How do I list my boat?

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 - ADD-ONS

Add-ons are a great way to include additional services or amenities such as catering, different pickup locations, or water toys along with your charter.  To create one, click on “Add new add-on.”  

The Title and Description are again your marketing tools. Make sure you clearly articulate the details of the fee, service, or amenity for potential customers.

The “Price measure,” “Price,” and “Quantity” allow you to adjust the pricing dynamics. For example, you might offer catering on a per person basis, and offer water toys as an additional service for each charter.  

You can also use the “Required” field to make add-ons such as cleaning fees mandatory for each charter. Finally, you can make an amenity valid for a specified period of time if, for example, you provide a summer menu from June through August.

Once you have finished this, click on “Save and Continue” to go to the next step.

STEP 5 - PHOTOS

The “Photos” page is your chance to show off your vessel. Please include as many high quality photos as possible. The recommended 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, and 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 6 - PRICE / CALENDAR

The “Price / Calendar” section in My Boats account is where you set the charter rates for your vessel.

From the menu on top of page select a duration, “Weekly”, “Full Day”, “Half Day”, “Quarter Day”. You can use one or all of these.

Full Day is 8 hours.

Half Day is 4 hours.

Quarter Day is 2 hours.

Weekly is defined as seven days beginning and ending on Saturday.

To set pricing you must double click on today’s date on the calendar.  

TIP: In order to maintain pricing and availability to perpetuity change the “To” date to same day the  following year. For example, change the “To” date from 2018-mm-dd to 2019-mm-dd by deleting the number “8” and typing the number “9”. The latest day possible is 1 year from today.

Add pricing in the “Price” box and click on “Save”.  Remember Sailo charges a 14% commission on charters if you have your own charter insurance and 29% if your vessel requires coverage through Sailo’s insurance policy. A $500 minimum security deposit (which you can change) is required from the renter if you choose Sailo’s insurance.

IMPORTANT: Repeat the steps above for all durations desired:  “Weekly”, “Full Day”, “Half Day”, “Quarter Day”.  Keep in mind that “Weekly” prices will only appear on Saturdays in the calendar.

TIP: Boats by default are listed by lowest possible price so consider offering up a “Quarter Day” option to entice renters.

Day Specific Pricing: You may also customize pricing by specific days of the week! This advanced option can be done by checking the “Apply only to these days of the week” box.

Be sure to block out dates when boat is unavailable so that renters have an accurate view of boats they may charter on any given day.

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

STEP 7 - INSTALLMENTS

Installments allow a renter to pay an initial deposit to hold your boat for charter, and then pay the balance in payments that you define.  To do this, click on “add payment schedule.” You can then choose how many payments you would like (up to five are permitted). After you’ve decided on the number of payments, you can define the amount, timing, and description of each payment. The timing of payments is in relation to either the booking date, or the trip date. Please make sure that your total amount of payments equals 100% of the charter amount.  

Once you’ve completed this, click on the next section: “Bareboat / Crew.”

STEP 8 - 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 9 - 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, please contact us at [e-mail]. 

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 10 - SAILO REVIEW BEFORE PUBLISHING

The Sailo crew reviews each boat that is listed on the platform before it is published for public view. Once you have completed your profile, we will reach out within a day or two to notify you that your boat is published, or to ask additional questions if needed.

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.