Chartering Advice From White Ghost Charters:

            In these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to make sure that you are getting the most out of your chartering dollar and the time spent fishing with anyone. As many of you already know, not all charter operations are created equal.

            In our area, we are the oldest and longest lasting fishing charter in the entire bay area. There was only one other operation in the bay in 1990, and he’s been a friend of mine since the late 1970’s. No one wanted or bothered to fish or charter inside the bay as they felt that is wasn’t worth the time and effort to even bother. We changed that belief and perception and now there are over 30-boats chartering inside the bay.

            Another advantage we have is the time that I’ve spent out here on the water. I started when I was old enough to walk going with my father and grandfather from both the surf and in a small wooden boat my grandfather owned. So I’ve been out here for the better part of a half century. Again, to the best of my knowledge, there is only one other guy who can claim that, (legitimately at least) and that knowledge goes a long way in knowing where and when to go to find stripers and other gamefish.

            Each year I mention this and it’s like a broken record but its worth mentioning again because it’s so important. With so many fly-by-night operation out there today its important to know and to understand who’s boat your getting on as your life, in the end is at stake when you do. Our boat is certified for having safety gear for a boat of up to 65-feet in length. We don’t have to do that; we choose to do that for our clients and their safety as well as ours.” YOU WILL NOT FIND A VESSEL WITH MORE SAFTEY GEAR AND EQUIPMENT THAN OURS-ANYWHERE FOR OUR SIZE”

You may find a boat that is cheaper, in fact I know you will, but how much is your life worth at the end of the day.

            Our boat also holds all the necessary permits, licenses, and validations, from both the state and the federal government. Even if you fish for albacore and bonito did you know that you or your captain must have a Federal Fisheries Permit to fish for and retain those species? If you or he doesn’t, you could be subject to serious fines if found in possession of those species. Going shark fishing? The boat has to be licensed to fish for pelagic species, including sharks to be in compliance with federal regulations.

            The reason that many boats are sailing for cheaper money these days is that most of them aren’t in total compliance with all state and federal regulations as this cost money, a lot of money to be in compliance and up-to-date.

            To charter you need Life jackets of Type I with whistles, strobe lights, and other types of signaling distress gear. Not the $10 type of life jackets that Wal-Mart sells, but certified by the Coast Guard for the sole purpose of “taking passengers for hire.”

            Many of the new charters use hand-held VHF radios on their boats. Why? Because they are cheaper, require no expensive antenna. However, there are many areas in our bay as well as others that dead spots occur and hand-held radios are virtually useless when in one. If you need medical assistance or other help that is not the time to say I wish we were on a boat with a good working radio. On our boat, we are linked to the US Coast Guard via our GPS system. By flipping one switch on the radio we have immediate help and the Coast Guard knows EXACTLY who and where we are and are able to see our position via GPS signal from our vessel. This feature considerably lessens the response time for emergency help and assistance.

Capt Jim White