There’s nothing better than the feeling of wind in your hair and the sounds, sights, and smells of open water, whether it’s inland fresh water or the salty spray of the ocean. Owning and operating a boat business could mean that your working time isn’t spent under the fluorescent glow of an office, but rather outside in the fresh air helping others experience the fun and joys of boating and what it has to offer. Here are a few different boat business ideas that you could start if you’re looking to make boating your career.
Fishing Charters
Fishing charters offer your customers everything they need to experience the thrill and fun of a day out catching fish. As the boat owner, it could be as simple as a bass boat set up for the lakes or a larger sea-going vessel primed to bring aboard game fish for your customers. Starting costs are relatively low, depending on the complexity of your offerings, because all you’ll need other than the boat itself is some good quality fishing gear like fishing poles, nets, and bait stations as well as somewhere to store the catch aboard the boat to offer fishing charters to your patrons.
Tourist Boat Trips
Once you’ve completed the steps to get your FL boat license from ilearntoboat.com and set yourself up in line with local rules and regulations, you can start offering tourists trips around the local waterways and coastlines. There are lots of different ways you could take a boat trip business. You could offer slow rides to off the local coastline, give your customers an experience of exploring the rivers and deltas for wildlife, or offer thrill seekers a high-speed joyride.
Boat Cleaning and Maintenance Service
Owning a boat business doesn’t mean you have to be on the water to turn it into a career. Becoming familiar with how to repair, maintain and look after both the vessels and the motors of boats can give you the knowledge you need to open a cleaning, maintenance and repair service where customers will entrust you with looking after and repairing their boats.
Boat Equipment Shop
Another good idea if you have experience in running or working in a retail environment and want to combine this with the boating world, opening a boat equipment shop might be an option for you. There are so many things those who own and enjoy boats need to buy, and you could offer a specialist store to provide these things to them. Sell things like engine and motor parts and extra fuel tanks or diversify and offer fishing gear, lures and bait to local sport fishermen.
Whether you offer pleasure cruises around the coast or gear your boat business up for offshore angling fishing charters, there are plenty of ways to turn an interest and hobby of boats into a viable business. These ideas should give you some inspiration and ideas on just how to start off and how to take that leap into making a career out of boats.
