Would You Charter Your Boat to the General Public?

[Dreaming Yachtsman]

We bought our first boat, an Erickson 30, from a dealer in California as part of a charter package - we bought the boat and turned it over to the charter company next door to the dealer. That turned out to be a good business deal since all the loan payments and maintenance and operating costs were tax deductible as business expenses. We saved enough in taxes to nearly cover the loan payments.

That lasted about a year until one of the charter company screened and "qualified" skippers ran the boat into the rocks of the breakwater and bent the keel. Fortunately the insurance covered the cost of the keel and the charter company covered the deductible but I was not happy to have my boat damaged like that. After repairs were completed we withdrew from the charter plan, paid off the loan, and enjoyed the boat for 18 more years before finally selling it.

As far as bareboat charter of our current boat, NO WAY. Mostly because it is our home and we would have no place to live during the period of the charter. Secondarily because most of our few remaining possessions are on board where we don't want them rifled by some stranger off the dock.

[anotherT34C]

I'll rent my wife out first...

[s/v Beth]

I wonder what she would think of that...

[FSMike]

There was an anecdote making the rounds some years ago.

Morning charterboat checkins and roll call in the V.I. -

Charterboat:"HELP! HELP! WE'RE CAUGHT IN A VORTEX! THE BOAT IS SPINNING AROUND IN CIRCLES AND IT'S OUT OF CONTROL!"

Pause

Charter fleet manager: "Uh, skipper, have you raised your anchor today?"

Long pause

Charterboat: "Everything's ok now."


That was reputed to be a true story.

[larryb]

Hey Newt,
How's the chartering going. Covering expenses plus a little? Seriously thinking about the same business myself on the left coast in a Cal 2-46.

[ardoin]

No! She is too sweet for that kind of abuse.