Hi Folks,There will be a fuel surcharge of $50 for every 5 hour and $100 for every 7 hour or longer fishing charter this year. I have waited as long as I can to see if the prices of diesel will go down and I can see no immediate relief for this season. I can tell you that this year I will not be headed to any of the offshore rips on a short 5-hour trip. My average per gallon price last year was $2.74. This year, $4.82 is the current price at the fuel dock at the Chatham fish pier and I expect that to go higher as well. That equates to a $70-$100 per trip loss of profit for me, so I have tried to meet my customers half way on this.
I did look around online to see what other Captains in my area are charging for a similar trip and find that I am still quite reasonable. Keep in mind that we still are using light tackle and running to the fish. Many operators will elect to stay close to the harbor and troll with the umbrella rigs to conserve fuel.
The reason that I can charge a little less than some of these operators is that I am closer to the fish and don’t have as much distance to run to the grounds. I also have a very fuel efficient engine and hull design allowing me to cruise along at a respectable 16 or 17 knots at a low fuel sipping RPM. I sincerely hope that this increase in price will not cause you to cancel the trip you had already booked, but if so I can understand and I will refund your deposit. Simply give me a call at 508 255-0911 and we will figure it out.
Thanks very much,
Capt. Bruce & “Marilyn S”
