I do have some major thoughts as to how this program will actualy
work procedure and seamanship wise. Both for the
charter person, and the boat owners.
Been a boat owner, and a partner, and worked for sailing clubs, and been members of sailing clubs, and bare boat chartered through out the planet, with several of the large and not so large bare boat charter outfits.
We found many problems with those vessels, depending on age, and lack of preventitive
maintenance, and inspections, and who sailed the boats before us.
Bareboat charters, and partnerships have proven excellent to unacceptable.
Samboat apparently is not going to be on site, will not be personally inspecting anything on a constant basis, and will not be giving the proposed renters ( bareboater) any check outs, on board, and written or oral exams.
If I owned a boat, I would not be renting it out without a thorough check out of the renter, including on the
water, and a thorough boat system check out.
As to those who would be bare
boating, many that I have seen , even though they have been through getting some sort of an accredation, that really does not prove their actual experience and seamanship ability. As to samsboat, all you go by is a resume, and a civilian sailing association, or yacht club certificate. Not enough for me as a boat owner.
I can generally tell the seamanship ability of a person if I see how they actually handle all aspects of bare boating my vessel. 90 % of them cannot even secure a dock line or dink with cleat hitch....we called it a proper cleat . Most now, cannot read a nautical chart and are un familiar with coastal
navigation.
There is a lot to renting out boats, the business is extremely demanding. Actually in many ways, including financially, and human effort wise. Boasts are hard to keep up and expensive.
We find, that owners will not fix problems, they just shine it. Or do not know there is a problem. Also, the vessel needs to cleaned and inspected by these owners, since samboat is not going to be doing it, after every charter, and in between charters.
That includes, running
rigging, standing
rigging,
sails,
hull, topsides,
compass and other nav systems, all boat systems,
electrical ,
stove,
head,
engine, trans, etc., etc. and vessel cleaned and ready to go.
The experience that I have gleaned over close to 36 years, professionally and for personal fun, has allowed me to see the best and the worst in sailing clubs, and
bareboat chartering. And that includes world wide conglomerates that have huge staffs that are supposed to check out the renters, and take care of the boats.
Sometimes everything is outstanding, other times, the boats are not up to any proper standard. I would be happy to post a list of some of these actual experiences. One a recent as last week.
As to samboat saying that you required proper licensing, well the only really recognized maritime license in the U.S.A. is thru the U.S.C.G . Usually those sailors or
motor vessel skippers are sailing for hire. That takes verifiable sea time, of 360 days at sea, or 720 days of documented time and taking a day to a day and half written exam at the U.S.C.G testing facility.
Other certifications , are like
ASA, and that means that the renters have completed a structured sailing course, but that is not good enough. Why ? Because some people take
training very seriously, others , it is one ear and out the other. Also, there are a lot of sailing clubs out there, some are excellent, and some are not. Some boaters here in the U.S have had zero
training and have learned by experience.
Then, you get the boat owners, who rent their boats out , and state that their vessels are in great condition, when they are not. That is a problem that Erica and I are facing these days. Also, we when an owner would tout his boat over the
phone, to the sailing club management to put it in charter. We had them bring the vessel to our docks for us to inspect. Sometimes there was no way that they would be suitable for bare boat or skippered charters. Other times, the boats were as promulgated, and we would put them into charter.. We had a full time dock staff, maitenance crew, manager, office staff, owner, and instructors. On site.
With 20,000 boats in the samboat program, you cannot possibly be aware of the up to date condition or seaworthiness, of those boats you represent. You do not see them. You have no idea about what may have occurred on the last charter.
And neither does the new charter bare boat person that is going to take the vessel out for two weeks of sailing the particular cruising grounds. They and their guests may have traveled several thousand miles and across a few oceans to sail in paradise and that boat has a problem or many problems. Their dream is dust.
Samboat has a great idea, but there is a whole lot more to renting out sailing, or
power vessels and chartering with skipper, than shuffling paper work. I would be very happy, if the idea is successful.
Boats are constant problems, as is finding really qualified people to rent them, regardless of their going thru accredited sailing associations. And, add in the skippers for charters.
With over 25 years with working for sailing clubs, and training people, thru a very demanding and excellent sailing
school, some members are absolutely excellent, They listen to all of the different instructors, and become dedicated seaman, and sea ladies, but you have others, that do not take sailing seriously, and do not understand that ocean does not love them. They just do not have the motivation.
The latter, if I was an owner, would not rent out my boat . Not a chance.
The problem is how do you know their actual ability and knowledge . And how does a prospective renter tell the seaworthiness of the vessel that the owner advertises as in bristol condition.
You don't , and that is from either side of that coin.
It really does come down to the individual. The charter person, and also the boat owner.
In the USA, you do not need any kind of a license or even training to buy and sail or
motor a vessel. Except for
registration, state, or federal.
The above has been learned having been deeply involved in sailing and
power boating professional and for our own pleasure.
The OP wanted points of view. The above are our concerns for both the renter and the boat owners. The real world .
), but in the western europe, Samboat's brand is well-known, recognized easily and most of the people say good things about it (I said most of them, there is always some unhappy persons)
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