Getting income from your boat

[Don107]

Hi all

With the popularity of Air B&B's i was wondering if you had a boat in a Marina whether it could be used as overnight accommodation and derive some income from it but still have it available for your own use when you wanted to

Ideally I was thinking of catamaran for the living area

If you also had a mooring nearby you could offer either a night at the Marina or at a additional cost if they wanted to be out on the water, once the people were on board you could take it out to the mooring, tender back in and then go and bring it back in the next morning

I wonder if the boat would have to meet any commercial survey requirements if used in this way

If you could get some income from the boat it would allow you to buy a more expensive boat than you might normally be able to afford

Any thoughts on this

Regards Don

 

[Tranona]

You will have to find out what your local regulations allow.

In the UK "Beds on Board" type arrangements have gained some traction, but usually for largish power boats of which there are many sitting in marinas and used more as weekend cottages rather than going out boating. However, some marinas don't allow it, others do. Taking the boat off the berth would automatically turn it into a commercial boat requiring expensive coding - extra gear, regular surveys etc.

 

[lpdsn]

I know of at least one boat offering overnight accommodation on airbnb. Modified for the purpose.

I've had leaflets through the companionway myself from similar companies. What stopped me was the risk of damage from unsupervised people unfamiliar with boat systems or how to act on a boat.

I think once you think about getting underway with paying guests you are on dodgy ground re coding. Given what the MCA did to Doug Inness I wouldn't want to risk it even if those around you think it is generally acceptable.

PS Just saw you were posting from Oz. You'd need to check out the rules out there re chartering. Your local sea school would probably have a good idea.

 

[Seashoreman]

Four years ago I found and rented a 32ft Bavaria in a Marina in the Canaries for two weeks. I found this on Airbnb but it seems to have disappeared off there now.
It seemed ridiculously cheap for a holiday in the sun, working out at approx. £100 for two weeks inc gas,electric and free marina showers. I enjoyed the break.
I guess the owner, who was a young married guy with a new-born, was trying to hang on to his boat by doing this.
I fear he either got fed up running around after occasional guests or maybe the Marina didn't like it?

 

[DownWest]

Seems to be OK in La Rochelle/Minimes. Also, apparently.. some people doss in boats without permission.

 

[capnsensible]

Wouldnt touch the idea with a fifty seven mile long barge pole. Sure there are a lot of them about, its exploiting loopholes. Loopholes that are getting shut by taxmen, police, building inspectors, marina owners ad nawz all over the place.

Big hoohas in the holiday let business anyway let alone unregulated airbanb. For sure sooner or later some bozo is gonna drown themselves off the back of a dodgy let on a boat.

Do you want it to be yours?

Not for me.

 

[[2574]]

Wouldnt touch the idea with a fifty seven mile long barge pole. Sure there are a lot of them about, its exploiting loopholes. Loopholes that are getting shut by taxmen, police, building inspectors, marina owners ad nawz all over the place.

Big hoohas in the holiday let business anyway let alone unregulated airbanb. For sure sooner or later some bozo is gonna drown themselves off the back of a dodgy let on a boat.

Do you want it to be yours?

Not for me.

Seconded. Can you imagine those guests (who are not familiar with boats) using the head? Imagine the flotsam in the marina. I would exclude such letting activity in the annual berthing contract.

And imagine arriving at the boat on a friday night finding the head blocked solid with loo paper and you-know-what.

No thanks.

 

[choppy]

We had some discussions when 1st came out and very swiftly everyone arrived at same answer.
At the most simplified all our boats for Charter are coded and all skippers have to have a ticket / qualification and aare a pleasure to deal with.
However every so often we see actions that are stupifyingly crazy both in dock and at sea involving everything from a screwdriver to bedding or a leg of lamb !
We have insurance, lengthy handover and a 4 figure deposit etc etc So letting someone have the run for 50 (wouldn’t even cover a proper Charter clean) or 100 quid gross makes very little sense on the face of it - to me anyway.
Throw in a mid size mobo with complex systems, aircon etc and no skipper on board - no chance

 

[Resolution]

Throw in a mid size mobo with complex systems, aircon etc and no skipper on board - no chance

You failed to mention the 100% inevitable blocked loo.:disgust:

 

[Trident]

I saw quite a few doing it on boats in Spain - normally I think akin to airbnb where you have a room in the house - that is the skipper was on board and the guest has a room as use of galley and heads. I think as a liveaboard trying to subsidise winter berthing costs in the Med etc it might be worth it but leaving novices aboard alone is madness rather than just folly. A blocked loo is possible but worse if they tried to unblock it and decided to undo a pipe without closing the seacock first or some such. Boats are complex to the uninitiated and so easily damaged by something as simple as a high heel shoe...