How to make a living from yachting?

simon_sluggett

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I have this dream of getting suitably qualified, buying a charter yacht, and doing skippered chartering initially from the UK (but not teaching people to sail). Is it possible to make a modest living this way. Do you have to offer training courses or go to sunnier climes. Anyone on here done this and succeeded (or failed!) and want to share their knowledge.
I wasting my time with this dream.
 

Becky

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The cynical response to your query is the following sadly true statement.

The only way to make a small fortune from yacht chartering is to start off with a big one

Obviously some people do succeed; there are several successful charter company owners on these forums. But you do need plenty of capital to set up, advertise and maintain your fleet. And lots of hands-on perience.
 

Lakesailor

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It's a great idea. I haven't ever jumped in with both feet like that. All I can tell you is I used to teach photography night classes and it drove me up the wall. To my mind one of the best ways of spoiling a hobby is to make it a business. 25 years after becoming a professional photographer and now that I've stopped, I am just getting back to enjoying taking pics for myself.

The other thing that I think every time I read or see others exploits along these lines is that if you need to borrow capital to set up a small, uncertain business, it probably won't work. If you can afford to set the business up and fund it for the 1st year, you've got a chance.
 

sailbadthesinner

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no
why would someone who has never sailed risk going sailing as a precious holiday and to boot in the uk where if boating is not quite what they cannot think oh well i get to swim and sunbathe and eat out cheaply.

people who could sail would just charter a boat. teaching may have a future. if you can get instructor status you have more of a chance i would say.
personally i'd stick to the day job
and as lakey says where do you go to escape the office if you take it to the boat?
 

ajt

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[ QUOTE ]
The other thing that I think every time I read or see others exploits along these lines is that if you need to borrow capital to set up a small, uncertain business, it probably won't work. If you can afford to set the business up and fund it for the 1st year, you've got a chance.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree except for the first year bit, it may need funding for a lot longer than that and what about a contingency for repairs/accidents with a possible novice crew?
 

Slow_boat

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I used to sail for a living, first as an instructor then yacht delivery, then charter skipper in the med. It became a job, to the extent that when my brother asked me to crew for him at Cowes week I found myself asking 'What's the pay?'!

Later I worked in a music shop and the only time I ever played guitar was at work or a gig.

Then I had a motorbike school. I gave that up when I found myself thinking 'Damn, I've got to get on that bloody bike again today'

I moved inland, took up saxophone and haven't ridden a bike for three years.

Lakey's right, when a hobby becomes a job a lot of the joy goes out of it.
 

jimbaerselman

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An awful lot of people have the same dream. So there's a hell of a lot of competition. And quite a lot of those with the same idea have a retirement income - or a second income. So they under-price their services.

Yacht charter? It's dog eat dog out there . . .

It is therefore very difficult to make a living from yachting unless you invent a new product or provide a new service. In this case, you may have a year's grace (two if you're lucky) before others come along and 'borrow' your idea. Very often, your ex-employees! Yotties seem to be an entrepreneurial bunch.

Examples of new products in their time?

1. Package yacht hire holidays in warm weather (Elba, Mediterranean, 1972?)

2. Replaced by Flotilla Holidays, 1975? First YCA, Then Flotilla Sailing Ltd 1976?, Then Crawford Perry Travel and Greek Sail 1979. After which consolidation set in.

3. Added to by teaching people to sail dinghies in the sun. 'Dinghy Sailing in Greece' 1979, YCA 1981, Greek Island Club 1982, followed by consolidation.

4. Then teaching Novices to skipper yachts in the sun, Falcon Sailing, 1982. Followed by . . .

5. Then we could talk about opening up the corporate sailing market, and so on.

Meanwhile, one man spin-offs from these evolve, whereby someone who has worked in the field decides he'd prefer to work for himself. Anywhere they see a niche. Yacht support in a foreign country is a good field - if you've got strong mechanical skills, sailmaker, rigger - since yacht activity is still growing in some places, and the infrastructure is weak.
 

peterb26

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I retired early a couple of years ago.

It never ceases to amaze me how little gets paid to instructors and skippers alike.

There was an advert the other day on one of the forums:-

"Instructor needed next sat/sun - £10 per hour".

When I was working, if we had to turn out Sat and Sun, then it was an £800 project (and that was if we liked the customer!)

So the harsh reality is that this sort of job in the boating industry is not going to make you rich.

However - the other side of the coin is that when I have a couple of days work coming up (as I do later this week) - then I really look forward to it, and frankly, I couldnt care whether they are 8 hour days or 10 hours days - or how much I get paid.

Its just a great way to spend your time. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 

TigaWave

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In the UK you'll struggle to cover the running costs, trouble is you have to be marina based.

I could have made a very modest living with my boat doing day charter in sunny places, with cheap storage berthing. But in the UK with the chance of quiet periods and high running costs It wouldn't have worked.

I bought and coded my last boat and ended up in the caribbean but then had a change of plans, looked at UK charter on my return but it was better to do something else. I'm still enjoying the sailing for fun and will be at Dartmouth unpaid!

But good luck, there could be some niche markets...lovely old boat twinned up for sunset cruises with up market hotels guests? Champers and canapes? just maybe but it would be hard work and weather dependent.
 

jimbaerselman

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[ QUOTE ]
Don't forget Menorca Sailing 1973

[/ QUOTE ] Yes, 'dinghy sailing in the sun' as apart from 'learning to sail in the sun' - RYA tickets and all. And Bob Jelfs was an ex-employee of Philip Carpenter, who ran very successful 'sailing in the sun' holidays from Estartit in Spain for Rambler Holidays around 1967 or so!
 
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