charter special /owner insight
Robba has been rewarded with 60 per cent
repeat business, thanks in part to some innovative
touches such as an all-inclusive programme and a
warm and hospitable crew. But, he warns, “boats
are very personal so it is important not to set your
sights too high”. About 12 weeks of charter will
cover Dunia Baru’s operating expenses.
The prospect of minimising the cost of yacht
ownership also attracted Chris Heatley to charter,
and he has always made his boats available to
paying guests. “[How much can be covered]
varies year to year and depends on the kind of
maintenance the boat happens to need. Our
last charter boat we chartered five to six years,
and it probably covered 50 to 60 per cent of the
expenses,” Heatley says. When building his latest,
the custom designed 40 metre IAG Serenity,
managed by Northrop & Johnson, he thought of
his family’s needs but also those of charter guests.
“It is very functional for its size. Very few boats
like that have six staterooms, an elevator, the big
transformer, the little wading pool, big oversized
tub; it all gets used.” It’s proved successful, with
bookings taken in winter for well into the summer.
Robert and Christine Emmons also built their
latest Hargrave, Renaissance, with charter in mind.
“We suspected there would be demand for a
five-cabin charter yacht on a 116ft [35.3 metre] hull
so Hargrave Yachts worked with us to achieve the
perfect boat to meet our objectives,” Christine
says. “In 2017 the charter programme did cover
Owners’ top tips
1 Do your homework: check references,
backgrounds and past charter records
(speak to other captains)
2 Match the guests to the boat and learn to say no
3 Get the right crew, including an exceptional
chef. They make or break the charter programme
4 Don’t trust big names: a high-profile guest and
their entourage can be as much trouble as any
other guests
5 Consider security deposits for big groups,
parties or pets, so if Fido chews up the feet of the
saloon sofa, you don’t have to fight in court over
teeth marks
6 Even if multi-week charters are great revenue, opt
for several one-week contracts so you have an out
if the charter isn’t a good match for the boat
or the crew
7 Be flexible with your own schedule to maximise
your charter returns
8 Designing your boat for charters means good crew
quarters
9 Get a good support team, which includes a
charter manager, or a captain or trusted crew
member who will take charge of charter
10 Don’t leave marketing to chance. A great video
goes a long way in attracting clients to the boat.
Don’t neglect the website and welcome trips by
charter brokersrunning costs. When we built Renaissance, the Hargrave team
recommended we use a Jack Sarin-designed hull, which is much more
eicient thereby reducing our fuel expenses.”
There are circumstances under which it makes sense to run a charter
yacht as a profit-maker – but not many. Federico Angermeyer, owner of
48.5m Passion, is a native of the Galápagos, where there is consistently
high demand for charters, but where charterers must hire a local boat.
“I totally enjoy chartering and giving clients the time of their life. Yet
there still has to be business involved,” he says. “This probably can only
be done in a place like Galápagos.” It’s a family business that developed
from his parents’ small fishing operation.
Mark Sager, former mayor of West Vancouver, British Columbia, fell
in love with a 29 metre Burger boat with a storied past and eventually
looked at chartering her. “I really enjoy being a host and showcasing our
beautiful cruising grounds and it is with that background that I came to
charter Oriana,” Sager says. In addition, it is good for the boat and for
the crew. “As with aircraft, I am of the view that yachts need to be used to
reduce the kinds of problems which are often a result of inactivity. The
yacht’s systems I have found are much better of if they are exercised
regularly. Funnily, I also believe this is true for the crew,” he says.
The measure of success most owners mention is not so much black
ink on a balance sheet but the words penned on testimonials. “Reading
the letters from guests expressing what a great time they had and what a
super crew we have is extremely gratifying for us as owners,” Christine
Emmons says – and her words surely speak for all charter owners.40m Serenity was
designed with the
needs of both the
owner’s family and
potential charter
guests in mindBy using a trusted
management
company, the owner
of 60m Dream leaves
little to chance when
it comes to charteringPHOTOGRAPHY: JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH; QUIN BISSET120