The Calvert Recorder Friday, March 2, 2007
By Carrie Lovejoy
Staff Writer
At least once a year, Chuck Lawrence gets together with his friends for serious male bonding.
Anywhere from eight to 15 guys, including Lawrence's friends, co-workers and possibly their sons, head to Virginia Beach, Va., on Sunday and get a hotel. They watch football that day, and then they spend Monday on Keith Allston's charter fishing boat, Rod Bender.
Allston is based in Solomons and works from there April through November, but spends December, January and February working out of Virginia Beach, taking groups of people out on the water to catch their limit in rockfish. Lawrence said he has hired Allston for about three or four years to host the annual get-together.
''It's a good opportunity for us guys to get together," Lawrence said. ''Keith is definitely good at what he's supposed to do, which is take us to catch fish. He's got a great boat and we always have a good time."
Allston leaves his boat in the water all through the year, housing it in Solomons from April to October and then heading to Virginia Beach. He said he usually takes March off, not doing any fishing, but he's still available for parties.
Allston said his business comes from many directions. He might have a fishing charter in the morning and then spend his evening taking a group on a dinner cruise. He said he employs the help of a Solomons restaurant to cater the dinner cruises, or he might take people by boat to a Solomons restaurant and then pick them up after dinner.
He has hosted wedding receptions, bachelor parties, birthday parties, graduation parties, lighthouse tours of the nine lighthouses on the Chesapeake Bay: ''basically anything you can do on a boat," he said.
When he first started the business about five years ago, he was working full time with his family at Tri County Builders in Charlotte Hall. He had seen a boat that was not for sale in Solomons and asked the owner about buying it.
''He said no, but three times later, he said yes," Allston said. So Allston started hiring out the boat on the weekends when he had time away from his full time job, making contacts and getting regular customers. Soon, he stopped working at Tri County Builders and started chartering full time. He said he gave up a lot to work full time as a waterman, but he was getting tired of building houses and it's starting to pay off.
''I just really enjoy being out there on the water," he said. ''Now I make a living and do what I like to do."
Business was difficult at first, but he said he knew it would be. He had to work to get all of his licenses and get his name out. He said he did not advertise much, ''most of my business is word of mouth." Growing up in St. Mary's County all of his life, he had plenty of friends and family around, though. He graduated from St. Mary's Ryken High School in 1994.
Jeff Hayes of Faulkner uses Allston for two or three boat trips a year, taking his family and friends, and sometimes his business associates at Southern Maryland Oil. Hayes said Allston arranges for all of the accommodations, including a couple of extra boats because of the size of Hayes' party.
''He's an outgoing guy with an awesome boat," Hayes said. ''He works hard and makes sure you catch fish. ... Once you go out with Keith, you'll continue to go out with Keith."
Hayes said he often uses Allston for smaller parties, taking a few friends fishing throughout the year.
For several months of the year, Allston said he spends every day of the week on the boat with groups, but in the colder months it's a five-day job.
''That's why I take a month off," he said. And that month, he said, is reserved for his honey-do list.
The fishing varies some, depending on the season, but because he fishes at least five days a week, Allston said he knows where to catch them. His overhead is not terrible, he said, mostly fuel costs and hiring a mate for parties. He said he always keeps at least one extra hand on the boat.
''For larger parties I have two, to assure people get first-class service," he said. ''A lot of the times I can't get out of the cabin."
Every year, Allston said he hosts a group of Marines, donating his time to have them spend their day on the boat.
''They catch their limit in rockfish, and then we go to Serenity Farms where they cook them," Allston said. He said the Marines are usually from Bethesda or Walter Reed Memorial Hospital, and he said last year, 24 of the 25 soldiers were missing limbs. He said he likes to host the parties to give the soldiers a way to spend some time outside the hospital after being in the war.
Allston has now put away his fishing gear for the year and will not be fishing again until April, but he is still plenty busy. He said he still hosts parties and cruises, and in one day last week he had received five phone calls to book fishing dates in May.
''It's still an every day job," he said.
E-mail Carrie Lovejoy at clovejoy@somdnews.com.
Staff Photos by Darwin Weigel
Charter boat captain Keith Allston of Hughesville runs his 52-foot boat, Rod Bender, out of Harbor Island Marina in Solomons from April to November and out of Virginia Beach, Va., in December and January. Allston's charter season begins April 21 this year and he is booked for the first five weeks.
