Dear Douglas,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. At Sydney Charter Fishing, exceeding guest expectations — particularly during the busy Christmas and New Year period — is something we take very seriously, and I’m disappointed that this charter did not meet that standard.

You are absolutely right that guests who arrive on time should never be disadvantaged. The decision to return for late passengers impacted your estimated arrival time, but definitely not your fishing time, and I take full responsibility for that call.

It needs to be outlined that most of the late passengers were country kids whom had never fished, nor seen the ocean. As a parent with young daughters myself, only two days after Christmas, with plenty of room for more anglers at the time, I felt the right call was to return as with sunlight and the conditions on our side, with safety in mind I needed a bigger reason than more than gridlock Sydney traffic to disadvantage these kids’ Christmas gift certificates.

Your fishing charter returned at 9 pm, not 8 pm.

This decision to return for late passengers did affect the flow of the trip, and I take full responsibility for that call. At the time, I believed it was the fairest decision given the remaining daylight and sea conditions, however I acknowledge that this did not align with the experience you were expecting.

I would like to clarify that while the vessel briefly returned to collect additional passengers, your overall fishing time was not reduced, and the charter ultimately returned later than scheduled in an effort to compensate for the disruption. That said, I understand your view that this did not feel like adequate compensation on the night.

Regarding the charter duration, our 3-hour charters include travel time, which is standard across our operations. Fishing conditions and productivity can vary from trip to trip, and while multiple locations were tried, I acknowledge your frustration that the fishing did not fire earlier in the session.

Passenger comfort, stability, and overall trip management are areas we continually review, particularly during high-demand periods such as Christmas and New Year.

I do appreciate your positive comments about the crew, and I’m genuinely sorry that the overall experience left you disappointed. If you’re open to it, I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly and work toward a fair resolution.

Thank you again for your honest feedback — it helps us improve and refine our operations during our busiest season.

Kind regards,
Adam
Owner / Operator
Sydney Charter Fishing

Dear Douglas, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. At Sydney Charter Fishing, exceeding guest expectations — particularly during the busy Christmas and New Year period — is something we take very seriously, and I’m disappointed that this charter did not meet that standard. You are absolutely right that guests who arrive on time should never be disadvantaged. The decision to return for late passengers impacted your estimated arrival time, but definitely... More