6 steps to starting your own charter boat business
DIY CHARTER BOAT BUSINESS STARTUP KIT
May 4, 2025 | tknetsripes
If you have ever considered swapping the suit & tie and air-conditioning, for deck shoes and salt air and running your own business, then a charter boat business might be just the thing you need to feed both your entrepreneurial and outdoor desires.
Here is a simple but practical guide, inspired by our charter boat owners, on how to successfully launch your own charter boat business in Australia or New Zealand. Watch the video of Pete Johnson from Pegasus Charter to see his story.
Step 1 – Get Sailing / Boating Lessons
If you have absolutely no experience with boats of this size, a great place to start is taking sailing or power boat lessons, ideally on the type of boat you eventually hope to own. This can be informal from friends or through a sailing club, or more formal through a boat training program.
Sign up to your local sailing club as crew and you will be on the water in no time. Or if in Sydney, join our Multihull Cruising Yacht Club as crew. Visit here: https://www.multihullcruising.org.au/
In partnership with Pacific Sailing School we offer training to both Competent Crew and Day Skipper level with the RYA syllabus.
Step 2 – Deckhand on another Charter Boat
Charter boat operators are always in search of good, reliable and passionate deck hands to assist in their charters. This is a great way to learn the rope of the charter boat industry and get a taste for the style of charters you might expect. This will also help you log the hours required on a commercial boat to enable you to get qualified as a commercial captain.
If you want to sign up with us visit www.charterboatcentral.com.au and get in touch with our team.
Step 3 – Get Qualified
If you plan to operate your own charter boat in Australia, you will need the appropriate qualifications and these qualifications depend on the length of the vessel. There are training schools around Australia that provide the training required.
If you plan to run a boat that is less than 12 meters in length you will require a Coxswain Cert II ticket (most common and easiest to obtain). See courses offered by Seaschool here: https://www.seaschool.com.au/commercial-certificate-courses/coxswain-cert-II
If plan to operate a boat over 12 meters but under 24 meters, you will require a Master Engine Driver 3 certified. This is a more rigurous course with many more hours logged. See courses offered by Seaschool here: https://www.seaschool.com.au/commercial-certificate-courses/marine-engine-driver
Step 4 – Build a Business Plan
It’s important to work with your accountant to build out a business plan. Things to consider are your hourly or ticket rates, how many charters a week or a season you might get, and where the new emerging opportunities are surfacing. Then consider expenses such as costs for a deck hand (or a skipper if unqualified), maintenance, insurance and marina / mooring fees. How will the boat you like fit in the existing market? Below is an example of how a Seawind 1160 Resort charter boat PNL may look based on Sydney Harbour.
Charter boat operators in the Whitsundays and Sydney are already noticing strong bookings as Australians rediscover their backyards, despite restrictions on interstate movements. To watch a full replay of Webinar Interviews with Trevor Rees of Whitsundays Escape CLICK HERE, or with Russell Waddy of Pittwater Yacht Charters CLICK HERE
We can recommend an expert charter boat accountant for specialised advice. Contact Peter Jabour or Andrew Schilling from Jabour Accountants on 02-4626 9900
Step 5 – Investigate Finance
Like any finance from a banking institution, there are usually two main considerations including: 1 – Security and 2 – Serviceability
Getting finance on a boat is not always easy as banks don’t tend to favour floating assets that can sail away over bricks and mortar. So it certainly helps if you have equity in property that can be used as security against boating finance which also means lower interest rates and longer and lower repayment terms. When it comes to serviceability, unless you are buying a going concern with several years of financial records, the potential income from a future boat is unlikely to be considered towards serviceability so income an existing income will be reviewed.
An expert finance broker can help package this to submit to the most cooperative finance institutions.
We can recommend an expert finance broker for assistance with finance. Contact John Eldick from Sumplus Mortgage Brokers on 1300 761 197.
Step 6 – Buy a boat in Commercial Survey
To operate commercially with paying passengers in Australia or New Zealand, your vessel will need to be commercially compliant or in ‘Survey’. In Australia this is a nationwide system so once your boat is approved in one state you can operate with the same restrictions in another state.
Use the following table to work out your vessel service category. For example, a passenger vessel carrying 30 people and operating out to 15 nautical miles has a service category of 1C.
Common classes of survey our boats are built to include 1E (for larger groups in smooth waters), 2C (groups up to 12 for offshore charters), and 4D (bareboating in partially smooth waters).
Other News
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
Sydney, Australia – 24 October 2024
Multihull Central, distributors for Seawind Catamarans and Corsair Marine are pleased to announce a new format cruising rally for boat owners and crew to explore Moreton Bay and in support of charity Sailability.
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
Sydney, Australia – 16 October 2024
Multihull Central are excited to announce an all-new Regatta on Sydney Harbour dedicated to Multihulls, with an offer extended to all cruising and racing catamarans and trimarans with accommodation, including owners of Seawind, Corsair and all other brands who would like to enjoy racing on the world’s greatest harbour.
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
Sydney, Australia – 25 September 2024
Seawind Catamarans returns to the Melbourne Boat Show with Australian distributor Multihull Central, showing a brand new Seawind 1160 Lite catamaran now available to bareboat charter with Riviera Nautic on the Gippsland Lakes.
Maritime shepherd the fleet away from a visiting whale.
It’s certainly been a different winter on Sydney Harbour than usual, while there’s been plenty of sunshine, the breeze has not been so forthcoming. Normally winter consists of light sou-easters and the occasional fresh westerly, this time we’ve had gloriously sunny days with westerlies around five knots or lower, week after week, with a number of races abandoned as a result.
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
Sydney, Australia – 5th September 2024
The world’s most popular sailing trimaran is making a resurgence in Australia with two brand new pre-sold Corsair 880s arriving in Sydney this week for assembly by distributor Multihull Central, alongside a third also on display.
The Bay to Bay Regatta had been on my bucket list for a few years now and seeing this year it landed on my birthday, I decided it was an opportunity not to be missed. So I phoned up my mate Steve Medwell who I used to sail Tornadoes and F18s with and invited him along for a ride. The ride was our new award winning Corsair 760 trimaran.
Whether you are a first time sailor, or an experienced around the world circumnavigator, the iconic Australian-owned and founded Seawind brand has a boat and design for you for all levels of experience and planned adventures. But with four boats that are only a few feet apart in length, it can get tricky to decide which is the right boat to choose and the best fit for you. So, we have put together these special buyers guide to help unpack the design concept behind each and its characteristics, its pros and cons, and who we recommend them for to help you select not necessarily the most expensive boat, but the best boat for you.
Cruz Club is a 12 month program designed to help equip would-be cruisers who are inspired to set off exploring the world by sea but don’t yet have the skills, experience or a boat to do it on and want to get prepared and do it right and avoid making costly mistakes along the way.
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
The HH44 was met with enthusiasm and rave reviews at the Cannes Yachting Festival, when it made its international debut last month. Throngs of visitors came out to see the HH44, declaring it “spectacular”, “stunning”, “the future” and “the best boat in the show”.
Club Marine’s Kevin Green joins Multihull Central on the water to test the stunning HH50-SC Synergy.
HH Catamarans has named Multihull Central as the exclusive distributor for Australia and New Zealand as the up and coming brand of high performance catamarans releasing some innovative new designs and ramps up production for their new44 and 50foot models.
One of the world’s most popular and prolific YouTube sailing channels, Gone with the Wynns, have just announced their purchase of a new ecofriendly hybrid-electric HH44 sailing catamaran. The HH44 ‘Ocean Cruiser’ version is a high-performance cruising catamaran designed to sail around the world sustainably and efficiently while also providing a luxurious living platform for couples and families travelling the world.
Multihull Central announced the new Corsair 880 is on its way to Australia to be showcased at the upcoming Sydney International Boat Show.
A big day at Longreach as the first LR44 deck is turned following a successful resin infusion. Starting to take shape!
Tips for Delivery by Sea – Asia to Australia / New Zealand
The Summer of 2022 / 2023 has been and interesting journey for many of our customers taking delivery of boats over this period. With country borders being opened up in earnest, this saw new boat owners taking delivery of their cruising catamarans on mass, as we helped coordinate deliveries of 4 x Seawinds and 1 x HH50 from Asia back to Australia and New Zealand. We have gained some new and valuable insights for those considering taking delivery in Asia.
So here are some key points to consider…
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brent Vaughan from HH Catamarans distributor Multihull Central, takes the HH50-SC ‘Synergy’ out sailing off the Gold Coast to test how it sails in lumpy conditions and light winds. Here is the full account and transcript that accompanies the sailing video.
We plan to take our little Seawind 1000 catamaran ‘Seabbatical’ from Sydney Harbour, to Lady Musgrave Island. As I still have the demands of running a business and kids at school, this will be a mini seabbatical and so finding time is important but demanding.
‘Pirate Pete’ is the proud new owner of the brand new Seawind 1260, that Cumberland Charter Yachts will be welcoming in to the fleet in August this year. We asked him what his background story was in buying the Seawind 1260 and why he chose to have it chartered in the Whitsundays.
Here is his story:
The club has been formed with the objective of providing a means for multihull boat owners to build networks, learn about how others fix issues and engage in both cruising and racing/rallys whilst enjoying the social aspects that belonging to a club provides.
Charter boat ownership is a great way to accelerate buying your dream boat, profit from strong demand in the tourism industry and provides a fully managed solution to boat ownership while you are still busy working and with family commitments.
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sydney, Australia – 17 February 2025 This week 20 multihulls entered the 2025 Sydney Multihull
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE… Sydney, Australia – 24 October 2024 Multihull Central, distributors for Seawind Catamarans
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