Boat Rental Guide: Earn Money Renting Your Boat On Click&Boat

Considering adding your boat to a private boat rental platform to help earn an additional revenue stream from your investment? Wise choice! In fact, more and more people are preferring to travel the world with complete freedom and flexibility, meaning they are taking advantage of the sharing economy and renting boats at their destinations. Now, owning a boat can even mean you get to make a profit! Platforms such as Click&Boat offer many different boat types such as sailboats, yachts, or motorboats in over 60 countries. So with 40,000 boats in 60+ countries to choose from, renters only have to ask themselves: Where and when do I want to set sail?

Woman In Marina Interested in Renting A Boat

Above: A woman in a marina interested in renting a boat. The boat rental market is growing fast across the world. Photo via Pond5.

A Growing Boat Rental Market

The market share for boat rentals is expected to keep increasing significantly over the next 10 years. So, if you own a boat, adding your boat to the Click&Boat platform could be great to alleviate the costs of owning a boat. Owning a boat can account for 10% of a boat’s price on average per year, making it very expensive. From the maintenance costs, docking fees, and insurance, there are plenty of costs to cover. Recreational boat rentals can be a great way to alleviate the high costs of owning a boat.

Click&Boat makes it fast and easy for boat owners to add their boats to the platform. Go onto the website, create your listing on the top right corner, add the details and we will help you with the rest. Then

Click&Boat: The “King” Of Boat Rentals

Above: Click&Boat is a leading boat rental platform and can help owners offset the cost of boat ownership. Photo via Click&Boat.

Click&Boat connects private and professional boat owners directly to boating enthusiasts who are traveling and itching to get out into the water to explore the world from a different perspective. Click&Boat makes boat rentals easy and accessible for everyone, with customers able to book catamarans, motorboats, yachts, sailboats, and more for a day, a week, or longer. With more than 40,000 boats across 60+ countries, there are plenty of boats so clients can discover new countries or cities with the platform.

Adding your boat onto the platform is quick and easy, but the work does not stop there. Once the boat is on the platform, an account manager will be assigned to your listing(s) and will contact you. This manager is your first point of contact for any inquiries about your boat listing. Likewise, they will check the listing, legal compliance, and certifications that are needed. The account manager will also go through a demo on how to use the platform with you.

Our 3-Step Guide For Renting Your Boat Out

Are you about to add your boat on the Click&Boat website? Boat rentals can be easy with some preparation! Ensuring a good service for your boat rental will get you more bookings in the long run. To make it easier and more digestible, we will cut the boat rental process into three parts: before, during, and after the boat rental. Each section is important to provide a great service for both you and your clients. So let’s get started on your guide to successfully rent your boat!

Step One: Preparation Before Your Boat Rental

Above: Cleaning, preparing and provisioning your boat for each boat rental is an important part of the boat rental process. Photo by Pond5.

The most successful boat rentals are the ones with the shortest booking time, in other words, instant bookings. The shortest booking times are usually due to the boat listings’ complete descriptions. The more information about your boat you provide, the more likely a renter is to select your boat from the available vessels on their chosen date. Just as an added bonus, the more bookings you have the more likely you are to be on the first page when consumers search for your destination.

So, what constitutes as a complete boat listing description?

Good quality, clear, and many photos of your boat

Extra costs within the booking

Destinations the boats can go to

Permissions needed for certain areas

Boating license needed to skipper

Of course another part of the preparation is making sure your boat is cleaned, fully operational, safe and ready for your renters. It should match the photos and descriptions that you've provided in your listing. No boat renters want to show up to a boat that was pictured in clean working order to find a vessel that is dirty or has damage - or worse, isn't safe. Make sure that the gas tank is filled up, and any other onboard provisions that were advertised are included. This can include fresh water tanks, VHF radio, drinking water, etc. It is also very important to make sure you have enough life jackets for everyone who will be onboard and that your registration and documentation are onboard and in good standing. Ongoing maintenance and regular cleaning and inspection after each rental, are key parts of the boat rental process.

Step Two: Booking And Communication

Above: Communicating with boat renters on the Click&Boat app is key for successful boat rentals. Photo by Pond5.

Then, the next step is to be as responsive on the chat as possible. The Click&Boat app makes this possible and also allows you to sync your bookings with your calendar! Remember to always keep your calendar up to date to avoid any last-minute cancellations. The more cancelations you get, the more the algorithm will push you down the search pages. The algorithm can even understand that you are likely to do last-minute bookings and will move you up depending on how fast you reply.

Another part of good communication is to make sure you've documented the policies and procedures for your guests and renters. Do you allow food and/or alcohol onboard? Is there an onboard head and if so, is it operable? Can your guests utilize your refrigerator or cooler? Do you allow fishing onboard? You should have clear guidelines for meeting the renters as well as policies for use of your vessel, including any rules, regulations and safety requirements that need to be followed by everyone onboard the boat.

Step Three: During the Boat Rental

Friends onboard a boat eating and drinking together

Above: Friends onboard a boat rental eating and drinking together. It is important to communicate all the guidelines for use before your renters board the boat so there are no misunderstandings. Photo by Pond5.

There are a few things you can do to make the rental service get the full five-star review! First and foremost, great hospitality is needed when you are checking the client in and out of their boat rental. Small things like the deposit being handled before and contactless check-ins make for faster check-ins. As a consequence, the clients are happy and will be sooner out in the water.

If you are renting out a more luxurious or boat with cabins, then you might think about leaving a welcome gift. This is a nice touch that can really add a lot to the experience and help you get return customers. Clients are super happy with many small details like these, and are more likely to leave you a good review after the rental! Make sure to get all of the paperwork needed from your customer for the boat rental, and in turn, make sure they know where all the relevant documentation for the vessel is in case they get stopped by any local authorities.

After the Boat Rental

After the rental, we recommend you follow up with your customer and ask them for a good review if they enjoyed their time on your boat. Getting good reviews will not only make you rank higher on the search page but future potential clients will be more likely to rent with you if you have good reviews. Of course, now you have to prepare your vessel for the next renters - which should be coming soon, if everything was a success!

Become A Super Owner On Click&Boat

Being a "super owner" on the Click&Boat platform has various benefits, such as more visibility (via the super owner tag and filter button) that allows for renters to see only "super owner" boat offers. You will also get promoted on Instagram and Facebook by the platform, get invited to exclusive events and you'll also have access to the new features rolled out on the website and app before other users, such as instant bookings.

So how do you get the "super owner" status on Click&Boat? The criteria* for a super owner includes:

More than 5 bookings

3 or more reviews

More than a 4.5 on reviews

85% response rate

Less than 20% cancellation rate

*The criteria is subject to change as the owner community continues to grow and evolve with time.

Visit Click&Boat today to set up an account and get started renting your boat!

Written by: Ryan McVinney

C. Ryan McVinney is a film director, writer and producer. As an experienced boater he regularly produces and directs on-the-water video shoots for major boat manufacturers, yacht brokers and dealers, as well as independent film and media companies. He is president of the National Soho House Film Club with chapters in Miami, FL, Manhattan, NY and Los Angeles, CA and regularly contributes content to YachtWorld, boats.com and Boat Trader.