Hi everybody
In the course of the meetings I had at the Miami Boat Show with charter companies for sailonline.com, I learned that a new charter company will launch at the beginning of the next high season - probably November. Some charter brokers have actually started to take bookings already (Liane, maybe you heard about it?)

From what I already know, it will be a totally new concept inspired by super low costs airlines or car rental companies. The name of the company (at least temporarily) will be "Spirit Charters".
The boats will be 10 to 20 years old. Basically nothing will work on the boats except some crucial components, i.e.: the engine will be serviceable; the sails will not be more than 6/8 years old; 1 head and 1 sink will work for sure but usually with cold water only; and a bunch of old life jackets. That's it...
Other usual equipment like electronics, VHF, light bulbs, cockpit cushions, will have been removed or most probably will not work anyway.

Lastly, charter equipment, like bed sheets, towels, cutlery, pots and pans etc - (sorry no Nespresso machine here...) will be available for a fee and will be worn out stuff. A 7 foot dinghy with oars (no outboard) will be provided for a fee as well. So better bring your own handheld VHF, GPS, sleeping bags, coffee mugs etc... This is re-defining the concept of what we call a bare boat!!

The good news is that the company management have set an incredibly low pricing structure: they are talking about a 5-cabin (mattresses included) 50ft monohull for about $1,295 per week, which will put the weekly rate at around $250 per couple!!.... A 40 footer should be $995 a week, if you can believe that...

I should have a banner up on sailonline in the next 2 or 3 weeks. I will keep everyone posted as it develops.

This sounds like something my 22 year old self would be really stoked on and something my current self thinks is a total nightmare. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

What a wonderful day of the year today is!!!

Sounds like something that should launch on April 1st <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

OP followed up this same post on the SXM board that it was *not* an April fools joke.

Seems like a ludicrous concept to me but what do I know - besides I won't be chartering from this company.

I wondered whether it was a joke or not, but the fact that it says "light bulbs will be removed" pretty much makes it a joke. (even if it wasn't intended to be!)

The amount you'd spend on baggage to bring everything you need would far outweigh what you'd save on the charter! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Oh, and given that no insurance company in their right mind would cover questionably seaworthy vessels with zero safety equipment, I'd suggest buying a personal policy before chartering! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Tonguea.gif" alt="" />

10-20 years old...that's still newer than my boat! I call it a classic... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Some of the list does seem a bit far fetched? That said there are charter companies that do allow savings if you bring your own linens and all the stuff that must be laundried. Some beach bar rats do not need pots. One issue with older boats in commercial used was the ability to get insurance. I have not checked on that for a long time. There was a time in the 80's and before where we chartered boats for less than $1,500 per week. The boats were all larger than 40 feet, with a motor, sails, and an engine the worked with not much else guaranteed. I wonder today how much insurance, taxes, dock space, base crew adds up to in our charters. Even if the boat were free some of the cost of doing business on Tortola will add up fast. If the boats are positioned at "rent a wrecks" crews will treat them very poorly. Some clean old solid boats rented as a safe functioning back to basics would not be a terrible idea. Who is going to own these actual hulls and front the capital for the hulls?

This is clearly an April Fools joke..

Nice Michael!

Cheers, Tony

so after reading the first paragraph I thought hmm then in the 2nd para where it said name was going to be Spirit charters I thought well they picked a horrible name exactly thinking of spirit airlilnes. Then laughed through all the rest my thoughts exactly re Spirit airlines . Very funny <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

As Bugs Bunny would say, "what a maroon"... I bought into it hook line and sinker. I even started searching for it before it dawned on me it was April 1st.

While searching for it, I was sitting here thinking these poor people are going to lose their shirts. Very bad concept.

I can't believe how gullible I am sometimes! In my defense, I had pulled an all-nighter working on a new (peripheral) business concept and wasn't exactly clear headed. Still ... sigh.

Good one Michael! You got me. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

All right everyone... IT IS AN APRIL FOOL JOKE, OK? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />
Although, i have to say, it COULD be a valid concept, probably not as extreme as in my text, but still...why not?? Originally, I wanted to call it: CHARTER-A-WRECK, but i thought that it was a give away...

Liane, I also got you last year with the parking meters on the National Park Service mooring balls... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

This teaches us a lesson: It is NOT the content that has to be believable. It is the TONE, and the PERCEPTION that stems from it that makes it sound really credible.
Think about that in these election times!! :us flag:

See ya all next year!

Well.. 20 year old boats could certainly be used in Charter. The rest.. I'm not so sure.