Meet Captain Joe Stumpf of Capt. Kidd Charters in Clear Lake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Capt. Joe Stumpf.

Capt. Joe, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Capt. Kidd Charters evolved from a small sailing charter company to what it is today. We began chartering more than 20 years ago as a means to support our sailing habit. A few charters here and there helped pay for insurance, dock fees, and maintenance. We welcomed aboard our passengers as word was spread by mouth. Someone who found us told someone else, and they told someone else, and so on and so on. We were limited to 6 passengers because of USCG regulations. We became more popular as the word spread. Because of the popularity increase we needed a boat that could take more than 6 passengers. Hence, the building of a USCG inspected vessel that can accommodate 28 passengers. With the opening of our stores, Tropical Express, in Kemah, we had a base from which to operate our charter business. Capt. Kidd became a full-time charter business due to its popularity and the demand for people that wanted to relax and get on the water for a couple of hours. Capt. Kidd is the only USCG inspected sailboat sailing in the Houston/Galveston area. Capt. Kidd is also the only charter company operating as what is commonly known as a “head boat” in the charter business. That basically means you pay per head for each passenger as opposed to chartering the whole boat which can get quite expensive. While Capt. Joe has been a USCG licensed captain for more than 20 years, Capt. Kidd has been in the charter business going on 17 years. We have seen passengers from Europe, China, Russia, and of course all over the United States. We continue to provide a service that’s affordable and fun for the whole family. If you’ve never been sailing before, you won’t spend a lot of money trying it out for the first time. If you find you like the experience, you’ll be able to afford another trip.

We recently relocated to the Seabrook Marina to allow easier access for our passengers by land and for Capt. Kidd by water. We are moored closer to the main channel now allowing faster access to Galveston Bay which means more sailing time for our customers. We are now also able to offer our passengers free parking without the traffic congestion that has been experienced in the past.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The transition from a small charter company to a larger one has been pretty smooth. Of course, changes occur but, we’ve been able accommodate more people as popularity has increased. It’s basically the same except for handling more passengers.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Capt. Kidd Charters – what should we know?
As the main captain of the ship, my job is to make sure everyone is safe and that they have a great time. Capt. Kidd is the only USCG inspected sailboat in the Houston/Galveston area. Being “inspected” means we can legally take more than 6 passengers on a charter. Capt. Kidd is also a 19th Century replica of the schooners that once sailed the seven seas. Probably the most photographed boat in the area, Capt. Kidd stands out with the “pirate look” and her tanbark sails while under way. She’s 55 feet in length and with her black hull and “jolly roger” flying she brings thoughts of days gone by with pirates, buccaneers, and swashbucklers!

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Our success is based on customer satisfaction as many of our passengers become repeat customers. With a clean ship, low ticket prices, and lots of relaxing and fun, it’s easy to return for another voyage. Many of our passengers have become regular pirates!

Pricing:

• 2 hour day trips scheduled on Sat & Sun are $27 per person
• 2 hour sunset sails are scheduled daily for $32 per person

Contact Info:

• Address:Seabrook Marina
  1900 Shipyard Dr.
  Seabrook, Texas 77586
  Docked on “P” dock
• Website: www.captkiddcharters.com
• Phone: 281-334-5433
• Email: captkiddcharters@yahoo.com
• Facebook: Joe Kidd aka Capt KIdd
• Yelp: Capt Kidd
• Other: Tropical Express Store @ 605 6th St. Kemah Texas 77565 281-538-0773

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