Crew Wanted: Central/South America Business Yacht Captain/Crew

[autolake]

I am looking for a Captain or Crew knowledgeable in the operation of a tour boat company. I was thinking of Santa Marta, Columbia however I am open to suggestions. Crew to be paid on a profit share basis and tips received.

I was originally headed for Roatan, however the lawyers seem to be unable to get me legal without excessive tariffs. One even suggested that I just run under the wire. I am looking into other possibilities. Any propositions will be entertained.

The yacht is a 1993 - 63 foot Sea Ray Super Sun Sport in excellent condition. I am new to the yachting world and would like to find a captain with excellent ideas and experience.

Your ideas are appreciated. I am looking to treat the people well that can assist me in getting into a profitable business.

[Greenhand]

I think to make this truly profitable, you should consider becoming a captain yourself.

[autolake]

I have started the process.

[belizesailor]

Every country is different. You need to engage an attorney in you intended country. Establishing a legal business entity, importing/liscencing the boat, will all take a lot of time. Having been thru this process and knowing others who have, I suggest you plan on at least one year to get established. A trusted and knowledgeable local partner is a big help.

Panama has some of the most liberal immigration/business regulations in the region. You should check there also.

[belizesailor]

Also, captains/crew are not relatively expensive for that class of vessel. If you can't make it profitable with paid crew then its not going to be very profitable without either. The most likely outcome of running a single boat is that it won't be profitable regardless.

Owning boats is usually a very effective way to lose money. If you want to make money then there are many more effective ways which do not involve boats.

[autolake]

I appreciate the replies thus far. Unfortunatehaven't ly I was lead astray by a captain that made false representations. I currently find myself with a yacht that has cost far more in repairs than the survey anticipated.

I was new to the yachting world, however the captain convinced me of his knowledge and the profit potential.

I am not looking to get rich. I am just trying to make ends meet.

Thanks for the information on Panama.

My only other choice is to sell the yacht. Have too much into it to even come close to breaking even. I would have been fine had the repairs not gone $120,000 over survey estimate.

Still seeing if there is a way around the tariffs in Roatan, yet haven't had much luck yet. I have a place to operate out of there, and the numbers do add up if I can get it legal.

Just looking for other alternatives.

The one lawyer suggested I get a temporary operating permit and just operate the yacht under the wire. Sounds like a great way to have it taken away by the government. Need to run legal or sell.

Was hoping for a new way of life and was hoping that there were some knowledgeable people that could steer me in the right direction.

Hoping that there would be a knowledgeable captain that had a great business idea and could assist and share in profits, but that might be unrealistic from what I am hearing so far.

Thanks for the input

[belizesailor]

I, and others here I'm sure, am experienced as a charter captain, boat owner, and foreign charter business owner. I've also worked in the charter industry in various venues off and on over decades. So I've got a strong experiential basis for my opinions and advice.

A few more comments/suggestions below:

With a single boat the best you are likely to do is break even on operating expenses. It is not impossible to do better, I've done it as have others I know and some members here, its just unlikely. And you will have to work very hard to do that. It is of course easy to do worse (as most do). There are countless sad stories who have preceded you with this same dream. I can think of almost a dozen such boats abandonded just here in the Western Caribbean...people who ultimately chose just to walk away. There are a few success too, but far fewer.

If all you really want is a more interesting lifestyle and are not dependent upon making a profit from the boat, then running it in charter somewhere can probably meet that objective.

For an excellent primer on doing business almost anywhere Caribbean, I suggested you read Herman Wok's " Don't Stop The Carnival". If you chose to go ahead with the misadventure of pursuing this business, then read it again after a few years of experience....its even funnier. This story is about a hotel, but boat or hotel, it doesn't matter...it will be a Carnival. ;-)

While it is possible to run a single boat charter biz that will cover expenses and maybe, maybe, make an operating profit you will never earn back the money you have invested in refitting the boat either from operating profits or the sale. Harsh reality is that money is almost certainly just gone. You can however probably get the purchase price, or close it, of the boat back from a sale (assuming of course you paid no more than a fair market value for it).

Just repositioning a power vessel to another venue will be another significant expense.

Doing business in a venue where you, and the boat, can do so legally is a big head start. A few related questions: what is your nationality? Where is the boat registered? Where was it built?

My primary suggestion though is that you cut your loses and sell the boat.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

For an excellent primer on doing business almost anywhere Caribbean, I suggested you read Herman Wok's " Don't Stop The Carnival". If you chose to go ahead with the misadventure of pursuing this business, then read it again after a few years of experience....its even funnier.

HA! I never thought of that as a business book, but you are correct - after living in the Caribe for the past 6 years, I agree that that book should be mandatory reading for anyone considering starting a business here.

"Permiso! Permiso!"

Mark

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by colemj

HA! I never thought of that as a business book, but you are correct - after living in the Caribe for the past 6 years, I agree that that book should be mandatory reading for anyone considering starting a business here.

"Permiso! Permiso!"

Mark

Absolutely! The type of business really does not matter. First time I read it, pre-Carib biz experience, I thought it was funny. Now, I chuckle ever time I think of it because I've lived most of those scenes or some variation thereof.

I think it would be a great addition to an MBA program. Send a bunch of new grads down for a reality check in business thoery. ;-)

[capt04530]

Let´s talk. I am a cruise ship captain and former owner of an excursion boat business. I live in Colombia. I have some ideas for you.

mike at captmikekiernan dot com

Originally Posted by autolake

I am looking for a Captain or Crew knowledgeable in the operation of a tour boat company. I was thinking of Santa Marta, Columbia however I am open to suggestions. Crew to be paid on a profit share basis and tips received.

I was originally headed for Roatan, however the lawyers seem to be unable to get me legal without excessive tariffs. One even suggested that I just run under the wire. I am looking into other possibilities. Any propositions will be entertained.

The yacht is a 1993 - 63 foot Sea Ray Super Sun Sport in excellent condition. I am new to the yachting world and would like to find a captain with excellent ideas and experience.

Your ideas are appreciated. I am looking to treat the people well that can assist me in getting into a profitable business.

[braziliansailor]

Hi good afternoon, I am a brazilian mariner and experienced sailor over 20 yrs working on boats, I am not a Cap, but, have been workin in Boats in Fort Lauderdale for yrs, in France and Barcelona. Now I am in Venezuela looking for a boat to go on. I am a good English, Spanish and Portuguese speaker. Good in boats reapairing and painting work. In case you need someone like me please drop me a work, let s talk about it.
my regards

Sergio

[Dean Samuels]

Im interested, I was 1st mate on a backpacker boat there for 4 mos. I know the waters there and how to be profitable. I have contacts in cartegena as well as Panama. Email me at homesweetocean1@gmail.com or deans801@gmail.com or call me at 305 942 3655

Sent from my C5215 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[EngNate]

Yes, you can make a small fortune with a boat, you just have to begin with a large fortune.

One doesn't do what you're planning to make any money, but rather as a reason to be in a place you want/love to be and do a thing you want/love to do, and those ends justify the cost and basically working like a dog for nothing. Then too, there are those who simply must dispose of excess money somehow. To have a reasonable chance of success you would have to be able to:

Survey the boat, detect and diagnose all its issues and fix and/or direct the fixing yourself, and continue this on an ongoing basis;

Run the boat yourself;

Have significant experience in the business, legal and marketing end in the locality.

Having those in hand, you might be able to ultimately compensate yourself for your efforts.

[diego di brigi]

i will do your captain...email me at ogeido (at) libero (dot) it

Originally Posted by i

I am looking for a Captain or Crew knowledgeable in the operation of a tour boat company. I was thinking of Santa Marta, Columbia however I am open to suggestions. Crew to be paid on a profit share basis and tips recibrtoeived.

I was originally headed for Roatan, however the lawyers seem to be unable to get me legal without excessive tariffs. One even suggested that I just run under the wire. I am looking into other possibilities. Any propositions will be entertained.

The yacht is a 1993 - 63 foot Sea Ray Super Sun Sport in excellent condition. I am new to the yachting world and would like to find a captain with excellent ideas and experience.

Your ideas are appreciated. I am looking to treat the people well that can assist me in getting into a profitable business.