Boat Sitters.. Cost?

[Jeff Lewis]

Hello all! I am new on this forum and hope to get to know most of you on here. I have a question. I am starting up a new Yacht Management Company which will monitor boats for owners in thier extended absences. What I would like to know from you is how much would that service be worth to you?

$200 per month? $300 per month? Less? More? Would you be in need of this service if it were offered and would you use it?

Thank you in advance for your valued thoughts and advice!

Jeff Lewis
Catalina 30'
SUMMER WIND
Palmetto, FL.

[Vasco]

What does "monitoring" entail? The cost of marinas is high enough without another $200 to $300 for "monitoring". I have left my boat unattended in marinas and behind someone's house in FL. In the marinas a couple of liveaboards watched over my boat for nothing and the house owner also kept an eye on things. I left my boat in Georgetown in a marina and other cruisers looked after it. You are in competition with cruisers who will do this for nothing other than the satisfaction of helping out fellow cruisers.

[little boat]

this marina in grenada offers 'yacht management'. the gentleman who owns it is a wonderful person. they have moorings and dock slips and look after quite a few boats during hurricane season. possibly, his experience might help you in designing your business.
http://www.clarkescourtbaymarina.com/

[Jeff Lewis]

Thanks for the quick replies and links. I full understand my services will not be needed by everyone, especially those who have made arrangements with friends or other cruisers who watch other's boat purely out of "Good will"

Monitoring would be visits to the boat every week with a photo e-mailed to the owner weekly as well as a wash-down and engines run if requested as well as post Thunderstorm Storm checks to be sure the boat weathered the storm okay. Also I will be available to give access to any vendors who will work on the boat then send a photo report and confirmation of the work done.

Surely someone could be interested in such a service. Again, thank you for your insight and comments. More are welcome.

Jeff

[Pura Vida]

You may want to hit the boater's yellow pages in your area for specifics from your competition. For under $200 per month I can get a diver to drop by and make sure nothing has happened to the boat and get a bottom cleaning. Actually I could get weekly bottom cleanings for $300 per month, but then I have a short boat. A buddy of mine has been trying to make a go at this here in the Clear Lake area for a couple of years now. He offers pressure washing, prestorm preparation, provisioning, that kind of stuff. He a $50 service fee per visit plus extras or something like that. He does not get a lot of business.

[Pblais]

Actually I could get weekly bottom cleanings for $300 per month

I pay $30 per time for a 36 ft boat. The most I've ever paid was $45. I get a report of the bottom, a cleaning and zinc staus. A new zinc is $25 installed.

[Vasco]

Paul,

That's really cheap for bottom cleaning. In FL the best I could do (39') was $80. Last time I got a boat cleaned for $1 a foot was 1990 in Oriental!

[S/V Elusive]

I WAS paying $1.25 in Channel Islands Harbor. Zinc replacement extra $15 per. Oh ... and they charged for the OVERALL Length ... not the waterline.

In my Marina in Ventura: $1.00/ft for WATERLINE. NO extra charge to replace zinc (provide my own or he'll provide - no upcharge). He'll also clean the bottom of your dink or kayak if it is in the water - NO extra charge. He IS insured and approved to do this type of work by the Harbor District.

Don't know what he charges for multi-hulls.

[Pura Vida]

Paul, that is a deal. what I was referring to was the racing rate which is cheaper since the cleanings happen so much more frequently.

[seafox]

A new zinc is $25 installed.

Just found out the zinc for my new volvo saildrive is $175! Over the lifetime of the saildrive the zincs will add up to more than what they are protecting. Proably cheaper to bolt a lump of zinc on the side of the thing.

[Vasco]

That's Volvo for you!!!

[Ex-Calif]

We pay about US$140 for our guy. He dives the hull once per week and cleans the bottom. He gets on the boat on Thursdays to make sure the batteries are charged for Friday and if not charges the batteries. Twice a month he moves the boat from the mooring to the dock and pressure washes the topsides.

If something simple is wrong that involves no parts or a simple fix he wil fix it for no charge. He is also the boat mechanic we use so I consider this as a service and as a retainer.

He is at the marina every day. He has several other boats under his care and one of them he had to pump out last week as it starting taking on water. Intervening in this manner and saving the boat is also includied in the price.

I wouldn't pay $200 a month for a weekly picture of my boat. Of course I am on my boat at least once a week.

[Zach]

Friend of mine says you have to know how many zincs your boat has when divers are swapping them... serious markup in price, as well as quoted twice the number that get installed.

[Charlie]

Right now I am paying $50 a month for a weekly visit to the boat. He starts the engine every other week. It is a real good deal for me since I am 900 miles away from the boat. It is too cheap actually. Does not cover the guys time. His boat is not far from mine and he is down there often. I think that for absentee owners $somewhere between $125 and $200 is reasonable. BTW my boat is in Sidney BC.