here http://dockstreetbrokers.com/listings.php?list_type=cat&catid=14 or here http://www.alaskaboat.com/boatthumbs.php?bt=sn1 or here http://gsiboat.com/index.php
It seems like the place to start would have been to work more on a boat and learn until you were ready to skipper your own, then get a permit and buy something. At least have lined up a trainer before committing to a permit.
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the best you can do is to hire a captain outright and pay him a full captain’s share…you on the otherhand get a crewshare and work as crew until you know you can take over. Might be two seasons before you get there but if you want to really learn the ropes, you can’t just be there to watch. You will need to work exactly as you did so many decades ago and be very respectful of the man you hire to run your boat. Never ever once tell him you are the owner so overruling his decisions because if he’s worth a shit plan to watch him walk off leaving you holding onto your dick with both hands…
comprende?
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I️ have been scalloping out east for the past 15 yrs and have done very well, but it’s too expensive to buy into. I️ want to be my own man. I’ve been on every broker website. I️ plan to spend between 200k-300k on a turn key package. I want something well kept, big with capacity, a shallow draft, top house, and head/shower. I’m planning a trip to Washington to Homer to Kodiak in February to check out boats. As far as the permit goes, I️ bought it last April at the lowest price in 10 years. I️ know more experience would be ideal but I️ will make it happen.
I️ understand and would not undermine someone I️ hired. What do you think would be an appropriate and enticing captains share. What would the boat take?
c.captian might be a gruff, egotistical, arrogant, condencending ass (and I mean that in the best way possible) at times but in this case you should take his advice and listen to what he says, because he is the very guy who can help you find what you seek on this forum.
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you’d better be smiling as you say that Pilgrim!
I am glad you said that or I’d be forced to give you my stink eye!
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@c.captain has plenty of connections and will for sure help you. He knows his stuff @HenryJD. He has been around for along time.
Your suckup post is umbecoming. Go away.
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i’m not sure why all my capital i’s are turning into ! marks and squares. I’m not sure if that made my post sound rude and i am not the best writer.
i am approaching this in an unconventional way and trying to put it out there.
I want something different for my family and I am very appreciative of all your ideas, advice, and words of caution.
Steamer was talking to Dsd, not you Henry.
Sorry for the confusion Henry, my comment was certainly not intended for you! I like what you wrote.
The “go away” is intended for the resident syrup slinging mariner stalking wannabe who has plagued the site for months with gratuitous stuff better suited for some women’s self help site.
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I can’t advise you there but it needs to be pretty high to entice a man who can catch fish and be willing to run another person’s boat. most good skippers have their own boats so finding one who is boatless might be a challenge. as far as the boat’s share, it gets what is left after paying your expenses.
you might be lucky and find a guy retiring who is selling his boat and get the package from him of boat, gear and training all together…talk to the brokers
That’s actually exactly what he said he ideally wanted. It sounds like that’s the most likely scenario as well, since c.captain confirmed what I was thinking, most decent skippers own their own boat.
of course guys retiring usually want to sell their permits with a package deal…the OP may need to sell the one he already holds
Last week or week before the news in these parts was an Apple iOS was causing that. Update the os and this erroneous auto correct from I to the symbol will go away. Assuming you are using an iPhone or iPad that is.
That’s why I figured he was being a bit premature by getting the permit before anything else.
well if the OP can find a great deal on a complete package with a permit he can go ahead and sell the one he already holds. or he can buy a boat and gear and hopefully find an ex fisherman already retired who might like going back out without having to worry about being in charge. the problem with the later is that Kodiak size seiners are pretty small and might have berths for four total. I am not sure but believe that they don’t use a seine skiff.
I am also not sure how many skippers of Kodiak seiners make their living just in that one fishery? Many Alaskan salmon fishermen cross fish across the State and some fish for herring before salmon start running. Either way, more than one permit is needed.
Just curious, how do they close the purse without a skiff?
Kodiak Salmon seiners vary in length from 38ft to the limit of
58ft. They do use skiffs. Information on permit value, quartile earnings (earnings of the top 25%, lowest 25%, etc.), and average ex vessel earnings can be found on the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission’s web site. The top 25% have been doing very well for the past decade. 2016 was one of the worst years in a while, 2017 was one of the best ever.
I’m looking for a boat approaching the limit because I want to fish in comfort. I’ve been commercial fishing for upwards of 20 years and I’m not trying to downgrade to using a bucket out on deck.
I won’t have a problem supplementing my salmon income with income from my current fishery while I work at getting myself in one of the higher quartiles. My dream is to live a modest lifestyle that I can include my family in while not having to work year round under someone else and their schedule.