REQUIEM FOR THE OLD-SCHOOL

Am I the only one pining for the good old days?

- CAPT. PETE ZABINSKI JR.

Where have the old-school captains and mates gone? It seems that as they retire, pass on, or change industries, they take the camaraderie, traditions, and intimate fishing knowledge with them-unfortunately for the rest of us.

That once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work as a sport-fishing professional was never taken for granted back in the day; it was earned. Once you were hired, you were put to work in the bilge, engine room and lazarette, so you had a good understanding of all the systems that made the boat seaworthy. After that, you got introduced to the safety equipment, the tackle, and how the captain and owner preferred their operation to run. All of this training was necessary before you spent a single day on deck. It's called paying your dues, and every effort possible was made by the crew to maintain the vessel to the highest level of greatness.

CAN'T WE CALL SOMEONE TO FIX THAT?

Unfortunately, the answer in way too many situations has become yes-the go-to for even the simplest of problems. This stems from a lack of firsthand education and being prepared to get your hands-and those fancy surf shorts-dirty. Swapping out a bilge pump, replacing a head or doing an oil change, and generally being there to assist the captain, was expected, and "you'd better be listening with your eyes and your ears" was repeated by countless old-school captains.