Next message: (no name): "Re: lv-ab: chartering/leasing your boat to another entity"
I agree, but finding the right company is the challenge. We did not have the
same kind of luck that you did. We had our Island Packet 37 in charter
service for 5 years. That owner was very good and treated us with respect and our
boat too. However, he sold out to someone else. That person uses the boat
owners to make his living. Sounds OK? Not really, he would not hold the
charterers responsible for the damages. He would get a deposit to cover any damages
or missing items from the charterer. However, he would NEVER hold them
responsible for what happened on our boat. Any of our boats. Example, 1 year we PAID
over $20,000 for repairs on our boat. It didn' t happen all at once but over
the year with normal repairs, teak work, bottom jobs, davits repaired, new
batteries twice, replacing equipment that was lost or stolen. Heck the people
that chartered our boat went so far as to STEAL a video (Capt. Ron), that we
left on the boat for their enjoyment. (We have a TV/VCR combo on our boat.)
Plus, the contract we were under was almost impossible to get out of.
We expected normal wear and tear from charterers. But not the amount we
received.
We accept some of the responsibility for our experiences. We did not go into
it with the right info. My suggestion if you are seriously interested in
putting your boat into a charter company, find out the names of the owners
current and past and TALK TO THEM. Don't go by a letter. If the owner will not
share the info with you ask him to have the owners contact you directly. If you
do not have any responses from the owners of the boats, then try to find out
who the owners are any way you can. You NEED to talk to the current owners of
the boats in the charter company. If you still decide to put your boat in
charter service, don't expect to make a fortune. We didn't, we only expected
to be able to make our slip payment and maybe insurance payments. We made
enough money to pay the slip fees the first year and some of the insurance the
second year, then the new owner took over. I know of other owners from the same
charter service that lost a lot of money too. Plus, this same company has
had so many employee turnovers its scary.
I am sure there are companies that are better than the one we had. I just
suggest that you really do your homework take a LONG time to do it. Good luck.
I am sorry for unloading and yes this is a sore spot for me. I apologize for
getting on my soap box.
-Anita (Not quite full-time cruisers, but working on it!)
_Why Knot IP 37-33_
(http://hometown.aol.com/__121b_vBzMy6ChWt8p7pNzRzPJTzAXJXASh5Ur)
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