PUT YOUR YACHT INTO CHARTER
JOIN THE FAMILY
CHARTERING OVERVIEW
There’s no two ways about it – owning a yacht is an expensive affair. Putting your yacht into charter is a sensible way of offsetting some of that ongoing expense.
Sunseeker Charters Limited was founded twelve years ago, with the sole aim of becoming the first Charter Brokerage to deal exclusively with the Sunseeker brand. The Company was founded by Stefan Wertans and David Ward, who were later joined by Robert Braithwaite CBE, the founding Director of Sunseeker International.
It is this unique attachment to the Sunseeker name that has enabled Sunseeker Charters to grow exponentially, as more Owners feel safe in the knowledge that their Sunseeker yacht can be professionally represented at the highest level in the charter market.
CHARTER MARKETING
Upon appointing Sunseeker Charters as your Central Agent, we will embark upon an intensive period of marketing for your yacht. We will need to arrange to have your yacht professionally photographed and it’s these photos that will capture the imagination of your future guests.
Our website and social media production is managed in house, meaning that we remain in complete control when it comes to the marketing of your yacht. Marketing is an essential tool for advertising your yacht to both our clients and external brokers and we place an enormous amount of importance on getting this right.
Through experience, we feel that we have the right blend of forward thinking, combined with more tried and tested formulas, to achieve maximum exposure for your yacht. Everything we produce is controlled in house, by us, meaning that we operate on your behalf with full control and editorial authority.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I USE MY OWN YACHT ONCE ITS REGISTERED AS A COMMERCIAL VESSEL?
Upon registering your yacht as a commercial vessel, each time a person is onboard the yacht must have a valid charter contract in place, with the correct charter fee and VAT payments made.
As an Owner, each time you wish to use your yacht, the finances and the paperwork must all be in place as if it were a guest charter, or you could face heavy fines. The good news is that we will work closely with your designated management company to ensure that this is all taken care of for you.
A contract will be issued in your name for you chosen dates and you must make payment of the full charter fee and VAT amounts.
Sunseeker Charters will always ensure your time onboard will run smoothly and your yacht will continue to meet the requirements of your commercial licence.
DO I NEED TO APPOINT A MANAGEMENT COMPANY
One of the first things for a new Owner to consider is what management company to appoint to look after the yachts affairs. Running a charter yacht is akin to running a small business, complete with financial commitments, human resources, compliance with local authority’s right through to providing the high end bespoke end product. The importance of each individual component is so great, the majority of our Owner’s opt to pass on these commitments to a dedicated management company.
At Sunseeker Charters we work with over 10 different companies and are always willing to offer you our insight as to which one may suit your yacht and your particular needs.
While we would never insist upon you choosing a management company for your yacht, we would always point out that the consequences of failing to properly run your yacht are in some cases so great, that it makes sense for you to at least consider this as an option.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I CHOOSE THE CREW?
Choosing any member of staff is always an important decision – as the face of what you do their knowledge, enthusiasm and professionalism must be second to none. When selecting crewmembers for your yacht, the task is even more important as there are a host of qualifications that each crewmember must possess in order to satisfy the flag state requirements of your vessel.
At Sunseeker Charters we will be able to help you find the correct crewmember for each position you have onboard your yacht. Our team have links worldwide with established crew agencies as well as having our own set of preferred crew resources.
However you decide to employ and manage your crew, we will always be there to offer our help and advice.
WHAT DO I NEED TO HAVE ONBOARD?
Setting up your yacht will come down to part personal taste and part what items you think should be onboard to attract potential charter customers. For larger yachts it’s important to consider buying the right size tender and a good selection of watersports equipment. This is a staple requirement for most charter enquiries we receive and we have a great deal of experience in assisting Owners with making the right selection.
When it comes to interior decisions, our advice is always to buy more then less. Having multiple sets of good quality bed linen available on changeover day will be of far more use than trying to launder one set of bed sheets during a 24 hours turnaround!