CaptnBoat.com
How to make the purchase of your boat profitable?
Many recreational boaters have taken the step of buying a boat. Indeed, which sailing enthusiast hasn’t dreamed of buying his own boat?
However, the purchase and maintenance of a boat represent a real budget and can sometimes be like a bottomless pit. Make the purchase of your boat profitable is a real challenge.
In order to make this dream come true and to amortize the purchase of a boat as much as possible, there are several solutions that allow you to reduce the costs and make this purchase profitable.
1. The state of play
A number of pleasure boat owners have a very limited use of their boat, mainly during their vacations. Two months of the year may not seem like much compared to the amount invested in a boat. Even more so as other essential costs are added, such as maintenance, wintering, harbour space, fuel…
The purchase of a boat is therefore very expensive for a reduced use. Fortunately, there are several solutions to reduce the cost of a boat and make it as profitable as possible.
We explain you these solutions! 👇
2. Boat rental management to make your boat profitable
The rental management consists in entrusting the management and the rental of your boat to a manager, generally a boat rental agency.
In concrete terms, you determine with the manager the rental period of your boat. After that, a management contract is signed between the manager and the owner.
This solution allows you to unload all the constraints related to the management of a boat: harbour space, maintenance, repairs, boat rental with skippers or bareboat, reception of customers…
Indeed, all this requires time and constitutes a full-time job. With this option, you don’t have to worry about your boat during the whole contract period, and the maintenance is completely taken care of by the manager.
However, as you can imagine, all of this comes at a cost. On average, boat managers charge between 40 and 55% of the revenue generated by the rental of your boat.
– Conditions to put your boat in rental management:
- The boat must be in excellent condition
- It must be equipped with a safety system to standards
- The owner must subscribe to an insurance for his boat, with option “rentals”, to cover the damages which could occur.
3. Make your boat profitable via peer-to-peer boat rental platforms
This solution allows you to manage the rental of your boat very simply thanks to online boat rental platforms.
– How does it work?
- You create an ad for your boat by determining the availability and the rates.
- You receive several requests from renters and you validate or not the rental request.
- Once the boat is rented, you meet the renter on the spot, make the inventory and sign the rental contract.
This solution is very efficient and leaves you more flexibility in the rental schedules. You decide everything and are the only manager of your boat rental.
More and more web platforms specialize in this kind of boat rental and offer all-risk insurance for the day, secure payment, a concierge service, and even a reception service for renters if you are unavailable. In return, the platforms take a commission ranging from 15 to 20% of the rental amount.
4. Rent your boat via forums, groups or ad websites
This option is one of the least expensive for a boat owner: no management fees, free ad deposit, no commission… But the risk is almost as high as the income you can generate.
Indeed, by going through forums, groups or ad sites, you have no insurance and no guarantee on the deposit and the payment.
Moreover, you have to be very careful, both for the owners and the renters, some ads are scams.
If you decide to rent your boat yourself or via rental platforms between individuals, choose your renters carefully: ask for a nautical CV and exchange with them to avoid unpleasant surprises on the day.
5. Create your own business to make your boat profitable
A. Rent your boat with your skipper services
You can also create your own company to rent your boat and offer your services as a skipper on board.
This solution allows you to fully manage the rental of your boat, your availability and your customers. You remain the skipper and ensure the safety and navigation. This solution, which is similar to a full-time job, is certainly the one that will allow you to make the most of your boat.
– Conditions to be a skipper on board your boat:
- To be able to sell a boat rental service with a skipper, you have to register your boat as a “Small Commercial Motor/Sailing Vessel” and therefore meet a certain number of requirements in terms of equipment and safety.
- You must also hold a minimum of skipper’s certifications or state certificates depending on the type of boat and the distance from the coast.
- You must declare your activity and be affiliated to the appropriate social security scheme (e.g. in France this is the ENIM).
B. Hire a professional skipper to handle your boat
In the case where the owner does not have the qualifications to sell his skipper services with his boat, he can hire a professional skipper to take care of the navigation during the rentals.
– Find a professional skipper with Capt’n Boat
The owner can create a free ad on Capt’n Boat to find a professional skipper, either independent or to enrolled. He sets the price of the sailor’s remuneration (Capt’n Boat suggests a rate according to the service), manages the different applications and chooses the skipper who suits him best.
Capt’n Boat’s advantages ?
- A multi-risk & damage insurance covering up to 1 million euros, doubled by a professional liability insurance for the skipper is included for each contract signed via the platform. The insurance covers for professional owners a loss of exploitation of their vessel, and for private owners a loss of use.
- A regulatory algorithm that only proposes sailors who have the right diplomas and qualifications from a regulatory point of view, to carry out the mission.
Conclusion
All these solutions allow you to generate income to cover the management and maintenance costs of a boat and thus reduce your expenses. It is in this sense that it is possible to “make your boat profitable”. However, some solutions seem more relevant and advantageous than others. Everything depends on the means you are ready to engage to make your boat profitable.
We advise you to use a secure solution for your boat, it would be a pity that your boat undergoes important damages because you were not sufficiently vigilant at the level of the renters / skippers to whom you entrusted your boat.
