August 14-20, 2009 - As the "Voices of Monarch Beach"

EYE ON DPH A R B O R H A P P E N I N G SWORDS AND PHOTOS BY KATHERINE SWEETThe Dream JobBoat captains at Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching enjoy long careers in the Dana Point HarborFor some, fishing is a hobby. For a lucky few at DanaPoint’s Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching,it’s the career of a lifetime.So much so that very few ever end up leaving.Donna Kalez, general manager at Dana Wharf, says thatout of 25 full-time employees, 10 employees have been withthe company for 15 years or more, and two for more than40 years.“Some people have been here for a lifetime,” said employeeMichelle McCann. “They started as soon as theywere legally able to.”What makes this career so enjoyable?Boat captain Jack Van Dyke adores everything about hisjob: the work, the ocean, the fishing – and in most cases,the people. Most of all, however, he enjoys “seeing the fishand seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they catch afish.” He has been in the sportfishing industry for 17 years.Boat captain Todd Mansur loves the simple life and thefreedom.“I love my office,” Mansur said. “I get to be out on waterand smell the fresh air.”Camaraderie may also be a factor. “It’s just like family,”said Kalez. “We’re a tight knit group.”Dana Wharf is family owned and operated: the companywas started by Don Hansen, Kalez’s father, and her brotherMike Hansen started out as a deck hand with the company.“I like that it is family run,” said McCann. “They caremore and it is more personal for the customers and theemployees.”For these boat captains, the life offers some freedom andflexibility. While Dana Wharf owns the boats they operate,the boat captain manages it. “It’s like owning your own business,”Kalez said.Started in 1954 at the San Clemente Pier with three tofour boats, the company today operates in the Dana PointHarbor and boast six boats, including the 95-foot DanaPride. The company has grown, offering up a wide varietyof experiences for those interested in ocean adventure includingeverything from fishing clinics and harbor cruisesto both day and evening whale-watching excursions.Kalez was recruited early into the family trade: her firstjob at age 16 was a rod scrubber. She claims she soongraduated on to working in the front office. Kalez soon discoveredshe enjoyed the work. “I liked the day to day anddealing with customers,” said Kalez. Fast forward 20 years,Kalez is still happy working at the Wharf.“I like providing life-long memories for customers,” saidKalez, “and making sure everyone has a great adventure.”Adventure may very well be the best way to describetheir days.“There is always excitement in this job,” boat captainChris Pica, an employee for 20 years, said. “Everything isconstantly changing. You’re never stuck in the same old,Dana Wharf captain Jack Van Dyke (right) poses with his boat crew.Above: Dana Wharf boat captain Todd Mansur on his boat after afishing trip. Right: Customers wait to exit the boat after a fishing trip.same old.”But excitement is not the end of the story.Pica enjoys the educational aspect to his work: he lovesteaching people how to fish and to protect the environment.“There’s a purpose behind that for me,” Pica said.A self-professed lover of animals, Pica recalls one daywhen he discovered the largest pod of killer whales everto be this far south. “There were maybe 60 to 70 whales,”Pica said. “It was quite a sight.”At this point in his career, Pica has seen it all: greatwhite sharks, gray whales, blue whales, humpbackwhales and more.“I’ve seen amazing things people have only dreamedabout,” Pica said. It is still exciting to him to see thewhales even day after day.Pica stumbled across the job by accident. As a recentcollege graduate with a major in business, he was insearch of a summer job. He called up his friend MikeHansen, looking for a position as an office manager.Hansen encouraged him to work as a deck hand instead.“He told me I would go crazy working in the office, andI should go work on the boats.” According to Pica, Mikewas right: it’s been a “summer job” for Pica the last 20years.His other jobs, including vice president of productionat a furniture company, were “no comparison.”At Dana Wharf, he can truly be captain of his own shipand be outside on the ocean.His only complaint? Sanding down the boat in theshipyard. “Yuck,” Pica said.Boat captains keep a busy day. The boat crew arrivesone to two hours early to prep the boat. The trip startswith a seminar on fishing: how to bait hooks, use reels,fight a fish, etc. After locating a school of fish visually orelectronically, it’s time to drop anchor and fish, with theboat crew coaching the customers through the process,providing tips and strategies.Some days, of course, rake more fish than others: thetotal catch ranges from zero to thousands. “It’s fishing,”said Van Dyke. “You never know. One day you catch a lot,another day you don’t.”Pica reports that it’s not purely a matter of luck, but “amatter of skill, expertise and technique.”“That’s what makes it fun,” Van Dyke said. “It’s notguaranteed.”The hours can be demanding, with days from 10 to 17hours. While Pica sometimes leaves for work at 2:30 a.m.,returning at maybe 8 p.m., he still strongly professes toenjoy his job.“It’s tough hours but you got to gear up and do it,” Picasaid.The trips, of course, are exciting for the customers aswell.“It was great just being out on the boat and in the water,”said customer Lenn Francis. “We didn’t catch much but hada lot of fun. The camaraderie was great.”These captains proclaim to be addicted to fishing. VanDyke reports loving to fish so much that he fishes even onhis days off.“We all do,” Mansur said.Mansur plans to stick with the career as long as he can.“It’s what I’ll do til I die,” he said.Catering to both adults and children, Dana Wharf is abig draw, boasting customers from all over Southern California,plus many tourists from out of town. Dana Wharfalso donates hundreds of free trips a year to charity. “Welove to give back to the community,” Kalez said. They hopeto start an afterschool fishing program for fourth and fifthgraders soon. DPDana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching is located at34675 Golden Lantern St. in the Dana Point Harbor. Formore information, call 949.496.5794 or visit www.danawharf.com.Page 6 • Dana Point Times • August 14–20, 2009www.danapointtimes.com