New York Boat Fishing As Of 4-27-20

I completely agree with you on this George. The marina bills keep piling up on my desk and I see no charter income in the forseeable future to help me pay some of them. So, I will have to dig deeper into my savings just to hold on.

I am most concerned for all the hard working full time charter and party boat captains and their crews who are seriously in danger of losing their businesses entirely.

Who should we write to, our illustrious Governor who obviously believes no one should be working, which is largely due to his own incompetence? Can the NYSF Federation work to get a bunch of us together? How did the B&T folks do it?
I am willing to pitch in with a little guidance.
Capt. Mike

The tackle shop owners, bait dealers, and local tackle manufacturers had a united and respected approach and they are now back at work.

May if follow up on this statement? I thought bait and tackle shops were closed. Does this mean that despite the fact they are supposed to be closed they will all be open?

I just called J and H. He is curbside pick-up only. He is not open.

May if follow up on this statement? I thought bait and tackle shops were closed. Does this mean that despite the fact they are supposed to be closed they will all be open?

I got that wrong in that you can order online and pick up or call in and pick up. You can't walk into the store. But the curbside offering was removed due to a technicality that has been closed.

I completely agree with you on this George. The marina bills keep piling up on my desk and I see no charter income in the forseeable future to help me pay some of them. So, I will have to dig deeper into my savings just to hold on.

I am most concerned for all the hard working full time charter and party boat captains and their crews who are seriously in danger of losing their businesses entirely.

Who should we write to, our illustrious Governor who obviously believes no one should be working, which is largely due to his own incompetence? Can the NYSF Federation work to get a bunch of us together? How did the B&T folks do it?
I am willing to pitch in with a little guidance.
Capt. Mike

There is something in the works that will hopefully not need a lot of pressure. But if they do I will be sure to post it here.

I think the biggest problem for the six-packs and head boats will be enforcing the 6' rule. Maybe that is why they have not been given the go-ahead. The six-packs might have to be 3 packs. On the Laura Lee site, they are stating they will only allow 25% of capacity on board once they start. So as the captain how do you police this? Fares may start off with the appropriate distance between them but for how long? Maybe the boats will hire an enforcer? How does the mate net a fish while 6' away? I hope those in charge can get it right. The for-hire boats are a hard-working group.

regards Holty

Good points Holty. But those same issues are happening on private boats. I made a number of calls today regarding the rules for recreational anglers. They are the same 6' social distancing. That could easily be applied to open and charter boats. Why can I take out my boat, and keep social distancing yet boats for hire can't? It doesn't make much sense to me. Boats for hire provide food, especially in these times. I think we'd all agree we'd rather eat something we took from the water personally than anywhere else!

Recreational anglers can fish with current social distancing rules on both boats and surf.

Good ......... because telling me I can't go on my boat and go fishing alone, or with a friend ...... is the day I will be going to jail for violating a law that takes everything away from me as a freedom-loving, tax-paying American.

It's getting to a point where enough is enough.

Head boats like restaurant's Will have many hurdles

Not least amongst them is ppl actually showing up
But I think over a short period of time once the lights are on they will come

deck hands need to walk to deck
Like waiters need to go table to table

then you’ve got the issue of cabins and heads

we will have the same issues restaurants will have minus the food
Because I don’t see gallies ever coming back

I don’t in my mind or heart of hearts believe social distancing will work in either environment

you can’t eat or drink in a mask
And you can’t stand stagnant in one place for 8 hours

ppl will move

ppl in a restaurant will walk past another table to go to the head

ppl in a restaurant or in a cabin will sneeze cough or clear their throat and heat or fans will move air in both places

what’s the difference if your got 30 aboard or 50 Out of a capacity of 149 When it rains and they all go in the cabin
Or If a restaurants got 6 ft between tables once some one sneezes and the fan blows it around
We will all be doing the social distance charade to get things going
But that’s exactly what it is a charade

That’s a New Jersey proposal and I’m not sure if it was proposed to the governor from various fishing advocates or a proposal from the governor to them
There a world of difference

I’ve head no such proposal for the New York area as of yet

Heard about a proposal to open on May 12th. The formula is:
(Length x 2) + beam / 6= #of passengers plus 2 crew and one capt
ex: (100x2) + 20/6 = 36

Sorry, but it's the anal scientist in me. To come up with 36 passengers with absolutely no need to be confounded by the rules of the order of mathematic functions, I suggest you rewrite the equation to be:

((Length X 2) + Beam)/6 which in your example means:

((100x2)+20)/6 = 36.7, 36 if you can't round up, 37 if you can.

If one follows the order of operations in the original posted equation the answer is not 36.7, it goes like this:

(100x2) + (20/6) = 203.3 since you do all multiplications and divisions before additions and subtractions.

I'm sure the For Hire crowd would like this formula better...

Head boats like restaurant's Will have many hurdles

Not least amongst them is ppl actually showing up
But I think over a short period of time once the lights are on they will come

deck hands need to walk to deck
Like waiters need to go table to table

then you’ve got the issue of cabins and heads

we will have the same issues restaurants will have minus the food
Because I don’t see gallies ever coming back

I don’t in my mind or heart of hearts believe social distancing will work in either environment

you can’t eat or drink in a mask
And you can’t stand stagnant in one place for 8 hours

ppl will move

ppl in a restaurant will walk past another table to go to the head

ppl in a restaurant or in a cabin will sneeze cough or clear their throat and heat or fans will move air in both places

what’s the difference if your got 30 aboard or 50 Out of a capacity of 149 When it rains and they all go in the cabin
Or If a restaurants got 6 ft between tables once some one sneezes and the fan blows it around
We will all be doing the social distance charade to get things going
But that’s exactly what it is a charade

Line 2 above says it all. Once open, it will be left to the risk / reward felt by the consumer whether fishing or going to a restaurant. Time will tell. Business owners will need to adapt quickly to gain the confidence of the consumer in providing a "safe" place to be.

All I know is owners and mates alike are taking it on the chin and for the most part there is very little we can do about it.

Bills are piling up and there is no end insight.

Guys can pin hook but who can they sell fish to?

Maybe all the owners and crew start writing a letter a day to our governor. Andy Dufrane style till he makes a change.

In ny it falls on deaf ears

our gov has it all figured out

he’s got the masses cowering under their beds
And he likes it that way
Give em pot
Keep em boozed up
Feed em once a day
And hope the stimulus keeps coming

the reckoning will be once this is over

and GOD help us all , it’s gonna make the virus look like a cake walk

I understand everyone is Anxious and people are struggling there has to be a plan for everything we do going forward, my daughter being a business owner on the north shore is struggling everyday already taken loans to cover unemployment on top of bills, Then comes the lose and great family friend to this horrible situation we are in that’s when it really hits home. So now we ask ourselves how many more lives to we need to lose, I hope in the end this works out and the hire boats get a solution, till then everyone stay safe stay well and this will pass and we will get through this

Roccus, my 3rd grader just read this, says she would have helped me with the equation

Ah the wisdom of youth. You Go Girl!!!

I would like to think I have a pretty decent grasp of math. I run a 6 pack on a 28 footer. If this proposal is true I can carry 11 passengers, which obviously exceeds my legal capacity!?😕
I am guessing there will be a different formula for vessels in the 6 pack fleet.

Hi CaptFP,
I did notice the post referred to NJ and there is no doubt there will have to be different rules put in place for smaller vessels. From what I am reading it looks like each state will be implementing it's own regulations.
I have already read that New Hampshire will be opening up their party boat fleet with a 50% capacity, all passengers wearing face masks and gloves on May 18. Saw a similar report saying Rhode Island may be open as early as May 15, even on 6 packs, but no clues on the rules for smaller vessels.

My big concern is the 6 packs will be restricted to only 2 or 3 customers which will severely curtail our businesses and/or profit margins. I really feel bad for the guys who do this F/T.

Captmike,
This is a proposal for reopening NJ party and charter boats, not NY. I had heard it from a buddy a thought it was for ny. I googled it and did find the letter. For 6 packs they propose only 5 people unless they are all family. Doesn't say in what combo like capt, deck hand and 3customers etc

I wonder how they define ‘Family’ and how they will enforce that.