How do I add installments?

The Installments feature on Sailo allows you to charge the renter an initial deposit to hold the boat, and then charge the remaining balance across up to 4 payments. To add installments, click on “Add payment schedule” under the “Installments” section of the boat profile. Once you have selected the number of payments, you will then have the opportunity to design your payment schedule. You can add a description, enter the percentage, and dictate the timeline for each payment.

How much should I charge for the rental of my boat?

This is completely up to you! Since every boat is unique, you have the ability to set the rate at whatever level you feel a renter would be willing to pay. Furthermore, Sailo’s messaging platform allows you to make special one-time offers to potential renters if you wish. We encourage you to look at other similar boats in your area to better understand local pricing dynamics.

Can I pick my own captain?

Sailo is a three-way marketplace that includes boat owners, licensed captains, and renters! As a renter, you can choose from a selection of captained and bareboat vessels depending on your experience level. If you choose a bareboat vessel and do not have the proper experience, you can choose from Sailo’s selection of captains. For boat owners, you can choose to be your own captain if you have the necessary USCG licenses (or licenses from your local governing body), or choose preferred captains from our list of Sailo experienced captains. If you own a charter fleet, you can specify that captains can only be hired from your existing network.

How do I list add-ons for my boat?

The “Add-ons” section of the Boat Profile allows you to list additional equipment and services (e.g., catering or water toys), as well as dictate mandatory fees (e.g., cleaning or transit logs). To create an additional feature for your boat, click “add new add-on.” You will then have the opportunity to provide a headline and description, dictate pricing and quantity, and require payment upfront or in-cash at the boat. You can also set specific dates where a feature or service is valid. For example, you may only offer your summer menu from June through August. Don’t forget to upload a photo for each add-on to help sell the experience to potential renters.

How do I list my boat?

Once you have signed up on sailo.com, you can go ahead and add your boat(s) to the platform!  

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO ADD YOUR BOAT

STEP 1 - BOAT INFORMATION

The first step is to click on “Add Boat” at the top, right-hand corner of any sailo.com page, which will take you to the “Boat Information” page. Here you will fill out the basic overview of your vessel (e.g., manufacturer, year, length, etc.), as well as the Boat Name, Headline, and Description.

The Headline and Description are your marketing tools. A great headline is short and compelling, and includes a call to action (e.g., rent, cruise, set sail, explore, etc.), location, and the boat type / manufacturer. For example, “Cruise Miami on this beautiful Sea Ray Sundancer.” Your description should sell the experience on the boat. Describe what one can do on your boat (e.g., fishing, sunset cruises, etc.) and think of your potential customer when writing about the experience.

Remember to list any extras or other pricing options at the bottom of the description. Note that at any time during the process of listing your boat, you can click the red “Save” button at the bottom, of the page to ensure that you don’t lose any of the information that you have already entered.

Once you have finished this step, click “Add Boat” at the bottom of the page. Then click on the arrow next to “Save” to go to the next step.

STEP 2 - BOAT LOCATION

The location of your boat is important! It dictates where the boat shows up in search results. The marina address is sent to a renter upon confirmation of the booking so that they can easily find your boat. Make sure you provide detailed pick-up instructions as well. Does the marina require guests to park in a certain area? Is there a gate code that the renter will need to know? Is the boat located on a certain pier or in a certain slip? The more information you provide, the easier the booking process will be.

Once you have finished, click “Save” at the bottom of the screen. At this point a page will load showing a map with a pin where your marina is located. Please take a minute to confirm that Sailo has accurately identified the location of your facility. Once you have confirmed this, click on “Save and Continue” to go to the next step.

STEP 3 - FEATURES

The “Features” page allows you to check off the amenities, activities, and fuel policy details for your vessel. Please be as accurate as possible as renters look for specific features when they search for a boat. Keep in mind your potential renter profile. We know that many boaters carry a fishing rod aboard, but that does not necessarily mean you have a boat that is ideal for fishing charters. In the same way, you may have enjoyed many cocktail and dinner parties aboard your vessel, but if she is limited to six-people for charters, your potential renter may not consider a six person capacity ideal for a party.

At the bottom of this page, you will select your fuel policy. You can either include fuel in the price of your charter, or choose to have the renter pay for fuel burned during the trip. Once you have finished, click on the arrow next to “Save” to go to the next step.

STEP 4 - PHOTOS

The “Photos” page is your chance to show off your vessel. Please include as many high quality photos as possible. The reccommende size of photos that you upload on Sailo is between 800px and 2000px. Photos larger than 2000px may slow down the upload of your boat page, therefore your attempt to save them in your profile will result in failure. Make sure that the primary photo shows the entire vessel. Photos of activities are encouraged as well. If you run fishing charters, be sure to include pictures of the legendary catches that your renters have reeled in during previous trips. If you plan to offer overnight trips, pictures of the cabin, saloon, galley, and heads are a must. In addition, a schematic that shows the layout of the boat is important as well.

Make sure that your photos are high quality so that they clearly show how much fun renters will have aboard. Once you have finished loading the photos for your vessel, click the “Continue” button at the bottom, left-hand corner to go to the next step.

STEP 5 - PRICE / CALENDAR

The “Price / Calendar” is where you set the charter rates for your vessel. Sailo defines full, half, and quarter days as eight, four, and two hour trips respectively. Each of these calendars can be viewed by selecting “Full Day,” “Half Day,” or “Quarter Day” at the top of the page. Remember that Sailo charges a 14% commission on charters if you have your own charter insurance, and 29% if your vessel requires to be covered by Sailo’s insurance policy. There is a minimum $500 security deposit (which you can change) required from the renter if you choose Sailo’s insurance. To view insurance terms and conditions visit Sailo’s Insurance Policy page.

Please be sure to block out dates when the boat is unavailable so that renters have an accurate idea of what boats they may charter on a given day through the platform. The calendar will show both the current month and the next month on the page.

To set pricing, select the first date when your charter will be available. Then select the last date your charter will be available in the visible two-month period. You will then see a box popup that allows you to fine tune your availability and pricing. The first option is to change the dates. In the “To” field, you can extend your pricing up to a year in the future from the current date. You then have the option to select “Available” or “Not Available” and fine tune your boat’s availability during the period in question. 

The next field allows you to enter the price for your vessel for a given period. You can set weekend and holiday rates at different levels if necessary. Make sure you double-check in which calendar (day, half day or quarter day) you are currently making adjustments. Finally, you can check the box next to “Apply only to these days of the week.” This allows you to set different prices for certain days of the week. Once you have made the necessary adjustments, click the “Save” button in the popup to confirm your pricing.

Once you have finished filling out your calendar, click on the arrow next to “Save” to go to the next step.  

Tip - make sure to scroll down the page if you can’t see the entire pop-up.

STEP 6 - CAPTAINS / CREW

The “Captains / Crew” section is where you can specify whether the boat comes with a captain, or whether you wish to charter her out as a bareboat. Remember that you have the final say with regard to who rents your boat, and you will have the opportunity to review a sailing resume and a float plan.

If you choose to list your boat as a captained vessel, make sure you include pictures and short biographies of the captain and the crew! Potential renters feel more comfortable when they know something about the boat owner, captain, or crew, and it is another opportunity to market your experience. Facts like you are a scuba instructor, or you have extensive experience in child care will all be taken into account by potential renters.  

STEP 7 - INSURANCE

The final step in the boat listing process is the “Insurance” page. If you have charter insurance on your vessel, then you will select that option and fill in the information on your existing policy.

If you require Sailo’s insurance, then please be sure to accurately enter the required information regarding your vessel. Please note that boat owners who elect to use Sailo’s insurance are required to have a minimum deposit of $500. To view insurance terms and conditions visit Sailo’s Insurance Policy page. You also have to upload a copy of your personal policy to the site.

Finally, make sure that you provide accurate information about fuel consumption on your vessel at average cruising speeds so that renters can predict the cost of fuel for their trip. When you have saved this information, you are ready to publish your boat!

STEP 9 - VIEW YOUR PUBLISHED BOAT

To view your listing, select “View Boat” at the top, right-hand corner of your screen. This will give you a better idea of how your listing looks to potential renters.

ABOUT BOAT COMPLETENESS

As you fill in the information in your boat profile, you will see the percentage listed under “Status” at the left-hand side of your screen slowly increase. After you have filled in at least 85% of the required information, you will see a pop-up on the screen that allows you to publish your boat. Click “Publish” to complete the process.

Publishing your boat means that the general public will be able to search for it through the Sailo platform. If you choose to leave the boat unpublished, only you will be able to find your boat in your Sailo account. Even though you are able to publish your boat when the profile is 85% complete, please make sure that your Boat Completeness reads 100% to ensure seamless operation of the platform.

UNPUBLISH YOUR BOAT   

If you need to unpublish your boat for any reason, you can select “Unpublished” from the drop-down menu on the left-hand side of the screen at any time.

You will still see the boat in your “Boats Account,” but she will no longer be visible to potential renters.

If I have a boat, can I list it on Sailo and captain it myself?

In order to be able to captain a boat that you have listed on Sailo, you are required to have proper licensing from the USCG, or your local governing body. If you are a boat owner, and not a USCG licensed captain, you may not captain your own vessel when it is rented on the Sailo platform. Sailo allows you to list your preferred captains along with your rental, so you can feel confident that your boat will return to the dock in bristol condition.

How do I adjust my fuel policy?

In order to adjust your fuel policy, you will need to click on your name at the top right corner of any Sailo web page, and then select “Boats Account.” Once there, select the boat that you wish to change on the left-hand side of the screen, and then click on “Features.” Scroll down to the “Fuel Policy” section and choose from the following options:

Renter Pays – The renter is responsible for the fuel burned during the rental period.

Owner Pays – Fuel is included in the rental price.

Please make sure that if you select “Renter Pays,” that you also provide accurate information regarding the number engines, the amount of horsepower, and the fuel consumption at average cruising speed. We understand that fuel burn varies by throttle speed, and often increases exponentially at top speed, so please provide the most accurate representation possible for typical operation. To update information on fuel consumption and your engines, click on “Insurance” at the left-hand side of the screen, and scroll down to the relevant section. It is imperative that the boat owner and renter discuss the fuel policy and agree upon the specifics before the rental begins.

How do I add amenities to my listing?

To add boat features and amenities, you will need to click on your name at the top right corner of any Sailo web page, and then select “Boats Account.” Once there, select the boat that you wish to change on the left-hand side of the screen, and then click on “Features.” From there, you can select activities for which your boat is suitable, cabin features, and other amenities. Please try to be as comprehensive and accurate as possible, as many renters look for specific boat features when browsing for their next adventure.

How do I edit my calendar?

It is important to make sure your calendar is up-to-date in order to ensure that potential renters have an instant access to your boat’s availability and rates. Go to My Boats > Edit > Price/Calendar to set your boat’s availability, set custom prices for specific dates or periods, mark certain dates as unavailable and view your upcoming reservations. You can also set recurring rental days by applying custom prices on specific days of the week.

How can I make my listing more popular?

In addition to location, boat features and amenities, catchy headlines and motivating descriptions, photos, and pricing, how well you promote your boat is an important factor that can influence the ranking of your listing. Once you publish your listings, you should promote it on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, CraigsList, Linkedin, etc) and make sure you let your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors know that your boat is available for rent thus increasing the chances of your boat being rented.

What happens if I run a Charter business?

There are many benefits to listing your charter business on Sailo. You get an instant access to thousands of renters searching for charter boats, listing your charter business is 100% free. To list your boat as a charter, go to My Boats > Edit Boat > Captains/Crew and select the Charter Boat option. If you manage a charter/commercial activity and wish to increase the visibility of your operations, we encourage you to include a photo, name and the charter function of at least one member of your crew, along with the overall crew description. Also, when listing your boat as a charter, you will need to indicate if the boat has its own charter insurance or if you wish to be covered by Sailo Insurance instead.

When listing your charter business, we encourage you to add detailed information about your boat, crew and any special services your charter business offers. More detailed and carefully thought out listing descriptions get the most interest. We, however, DO NOT allow links, emails coordinating outside transactions or phone numbers to be included in descriptions or message threads. Non-compliance with these rules will lead to temporary suspension or termination of your account.

Does my boat get verified by Sailo?

We, at Sailo, care about building a trustworthy and a tightly knit community of boaters! Our staff is in charge of visiting every boat that gets listed on the site in order to make sure the vessel is up to the highest standards in line with the service we are providing. We also review and verify all captains and renters’ boating qualifications to make sure that all vessels listed on Sailo are operated safely and by experienced renters.