While historically charter agencies such as Océans Evasion have worked with clients who have been sailing regularly and for a long time, the profile of the sailboat charterer is changing with the arrival of a novice clientele.
For them, sailing is a means to enjoy the pleasures of the sea and sailing is not an end in itself. They come on board to rest and enjoy their family and friends in a convivial and original setting.
But the lack of nautical knowledge leads them to hire the services of a Skipper to manoeuvre the boat, and often a hostess for the galley and onboard maintenance. These renters expect a 3-star service, similar to what the hotel industry offers on equivalent budgets
However, the services of boat rental with a skipper do not always correspond to this standard.
Too often the skipper is not part of the charter company, he is hired on demand, and has no commitment to a quality charter. The level of service expected is little or not defined.
Indeed, for many professional charter companies, the skipper is presented as an option that comes in addition to the rental such as the engine for the dinghy or kayak for example.
This does not correspond to the demand of customers who are looking for quality service and a skipper who listens to them.
This top-of-the-range service exists, but then you have to switch to larger yachts with permanent crews (in the jargon they are called crewed boats). On these boats, the client is no longer responsible for the boat and the client finds on board a care worthy of a star hotel.
Of course, this performance is paid for. Indeed a 50-foot yacht with a crew can be rented for around 20,000 euros per week in high season, compared to 12,500 euros for the same yacht rented with an additional skipper (200 euros/day) and a hostess (150 euros/day).
Before making his choice, the tenant must be aware of these differences. He must be aware that he will not have the same service and the same benefit for his holidays depending on the type of boat rented.
For its part, Océans Evasion ensures that the skipper or hostess is properly declared (this is not always the case...). In certain countries such as Italy or Spain, this rental agency even uses French service providers to avoid any worries and offer the best guarantee, especially in the event of an accident.
To ensure that life on board goes well, Océans Evasion also publishes a code of good conduct between the skipper and the charterer. Among the important items, we read that the skipper must have his own cabin, he can only work for a maximum of 10 consecutive hours, he is fed by the boat's supplies. It is specified that it is customary to leave a tip at the end of the cruise (usually 10% of the service). All these practices being clearly defined in a charter, all the chances are that the cruise will go as well as possible.
Océans Evasion has a good command of the organisation of skippered charters and the team of advisers is there to guide clients according to their means and their desires. This is a real plus for those who are new to the field of yacht charter.
Strong growth in demand for skippers
Among the requests handled by this agency, 25% concern requests with skipper (and even 40% for the region of Croatia!). This requires a specialisation of the answers and above all a special relationship with the charter companies on site so that clients have a positive return from their holidays.
