Should I Hire A Captain?
Choosing A Care Strategy
captain, management company or Going solo?
Don’t minimize your boat’s care plan into simply convenience. For every boat, there is one correct decision between full-time captain, management company, or self-management. That correct decision factors in type of boat, your personality type, use frequency, boating area and more.
In this blog, we’ve highlighted common statements made by owners and aligned each with a suggested care plan. Neurotic perfectionist? Hire a captain. Inconsistent use? Hire a management company.
Click any of the statements below to see reasoning behind the association. Each care strategy also includes a common misconception that may mislead you to choose the wrong option. Don’t miss it!
Before you purchase your next boat, your budget should include an estimated cost for the correct care plan. Without it, you’re leaving your boating experience — and your bottom line — exposed.
Why you should hire a captain.
It’s the most expensive on paper, but it can also yield the best — and most cost effective — outcome.
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A captain is your only way to achieve the ‘uninvolved owner life’ without hassle. Your captain will manage daily tasks, oncoming vendors, financials, auxiliary crew, trip planning and more. Unless you’re okay dealing with one or more of these tasks, a captain is your only option for complete disconnection from your boat’s daily management.
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The key to last-minute cruising is perpetual readiness. The only way to achieve perpetual readiness is with a full-time captain. I’ve seen owners let down by high expectations from their management company when it comes to preparedness. This is nothing against the management company, but unfortunately, they catch the blame. Even if your management company visits twice a week – a frequent schedule – that leaves gaps where systems malfunction only to be unearthed just before you’re heading out for a Saturday sunrise cruise. Then your only answer is to call your management company, who is fully booked for the weekend.
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Unless you’re a psychopath, you’ll see your boat as something that needs care and attention. Care and attention require frequent oversight. If you’re like me, you like to have a single responsible party to call upon. That would be your captain. Yes, a management company would provide you with a point of contact, but that person subs out tasks on your boat and 20 other boats. If things go south, they may fire you faster than you can fire them. Hiring a captain gives you the confidence that one person is aware, responsible, and able to fix problems as they present.
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Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice. You’ll be required by your insurance provider to have – at least – a full-time captain on your payroll. Possibly more crew depending on yacht size. Even if the insurance company didn’t require it, there’s no way you could run a successful charter business without someone solely responsible for the boat’s readiness. It’s better this way.
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Maybe you keep the boat in your backyard where your wife sunbathes and your kids play. You’ll want a trustworthy captain who becomes part of the family. A management company operates on their schedule, with whatever staff is available that day. They will walk into your backyard when you least expect it. Your private life doesn’t want anything to do with those exposure points.
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One reason you should not hire a captain: Thinking they do it all. Sure, finding a captain who can change your oil, swap your filters and fix you’re A/C is a plus, but expecting that same person to fix saltwater leaks and reupholster your deck cushions is excessive. Hiring a captain will not remove major services and expensive maintenance from your budget.
Why you should hire a management company.
The cost effective way to care for your boat is picking up in popularity, and there are some really great companies doing great work. Email me for some recommendations.
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You’re not alone. Management companies provide a ton of value for the cost, and the only tradeoff is dealing on their schedule with their staff. If you have a somewhat flexible schedule, and you prioritize value to convenience, this is the right move.
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If your boat is rarely called upon, you’re overengineering with a full-time captain. A management company will hop on board a few times a week, make sure your boat’s systems function, you’re staying clean and you’re annual services are done as expected. You don’t need anything more. You’ll schedule your trips ahead of time, they’ll have captains plugged in, and ownership will be a breeze.
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I know plenty of people (myself included) who love running boats but don’t know every inch of the operating system. Great management companies will assign staffers who know your boat well, and you can learn a lot from them. Every time they visit can be a new learning experience to learn how to clean an engine strainer, test battery voltages, and see how they work through their systems check to one day do it yourself.
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Everyone likes to say they can drive it, but that doesn’t mean you want to be driving while all your friends are having a good time. With a management company, you can be the captain while having a list of captains to call upon when you want to have a little fun, or worry about absolutely nothing.
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Management companies are great for what they are. A cost-effective boat maintenance tool to take the stress of boat ownership of your shoulders. When you try to stretch those benefits by expecting last-minute services immediately, you might need a captain.
Why you should go at it solo.
It’s rare to get the seal of approval to care for your own boat, but it happens, and here’s how:
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You can’t leave your boat unattended, but some boats have simple systems. No generator? No air conditioning? No hydraulics? No problem. Save your money and manage it yourself. An annual shipyard visit to service the engines, check your pumps and paint some anti-fowling will go a long way in prolonging your boat’s lifespan. For standard maintenance problems, google some local providers and build a list of trusted specialists.
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A captain or management company might just get in the way for you. They’ll shorten your to-do list, yank away the satisfaction of finishing a difficult job, and most importantly, drain the funds you need to buy all your tools and materials.
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Most of the time the avid boat owner with a DIY maintenance style is also the “no one drives my boat but me” kinda person. If so, no one is taking the cover off and cleaning without ownership consent. If this is you, save that cash. The management company might just annoy you.
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This is a stretch but I’ve seen it work. Some marinas (very rarely) have exceptional dockhands. Workers who find happiness in making sure your boat has no issues, is tied up properly and may even schedule a wash for you. In this situation, if your boat is simple enough, you might get away with their assistance as a quasi-management program.
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Here is the best advice I’ll give in this entire story. If you’re cheap, that doesn’t equate to not hiring help. If you’re not the DIY’er, or the avid boater or even the self-driver, trying to do it yourself without professional help will yield more problems and more expenses 90% of the time. If heard theories like “I’ll just save the management costs and put them towards general maintenance”. Problem is: boat ownership never follows a predictable path. If frugality is your strategy, boat ownership may not be the way. And that doesn’t mean it’s a endless pit either. You can very accurately estimate your management costs, annual maintenance fees, and ballpark your unexpected repair costs just by understanding the systems your boat has.
Ready to Choose Your Care Plan?
Many times I hear owners torn between care strategies, diluting the decision solely to a factor of money. Yes, the upfront cost is glaring, yet choosing the wrong plan could yield a much higher expense when all is said and done. Keeping your boat (1.) prepared for its next cruise, (2.) safe from unexpected harm, and (3.) ready for resale, are the true factors you need to budget for.
Before you purchase your next boat, your budget should include an estimated cost for the correct care plan. Without it, you’re leaving your boating experience — and your bottom line — exposed.
If budgeting your care plan is something you want included in your next purchase experience, learn more about how I represent clients in yacht transactions and email me to get started.
