The most common question is:
Are your prices per person or for the whole boat?
Our prices are for the whole boat, on a bareboat basis. Sailing instruction is $500 per course per person and we will give you a credit back of $500 toward your next charter with us so in effect you can learn to sail for free. Additional costs for fuel, water, provisioning, cruising permits etc are paid by the cruiser. If a captain is required, there will be an additional charge of $150 per day. A four week cruise with us cost about the same as a one or two week charter on a equivalent sized new cat, or a one week crewed yacht charter. With four queen berths think of how many friends can join you even for a week or two to divide the cost and multiply the fun.
How come you are so much less than other charter companies?
We believe that most people are very conscientious and expect they will treat the yacht as though it is there own. We don't even like the word charter because it implies the boats will be miss treated. We are giving you the opportunity to own a yacht for a month just like partnership or fractional ownership. We are taking all the risk that we are charging enough to cover all the depreciation. So don't expect to get off easy if there is any damage since we do not have a large cushion to cover this. Because of this difference i am calling our program a cruise rather than a charter. Because of the long term nature of our cruises we expect the cruiser to do some maintenance work but not even as much as if it were his own boat.
If the yacht is well looked after, and left clean, minimizing the turnaround costs, then we are operating more like a partnership and we can give a credit to this person for their next charter with us. But if you are just looking for a cheap rental and you are not too worried about the damage deposit then feel free to try any of the other charter companies. The price we are charging is enough to cover basic costs of boat ownership. You will be expected to cover any damage or missing inventory doesn't this seam the same as if you owned the yacht? Why would you want us to build in the cost of the damage up front and expect you to damage the boat?
How can I learn to sail for free?
The transition to a cruising life can be a steep learning curve. We want to make it easier. We charge $500 per ASA course above the cost of the vessel and will give you a credit of $500 towards your next Cruise with us. So in effect you are learning to sail for free. Where else can you learn all aspects of the cruising life while actually being out there doing it?
How does the insurance deductible work?
We take and hold a refundable security deposit equal to 2% of hull value. If there is no damage or lost inventory we repay the amount one month after the cruise is over, less any costs of repair or missing inventory.
Do I have to take a Captain?
We ask you to fill out a sailing resume and will advise if you will require a captain. Like any other charter company if your introductory sail does not go well then you may have to have a captain aboard until you are feeling more comfortable. If all the boats are cruising as bareboat then you may expect to have the captain aboard as a company representative doing maintenance for a week or so since he is required to be in the flotilla.
Am I free to go where I want?
If your sailing skills are sufficient we will let you sail where you want but you must follow the general routing as planned, you must stay within radio contact, and within the same country as the captain. We will have a predetermined half way meeting point (usually near an airport) that everyone will meet at to socialize, exchange crew and do some service work on the yachts.
What if something breaks?
Due to the long term nature of our Cruises there is the possibility that things will stop working, even though we do our best to keep our boats maintained to the highest level. The first thing to do is to secure the yacht against further damage. Then contact the acting captain, or Ron@seabbatical.com to determine a best plan of action. Minor repairs can usually be rectified in short order. More major repairs may need to be scheduled. Luckily catamarans have some redundancy built into them. With two motors, etc. Also with a group of boats traveling together we are better off than if we were only one boat. Finally we have an experienced person traveling with you to help trouble shoot and solve most of the problems that can arise.
We will treat you fair and do our best to minimize your inconvenience, and insure you have a great time because our business relies on it. We cannot let a large list of repairs build up and expect to do them later delaying the next cruise. Anything damage that occurs on your cruise must be fixed on your cruise with the minimum of inconvenience either by our company representative traveling with the flotilla, or by scheduling the work to be done when you are off exploring or going for a day sail with someone else. We think this is fair because if you owned your own boat you would have to find the service people and parts and supervise the job as well.
How does your payment schedule work?
We take 50% down at the time of booking, and a final 50% two months prior to the cruise. The damage deposit can be paid 1 week prior to the cruise.
How does your cancellation policy work?
Most of our long term cruises are booked well in advance and a cancellation may not get filled. If it gets filled we would refund your down payment and final payment less $400. If the cruise cannot get filled we would be unable to refund your money. We advise that you take out proper insurance in the event that you must cancel.
What if I want to go to a different place?
Let us know where you would like to go cruising. One of the advantages of what we are doing is we are free to explore places which have no charter bases. Maybe we can include your dream destination in next years routing?
Do you accept catamarans into your program?
We are eager to get a couple more good cruising catamarans. Contact us to learn more on how you can cover most of the costs of ownership by letting us look after your catamaran. Give us a chance to show you how the numbers work out and why this program looks better than the others. This can be especially appealing to corporations that want to reward their best employees, and customers.
