Hurricane Michael relief fund created for for-hire charter boats

Feb. 18--PANAMA CITY -- It was five or six days after Hurricane Michael when local charter boat captain Bob Zales II first received a call about setting up a relief fund for workers in the charter boat industry.

It was an idea Zales, who also serves as president of the National Association of Charterboat Operators (NACO), knew he wanted to make happen.

"There are people, especially in Mexico Beach and St. Joe, who lost everything: Their home, the marina, the boat," he said. "They have nothing."

Now NACO, in partnership with the International Game Fish Association (IFGA), is taking applications for vessel owners, operators and crewmembers of for-hire charter boats or head boats who need financial aid after the storm. The funding is coming through the IGFA's Worldwide Angler Relief Fund (WARF), which also helped workers in the charter boat industry after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey, according to Zales.

Since the fund was set up, NACO has partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to get the word out. FWC has reached out to the owners of all 461 for-hire vessels within the hurricane impacted area, letting them know about WARF and encouraging them to apply if they need it.

"So far the response rate hasn't been too great," Zales said. "Some people have left the area and won't come back. Some people have left the area and will come back, we just need to get in touch with them. Some people don't have a mailing address."

Then there are people who are used to taking care of themselves and might not be comfortable asking for help, Zales conceded.

But the funds are there, especially for people who don't have insurance or who had inadequate insurance, and crew deckhands who might not be as financially stable, Zales said. To apply for this funding, visit NacoCharters.org and click on "Disaster Relief."

"We'll see what we can do," Zales said.

Right now, about $27,000 have been raised for WARF, but there's a goal of getting to $100,000. All monies donated will go to help get workers back on their feet, or better yet back on the water. People interested in contributing or with questions can contact NACO at 866-981-5136.

This is first time NACO has participated an effort like this, but Zales said he doesn't think it will be the last.

"Disasters will continue to come," Zales said. "We want to provide help for them in the future."

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