I had read and listened to many “horror stories” about the downside of charter boat ownership.  Everything from charter guests trashing the boat to the lack of maintenance was recounted in excruciating detail.  One thing that was common in most reports I read – the details were second-hand – that is, the person who told the story was never the boat owner.  It was always “I heard of one case …. [insert highly embellished horror story here]”.

I could never figure out who these people were, because you would think by the sound of them, they maintained their boats immaculately.  Now I have been down the dock of many Yacht Clubs and sailed on many boats, and I can tell you that from my limited experience, people do not maintain their own boats all that well.  There is always something broken, scratched, non-functional, or filthy dirty.  Certainly none of these owners are in a position to criticize the state of charter boats.  Perhaps somewhere, hidden away in some forgotten part of the planet (Brigadoon Yacht Club perhaps?), there is an entire fleet of perfectly maintained boats.

I know that nasty things can happen in the charter business, but I have always believed that if you want to do something, you better develop a thick skin to deal with the unpleasant things that will happen along the way.  If not, be a spectator for the rest of your life.

Risk Analysis

Charter companies naturally try to focus your attention on the benefits of charter boat ownership.  It is every bit as important to go into the deal with your eyes wide open to all the risks, and be prepared for them when, not if, they happen.  That way, a minor incident does not get blown out of proportion and mutate into yet another “horror story”.

I learned much from the many E-mail exchanges between Seth and I.  A pattern began to develop.  For every risk, there was an assessment of the probability, a mitigation and contingency plan, and ultimately a dollar value associated with the risk.  Yes, it always came down to money.  I found myself saying “so, if this happens, I’m out x dollars, correct?”  And, as long as I could live with the amounts, I was OK.

Some of these risks are summarized as follows:

One day I asked Paul Montgomery how he could sleep comfortably at night knowing that a quarter-million dollar investment was floating in some harbor in the Caribbean under the care and control of people he hardly knew, being used by people he never met.  His response was spot-on in that it settled my discomfort completely.  Basically, he said, “If you are at all concerned about any of these things, charter boat ownership is not for you.” 

During the long year leading up to my purchase, I had assembled a “support team” that I bounced ideas off.  These people later went on to become my core crew on The Usual Suspects.  There were many times that I almost gave up the goal, but these people dusted me off, and proceeded to “lie” to me, telling me that I must never give up.  Thanks to them, I saw the plan through.

It was Gord who provided another sound piece of advice one day.  He stressed the importance of simply putting the boat out of my mind when I was not on it.  He said, “Let Barefoot deal with the day to day stuff, stay out of it completely, treat it like a commodity.  Basically, forget about the boat completely until the time you go down to use it.”  Good advice for those who want to enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Trial Charter

In November 1998, I took the helm of Paul Montgomery’s Moorings 510, chartered from Barefoot, in an effort to determine if this was really for me.  I had the opportunity to check out Barefoot’s operation, the cruising grounds, and meet with Seth in person finally.

My initial impressions were mixed.  Yes, the sailing was real fun, and The Grenadines were nothing short of spectacular!  However, I was initially concerned that The Grenadines might not be suitable for living aboard.  There are virtually no marina facilities and it’s really quiet (all reasons that people vacation here).  Essentially, you would need to spend most of your time at anchor, and the higher winds and waves would take some getting used to.  Barefoot was indeed a credible and thoroughly professional operation, however small.  Personal service seemed to be the motto here - I liked that.

I did not return from that trip starry-eyed or completely sold on the idea.  In a way, it was good, because I remained objective about the whole thing.  I had in fact put the idea on the back burner for a while when my support team swooped in and over several Rummers, forced me to “take the plunge”.  Next morning, before I fully knew what I was doing, I E-mailed Seth and told him I was ready to proceed.  There was no turning back.