How to make sailing a business?

Question

what would be great? to have sailboats for hire? or to have a sailing ship and travel with passengers from one place to another?

Answer 1

Another old aphorism:

Q- How do you make a small fortune in sailing (or aviation)?

A- Start with a large fortune.

Cheers/D

Answer 2

Looking at what James has to say.  

Never ever let someone talk you out of something you can do better then people that have already done it and failed.  Find out what would make your company or Idea better then the last guys.  

and Then go with it.  Always go for the risk.  It may not work at first but keep trying.  

People Like Donald Trump didn't just start a business and it take off and he becomes a Millionaire.  They work and they get road blocks,  and it's then that you have to be able to stay positive and Keep your self focused to do it right!

Best of luck my friend.  Also remember it does take a good two -five years to start turning a profit.  

Also Location, and Get investors and Advertising and the beat advertising is word of mouth.

Answer 3

It depends on the capital ($) you have to invest.  If you are looking at it for a hobby and not greatly concerned about the income, I would suggest a 12 pax sailboat in the Philippines where the water is nice, operating costs are minimal and there's no concern of pirates or political events.

You could hire a qualified local crew and take tourists on Island Hopping or Scuba expeditions.

Good Luck, I hope you find your dream!

Answer 4

Yes, it would be great; I've had that dream myself.  But James's analysis of the industry is much closer to reality, if not spot on.

I answered a couple of sailing questions last week, one in particular (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...  I have taken lessons from and sailed recreationally with a number of experts; not only expert sailors, but expert instructors.  It was impossible to simply be in their presense without learning something new about sailing, navigation, or boat repair and maintenance.  They owned their own boats and had forgotten more about sailing than I've learned to date, yet they each still had primary jobs and spent more work time at the sailing club doing boat maintenance than they spent teaching sailing.

Sailing is a knowledge-specific activity for all on board; everytime my wife asks me "How many people can ride on our sailboat?", I tell her "Zero!"  There are no "passengers" on a sailboat; anyone on board needs to know the bare minimum of sailing basics to get on the boat, and I make sure that everyone learns something when they sail with me.

What happens if I happen to get knocked overboard?  Or badly hurt?  Don't get me wrong; I think everyone should know how to sail, but my motivation is completely selfish here.  I don't care if they are able to get themselves back in; I want them to be able to save ME!

Answer 5

There is an old proverb:  

When did you last meet a man who got paid for having s*x with women?

If you answered not recently, or never that you can rememberer you understand how difficult it is to make money in the sailing business.

It is difficult to make money doing what other people will gladly do for free.

You apparently know little to nothing about the various sailing business and so I suggest you make your money else where, doing something you know about and then go sailing on your free time.

There are very few people who make any real money in the sailing business, especially any form of rental or charter, and unless you have a lot of experience in that sector of the market I suggest you don't invest any of your own money.  

Don't start with a charter operation or rental fleet.  You will start with a bang and shortly go broke.  That's been done so many times by wide eyed newcomers. To make money, pick the least glamorous sections of the industry..... or better yet, make your money else where and have fun sailing when you can afford it.

If you really want to knock your self out, and have some solid business management background, go buy an existing sail boat building company.  There are a few that need revitalization and it is possible for someone with business experience, and a keen interest in sailing, to make money in that game.  But only if you get a good yard foreman and a good boat design to build, and if you listen to both the designer,  the plant manager, and your accountant.  I also suggest you hire a good independent marine surveyor to inspect both your production line and final products. This way you and your team can get better each time you build a boat.

The other option, if you have capital, is to purchase a small existing marina operation. The cash flow and accounting is simple enough that and any good accountant can tell you if it is a sound investment, based on the existing business records.

You need both knowledge and experience to be able to make any money at all. Most people in the business spend many years working hard and have little to show for it in the end.  If you want to start, start by being an employee and learning some facet of the trade while someone else is paying your way.  

P.S.   Do know what I am talking about.  I got my first USCG unlimited passenger license 28 years ago, and I have been a charter skipper, a fleet manager, a tall ship captain and involved in the management of various marine retail operations.   I grew up in the business, my family owning a sailboat building plant.  My father was a well known marine architect and members of my family have been yacht brokers. and managers.  I have seen most sides of the sailboat business.

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Wow, I got an email from Gloss, the person who posted this question.  He was not thankful that I had given him a long and detailed answer, he simply said "since when sailing is s*x?".  I think he is:

A) Stupid, for failing to read and understand the comparison between the difficulty a man has in getting paid for having s*x with a women, and getting paid for going sailing.

B) Rude, for a number of reasons, but mainly for sending me an email question that I can't reply to becuase he has his options set so that other users can't reply to him.  Maybe that's more dumb than rude.

C) Foolish, for he does not know what he asks, and does not applicate the work people have gone to in attempting to provide him well thought out answers.

  

I suggest he does not go to sea until he learns to how to monitor channel 16.

Answer 6

I would say the ultimate thing for me would be to own like a Beneatu 42 and take passengers on trips.  All you would have to do is to sail the boat, cater to your guests, and relax.  It would be almost too good of a job.

Answer 7

Sailboat(s) for rent?

Unless you're just an investor you'll spend your time managing, dealing with problems, and dreaming of the day's you used to sail.

Sailboat(s) for charter?

You'll spend your time catering mostly to people you wouldn't invite on your personal boat and dreaming of the days you used to sail for fun!



These likelyhoods are on my mind as I consider the same thing as you, a sailing charter business. The trick is to get the type of passengers you would have as freinds and to sail on your own terms. This can be done if you specialize and aren't in it for the money.....