Diary Management

Most owners typically spend between four to eight weeks of the year on board their own yacht, but some may not use their yacht at all and regard it solely as an investment, and others will only allow their yacht to be chartered for a limited period. Advising owners on peak seasons, popular charter grounds and up-and-coming hot spots is a vital part of the charter management process. Owners are always encouraged to make their yacht available during peak seasons and, where possible, the yacht is scheduled for maintenance in the off-season months.

The difficulty with this is that an owner will naturally want to cruise on his own yacht during the best seasons, meaning the yacht is not available for commercial charter at these times. A shrewd charter manager will balance both interests.

He will assure the owner and his family have a great holiday when and where they want (perhaps during school holidays – a peak charter period) and ensure the yacht still optimises its charter potential – perhaps by securing bookings for less popular cruising areas or off-season charters to generate additional revenue. In planning the yacht’s annual itinerary, the charter manager will not only schedule in all the charters but will also take account of berthing, maintenance and docking considerations.