Everything A Boater Needs To Know About Listing Their Boat On An Online Rental App
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Boatsetters rental marketplace allows you to make money off your boats idle time with you in control.
Is your boat catching more dust than waves nowadays, but youre just not ready to part with her yet? We have a solution if youve ever thought How can I rent my boat? but never knew where to begin.
Boatsetter is the worlds largest peer-to-peer marketplace that provides a platform for boat owners and experience seekers to connect with one another. When you list on Boatsetters rental marketplace youre given the opportunity to make money off your boats idle time with you in control. Set your price, availability, rules and which renters you accept bookings from. Have we mentioned its completely free to list?
Below, weve provided you with enough information and plenty of tips to get your Boatsetter profile started today!
Rental Boat Safety Checklists
A rental boat safety checklist is a ready-to-use safety briefing. Rental agencies use the checklist to review safety information with clients before they head out onto the water. Clients check the boxes on the list to confirm they have understood each item.
Checklists include information on boat operation, boating safety rules, local hazards, and what to do in an emergency. Safety checklists are available for many different kinds of boats and personal watercraft.
Anyone operating a power-driven boat in Canada must carry proof of competency while on board. Your completed rental boat safety checklist is considered proof of competency.
Renting A Boat: Boat Rentals Guide
Maybe you havent decided what type of boat to buy despite spending hours on our Boat Finder Tool, maybe the cost of boat ownership is forcing you to wait before buying, or maybe youre just not ready to have your own boat yet and you want to rent one to get a taste of the boating lifestylewhatever the reason may be, a boat rental will allow you to get your feet wet without taking the plunge.
Fortunately, you can find a boat rental service just about anywhere you find boats. Whether youre thinking about a speed boat rental, an electric boat rental, or anything in-between, youll want to make sure you find the boat and the waterway that can offer the experience youre looking for.
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I Was Reassured My Insurance Would Cover Any Damage
When Jason from Beds on Board first approached me about listing my boat, I was hesitant. Concerned guests wouldnt treat the boat well, I took the plunge after being reassured that my insurance would cover any damage caused by the guests. Since then all I can say is that its been tremendous.
My Sunseeker is moored in what I think is the most beautiful marina in the whole of the south coast. We like to take her out especially in the winter months, so renting her out in the summer to help offset the cost of the mooring has been great.
What Are Vacation Boats Like
Many vacation boats to rent in the USA fall into the category of houseboats these floating vacation home rentals offering ample living and sleeping spaces, along with sun-drenched decks, full kitchens, and a water slide, of course. If you decide to go a little more upmarket, youll be able to enjoy amenities like hot tubs and jet skis, too. Floating homes and yacht charters can also be considered when planning a getaway on the water.
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Make Sure You Get The Right Boat For You
When you are renting a boat, you will want to make sure you rent the right type of boat.
In this regard it is important to know your limits. You likely will not want to take out a full size sailboat if you have never sailed before.
You will also want to make sure you choose a boat that will fit the needs of your party.
Make sure you keep passenger count in mind when choosing a boat so that you do not overcrowd the vessel.
If you plan to do watersports you will want a boat with enough power to pull your sport equipment.
Step : Customer Experience
Engines with sustainable resourcesIn order to create a truly valuable product, you should strive to create an experience that serves as a sanctuary. This sanctuary should enable customers to be truly present and help them to forget about the commotion of everyday life. Provide an experience that evokes smile and laughter in a peaceful and beautiful atmosphere.
Customers should not be interrupted or disturbed with neither engine rattles nor the smell of fuel/gasoline. At GoBoat, customer experience is our greatest value and trademark. We care about the environment, which is why our green boats are powered with solar and water energy, reducing the engine sound to a gentle hum. The motors should reflect your entire concept. At GoBoat the motors are essential parts of our sustainable concept: our boats are made of recycled material, our shop sells organic snacks and drinks, and our pavilion, tables and our dock are made of sustainable wood.
A happy work culture is your prime hidden assetYou should always strive to offer the best all-round experience. To do this, you must realise that the staff plays the most important role in making every sail-out a success. You want to give customer service at a ridiculously high level. As First Round Capital documents, founders are responsible for 80% of the culture affecting staff.
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Sharing Platforms For Boats
Many of them have a similar business model to Airbnb, where customers rent boats directly from owners or operators. GetMyBoat is the market leader with over 130,000 boats. It operates out of San Francisco, the cofounders having had the idea when they were sailing in the Atlantic and noticed that large numbers of boats were unused and idly floating in the marinas. The company has grown from having a presence primarily in the top boating cities in the U.S. like San Francisco, Miami, and San Diego, to having boats available in 9,300 destinations across 184 countries. U.S. competitors include Boatsetter, having acquired another big U.S. competitor BoatBound in 2017, and which has 25,000 boats available across the world. Parisian-based has 30,000 yachts globally and in the Mediterranean, Samboat is a player with 25,000 boats.
Rentals in the south of France have increased through boat sharing apps
Dragos Gontariu
Do Some Business Planning
Pretend to be a customer and browse the web for boat rentals near you. Figure out what you would have to pay, and what sorts of boats are available. If youre the only game in town, you will have more leeway than if there is a lot of competition.
Furthermore, look at how your boat stacks up. Are there are other similar vessels already available to renters? How much do they rent them for, and how booked up are they?
Another critical part of setting up your rental business will be figuring out what costs you are going to incur. Chances are, you will have to do some things to get ready for customers, and those things are going to cost you money. If the engine is running more often, it will need maintenance like oil changes more frequently. You may also need to upgrade your insurance policy. You might need to invest in a regular detailing service.
The most important reason to do all of this is to set your own expectations. While its impossible to get a real idea for how much demand there will be, knowing your businesss potential will make it easier to manage in the long run.
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How Much Money Can You Make From Renting Out Your Boat
VS: While it varies significantly from owner-to-owner and is location-dependent as some owners are able to run charters year-round vs. a short summer boating season, some boat owners do not make a profit they only rent their boat to offset the cost of boat ownership and then enjoy it for themselves the rest of the season, while some making over 100K running their boating business full-time on GetMyBoat.
If Im A Current Boat Owner Whats The First Step I Would Take To Start The Process Of Renting Out My Boat
VS: Get in touch with a member of our team! They can help you create a free account and listings for your boats. Youll want to have great photos, a clear description of the experiences you can offer, and set your prices to get your listing ready. You will want to go to the GetMyBoat Calendar and mark your availability, blocking off any dates you cant rent out your boat so that renters wont be able to request when you are not available.
Once youre all set, you will receive booking inquiries from renters who want to rent your boat. Its crucial to respond promptly to increase your chances of the renter committing to you, confirming and paying for the rental.
If you plan on being the host-captain, check your license is still valid. If you plan on renting then you then just need to check your insurance and you are away!
Ready to start renting out your boat? Dont forget to encourage your renters to download the KnowWake app before leaving the dock.
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Smooth Sailing Ahead With Peer To Peer Boat Rentals On Boatsetter
Most boat owners only use their boat for a total of 14 days out of the entire year, which is why our services were created to give everyone the opportunity to create memories on the water with their loved ones. In partnership with BoatUS and GEICO Marine, Boatsetter has you covered. The rental program keeps your boat protected by providing peer-to-peer insurance coverage and towing during all rentals.This policy is customized just for Boatsetter and is only activated when you have a booking! This means our custom Peer to Peer policy will cover your existing recreational boating insurance for the duration of the rental.
Trusted captains are available through Boatsetter. Select captains from our large database of over 600 USCG licensed captains that will keep your boat in good hands. Are you an active USCG Captain? You can add your own captain credentials if youd like to find jobs in your area or captain your own vessel.
Boatsetter handles all payments, security deposits and user verification, so earning through our payment system is easy and secure. Our platform is easy to use and is supported by an around-the-clock team that assists every step of the way to support 1000+ listed boats.
Know How To Operate Your Vessel
If you have never been out on the water yourself, you will want to know what you are doing. Even if you are not required to take boating safety, you will want to make sure that you know what you are doing when it comes to navigating your vessel.
Like I mentioned before, you do not want to take a sailboat out if you are not comfortable sailing, but this is not the only consideration that you will need to make.
You will want to be confident that someone in your party is competent in operating whatever vessel you are taking out.
If you are uncomfortable with any part of the process you should ask the company before you go out. Some rental companies will have no problem giving you quick on the spot training and instruction to help you while out on the water.
You will also want to make sure that you know the rules of navigation. This is something all operators need to know no matter what type of vessel they take out.
You will learn the navigation rules if you take a boater education course, but if this is not required, you will want to go online and familiarize yourself with these rules.
You can also look to my previous article that provides the basic navigation rules for boat operators:
If you do not follow the navigation rules you could endanger yourself, your passengers, or even other vessels.
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Safety Was An Early Stage Issue
Its an obvious win for boat owners who are looking for ways to minimise the cost of owning a boat by renting it out for a few days and modern technology means that the boat can find nearby customers without being registered to a specific boating agency as in the past.
Safety issues are paramountBoatbound came unstuck after a customer lost a leg in an accident because the startup didnt require that people hire captains with the boats, something which its competitors doand renters are able to take out insurance on a daily basis via accompanying apps.
Find Out More About Goboat
How to be successful in business? This guide provides you with the most essential factors that new boat rental operators need to know when wanting to succeed. While no boat rentals are alike, a vital part of a successful business is getting hands-on experiences that apply to your specific concept. GoBoat has experience in establishing and running profitable boat rentals over multiple years and various markets. We love to support and cooperate with passionate entrepreneurs, who want to make the water more accessible to people in sustainable ways. We would of course also love to partner with you under our licensing concept. Get in .
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On The Day Of Rental It Is Important To Have The Following Documents Ready:
On the rental day, it is important to have the following documents ready:
Your Booking confirmations
Any pre-existing damage to the vessel. Take photos of any damage.
The fuel level prior to the start of the rental.
It is critical that both parties sign off on the On Hire/Off Hire documents.
After the rental has concluded, renter and boat owner must complete the Off Hire report. This requires another walkthrough to note that the vessel was returned in the same condition as when it went out. Any new damage must be noted, and photos taken. Normal wear and tear is not considered as damage. Remember to return the boat with fuel at the same level as when you received it or settle the fuel payment with the owner to avoid additional fees
If you are having difficulty reaching the owner on the day of rental try reaching them via email or phone. You can refer to your Booking Confirmation document or the Vessel Operations Manual onboard for contact information.
IMPORTANT: The On Hire process is required to be signed by both parties in the event that a claim needs to be filed with an insurer. If a dispute arises, please notify BookMyBoat immediately and the Dispute Resolution Process will begin. BookMyBoat reserves the right to make a determination that resolves the dispute if its otherwise able to be achieved.
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Renting A Boat To Live On Or Hiring Out Your Own Boat
If you’re thinking about living on a rented out boat there are a few checks to carry out before moving in. So if you’re thinking of hiring out your own boat read on.
City life afloat in a boat
If you go to inspect a possible boat, make sure its displaying a valid navigation authority licence for boats on our waterways, a square licence should be in the window facing outwards. This will have the letters SL clearly marked in the centre if the boat is licensed for static letting and the letters SDHH if it is licensed for holiday hire.
From 12 June 2017 boat owners are able to apply for a static letting licence for static boats that’ll cover all types of boat rental, including long-term renting, Airbnb-style short breaks, and overnight stays. The boat owner will need to have a permanent mooring and should talk to their local planning authority to see if planning permission is needed. The price will be the same as for the current self-drive holiday hire licence.
The static letting licence has more rigorous requirements to make sure that both the boat is safe and that potential renters are fully briefed before spending a night on board. Boat owners will need to have: proof of adequate insurance a non-private Boat Safety Scheme certificate conforming to hire boat safety standards a detailed handover document including emergency procedures and contact numbers a landlord Gas Safety Certificate and written permission from their mooring provider.
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What Boat Renters Should Consider
As someone looking to rent a boat, here are some simple things to consider before renting out a vessel.
Where Can I Go?
When you plan to take out a boat, you should ask the owner are there any restrictions on where you can travel. If renting in the United States for example, the majority of boat owners will only allow you to travel on American waters.
There may also be restrictions on how far off the coast you can travel but this can easily be cleared up by simply asking the boat owner directly.
Usually the restrictions are to keep within 12 miles of the coast but this can vary.
What happens If I Damage The Boat?
This is another important question to ask the boat owner. Will the insurance company cover any damages to the boat or are you liable as the renter?
It’s important to be clear on this before heading out on the boat.
Does The Boat Owners Insurance Policy Cover Renters?
Seems obvious but it’s really important to ensure the boat owner has the correct insurance policy to keep you as the renter protected.
It’s also best to get this in writing too
Are There Any Scenarios Where I Might Not Be Covered?
As a renter, you should be crystal clear on how you might not be covered so as to avoid scenarios like that. The boat owner will provide you with the specifics of this and if they don’t, you can simply move onto another boat to rent.
What Exactly Is Covered In The Rental Insurance Policy?
