Does Running a Yacht Charter Company Mean Sitting Behind a Desk?

Do you think running a yacht charter and boat share company involves sitting behind a desk sending e-mails and taking phone calls?...

Well of course there's some of that...

But to run a successful company like SmartBoating you also need to get your hands dirty!

Why's that?

Well you can look around a boat on the dock all you like... but the only way to really get to know a yacht is to get out and sail her.

So for example when our Fusion 40 Slinky Cat needed delivering from Townsville to Mackay, David Biddle and Deb Jeffreys volunteered their time knowing it was a great chance to learn more about this gorgeous catamaran.

Any visions of cruising through the Whitsundays with a following northerly breeze under blue skies were dashed pretty quickly.

Instead they battled into 25 - 35 knot Southerly winds and up to 3 metre seas.

Oh yes... and it rained pretty much constantly.

It was a tough test for the boat, but both David and Deb both felt Slinky cat handled the rough seas beautifully.

For one glorious section they were able to sail close-hauled across to the mainland reaching 9.5 knots of boat speed in 30 - 35 knot winds.

They loved the space and comfort of a large cat - on a monohull they would have been absolutely soaked through in similar conditions.

David's practical skills were put to the test when the the starboard engine overheated around 10 miles out of Nara Inlet.

They limped into Nara on one engine and anchored in the dark.

At first light David replaced the impeller and tightened a loose belt and they were relieved to get underway with a healthy discharge of water from the exhaust.

1 hour later the port engine overheated!

This time David had to replace a broken fan belt to get them moving forwards again.

To have 2 engine problems in close succession is unlucky... but because of the harsh marine environment yacht engines do suffer problems from time to time.

Boating is always full of surprises!

If you do go on a voyage it's important to have someone on the boat who knows how to deal with basic engine problems. It's also important to carry spares.

If you're like to learn more about your yacht's engine you'll find details of our basic engineering course over on the boat share section of our website.

Many of our charter yachts like Slinky Cat are privately owned - which means we are taking care of someone's prized possession.

It's a big responsibility and one David takes very seriously.

Having spent so much time on board, David was able to give great feedback to the service centre in Mackay so they can make sure Slinky Cat is in first class condition when she arrives in Pittwater for charter this summer.

So what else does a yacht charter company owner do?

Here's some examples of other jobs David turns his hand to when he's away from his desk.

• Fitting out our new syndicate yachts after delivery from the factory
• Regular inspections of all our yacht and catamarans
• Running training sessions for our new yacht share owners (here's details of fitting out Stray Cat)
• Assisting our dock staff when they need an extra pair of hands
• Doing photo shoots for the website
• Test sails for prospective owners on our Hanse yachts and Seawind catamarans
• Delivering yachts to Sydney and back for the boat show and other promotional events

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