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Old 11-17-2010, 01:02 PM   #18
Norwester
Veteran Member
 
City: Yakima
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 85
RE: Chartering Your Boat?

We've had our present boat about 18 months and have had it in charter in Anacortes this year.* That's too limited a time to know whether it is a good idea or not, but I do have some opinions about the experience.*

I wouldn't put a boat in charter in order to afford a bigger/more expensive boat.* If I couldn't have paid for this boat and expenses without chartering I wouldn't have bought it.* There are just too many variables in chartering to be able to depend on an income flow from it.

You have to assess whether you can stand having someone else use your boat.* I know some people that would rather charter their wife than their boat.* So far we haven't had any noticable damage from being in charter, but it is disconcerting to have other people move things and set your electronics differently that you do.* We established an owner's locker where we keep most of our personal gear.* It is kept locked.* We have charter stuff that is used by the charterers.* Old charts, cheap binoculars, etc.

If I could be at the boat at least twice a month, I wouldn't have it in charter.* The reasons chartering has worked for us (so far) is that we have low income expectations and limited ability to use the boat.* We live four hours away from the boat over a mountain pass that can sometimes be impassable in winter.* Our business keeps us from having much time to use the boat in June, July and August when other people want to use it.* We need other people that have a reason or interest watch out for the boat.* We have found some good reasonably priced trades people that help keep up with maintenance.* We don't really want the boat to charter much, if it pays for moorage, insurance and some extra wear and tear I'll be satisfied.

I noticed that you're looking at a 43 Tolly.* Our boat is a 2006 Westcoast 46, it was built in Canada using the 43 Tolly molds with 3' added to the cockpit.* Just an updated version of an early 80's Ed Monk Jr. design.
Lyle
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