Serious about moving to Dutch and opening up B&B (Dillingham: for sale, real estate)

[lotaot]

I've had my fill of California. I grew up working on a commercial fishing boat, and have also discovered my love of cooking and I'm quite good at it. I'm told weekly that I should open up my own restaurant! I would also like to be a cook on a FV but don't know who to talk to about that. Only one place to stay in Dutch Harbor? I want to open up an awesome restaurant and bed and breakfast there. I'm needing some thoughts, and why are there no other places other than one option there?
I want to go there for a visit, check out the area, perhaps get a rental to live in or rent a room from a nice family, while I look for other employment in the meantime. Any options?

[NomadicBear]

My advice is to not even consider opening a bed and breakfast, ever. Most are money pits which never turn a profit. They're great for liquidating nest eggs if you're into that sort of thing. And, Dutch Harbor? Seriously? That's not even a tourist destination. Commercial fisherman do NOT frequent bed and breakfasts. Remember what they say about real estate and business- location, location, location. I think your money would be better spent in other areas, and businesses. I think you'd do better opening a bar in Dutch Harbor.

[Metlakatla]

I have to wonder why Dutch Harbor...

tourism was way down all over the state last summer and I have very little clue what next season is going to be like yet, though I can say that bookings in sports fishing lodges aren't yet back to normal. I don't think a B and B is a horrible idea though I'd only do it on land I owned outright.

Do you have commercial culinary experience? You might think about looking into working on a tugboat for awhile; the money's good enough and there are quite a few companies up and down the west coast. Also, the National Weather Service hires cooks to go out on their boats and I think that for that, you don't need a seaman's license. You might put an ad on CL saying that your interested in cooking on a FV, but I'm not sure too many of those jobs are out there at this point.

If don't have galley experience, I'd advise you to get some books on it and read up--nothing substitutes for experience of course but there are a lot of tricks and so on to cooking on a boat that it might help you to be familiar with if you look for a job in that area.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by lotaot

I've had my fill of California. I grew up working on a commercial fishing boat, and have also discovered my love of cooking and I'm quite good at it. I'm told weekly that I should open up my own restaurant! I would also like to be a cook on a FV but don't know who to talk to about that. Only one place to stay in Dutch Harbor? I want to open up an awesome restaurant and bed and breakfast there. I'm needing some thoughts, and why are there no other places other than one option there?
I want to go there for a visit, check out the area, perhaps get a rental to live in or rent a room from a nice family, while I look for other employment in the meantime. Any options?

There are a number of places to stay, one that is first Class though and that would be the Grand Aleution Hotel. There is a number of places to eat there already, many are pretty good.

Having said that, do you have any clue to where Dutch Harbor is at and what it takes to get there? The fact that there isn't too much land for sale there, more like long term leases if you are lucky.

I would take a trip out there first and plan on spending a few weeks there before you drag up and head out there for a move. You may fall in love with the place or start Puking... it has that kind of effect on people.

[warptman]

Buy a one way ticket there and you'll do fine!

[AADAD]

Think Haines.

[blueflames50]

Possibly another "Deadliest Catch" watcher??? We know a few people who haven't a clue but their whole world since this program aired is "I gotta go to Dutch Harbor" Even trying to explain how far out Dutch Harbor is and that they don't want idjits there, let alone the cost of getting there...these idjits still have it in their minds that this is the end all thing to do in life and if they could live there....heaven! Not a frigg'n clue!

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by blueflames50

Possibly another "Deadliest Catch" watcher??? We know a few people who haven't a clue but their whole world since this program aired is "I gotta go to Dutch Harbor" Even trying to explain how far out Dutch Harbor is and that they don't want idjits there, let alone the cost of getting there...these idjits still have it in their minds that this is the end all thing to do in life and if they could live there....heaven! Not a frigg'n clue!

That may have been a touch "harsh". -

[Metlakatla]

Well...I'm not sure what all Dutch has out there, but there might be room for a good little B@B; I'm sure the television show is creating some interest among other parts of the world concerning visitation to the area.

[AKSteveB]

Ya know, I've been out to Dutch a few times, and I actually think a b&b might have a shot. I stayed at one in Dillingham that seemed to do ok. The Grand Aleutian is good but often full for extended periods and the other places are pretty rancid