What is involved in getting my boat ready for charter?

Any vessel that is being used for commercial purposes requires a coding inspection. This ensures your vessel is up to  the correct standard, has the required safety equipment on board and meets the required standard to allow ‘fare paying passengers’ on board. The team at SYC are experts in this field and have undergone many Coding inspections over the years so will take all the hard work out of it for you. The first survey requires the boat to be out the water so as such we try to arrange this at the same time as your winter maintenance to keep costs down. If you are interested in Charter Management but not sure what extra equipment you would need to purchase please contact one of the team and we will be happy to come down to your vessel and advise you further on this.

Will chartering my boat devalue it?

In short, no. All vessels are designed and built to be used. Couple this with the enhanced value of coding your vessel and the regular maintenance and cleaning from the team at SYC you can rest assured the value of your boat will not be affected by chartering. The regular checks and use ensures all systems on board remain in good working order and with SYC managing as little or as much of your maintenance as you require, we ensure your boat remains in top condition. Although the risk low, should any damage occur during a charter the costs are recovered from the charter by way of a damage deposit and SYC will arrange any repairs required to return your boat to top condition.

Can I still use my boat when I want if it under charter management?

Yes – the amount you wish to use your boat remains up to you. We do ask for a minimum amount of weeks we have access to charter the vessel to ensure we can generate some income for you but this is an area we are happy to discuss on a one to one basis with yourselves before the agreement is signed. We use an online calendar to manage the bookings and owners use which you will have complete visibility of. If the boat isn’t on charter she is clearly free for you to enjoy! Obviously the more weeks we can advertise for charter the more income you can potentially generate each season.

Who’s responsible for cleaning and maintenance?

SYC take the hard work out of boat ownership! Having been in the industry for over 15 years we have the experience and reliable trades to undertake as much or as little of your maintenance as you require. We will work with you on a one to one basis to understand your requirements, preferred contractors and issue a maintenance plan and check sheet to ensure your vessel remains in top condition and fully maintained.

How much can I expect to make from chartering my boat out?

This will depend on the number of charters and the charter fee that your boat is able to demand.  The charter fee, agreed with the owner, is largely dependant on size but also type and age.  As a rough guide, a 36ft yacht chartered for five weekends and for five midweek charter should realise nearly £6000 for the owner. Many of our current owners have many more charters and have realised in excess of £10k per year.

Who can charter my boat?

Depending on the size of your vessel will depend on what level of qualification and experience we will require for customers to bareboat charter. As a guide we use the RYA Day Skipper Qualification as the minimum requirement for a bareboat charter to take place on a standard 35-45ft yacht. For larger vessels we are able to stipulate that a skipper is required and as such have a number of experienced skippers and instructors we employ. Rest assured as part of the booking process the team at SYC check the certificates of charter customers, discuss theirs and their crews experience coupled with their intended itinerary for the charter. For charterers that are deemed not to have enough experience or the correct qualifications, we will offer to provide a skipper.

Who insures my boat?

That’s up to you.  We can arrange insurance for you or you can use your own – just advise your broker on the change of usage.

Any other questions ?

If you have any other questions please, give us a call or complete the contact form below.

Tel: 02392 528019