Are you looking for a career change? Do you love being out on the water? If so, you may have an interest in charter boats. There are multiple charter boats for sale, and the income you can make doing what you love is an added bonus.
A charter boat owner and a captain are much-needed commodities in our life and times. More and more people want to vacation and take a boat out. The laws of the water though, state they need a captain to take out specific sizes of vessels and, primarily, if they have limited knowledge or experience with a boat. This is where you come into play. You can charter your boat and assist the clients to where they are heading, and everyone has a fantastic and safe time out on the water.
Continue reading to learn more about how you can become a successful charter boat owner.
Know The Multiple Types Of Licenses
To be a charter boat owner, you need to have a charter boat captain’s license. This license is granted by the United States Coast Guard and is based on multiple criteria. You need to meet this criterion to be issued your license. This criterion includes your total days of service on the water, the waters you have been in, and the weight of your vessel. You also need to be aware of the types of charter boat license categories.
There are four major categories that consist of Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vehicles (OUPV) License, OUPV Limited Credential, Limited Master Credential, and Master 100 Tons Credential. Each license is different and has different requirements so it is best for you to examine which license would be best for your needs. The license that is most popular includes the OUPV as it applies to snorkelling, diving, fishing, and sightseeing boat tours.
Have A Great Personality And Love Of The Water
One thing you have to have when opting to be a charter boat owner is to have a love of the water. If you do not like being on a boat, the rocking waves, the immediate changes in the wind (which requires you to scramble on your sailboat), then a seafaring career may not be for you.
If you do love the spray of the salt water on your face and can be out on the water for days, then you are a sea enthusiast and are exactly who should be becoming a charter boat owner. You are also going to want to have a great personality and good customer service skills as you will be directly working with clients on your vessel, which can be challenging at times. Having a good outlook on life and a positive attitude will take you far in life.
Be Determined
Another way to succeed at any task in life is to be determined. Just like graduating college or opening your own business, you have to put in the work to get the payoff. This means many nights where you put work over pleasure to get the prize you are looking for, and that is to purchase and operate your own boat for chartering fishing trips, snorkelling sessions, and other such events.
Know Your Job Opportunities
If you want to succeed as a charter boat owner, then you need to know what opportunities exist for a captain. There are many possibilities when owning a charter boat. Depending on the area in which you live, you could take patrons out for snorkelling and diving sessions in the Caribbean and other areas of clear water.
You can charter your boat for a sunset cruise or a dinner cruise as a tourist adventure. You can also captain a fishing charter as well as sightseeing tours. These are always fun to do, as your customers are very delighted and excited to be on the boat. Lastly, you could assist boaters in need by working for a sea towing company or a ferry service to get people where they need to go.
Why Should I Investigate Charter Boats?
If you are a dedicated sea individual who loves being out on the water and helping people, while making money, you should check into charter boats. Among other things, you do need to have a license and be aware of the different types of permits as well as being determined. No one got anywhere is life without working hard, and becoming a charter boat owner is no different. Lastly, verify the job opportunities for charter boat owners. You can just about pick your poison when it comes to helping those on the water!