True live aboard experience versus a one week charter

[Builder G.]

My question for the group.
Is there a desire of people for a true live aboard experience aboard a large Catamaran?
If a person or couple is considering the lifestyle and just not sure if it’s truly for them before spending that large amount of money.
Would a true Live aboard experience of one month or more versus a one week charter be desired?.
This would be a true live aboard experience of everything we do daily. From energy management, water making, daily weather updates. Trip planning, weather routing and Customs clearing in and out. Provisioning on a budget, Boat Maintenance and repairs. This is a real get sweaty and get your hands dirty fixing the boat experience. Crazy taxi rides and getting sweating hauling groceries and supplies. Cleaning the boat inside and out. Some shift sailing days and nights. Anchoring and mooring ball attachment. Shift cooking. And the good stuff exploring ashore and below the water. Fishing along with cleaning and eating your catch. You would be doing exactly what we do as a live aboard couple. Sunsets, blue water, New friends and sundowners.
Your comments gladly accepted. Thanks in advance.

[john61ct]

The longer charters would be a niche market.

[fxykty]

Do you really want to start a charter business? And be legal doing it while cruising (registration, insurance, local laws)? I’ve seen ads in social media and cruising clubs for spots available during a cruise at elevated costs (well above shared expenses) per person for sea-training and experience-building and I wonder whether they’re really set up legally to charter and train?

What a pain though to have paying guests. No matter how you think you’ve set expectations, when the head blocks or the heat exchanger blows up your guests are not going to be helping out as they are paying for you to do stuff for them. And if they have any sort of accident you’ll be financially responsible as well as legally.

However, if you just do shared expenses that’s something different and you won’t make any money off it. But it’s a great way to introduce people to cruising and passage making and having some help during passages. I think this is how Delos or Drenched as examples do it.

We invite people on board for passages and to cruise either side of the passage, but all we ask to share are food expenses. It’s our boat and our responsibility to pay for it, so it’s just the direct increased marginal costs that we ask passage crew to pay for. We set expectations that they’re crew, even if inexperienced, but we certainly don’t expect that they’ll help us with any non-emergency capital repairs or replacements.

[bobnlesley]

Originally Posted by Builder G.

...true live aboard experience of everything we do daily. From energy management, water making, daily weather updates. Trip planning, weather routing and Customs clearing in and out. Provisioning on a budget, Boat Maintenance and repairs. This is a real get sweaty and get your hands dirty fixing the boat experience. Crazy taxi rides and getting sweating hauling groceries and supplies. Cleaning the boat inside and out. Some shift sailing days and nights. Anchoring and mooring ball attachment. Shift cooking. ...

Thanks for that, NOT! I was really enjoying my lifestyle until I read your post, then thought of all those items that your list missed and I now realise that my life was easier when I worked 9 to 5.

[StuM]

IOW, you're looking for crew who will pay you for the privilege?

[Jolly Roger]

BuilderG specifically asks, “If a person or couple is considering the lifestyle and just not sure if it’s truly for them…” For such people it’s a sensible scenario. To take part in the actual ups and downs on a liveaboard cruising boat, (as distinct from a charter vacation), is an excellent way for “dreamers” to find out if it’s for them, and also what type of vessel might best suit them.
Yes, there is a market for it. I know, because I’ve done it.
During our liveaboard years in the Mediterranean we specifically marketed ourselves to such people, and the variations therein. i.e. people who had never sailed before, people with children, (which we had on board at the time), a man with only one arm, who wanted to find out if he could handle a boat, and of course, the people who hoped to buy a boat and sail away into the blue yonder. And by the way, at least three of our “customers” actually did it.
That was a long time ago, in Europe. I think it’s different now.
The big problem may be summed up in one word “liability.”
Assuming he has cruising insurance, the OP might get a shock if he approaches them and asks, “Can we take newbies aboard for a month, and show them our lifestyle?” The insurance assessor probably won’t see the romantic side of the deal at all. If you can even arrange—and more importantly pay for—such insurance, you are home and dry, but if not, you have a problem…
If the boat is damaged enough for a claim and your insurance find out your “guests” were actually paying, you can kiss your claim goodbye. If the guests are also injured they might no be too disposed to keep the secret.
How you overcome this conundrum, with people you have never met, is between you and them. But whatever your intent and whatever you agree might suddenly become different in the event of serious injury.
Nowadays, even for actual friends, we require a “hold harmless” agreement signed on the clear understanding that they make no insurance claim on us, in the event of…anything. But, in the extreme, say a loss of life, we are pretty sure even that might not hold up too well.
All the other differences from a regular charter are easy to agree. Yes they agree to do some cooking and cleaning, yes they agree to help sail the boat, yes they agree to help with repairs, yes they agree to do the shopping, etc. etc.
Unfortunately BuilderG’s large catamaran might not be the best platform for such people—unless they can consider buying one themselves, which I would guess will reduce his market considerably. If it was me seeking the experience, I would want a boat I could conceivably buy, assuming the result turned out to be positive.
But do not let this deter you. There is no harm in advertising the proposition, and see what happens.

[john61ct]

Depending on jurisdiction, advertising without all your ducks in a row can get you deported and your boat seized.

[wingssail]

Trying that lifestyle is a good idea. Almost all of the things you mention as if they were romantic, are actually quite unpleasant. Many people find they don't like it. Especially people with enough money to buy a large catamaran, they are used to comfort and ease, not sweaty hardships. One month would be the minimum. (Still in the honeymoon period, six months would be better).

Finding a charter for that period might be difficult.

So...if you want a bail out option, buy the boat on a contract which allows you to sell it back, or cancel the deal, after any time up to six months. Pay for the privilege. What you will lose if you bail out is the transaction costs.

Do this after a few shorter charters, to decide what you like in a boat (Have you and your partner ever tried to dock a large catamaran?)

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Especially people with enough money to buy a large catamaran, they are used to comfort and ease, not sweaty hardships.

Many of us with enough money to buy a large catamaran earned it by working our asses off. The stereotype you hold is exactly that, although if you've decided that a "certain kind of person" sails large catamarans you're likely to find that they reciprocate your attitude toward them and you end up seeing exactly what you wanted to see to begin with.

[Paul L]

I doubt this is a sustainable business. Most pre-cruisers who are unsure of their skills are not even thinking about the day to day maintenance and upkeep. They are concerned about passages and security and that is one reason that the Mahina Expeditions - Offshore Cruising Instruction, Sailing Expeditions, Expedition Brochure are successful over the long term.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by redneckrob

Many of us with enough money to buy a large catamaran earned it by working our asses off. The stereotype you hold is exactly that, although if you've decided that a "certain kind of person" sails large catamarans you're likely to find that they reciprocate your attitude toward them and you end up seeing exactly what you wanted to see to begin with.

You're right, I was wrong. Sorry.

[sailorboy1]

I don’t want any liveaboard experience. I want pretty water and beaches, maid service, sundowners with ice, nice calm sails, and steak and lobster.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by redneckrob

Many of us with enough money to buy a large catamaran earned it by working our asses off. The stereotype you hold is exactly that, although if you've decided that a "certain kind of person" sails large catamarans you're likely to find that they reciprocate your attitude toward them and you end up seeing exactly what you wanted to see to begin with.

People who worked their asses off and know the value of money don't usually buy new cats, They buy them used, after that "certain kind of person" deals with all the initial issues, buys all the extras, and eats the initial depreciation.

[sbrossard]

I have been looking for more of that of that type of thing. Yes it think you could book that type of service.

[DEAN2140]

DreamYacht Charters has a "sabbatical" program that might be perfect for your needs. Check it out.
https://www.dreamyachtcharter.com/ch...ical-charters/