Posted by Ken Kurtis on April 25, 2003 at 09:23:12:
In Reply to: The Captain's Call posted by Captain Tim on April 24, 2003 at 20:12:46:
Tim and I have discussed this privately many times but just FTR, I agree with him (and the comments Jim Hoffman made) 100%.
It's always easy to sit at home and criticize. And it's also easy to sit on the boat and say, "Well, I know we could have made it" even when WE know that every fishing boat has turned back. (And that's when you know it's REALLY bad.)
One of the problems with all of this, from both the standpoint of a charterer as well as a boat captain is that you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.
If you make the run to the original destination and it's rough and the diving is lousy, people complain "Why did you make us go? We should have canceled."
When you use your good judgement and cancel so as to spare your customers, you inevitably get, "I don't know why you canceled. We could have made it."
But I know that Tim, as well as other captains, would rather cancel on a day they could have gone than go on a day when they should have stayed home. And in the long run and looking at the bigger picture, that's just plain smart as well as safe.
Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA