# Input Needed for New Crewed USVI Charter Cmpany



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I was looking recently at crewed charter boats in the USVI area, and found very few under 42 feet. The boats I found were old didn''t look very appealing. My plans are as follows... to open a crewed charter company with a brand new C&C 110 Epress (36 feet). The boat is equipped with Kevlar/mylar sails, and is a true performance cruiser. 

I need opinions to the folowing questions:

1)Is this boat too small for a crewed charter for a couple, or a couple and their children? There is only one head aboard and it will have to be shared. Only the Aft birth will be available for use, as the crew will be in the foward v. The children will have to sleep on the 2 settee births.

2)At Approx $4000,00 all inclusive per week with a captain and cook, and all alcohol, is the boat above what the market is willing to spend.

3)Do most cruise charter customers travel with another couple? Am I missing the market with only facilities for one couple?

4) Am I offering a different experience of sailing a new high performance yacht, and is there a market wanting to take advantage of it?

Thanks for any insight you may offer.

JET


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I think 36'' is too small for a crewed charter. There is little chance for privacy since everyone will be strangers. Your pricing isn''t too bad however. It would cost approximately the same to bareboat for a couple. It is much cheaper for several couples to share a boat either bare or crewed as this greatly reduces the cost. I''ve spent a week aboard a 36'' boat with good friends but I woudn''t want to do it with strangers.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hi Jet,

Have to agree with sailmc. 36 feet may be too small to attract customers for one week charters. I do think you could sell lots of day sails and maybe one or two night charters. 

Also, you might ask some of the crewed yacht brokers. They should be able to tell you what will sell. Good luck

Dudley


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hi Jet Pilot,
I just got back from a Yacht delivery to the Moorings in Tortola (BVI) and here are my thoughts to your questions after spending a week there in the Marina asking questions etc.

1) Is a 36 foot boat too small? 
Answer: Yes! The majority of the boats at the marina were Beneteau 403s (Three heads and three cabin model at 40 ft)(Also best cost to charter ratio for the Moorings) BTW I helped delivered a Beneteau 473 for them. There were also a lot of Moorings 4500 and 4700 Cats there. I only saw a few Beneteau 362s and one Beneteau 322.
2) Is $4000 too much for fully provisioned charter with capt. and cook? (Hey can I have the job as capt and I can find a cook? Let me know if you need a partner)
Answer: I think its in the ball park but you would need to do some research. 
3) Do most charters travel with more than one couple?
Answer: The majority of the folks getting on these charters were with family and other couples. The majority were not bareboats. I found this kind of shocking. 
4) Experience of sailing a high performance yacht?
Answer: I think the majority of the charters that I seen were your garden variety boats. I only talked with one couple that rented a bareboat (Beneteau 322) that I would consider racers. I am not sure you have a market here. 

Tony Amos
[email protected]
765 451 3030
317 984 6878


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Since you asked for it, here is my opinion. I believe that 36'' is at the very lowest end of what you would want to work on. Privacy is an issue, most first time charterers really have no idea how big a boat is, or isn''t, untill they get to the dock.
When we took Orion to our first Charter Yacht Show, the brokers kindly told us they were happy to see a new ''Two-Pac'' boat in the ranks, even though the boat was built to sleep 7. Crewed Charter boats need not be ''Racy'', or showroom new, just a good deal, clean, sound and most important, congienial Capt.& crew. Lewt me know if you want to hear more, happy to help!


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## fburkle (Nov 15, 2001)

I think that 36'' is too small, even for one couple. As for purchasing a "performance" cruiser, most charterers don''t care about perfrmance. Put your money into comfort. Believe me when I say that the average client on a crewed charter cares more about convenient lighting than an extra knot of speed.

Frank
www.angelinacat.com


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