I am considering working in Florida for the winters starting in 2016 and wondering what advice anyone may have to give in regard to Boat Shows (i.e. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, etc.) Is there work for 50 ton near coastal Captains such as myself for the pre, post or during the shows? I have heard stories about a strong need for Captains and deck hands moving boats, delivery and such. Is there any truth to these stories and what experience do any of you have in this and is it worth it?
I used to work for one of the biggest dealers in S. Florida for a few years, and did many Boat show move in/outs. We were always scrambling for help, but we had a pretty good stable of guys that we put together over several years. We rarely used someone that one of us did not know. Personally if you don't know anyone down here in the biz, it might be hard. My only advice is to start pounding the pavement and hitting up the big dealers for work well before the show.
As ychtcptn said the way to get work helping at show time is to become friends and mate to captains who already have relationships with builders and dealers. Most builders and dealers call on the same people year after year. Those people do occasionally refer to others when they can't handle it all.
I worked the Fort Lauderdale boat show a few years. Mostly on my hands and knees scrubbing teak decks but have also assisted with deliveries as deck hand and mate. Wife has been washing boats and getting them ready as well. The phone would start ringing up to 6 weeks before the shows. It is mostly by word of mouth, but I have also answered classified ads in Waterfront News. As mentioned earlier, get to know brokers and Captains.
There is very little "aloha" here in FL - captains don't tend to help other (new) captains take work which they could be giving to friends. It certainly takes time to earn your place at the table. Just sayin'.