Ian MacAulay
Well-Known Member
See a advert for them earlier. anyone used them or put a boat on there to stay on?
Ian
Ian
Beds on board...?
- Thread starter Ian MacAulay
- Start date
jrudge
Well-Known Member
Been discussed before.
In my view as an owner too much to go wrong that the punter won't understand. Run out of water , hairdryer pops electrics , wet wipes down wc etc. ... but not used them so maybe I am wrong !
In my view as an owner too much to go wrong that the punter won't understand. Run out of water , hairdryer pops electrics , wet wipes down wc etc. ... but not used them so maybe I am wrong !
[2068]
...
I think my biggest fear would be "damage to interior walls, linings and woodwork".
It's not like a rental property where you can re-skim the walls and chuck on a few tins of Barley White.
Having said that, I'd be happy to occupy someone else's Squadron 78 for the weekend.
.
It's not like a rental property where you can re-skim the walls and chuck on a few tins of Barley White.
Having said that, I'd be happy to occupy someone else's Squadron 78 for the weekend.
.
Last edited:
Nigelpickin
Well-Known Member
My view remains the same and it’s what we ended up doing - air b’n’b your house while you stay on your boat.
Far easier, safer and less complicated for both parties....
Far easier, safer and less complicated for both parties....
andy59
Well-Known Member
I have seen boats in our marina being used for it , definitely not for us . As Flowerpower said , to much expensive damage potential and our boat is full of our gear ready to go as soon as the weather plays ball .
volvopaul
Well-Known Member
I've worked on boats on this scheme , I wouldn't want to stay on some of them .
I can't understand how owners get away with renting out the boat without any type of safety inspection or charter type insurance.
I've also heard about clients upsetting other marina users with there boozed up evenings .
I'm surprised the marinas allow it when I compare the third degree some give us outside contractors .
I can't understand how owners get away with renting out the boat without any type of safety inspection or charter type insurance.
I've also heard about clients upsetting other marina users with there boozed up evenings .
I'm surprised the marinas allow it when I compare the third degree some give us outside contractors .
rubberduck
Well-Known Member
Bit like Uber in London, rules are there but because they are "just an app" they seem to get away with a lot, or did.
Firefly625
Well-Known Member
I think its the most bizarre thing, I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would rent their boat out to complete strangers to stay on..
When we were in Poole on the quay there was a large Sunseeker which was actually a charter boat and had been going back and forward for the few days we were there. But one evening, while as I was waiting for swmbo to catch up I was eves dropping on a conversation between the owner/skipper and a group of "youths" who were staying aboard for the night and they had in their hand a booking sheet through beds on board. The owner was quizzing them how many were sharing cabins and they were looking at each other just laughing, seemed to be in their late teens early 20's, girls all in heels,.. to be honest of course I was jealous, looked like they were going to have a right good party!! As we were pretty far away from them I did not hear anything overnight about the normal Poole quay noise. But in the morning as I walked past there was a lovely pile of vomit on the pontoon next to the boat which a Labrador was tucking into... and someone asleep/unconscious on the sun-pad. Perhaps no damage had been done and once the Lab had finished his surprise breakfast and the body had gone from the sunpad perhaps everything was fine... but such a risk..
When we were in Poole on the quay there was a large Sunseeker which was actually a charter boat and had been going back and forward for the few days we were there. But one evening, while as I was waiting for swmbo to catch up I was eves dropping on a conversation between the owner/skipper and a group of "youths" who were staying aboard for the night and they had in their hand a booking sheet through beds on board. The owner was quizzing them how many were sharing cabins and they were looking at each other just laughing, seemed to be in their late teens early 20's, girls all in heels,.. to be honest of course I was jealous, looked like they were going to have a right good party!! As we were pretty far away from them I did not hear anything overnight about the normal Poole quay noise. But in the morning as I walked past there was a lovely pile of vomit on the pontoon next to the boat which a Labrador was tucking into... and someone asleep/unconscious on the sun-pad. Perhaps no damage had been done and once the Lab had finished his surprise breakfast and the body had gone from the sunpad perhaps everything was fine... but such a risk..
Mikehp0
Well-Known Member
I'm a big fan of Beds on Board and they are pretty keen on me, it seems. I don't work for them (though they keep suggesting I should!).
They are far more than "an app". They are Lymington based and have a small team of boat enthusiasts who actively talk to owners, marinas and potential guests - solving problems, suggesting solutions and generally working very hard for their owner and guest customers.
My boat is Zen Dog, a Prestige 38s twin cabin motor sports cruiser. Search for Zen Dog Charters and you'll see lots of pics and links to my Beds on Board adverts. You'll see how I market her on BoB.
I’m typical of so many boat owners. My wife doesn’t quite share my enthusiasm and my teenagers are developing their own lives. The dream of spending every weekend on the boat hasn’t come true.
I contemplated selling her (the boat, not the wife) but started to explore whether there might be a way to offset some of the cost and make boat ownership a bit more palatable to the rest of the family.
I got Zen Dog coded for charter. That was a a couple of grand of extra handrails, fire protection etc. That has been fairly unsuccessful. I'm not qualified to skipper her with paying guests so have to pay out for skipper and crew. I don't have the contacts to market her myself very effectively and the agencies generally want yachts or bigger "corporate" boats. 55ft Sunseekers get lots of charter bookings, apparently. Attempting to talk my wife into that sort of upgrade would be fruitless.
We've successfully rented Tredougann, our barn conversion in Padstow for years. I met the Beds on Board team at a boat show and decided to see if I could do something similar with Zen Dog.
I first listed my boat with Beds on Board in mid winter this year. The signup process was simple and their excellent team helped me to set the ideal price and finalise my advert. I live 2 hours from my boat so they helped me to find a wonderful caretaker. She cleans the boat top to bottom and changes the linen before each booking. Getting the boat professionally cleaned every week was an unexpected bonus particularly as the guests pay the cleaning charges. I made a YouTube video to explain how everything works (and I don’t get any calls from guests as a result).
The first booking arrived in early Spring when it was still cold and wet. The first guests were a young family organising a birthday treat for a boat mad son. After that, things went into a crazy spiral. A good review resulted in more bookings and more reviews.
We’ve had a real mixture of guests but the one common thread is that they all like boats. We’ve had other boat owners book our boat as overflow accommodation for their friends and family. We’ve had lots of aspiring boat owners. We’ve had plenty of birthday and anniversary celebrations. We only let to couples or small families - stag nights, hen nights, A Level results parties etc are easy to spot and reject. All our guests seem to take genuine care – we’ve not had any damage, parties or other incidents. If someone scratched a table, I'd keep their deposit, get the french polisher in and just think about the money. Many guests seem to be in awe of the boat. They’ve readily accepted and even enjoyed the compromises that staying on a boat requires. Many have commented about our Marina’s excellent 5-star washrooms. Not one has commented that the onboard shower is small or that the heads are hard to use. Can you imagine a hotel guest being positive about a 100m walk to the bathroom?
I did try listing on Airbnb and have had a few bookings. Their guests are not the same. They search for an apartment, they find a boat instead, decide it looks interesting and book it. They then email and call with lots of silly questions. “I have a driving licence – can I take the boat out?” “Does the boat rock on its trailer?” (it’s an 8 tonne 12m motor cruiser!) “Do we have to come to your marina or can you deliver the boat to our local harbour?”. I’ve removed the listing.
I’ve kept the advertised price very reasonable and I’ve taken care to present my boat beautifully – no clutter, personal effects locked away, plus good towels and bedding included in the price etc. The caretaker ensures that everything is spotless.
I’ve cleverly kept Sundays for myself. Generally guests book 2 night short stays – often Friday and Saturday nights. If I'm planning a trip, I just block the dates out in advance. At half term, I’m taking the boat out for a longer 3 night cruise then back home to be cleaned ready for paying guests.
I quickly got my head around the idea of other people sleeping in my bunk – I never meet them and I think about the money, not them!
Now, I’ve had over 80 bookings. They stretch into November and I've got a couple booked for New Year.
These bookings have paid the full cost of my annual berthing and I’m well on the way to covering annual servicing too.
So, unless you can spend all summer on your boat, I really recommend listing it on Beds on Board.
However, you have got to be serious about it. There's no point in putting a listing up, shovelling your personal junk into a corner, uploading a couple of photos from your Nokia and hoping for the best. Buy decent linen, clear the junk and get a good professional cleaner. Think about it as a business venture.
MCA "Coding" ensures that the safety issues and resulting liabilities are covered. I've been looking to see whether there's merit in getting the equivalent of an Inland Waterways Safety Certificate too. (Zen Dog has no gas and there's no cooking equipment on board). She is insured through GJW and they were very happy with charter and overnight guest use in return for a small premium increase.
You need marina support. The team at BoB work hard to get the marina on side. They do a lot of checks in the background - I gather they've occasionally spotted and cancelled multiple boat party bookings. I'm lucky that my marina see the benefits to them in terms of increased facilities usage.
I'd be very pleased to discuss my experiences either here or via the contact details on the Zen Dog Charter website.
Hope this helps!
Mike
They are far more than "an app". They are Lymington based and have a small team of boat enthusiasts who actively talk to owners, marinas and potential guests - solving problems, suggesting solutions and generally working very hard for their owner and guest customers.
My boat is Zen Dog, a Prestige 38s twin cabin motor sports cruiser. Search for Zen Dog Charters and you'll see lots of pics and links to my Beds on Board adverts. You'll see how I market her on BoB.
I’m typical of so many boat owners. My wife doesn’t quite share my enthusiasm and my teenagers are developing their own lives. The dream of spending every weekend on the boat hasn’t come true.
I contemplated selling her (the boat, not the wife) but started to explore whether there might be a way to offset some of the cost and make boat ownership a bit more palatable to the rest of the family.
I got Zen Dog coded for charter. That was a a couple of grand of extra handrails, fire protection etc. That has been fairly unsuccessful. I'm not qualified to skipper her with paying guests so have to pay out for skipper and crew. I don't have the contacts to market her myself very effectively and the agencies generally want yachts or bigger "corporate" boats. 55ft Sunseekers get lots of charter bookings, apparently. Attempting to talk my wife into that sort of upgrade would be fruitless.
We've successfully rented Tredougann, our barn conversion in Padstow for years. I met the Beds on Board team at a boat show and decided to see if I could do something similar with Zen Dog.
I first listed my boat with Beds on Board in mid winter this year. The signup process was simple and their excellent team helped me to set the ideal price and finalise my advert. I live 2 hours from my boat so they helped me to find a wonderful caretaker. She cleans the boat top to bottom and changes the linen before each booking. Getting the boat professionally cleaned every week was an unexpected bonus particularly as the guests pay the cleaning charges. I made a YouTube video to explain how everything works (and I don’t get any calls from guests as a result).
The first booking arrived in early Spring when it was still cold and wet. The first guests were a young family organising a birthday treat for a boat mad son. After that, things went into a crazy spiral. A good review resulted in more bookings and more reviews.
We’ve had a real mixture of guests but the one common thread is that they all like boats. We’ve had other boat owners book our boat as overflow accommodation for their friends and family. We’ve had lots of aspiring boat owners. We’ve had plenty of birthday and anniversary celebrations. We only let to couples or small families - stag nights, hen nights, A Level results parties etc are easy to spot and reject. All our guests seem to take genuine care – we’ve not had any damage, parties or other incidents. If someone scratched a table, I'd keep their deposit, get the french polisher in and just think about the money. Many guests seem to be in awe of the boat. They’ve readily accepted and even enjoyed the compromises that staying on a boat requires. Many have commented about our Marina’s excellent 5-star washrooms. Not one has commented that the onboard shower is small or that the heads are hard to use. Can you imagine a hotel guest being positive about a 100m walk to the bathroom?
I did try listing on Airbnb and have had a few bookings. Their guests are not the same. They search for an apartment, they find a boat instead, decide it looks interesting and book it. They then email and call with lots of silly questions. “I have a driving licence – can I take the boat out?” “Does the boat rock on its trailer?” (it’s an 8 tonne 12m motor cruiser!) “Do we have to come to your marina or can you deliver the boat to our local harbour?”. I’ve removed the listing.
I’ve kept the advertised price very reasonable and I’ve taken care to present my boat beautifully – no clutter, personal effects locked away, plus good towels and bedding included in the price etc. The caretaker ensures that everything is spotless.
I’ve cleverly kept Sundays for myself. Generally guests book 2 night short stays – often Friday and Saturday nights. If I'm planning a trip, I just block the dates out in advance. At half term, I’m taking the boat out for a longer 3 night cruise then back home to be cleaned ready for paying guests.
I quickly got my head around the idea of other people sleeping in my bunk – I never meet them and I think about the money, not them!
Now, I’ve had over 80 bookings. They stretch into November and I've got a couple booked for New Year.
These bookings have paid the full cost of my annual berthing and I’m well on the way to covering annual servicing too.
So, unless you can spend all summer on your boat, I really recommend listing it on Beds on Board.
However, you have got to be serious about it. There's no point in putting a listing up, shovelling your personal junk into a corner, uploading a couple of photos from your Nokia and hoping for the best. Buy decent linen, clear the junk and get a good professional cleaner. Think about it as a business venture.
MCA "Coding" ensures that the safety issues and resulting liabilities are covered. I've been looking to see whether there's merit in getting the equivalent of an Inland Waterways Safety Certificate too. (Zen Dog has no gas and there's no cooking equipment on board). She is insured through GJW and they were very happy with charter and overnight guest use in return for a small premium increase.
You need marina support. The team at BoB work hard to get the marina on side. They do a lot of checks in the background - I gather they've occasionally spotted and cancelled multiple boat party bookings. I'm lucky that my marina see the benefits to them in terms of increased facilities usage.
I'd be very pleased to discuss my experiences either here or via the contact details on the Zen Dog Charter website.
Hope this helps!
Mike
petem
Well-Known Member
Good post Mike. It's easy to dismiss these things so good to read the other side of the argument.
jcwads
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't do it. As per reasons given.
Also - the cost we pay for a marina berth, should keep it exclusive to owners. We have loads of beds on board visitors at our marina and the noise and partying can be a nuisance.
Wow, look at me becoming a grumpy old man way too soon.....
Also - the cost we pay for a marina berth, should keep it exclusive to owners. We have loads of beds on board visitors at our marina and the noise and partying can be a nuisance.
Wow, look at me becoming a grumpy old man way too soon.....
Mikehp0
Well-Known Member
far too long and rambling!
I could have simply said
"If you are willing and able to pay out lots to keep exclusive access to your pride and joy, don't even think about BoB.
However, if, like me, a boat is a luxury you can barely afford - think about really embracing BoB.
Chat to them before you sign up.
They'll help you get the cleaner, clear the junk, set a sensible price, write a good advert, get decent photos etc. You are unlikely to suffer any damage or problems and if you do, you've got a deposit to pay for it. Your own overnight stays will be better because you'll get your cleaner to prepare everything for you as per your paying guests. My wife enjoys her stays much more - she says it is like staying in a nice hotel. Upon arrival, it is always warm, sweetly smelling, the beds are made with crisply ironed linen and it is stocked with toiletries, milk and a bottle of wine - because that's how the cleaner prepares it for guests. When we leave, we just leave! Anytime I have regrets (and there have been just 2 booked Saturdays this season when the weather might have stayed good long enough for me to try to persuade friends and family to visit the boat) I just check how much BoB have paid me"
with hindsight, this is still a bit too long and rambling!
I could have simply said
"If you are willing and able to pay out lots to keep exclusive access to your pride and joy, don't even think about BoB.
However, if, like me, a boat is a luxury you can barely afford - think about really embracing BoB.
Chat to them before you sign up.
They'll help you get the cleaner, clear the junk, set a sensible price, write a good advert, get decent photos etc. You are unlikely to suffer any damage or problems and if you do, you've got a deposit to pay for it. Your own overnight stays will be better because you'll get your cleaner to prepare everything for you as per your paying guests. My wife enjoys her stays much more - she says it is like staying in a nice hotel. Upon arrival, it is always warm, sweetly smelling, the beds are made with crisply ironed linen and it is stocked with toiletries, milk and a bottle of wine - because that's how the cleaner prepares it for guests. When we leave, we just leave! Anytime I have regrets (and there have been just 2 booked Saturdays this season when the weather might have stayed good long enough for me to try to persuade friends and family to visit the boat) I just check how much BoB have paid me"
with hindsight, this is still a bit too long and rambling!
jimmy_the_builder
Well-Known Member
Who does the system housekeeping like filling the water tank, emptying the holding tank etc?
Mikehp0
Well-Known Member
In our case, the cleaner fills the water tank every time she cleans. The guests are given instructions how to do it if they run out but I don't think they ever have. The holding tank capacity is normally sufficient for six nights - each with up to four guests on board. I generally go down to the boat once a fortnight and get it pumped out. My friendly professional skipper would do it if I ever couldn't get there and maybe the marina staff would do it (for a charge).
