Captain & Two sailors Gratuities 20% of the trip price is standard on large ships and tips will be divided among the three crew members as they see fit. Tipping individually is a great way to show appreciation, but on some ships, it's customary to tip 20%, with 10% for the captain and 5% for each sailor. This same principle carries over to charter captains, fishing guides and first officers who provide services during their fishing experience. Typically, customers will add between 15% and 20% gratuity to the price of the trip, depending on the quality of the service.
Although not required, there is a certain label to show your appreciation. If you think the Captain or Guide didn't deserve to be appreciated, maybe just a 5% tip is justified; but we'll get into what is good service in a moment. Often, the tip you give goes directly to the first officer (if applicable). In some cases, tipping is the only compensation a first officer receives, since they are mostly interns learning their trade.
If you think both the Captain and the First Officer deserve a tip, you can offer cash to both. The Captain can still give all or part of his part to the First Officer, but the gesture is noticeable and appreciated. First, let's clarify a couple of things. A tip is not mandatory, it is not a salary and there are no definite rules.
A tip is a customer-driven act that generally demonstrates an appreciation of the level of service. The “rates for how much to tip a ship captain vary from 5 to 20%, but there is a certain label. The tip is always given to the captain, in cash, who then distributes the tip to the crew equally. If there is a crew, of course, the thing to keep in mind here is that charters are not like restaurants.
People who work charters would compare it more to a lifestyle because their shifts tend to be longer. In some countries, seasons are only good for 12 to 16 weeks and they have to work every day. Even when the captain owns the boat, most of the money goes to maintaining the boat and the expenses of owning a business. If you've asked the captain for a specific fish in a specific area, and those fish don't bite, there's not much the captain can do.
The charter fee covers the trip for the wear and tear of the boat, the gas, the equipment (its rods, reels and flies), the knowledge, the license, the convenience of fishing in a new area and having someone stand on a boat and push or row it all day long. Matt Reilly is a freelance writer, outdoor columnist and fly fishing guide who specializes in float trips for predatory game fish based in Southwest Virginia. For me, being able to keep customers engaged, have fun and learn when fishing is slow is a crucial skill set for a fishing guide. In a group setting, anglers can split tips, but they help your fishing partner with advanced knowledge to prevent them from feeling embarrassed at the end of the fishing day.
Whether it's a fly fishing trip near Alaska, or, we'll partner you with a professional fishing guide or captain.
