Choosting a boat to run a Charter Business with

[Fletcher51]

I've always thought it a novel idea to captain a charter boat out of Florida. If one were to do this, what boat would you recommend? I like the 52' Nordic Tug. Would a trawler like this be a good choice? Would it be a practical boat to, say, travel to Bermuda on?

If anyone has any experience running a charter company or captaining a charter boat, any advice, even if it's not what I requested, would be greatly appreciated.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Choosting a boat to run a Charter Business with

With fuel where it's been lately I'd think about economy as well. Maybe an aluminum hull and two modern and very efficient diesels.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Choosting a boat to run a Charter Business with

from what i see here in Florida, it is a very competitive business, don't want to say cut throat, but as close as you can get. in the Fla keys, there are 2-5 in every marina. a good, safe, classy looking boat is going to draw more. you have to make friends with the local merchants, who will recommend you. then there's the web site design. print advertizing.

then you have to consider the business side of it. mortgage payment, insurance, up keep, fuel, crew salary. to keep a good freindly crew, they get pay whether the boat leaves the dock or not.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Choosting a boat to run a Charter Business with

a side note to this, was out in the river thursday, the sun cruz casino boat. was docked. the dock side, looked pretty good, the away side looked like the sucker might sink any minute.

they dock next to the coast guard station. they had one boat here, that the coast guard inspected, and they red tag it. would not even let it leave the dock, until major repairs were done. they did what they had to do, to get away from the dock, and sent the boat to like Bernmuda, where the requirements were not a strick, replaced it with the current boat.

 

[burroak]

Re: Choosting a boat to run a Charter Business with

Many years ago, I got the same inspiration. As a cautionary note, take out six people with a cooler full of beer and thousands of dollars of equipment. If you do not have the people skills to manage six drunken delinquents, you may want to reconsider. I'm not saying every charter group will be this way, but there will be a considerable number.

Getting up at 4 A.M. every day (I mean every day) to make a living is quite different from doing that occasionally for your own recreation. I asked myself, "Why take a pure joy and make a job out of it?" The old saw is to find a job in which you are passionate about. I don't think so. There are people who do that but they are singularly driven people and narcissistic, not much fun to be around.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Choosting a boat to run a Charter Business with

it's bad enough to have 1 puking drunk on board. can't imagine 6, and being sober.