For boat & fishing charter captains
You’re on the water. Your calls still get answered.
FirstMate is an AI receptionist for fishing charter captains. It picks up when you can’t, gets the trip details, and texts them to you.
Example: a caller to Gulf Coast Charters asks how long the half-day trip is and where it leaves from, the assistant says about four hours from Mahogany Mill Boat Ramp, then asks what date they were thinking and takes that with the group size and name, and the captain gets a text with the caller's name, number and trip details.
Why captains use FirstMate
Never miss a call
It can answer every call right away, or hang back and pick up only the ones you don’t get to in time.
Instant lead texts
The moment the call ends you get a text: who called, what they want, and a link straight to the lead.
Play it back, or read it
Every call is recorded and written down on your dashboard, so you can hear exactly what was said, or just skim it, before you call back.
A missed call is a booked trip you never hear about
You can’t answer the phone with a line in the water. So the call goes to voicemail, and most people who reach a voicemail hang up and call the next charter on the list. You never find out it happened.
Answer it yourself
You’re on the water, hands full, wheel in hand.
- You have to drop the rod or leave the wheel to take it
- Calls keep coming in the whole time you’re out
- Stepping away to pick up means less attention on the customers already on your boat
Let it go to voicemail
Almost nobody leaves a message.
- Most callers just hang up
- They call the next charter on the list instead
- You never find out it happened
Hire someone to answer
Another paycheck, even in the slow months.
- Costs you whether the phone rings or not
- Doesn’t know your boat, your trips, or your prices
- Still can’t cover every hour you’re out on the water
How it works
- 1
They call, you can’t pick up
The boat is out, or your hands are full. The call is answered right away.
- 2
They talk to it, not to a beep
It listens and answers out loud. No menus, no keypad, and no voicemail to wade through.
- 3
It takes the trip details
The dates they want, how many are coming, and the kind of fishing they’re after.
- 4
You get a text
Who called, what they want, and a link to the lead. You call them back from the dock.
The longer version, with what it says word for word and what it will never do.
Here’s that lead, the moment it lands
The text has a link in it. This is what opens: the number to call, what the caller said they wanted, and the call itself to read back before you pick up the phone.
(850) 555-0142
Called just now
NewReady to call back- Caller's name: Mike
- Trip dates: sometime in October
- People: 4
- Trip type: half-day trip
Show conversation (6)Hide conversation
Assistant
Thanks for calling Gulf Coast Charters. I’m the captain’s assistant. How can I help?
Caller
How long is the half-day trip, and where do you leave from?
Assistant
The half-day trip runs about four hours and leaves from Mahogany Mill Boat Ramp. Want me to get your details to the captain so they can call you back about dates?
Caller
Yes, please.
Assistant
Great. What date were you thinking?
Caller
Sometime in October. There’d be four of us, and it’s Mike.
Hear it answer a call
Real calls to the real assistant, placed by us rather than lifted from a customer’s line. Judge it for yourself before you put it in front of anybody.
Someone asking about a half-day trip
1:11It says up front what it is, tells the caller it cannot confirm the date itself, and takes the party size and the name before reading the whole booking back.
Someone asking what it costs
1:24Prices are off by default, so it tells the caller the captain will quote them. Then it answers what it can about how long the trip runs and what is included, and takes the details. Turn prices on and it reads yours back word for word.
Want to try it yourself? Call (850) 786-4996 and talk to it. It answers the way it would for a captain, and it will ask you about a trip.
It won’t embarrass you
Your callers are told it’s an assistant.
In the first few seconds, along with the fact that the call may be recorded. That comes before anyone has said anything they might not want recorded. It never claims to be you. Read exactly what it says →
Nothing is priced or booked without you.
It quotes only prices you’ve published, word for word, never a figure of its own. It never confirms a date and never takes a booking. If you connect your Google Calendar, it can tell a caller which trip times look open and add a pending hold for you to confirm or delete. Either way, it gathers the details and says you’ll call back. The trip is still yours to sell. See what we keep →
Pricing
We’re still setting the numbers. Here’s what every account includes. Nothing is charged today, and you’ll see the price before anything ever is.
Pricing coming soon
- Answers day and night, every day of the season
- Your own dedicated phone number
- A text for every lead, with who called and what they want
- The full transcript of every call on your dashboard
- Keep the number you already advertise, forwarded across
Who’s behind FirstMate
Hey, I’m Noel. I moved to Pensacola in 2019 and I’ve been hooked on fishing ever since. Whenever I got talking with charter captains around here, the same thing kept coming up: the phone rings while they’re running a trip, and by the time they’re back at the dock, that caller has already booked with somebody else.
So I built FirstMate. When you can’t pick up, it answers, finds out who’s calling and what trip they want, and passes that along so you can call them back. It can also handle the usual questions about your trips and put a hold on your calendar for the day they’re asking about.
Right now it’s just me. If something isn’t working or you’ve got an idea, email support@askfirstmate.com. I read every one and I’ll write back myself.
Questions
What does it cost?
We’re still setting prices. Nothing is charged today, and you’ll see the number before anything ever is.
Do I keep the number I already give out?
Yes. You get a dedicated number for your assistant, and on most carriers you can forward the number you already advertise to it, so your customers keep calling the number on your truck. We give you the exact code to dial.
How long does setup take?
One sitting. You create an account and tell your assistant about the business: where you leave from, your trips, what’s included. It starts answering as soon as you save.
Will my customers know they’re talking to an AI?
Yes, in the first few seconds. We think that’s the only way to do this without embarrassing you in front of your own customer.
What if it doesn’t know the answer?
It says so and takes a message, rather than guessing. You decide what it is allowed to say about your business when you set it up.
Can I cancel? Is there a contract?
No contract. It’s month to month, and you can cancel anytime.
What if I don’t have signal offshore?
Your assistant still answers every call. If you’ve turned on lead texts, the text arrives as soon as your phone has signal again. Every call is waiting on your dashboard either way.
Can I change what it says later?
Yes, anytime. Update your details on the Your business page and your assistant uses them from the next call on.
Your next call is somebody trying to book a trip.
Set it up now and it answers your next booking call, whether you’re 30 miles out or at the table with your family.