The Soleau Brothers
Gettin' It on the Water: Rob & Andy Soleau
My Uncles were lifelong (sun)watermen and operators in the Marine Industry. Hailing from the Jersey shore, they were born with salt in their blood and one foot always on a boat--they truly did it all; from commercial fishing, marine engineering, to finally working on tug boats and dredges throughout the eastern seaboard/the world. Some of my first experiences with boats, fishing and the marine industry stem from my Uncles--I've learned a lot from them, the lives they lived, and I will always look up to them.
Rob Soleau (1/6/1966-10/3/2025)
Rob is the firstborn son and the third Soleau sibling of five. At the age of 3, he was known to have completely dismantled the family vacuum cleaner, then put it back together in working order. He had a savant-like ability when it came to mechanical engineering, he could fix anything, and because of his environment, he developed and applied his skills to the marine industry. From fishing, to boat racing, working on motors, there was no question that Rob would work on the water--that he belonged on the water.
Andy Soleau (4/30/1968-12/21/2019)
The historical St. Andrew is known as the patron saint of fisherman, and while he may not have been a saint, that's who Andy was. You'd be pressed to find a fishing boat captain who was more beloved by his crew and those that knew him. Andy is the youngest of the five Soleau siblings, and has always had the heart of a true fisherman. From a young age, he's had a strong, Olympic-level swimming ability. He was known as the little kid that would jump off the Atlantic Highlands Bridge (a lot of stories about him involve him jumping off stuff).
Rob and Andy were Brothers, through and through. As such, they got into a lot of trouble, but well enough, they worked together their whole lives, and sometimes lived together. Known for their bickering and arguments, they still maintained a strong brotherly bond that could weather any storm. When it comes to the marine industry, some people have natural talent for certain things--for Rob, it was engineering and Andy, a fisherman and a leader.
Rob didn't attend formal college, however, throughout his career he achieved countless certifications in all types of marine industry skills, all at the highest levels. He accumulated a curriculum, knowledge, and experience that no school could teach--all colored by his natural ability/talent. His title was Master Mechanic/Chief Engineer, and some of his certifications were outboard specialist/representative, a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer, 200+ ton tow & Captain's License, ship piloting, dredge operation and expertise in all types of gas/diesel engines. To witness Rob with a wrench in his hand was akin to master swordsman, he could listen to and tune motors as if he composing a symphony--the Engine Whisperer. Come to find out, Rob even had his aviation license and flew planes. Certified.
With his firstborn child on the way, Andy left high school and began working on fishing boats full-time. By this time, the Family had moved to Hampton Bays, NY, a small Long Island hamlet/town with a big time fishing industry. Andy soon had his own fishing boat, the Second Generation, and began captaining fishing trips of his own. Tales of Andy's fishing trips were countless and legendary, he lived life for the story to be told, and he was a great storyteller. As many know, when Andy showed up, you knew that good times were going to be had and some hijinx were impending. He lit up any room he walked into and lifted up everyone around him. Andy did it all for his kids, his Family; he was a fierce provider and a great father. A heart of gold.
Sunwater
(Pictured: The Soleau Fishing Fleet: Adventuress (One of my Grandfather's), Prima Donna (also my Grandpa's, named after my Grandma), & Second Generation (Andy's boat).)
My Grandpa, Bob Soleau, is the purveyor of all things marine in our Family. Hailing from the Jersey shore himself, back in the day he made quite a few big innovations to the Seafood Industry--from building a system safely incubate and transport lobsters, to coming up with another system to purge/clean clams and other shellfish. The product of his innovations would be served up at his waterfront seafood restaurant, Moby's. All five of my Grandpa's kids grew up working at the restaurant. The Family later relocated Hampton Bay's, NY. I'm proud to say that Soleau's have a strong legacy in Hampton Bays, particularly in fishing. When they arrived, my Grandpa began working as commercial fishermen, and in the 80's, my Grandma and a group of other fishwives was very instrumental in getting the Shinnecock Inlet, where fishing boats launched and returned, dredged for better/safer flow of traffic (many boats would run aground and lives were lost). Local fishing boats would dock in one of the few marinas next to the inlet, and my Grandpa would later go on to buying the marina, renaming it Soleau's Wharf & Marina; upon which was a seaside restaurant that he turned into the Sunwater Grill. This was an industrial marina--a wharf; most of the boats docked there were commercial fishing boats. There was an icehouse/packing house, a fish house and a filleting area. Rob had a mechanic shop, from where he would work/keep boats afloat, and Andy led fishing trips, where he'd bring in the freshest catch--the restaurant got first dibs on whatever was brought in, everything else went to market. This time was a Soleau heyday; from the marina to the restaurant, everybody was working together (even me, when I visited in the summer) and all was great food, fun and sun water. I'll add that his was also a time in the fishing industry when net fishing was still permitted, when you could still get all that the sea had to offer--Sunwater's had it all.
When Andy wasn't on a fishing trip, you might find him at the fillet table breaking down a fresh catch, and he'd give you something raw and fresh to try--some tuna, scallops, squid, swordfish. Or else he'd bring his catch to the house and grill to perfection. There would be so much of whatever type of fish he'd caught that you'd get tired of it (have you ever been tired of swordfish?).
If you were ever around my Uncles or my Grandpa and complained about the smell of fish (DOA), they'd say, "It smells like money;" and in a marine environment such as Hampton Bays, things got to smelling pretty fishy.
A Family Tradition
One of the most revered Soleau activities is going for a boat ride/trip; to get out on the open water and ride around, go fast. From a young age, Andy would take a group of us kids clamming--we'd come back to the house with buckets of clams and my Grandma would cook them up in any way you could think of.
Throughout the years, the Family was always working (very hard), but folks always made a time for good boat ride, especially Andy.
When I was about 7-8, I went and visited Family in New Jersey, and Rob took me on an extensive boat ride throughout the Jersey Canals. So it goes.
Lives Altered
It was in the late 2000's, Sunwater's closed down and folks had to find other avenues of work. It was also during this time that both Rob and Andy suffered some life-altering workplace injuries. Rob, was crouched in an engine space (as he commonly did) and had a heavy weight was dropped on his neck from about 10' above him. This was an injury that required multiple surgeries and left him in intense pain from then on.
Andy was on fishing boat, moving fish across the deck using a gaff (a large hook), when the gaff slipped and lodged itself in his right eye. In true Andy fashion, he legendarily went and slept it off for a few hours, hook still lodged in his eye--he was then air lifted by helicopter to a hospital. After many surgeries, he was able to keep his eye, although, his vision was not the same and his eye now looked like that of a cat's.
There was never any question that my Uncles would continue working in spite of their injuries, they had to; but pain and injury persist until they're truly addressed/healed, and my Uncles didn't have that luxury.