Placing boat with charter service

[sandymwp]

hi, we are considering buying a 50 ft. saba....6 cabins....plus one in forepeak for potentially a skipper. looking at either Tortola or st. Thomas....does anyone have any experience or know someone who has had the experience. we are not naïve. we know that at best we will break even or have a little cash over to put in our pockets.....but we also know that it is a risk and could end up losing some money. we plan to go down when we can for a week at a time, but also would like to spend a month every now and then.

the boat has not yet been built. dealer is telling us we need a water maker. my thought is that in the bvi's, one is never more than a day away from filling the tank. I would like a washer/dryer....particularly if we spend one month on the boat. also, I would think that if 6 couples charter, then a dishwasher might be desireable.

any thoughts????

thanks

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by sandymwp

hi, we are considering buying a 50 ft. saba....6 cabins....plus one in forepeak for potentially a skipper. looking at either Tortola or st. Thomas....does anyone have any experience or know someone who has had the experience. we are not naïve. we know that at best we will break even or have a little cash over to put in our pockets.....but we also know that it is a risk and could end up losing some money. we plan to go down when we can for a week at a time, but also would like to spend a month every now and then.

the boat has not yet been built. dealer is telling us we need a water maker. my thought is that in the bvi's, one is never more than a day away from filling the tank. I would like a washer/dryer....particularly if we spend one month on the boat. also, I would think that if 6 couples charter, then a dishwasher might be desireable.

any thoughts????

thanks

We almost jumped on this a few years ago. I am glad we didn't. Here my reasons:
1. Unless you have lot of incomes that you need to seek shelter
2. They (Charter Companies) charge you every expenses (at premium). When all is said and done, you have nothing left into your pocket. Every damage by their clients, they charge them arm and leg. But the profit is not going into your pocket.
3. You put out the capital money to buy the boat for them to make money from you and their client. They have no risk.

A few of my friends, pulled their boat out and charter themselves after one year. Consider your location, this may not be possible. If you like to sail, just charter the boat when needed.

YMMV

[BlueBuddha]

We have been looking into buying a boat and place it into charter extensively. Here are some general thoughts.

1. Not all companies and locations are the same. Some will work for some boats and owners and some will not. People talk about the good and bad of placing boats into charter as if it was a homogenous business, but it is not.

2. 99% of negative feedback about the entire concept of owning a charter boat comes from people who never owned a boat in charter. Find the owners of boats currently in charter and talk to them. They will give you a more balanced view of what have worked and not worked for them. This is specially relevant to the issue of selecting boat options.

3. Many owners will remind you to think of your exit strategy and how it will impact your boat options. Will you sell the boat at the end of the contract? Will you move aboard and live in one place? Will you set sail towards the pacific? That determines what options you may want to get now rather than later. Many factory options are cheaper than after market. Many will not be. Many options will be outdated by the time the contract ends. Many will not be. Etc.

4. Do the numbers very very carefully. There are many factors that determine whether it makes sense financially. Sometimes it works. Many times it doesn't. We realized that under our original plan, owning the boat made no sense and we were much better off charting every year. But under a different plan owning the boat made tons of sense. We still haven't decided (looking at Helia 44) and the decision will depend on which plan we'll follow.

5. Keep in mind that whether owning a charter boat is good business for the charter company has nothing to do with whether it makes sense financially to you, base on your own financial situation, needs and wants. It is not a zero sum game. So keep an eye on that line of reasoning when reading the negative feedback that you will likely receive from many.

Best of luck with the purchase. BB.


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[Andy73]

Agree with the info above... but would also note a water maker is the last thing I would put on a charter boat. Too much maintenance and requires careful use to prevent ruining the filters. If you want one when you cruise (post-charter) put it in then...

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by sandymwp

hi, we are considering buying a 50 ft. saba....6 cabins....plus one in forepeak for potentially a skipper. looking at either Tortola or st. Thomas....does anyone have any experience or know someone who has had the experience. we are not naïve. we know that at best we will break even or have a little cash over to put in our pockets.....but we also know that it is a risk and could end up losing some money. we plan to go down when we can for a week at a time, but also would like to spend a month every now and then.

the boat has not yet been built. dealer is telling us we need a water maker. my thought is that in the bvi's, one is never more than a day away from filling the tank. I would like a washer/dryer....particularly if we spend one month on the boat. also, I would think that if 6 couples charter, then a dishwasher might be desireable.

any thoughts????

thanks

I know a lot of people that have had the experience of having their boat in charter. Then again I work for a charter company and took Saba hull #2 out for it's first 7 day charter in the BVI.

Watermakers make sense on charter boats for a couple of reasons. First off, most damage to boats happens when docking. If people don't have to get water every few days, the chances of damage have been greatly reduced. Second, once you break into 50' land on a charter cat you are getting into another class of vessel. The guests will expect ice makers, large dinghy, a generator large enough to carry all the loads and...lots of water.
My view is that less than 10 years ago most charter boats didn't have A/C or if they did it was dockside only. Now, most larger boats have gensets and A/C. Many more charter boats are now sporting watermakers. I think it's just the evolution of what a charter guest has come to expect.

If you are serious about a dishwasher and laundry equipment then in my mind there really isn't a question about about whether a watermaker is needed...

I was astounded how much water the 7 charter guests used in a week on hull #2. I was making over 100 gallons per day!!!! Granted the ice maker ran non stop and kept up with the cooler and drinks too. The Saba you're proposing could be carrying 13 people or nearly double what I had.

Great boat by the way. I was pleasantly surprised by the speed under sail.


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[contrail]

Originally Posted by Rubikoop

I know a lot of people that have had the experience of having their boat in charter. Then again I work for a charter company and took Saba hull #2 out for it's first 7 day charter in the BVI.

Watermakers make sense on charter boats for a couple of reasons. First off, most damage to boats happens when docking. If people don't have to get water every few days, the chances of damage have been greatly reduced. Second, once you break into 50' land on a charter cat you are getting into another class of vessel. The guests will expect ice makers, large dinghy, a generator large enough to carry all the loads and...lots of water.
My view is that less than 10 years ago most charter boats didn't have A/C or if they did it was dockside only. Now, most larger boats have gensets and A/C. Many more charter boats are now sporting watermakers. I think it's just the evolution of what a charter guest has come to expect.

If you are serious about a dishwasher and laundry equipment then in my mind there really isn't a question about about whether a watermaker is needed...

I was astounded how much water the 7 charter guests used in a week on hull #2. I was making over 100 gallons per day!!!! Granted the ice maker ran non stop and kept up with the cooler and drinks too. The Saba you're proposing could be carrying 13 people or nearly double what I had.

Great boat by the way. I was pleasantly surprised by the speed under sail.


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I agree with the above, and I am an owner/operator/captain of a charter cat in the BVI. The OP's question actually sounds to me like he is interested in an "independently owned and operated" crewed charter boat, rather than one in any of the fleets, like the Moorings. There are around 80 - 100 such independent charter boats in the BVI, and generally represent the cream of the crop, whatever the size, and certainly include the largest ones. Their association is the Charter Yacht Society of the BVI, which can provide you lots of information regarding legal requirements and what all, and does a terrific job of representing the industry in the BVI.

If this is, in fact, the question, then the answers are a bit different as the standard of service is very high. A watermaker is absolutely imperative, as are a generator and airconditioners. But, there would be a professional captain to run things. A dishwasher is pretty nice, many of us have them. A washer/dryer is much less important as none of us has the time to run one. There are good laundry services.

Stopping every day to get water is a hassle and an incredible waste of time. Being miserly about water, as one would be if cruising, doesn't make it in the crewed yacht trade.

Some make money - usually not much - and some lose money. It's a lifestyle choice, whether you have a captain operate the boat, or you do. As they say, if it were any easier, everyone would do it. If it were harder, no one would!

Cheers, and good luck.