Information and Advice for Organisers

Organisers Info...

Helpful Tips For Trip Organisers

I have listed here some of the pitfalls that you may encounter when embarking

on the unenviable task of organising a fishing trip for your mates,

These tips are intended to help you in the logistical task of organising a

group of anglers and friends for a days fishing,

Sea Angling Clubs often have one person who is responsible for this task

and even these experienced organisers often struggle with the task!

Read on, learn from others and avoid the mistakes!

1. Get the money upfront!

When your friend asks for their name to be added to your list, always get their money upfront otherwise they will let you down!

It occurs with monotonous regularity that the group has been let down at the last minute by one or more individuals leaving the rest to pay the full cost between them,

Even if you ignore all my other tips - Don't ignore this one - Trust me on this!!

2. Numbers.

Ask your skipper how many people he would recommend on the boat and make that number your absolute maximum,

Don't be tempted to cram as many people on board just to save yourselves a few quid, you will only succeed in spoiling the day for everyone due to tangled lines and frayed tempers,

Although my boat is licensed to carry 12 passengers plus 2 crew, I recommend 8/9 as a maximum and I have some regular groups that only bring 5 or 6 along, they prefer to pay the extra so that they can fish in comfort with plenty of room to stretch out.

3. You get what you pay for.

I sometimes get people asking why some skippers charge more than other skippers?

The answer is this;

a. My boat is twice as fast as there's and so burns twice as much (if not more) fuel,

b. I don't charge for rod & reel hire, others charge £5 per rod,

c. I provide hot tea & coffee free of charge, others don't provide drinks at all!

d. I provide a Microwave oven for you to use, others don't

e. I have a proper private flushing toilet others provide a bucket on the deck!

As a general rule of thumb, Take a look at the boats in the harbour, Some are Pristine, Modern and well equipped whilst others are not! - The choice is yours.

4. Book well in advance.

If you require a Saturday or Sunday or even a bank holiday date then you will need to book up to 12 months in advance,

If however you can fish midweek then you need only book a couple of months ahead.

5. Avoid Seasickness.

Don't get carried away with the alcohol and Indian curries on the evening before your trip, I have seen many a reveller reduced to a quivering mess by seasickness brought on by over indulgence the night before the trip!

If you must celebrate with your mates, do it after the trip, not before!

6. Breakfast - Be Careful

If you regularly eat a full English breakfast in the mornings then its no problem to do so on the morning of the trip, however, if like me you don't eat a large breakfast then don't go upsetting your stomach before you even step on the boat,

Better to eat at your normal time or when you feel hungry, if you are going to take sea sickness pills then take them with a little food at least two hours before the trip.

7. Communicate.

If you are a group of novice sea anglers, don't assume anything!! talk to your skipper, ask his advice and be fully aware of how he expects the day to pan out,

Ask about tackle & tactics, bait, weather forecasts, departure times, parking facilities. does he have a toilet onboard (especially important if you have lady anglers in your group) does he provide hot drinks onboard or do you need to bring a thermos flask,

Most professional charter boat skippers are only too pleased to answer your questions, however, if the skipper is not very helpful, book your trip with one who is!

8. Respect the boat.

Don't let your lead weights bang on the boat, they not only damage the boat but if allowed to swing about unchecked will also damage your mates or even yourself,

Take it from me that most charter boat skippers with fast, modern, well equipped boats will have spent a small fortune on their pride and joy, the last thing they want is to see it getting knocked about unnecessarily,

Like I said to one guy who could not understand why I was nagging him about his lead knocking lumps out of my gelcoat.

"Go out and buy a hundred grand car and see how you feel when someone bounces a lead off the bonnet!"

9. Read the Terms & Conditions

Like all businesses charter boat operators have certain conditions that must be met by any boat charterer,

Mostly these are to ensure a safe trip for our customers, they also give clear advice on what is expected from our customers and what our customers can expect from us,

Seadrive Charters terms & conditions can be read here.

“Tight Lines”

Support

We welcome novice anglers onboard our state of the art Catamaran 'Meerkat'
We have plenty of experience in helping beginners in the sport of deep sea angling,
If you have never tried your hand at deep sea angling and want to give a go, just give us a call, we will show you the ropes...

Development

They say that Angling is not an exact science and in recent years some exciting new products have come onto the market that has certainly enhanced the sea angling experience,
Onboard the 'Meerkat' We have a policy of ensuring that we use the most modern equipment and tackle available to us,

Strategy

Our Strategy is a simple one,
To ensure that we offer our customers the best angling possible and the best overall experience of their day with us,
We hope that if we are successful in our strategy that many of you will return in the future...

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