A boat offer adapted to its use
When you join Liberty Pass, you don't just take out an annual subscription and pay to sail without limitation. Each subscriber is attached to a given boat, with up to 5 other members. The boat is adapted to the client's desired use, with a price corresponding to the service and options. At Stevin Le Touze, in Concarneau, the fleet includes 3 RIBs, some more family-oriented and others intended for fishing, as well as a cabin cruiser Antares. The base manager specifies: "More than half of the clients come to see the boat before signing the contract. It's preferable to make sure that it meets expectations. Then we can start the coaching to be self-sufficient."
To put the customer in safety on the boat
In our case, Stevin presents us its new Antares 7 outboard of the year. The boat, the most comfortable unit in its fleet, is offered at 399euros per month. Each client benefits from a minimum of 2 sessions of 3 hours coaching.
The first meeting starts with a detailed presentation of the different equipment on the boat and how it works, whether it is for safety or comfort. Our Antares is particularly well equipped, with for example a bow thruster and an electric windlass. A dinghy is also on the roof. The session is also the opportunity to install the Liberty Pass application for the reservation of navigation slots and all the management of the subscription.
It was then time to make a first trip to the inner harbor to get to know the boat. Stevin explains the engine operation and reminds the basic maneuvers, before leaving the boat's helm, while remaining on board. The new subscriber then tests all the maneuvers, from taking the trunk to docking at the pontoon or entering the harbor space dedicated to the boat. The manager insists: "The goal is for the subscriber to be completely autonomous. So we repeat the maneuver as many times as it takes to get them comfortable."
If it is not a boat license, Stevin takes the opportunity to ask some safety questions that allow the client to remember the right reflexes, in case of engine failure or navigation in unknown areas.
Navigation in real conditions
The coaching doesn't stop there. The second session takes place outside the harbor. It is an opportunity to test the windlass on a real anchorage, to learn how to adjust the trim or to discover the subtleties of the sounder-GPS combi for fishing. Stevin pushes the service to the point of putting on board a spare propeller and explaining to the customer how to change it, to come back autonomously in case of problem.
Once the coaching is over, Stevin remains ready to answer questions, even if the subscriber can now sail independently on the slots he wants, the routine maintenance being managed for him. The coaching of the boater makes Liberty Pass much more than a simple free access boat.
