Private charter vs head boat.

The most common question we get before people book: "What's the difference between a private charter and a head boat, and which one should I pick?" The honest answer: both are good, they're just built for different trips. Here's the breakdown.

Head boat (a.k.a. party boat)

A head boat is a large open-deck boat — usually 40–70 feet — that charges per person ("per head"). You buy a spot at the rail, show up at a public dock, and fish alongside 25 to 60 other strangers. The captain runs a set course (say, sea bass or porgies), the crew helps net and bait, and everyone fishes the same drift.

What head boats are good for:

• Cost: $60–100 per person is much cheaper than a private charter if you're going solo or with one other person.
• No commitment: walk on the day of, no deposit.
• Big-boat comforts: galleys, restrooms, cabin space.
• Learning the ropes: if you've never fished saltwater before, the mate on a good head boat will teach you how to bait, cast, and reel.

Trade-offs:

• You fish where the boat fishes — you don't pick spots.
• Crowded rail. Elbow room is at a premium; tangles are common.
• The schedule runs on the slowest reel — trip length is fixed.
• You can't customize the target species — if the boat is on porgies, you're on porgies.

Private charter (what we run)

A private charter — like Captain Skippy Charters — is a boat you book for just your group. You pay a flat rate for the boat (up to 4 anglers), the captain runs the trip around what you want, and no strangers are on the rail. Same water, very different experience.

What private charters are good for:

• Your group only. 1 to 4 anglers, that's it. No sharing the rail.
• Real fishing room. Full cockpit space per angler — you can actually work a fish.
• Custom trip. Want to target stripers on a half-day and switch to porgies if the striper bite dies? Done. Want to stay out an extra hour if the fish are on? Done.
• Local knowledge, no filter. The captain is running the boat and talking with your group directly — the whole trip is a chess game between him and the fish, and you're in on it.
• Kids-friendly. Small groups mean the captain can actually help a new angler.

Trade-offs:

• Cost per person is higher if you're going solo. Our half-day mixed bag is $600 for the boat — $150/head with 4 anglers, $300/head with 2. For 1 person, a head boat is cheaper.
• Requires booking ahead. We take a $150 non-refundable deposit to hold the date.
• Smaller boat, smaller cabin. The Christina M II is a 26-ft Down East — plenty for 4 anglers but tighter than a 50-ft head boat.

How to decide

Book a head boat if: you're going alone or with one other person, you want the cheapest way to try saltwater fishing, and you don't mind sharing the rail.

Book a private charter with us if: you have a group of 2–4, you want real fishing room, you want to fish where the captain thinks the fish are (not where the boat happens to run), or you want a family, kid, or bachelor-party trip customized to your day.

What Captain Skippy offers

Captain Skippy has run 20+ years of trips out of Mount Sinai — same water, same captain, same 26-ft Christina M II. USCG 50-Ton Master + OUPV licensed. Half-day mixed-bag ($600, May 1 – Oct 10) or fall blackfish ($700, Oct 11 – Nov 30). Rods, reels, bait, tackle and NY State fishing license included. Fish cleaned and bagged at the dock.

Book a private trip or call/text 631-252-6536. Skippy answers his phone.