You also were talking about “boots on the boats”. I totally get what you're saying with that. As you know, my dad was a fisherman all his life.
Don't you think that sometimes those rules are a little strict? For example, you get sick. Sometimes it's very difficult to get a substitute captain. Do you still have this kind of problem, even with the act, when your members try to get a substitute captain for that? Can I say it that way? Is this a good word in English?