Paying guest to help the finances

[Hydra]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

The French Caribbean islands are, for the most part, Departements Etranger (can't find the accents on this keyboard) and thus you may live and work there as a citizen of an EU member state.

Too bad: Norway refused to be part of European Union.

Then I don't know the conditions for a Norwegian to work in French Carribean islands and to operate a Norwegian-flagged vessel there.

Alain

[sveinutne]

Norway is not a member of EU, but we are a member of EØS, and it gives almost the same conditions. It is only that Norway has no voting rights in Brussels. But you are right it is a difference and I will have to find out all this before doing any real action.

[carstenb]

Some other considerations

1- insurance - and you do need this. If someone falls and breaks whatever or dies while diving or gets lost at sea - you can end up with a law suit from the survivors. I suspect that when you apply for the insurance the insurance company will ask to see your commercial charter license(?), your USGA 8or similar) safety inspection, your personal sailing certification(RYA Ocean with commercial endorsement), plus about a hundred more items
2- How are you going to sail the boat? the charter guests? how good are they? have they ever been on a boat before? what if the weather turns ****? etc. etc. etc

If I were going to do this, I would do it completely off the books, meaning advertising has to be by word of mouth, all transactions cash etc.


I suspect this has been thought through several hundred times at least.


one man's opinion, of course

[sveinutne]

If it is possible, I think it is best to do what is needed to get all the paperwork in order. Then you can advertise and get better paying customers, but if there are obstacles that is almost impossible to fulfill, your cash based system can be a last resort.

[SayGudday]

Are you particularly interested in the idea of transporting people or are you simply looking for an alternative source of income to help keep the cruising kitty topped up?

[WebWench]

What about buying a boat through a charter company , putting it in charter and working for the charter company as a captain. That way you could learn the business....possibly work on your own boat and let the charter company pay your boat bills.

[Auzzee]

A decade ago, the charter wars were in full cry in the Whitsundays off the central coast of Queensland, Australia. Legitimate charterers were losing business to blow-ins and they were, understandably, very unhappy.

Threats were made, shots were fired out on the ocean as a means to intimidate the rebel charterer's guests. But at anchor and in the marina, was where the real damage was done. Boats were spraypainted with slogans, gear was deliberately damaged, two boats were sunk at their moorings, and things generally were distinctly anti social for some time.

Think back to the time when you were in business before you went cruising. If some illegal operator opened up in competition, on a shoestring budget, you would do what it took to protect your business. Charterers are no different and deserve to be allowed to make their living without being stiffed by illegals.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by sveinutne

I am playing with the idea of retiring early, maybe in two years time. Then I would like to buy a sailboat I can live on and also take some paying customers along the way to finance the show. I hear that a lot of people are doing this in the carbine, but I was planning to start in Croatia and Greece during the summer and in the Red sea during the winter for the first years, then maybe move to the Maldives or other nice places.

Some people say that it is a lot of regulation, so one should not do commercial transport of people, but find others ways of doing it. Some recommend that the paying guest register in a club or organization before been transported, then no commercial licenses are needed. I do not know what is right, but I would like to know what I need to do and what sort of licenses I should get. I have been looking at Sun Odyssey 54 ds with 5 cabins. Then I could have three double cabins for the guest and some private space.

Buy a 38-42ftr instead then your need for finance through boat clients is not a priority...
Or are you really looking to run a buisness and try to make an under the counter killing... if thats the case... FORGET IT... many have tried and failed... including me
Some have even lost thier boats... last seen at a rigged State auction going for peanuts to a local bigwig with the 'fluence'

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by sveinutne

If it is possible, I think it is best to do what is needed to get all the paperwork in order. Then you can advertise and get better paying customers, but if there are obstacles that is almost impossible to fulfill, your cash based system can be a last resort.

Somethings are (commercially) better to be done 110% legit - and IMO this is one of them. Downside is the additional initial costs (to get coded and qualified) and then ongoing costs to maintain the status. But the upside is the opportunity for better paying customers and the ability to market self with no restrictions.

Doing stuff illegally does not really fit in with broadcasting what you are doing to all and sundry . Especially not to the competition.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Somethings are (commercially) better to be done 110% legit - and IMO this is one of them. Downside is the additional initial costs (to get coded and qualified) and then ongoing costs to maintain the status. But the upside is the opportunity for better paying customers and the ability to market self with no restrictions.

Doing stuff illegally does not really fit in with broadcasting what you are doing to all and sundry . Especially not to the competition.

+1. Couldn't agree more. What if, God forbid, a guest was seriously injured and/or died while on your "charter"? Or with today's lawsuit happy atmosphere, what if your boat sank with guests onboard? Not only are you facing a huge out-of-pocket expense, but the very real posibility of spending a number of years in prison. This is definately something that needs to be 100% above board.

Say you were near the the USVI. You could be boarded at sea by the USCG. If you're not documented as a comercial vessel, have a valid masters license and all required insurances, not only would your guests get an early end to their vacations, your boat would immediately become property of the US Government. Or any government that stops you. You would be much better served doing this legaly.

[hellosailor]

You have three choices:
1- Operate a fully legal licensed commercial operation, whether that is a "sailing school", charter, ferry, tourist ride, whatever you want to operate it as.
2- Don't take any money from strangers and don't take any stranger on the boat.

3- Do anything else, and you'll risk thw wrath of local governments, local competitors, your insurance company, and various other parties including tax authorities.

Some folks have always been happy doing #3, others have lost their shirts and learned a bitter lesson about how flying under the radar only works until there's a better radar. Whatever makes you happy. (ALthough, if you take #3, there's more money to be made faster by just ignoring ALL the laws and being a smuggler.)

[denverd0n]

I would only add that if you pick #3 and get caught, no fair whining about it. You made the choice, so suck it up and accept the consequences.

(I mention this having just spent time reading a blog wherein a fellow was bitchin' and moanin' about how unfairly he was being treated by the cops, and then 3/4ths of the way through his pity-pout I realized that he had chosen option #3 and basically didn't think it was fair that he got caught when others had not.)

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

I would only add that if you pick #3 and get caught, no fair whining about it. You made the choice, so suck it up and accept the consequences.

(I mention this having just spent time reading a blog wherein a fellow was bitchin' and moanin' about how unfairly he was being treated by the cops, and then 3/4ths of the way through his pity-pout I realized that he had chosen option #3 and basically didn't think it was fair that he got caught when others had not.)

Ain't that always the case...

[rtbates]

Get a boat YOU can afford!