Looking for feedback on Charter Business

[Captain John Edwards]

This site has been a great way to get and share ideas on my hunter33. I have decided to make a professional go of the charter business with my boat. I have more and more inquiries from people and clients wanting to go out and are willing to pay. I have set my prices to around $100-$150 below the going rate here on the cape for similar size sail boats. I would greatly appreciate feedback on chartering experiences either your own business or from one you went on. My webpage iswww.selkiecharters.comThanksPlease be honest.

 

[Steve O.]

rent a boat

First off I'll tell you that I have chartered before and I also have a friend in the business, so I have some experience. Assuming that you have jumped through the proper hoops with the CG and your liability insurance is paid up, the first advice that I'd give is that you get yourself a chase boat, because if your charter boat breaks down or runs aground, your clients are going to expect YOU to run out spare parts or pull them off the shoal, because they paid all that money, yada yada yada. Hold a security deposit because they will break your boat sooner or later. You will meet some wonderful, interesting people, and you will meet some real a-holes that won't be satisfied no matter what you do--like if the weather sucks, they're not going to be happy and it will be your fault. Inspect and inventory the boat and equipment with the charter before the boat leaves the dock. BTW, docking is where 90% of the damage to your boat will occur. Good luck and I hope I didn't discourage you too much.

 

[David]

Charter

I had a boat in charter for a five month season. Never again. Costs were covered, including wear and damage to the vessel, but no additional income.

 

[Peter J. Brennan]

Thinking about it

It makes me unhappy to see our boat just sitting there too much of the time. No a money issue but an idle capital issue. So I began to think of renting out the boat in much the same way one sublets one's apartment if going away for awhile. But apartments don't run aground, bang into piers and pilings or pick up lobster pots. When I considered how much damage a good friend and experienced sailor did to our old boat when we lent it to him, I took pause. (He is still a good friend but steadfastly refuses to allow us to lend him our present boat.) Then there is the insurance liability and cost and the lying awake nights. There is no tax advantage. So taking one consideration with another, letting our boat out on a bareboat basis is a non-starter. Nor would we turn her over to some managenment company. An alternative we are exploring is to get a six-pack CG ticket and take people out sailing for hire, one couple at a time with wife and me as crew. But there would still be the insurance factor to consider.

 

[Dakota Jim Russell]

Service Business . . . yuk

If you could pick you clients, but once you get started it will be hard to know in advance.Some can be real turkeys . . . .and of course you won't let them charter with you again. But are really ready to put up with . . . . us. <grin>

 

[Paul]

INSURANCE !!!

Make sure you are sitting down when you look into insurance and you would be a fool to venture into it without any.

 

[Captain John Edwards]

Thank you

thank you for all the comments and feedback.