Frequently Asked Questions

How does it work?

Anchor bridges the gap between peer-to-peer rental sites and traditional chartering. We saw an opportunity in the market to build a world class technology platform like other peer-to-peer sites, while also providing a heightened level of service to Owners like the more traditional charter programs.

Anchor provides value to Owners in a number of ways, depending on their needs. For some Owners, Anchor is a full end-to-end manager–meaning we handle your preventative maintenance, cleaning, service, charter distribution, and more… And for another Owner, Anchor may just be an additional booking site.

We’ve made our program flexible so Owners have more flexibility to monetize their boat, regardless of their experience or resources.

Omni-channel management

Only Anchor offers (optional) multi-channel management–meaning Owners get a listing with Anchor and 50+ other 3rd party sites without having to lift a finger.

The boat and yacht charter industry is hyper-competitive–meaning you need to maximize your distribution & marketing to reach your financial goals and maximize your bookings. Anchor is the only omni-channel manager for day charters–which is a fancy way of saying Anchor manages ALL (“omni”) of your distribution channels for you. More exposure = more bookings.

Anchor has established partnerships with all of the peer-to-peer sites like Boatsetter, GetMyBoat, Sailo, and Batch while also offering our own booking marketplace. This allows owners who are new to chartering a faster and far less expensive way to break into the industry–not to mention saving you the headache of hiring an entire team to run your business.

Your Anchor listing can connect to 50+ third party websites with the click of a button. Our partnerships team will manage everything for you and Owners will have one centralized calendar for all your needs.

To get started, fill out this form and a member of our team will contact you within 1-2 business days.

Already chartering?

If you’re already chartering, then Anchor is a great addition to get more bookings. Our website functions a lot like the other peer-to-peer sites like Boatsetter and GetMyBoat – except you don’t have to chat with customers prior to them booking. You can create your free listing here.

Commission & fees

Creating your listing is free and only takes a few minutes. There are no monthly fees or long-term contracts required. Anchor only charges commission when we book your boat. Anchor charges a 15% commission on the retail charter amount, and 20% commission on any required additional fees and/or optional add-ons.

• Retail charter amount: the total of the Boat, Captain, Crew, and Fuel charged to the renter. You can set your Retail charter amount and what’s included in your Owner dashboard.
• Required additional fees: standard items like Cleaning, Docking, and Gratuity charged to the renter. You can find Required additional fees in your Owner dashboard.
• Optional add-ons: optional items like jet-skis, water toys, provision packages, fuel (when not included in the Retail charter amount), etc. You can add and customize Optional add-ons in your Owner dashboard.

Pro tip: we recommend Owners include as many items in their Retail charter amount as possible. This reduces the number of line items on a receipt and avoids price jumps at checkout–a better customer experience increases your bookings and charter revenue.

Fleet operators

Anchor has recently introduced a game changing way to reduce the excess capacity of Fleet Operators. Fleet Operators are larger companies that manage an array of vessels–sometimes in a specific geographic region and other times across the globe. They typically focus on multi-day and term charters rather than day charters.

Anchor has developed a calendar recognition algorithm that allows us to connect with your existing calendar system–we sync via Google Calendar or API. Once synced, Fleet Operators can set advanced calendar rules to fill excess capacity with potential day charters. Some of these settings include:

• Time between finding gaps between charters is now possible. Set a minimum number of days between the end of a charter and the departure of the next charter and sell the days in between only.
• Last minute fill those last-minute openings with day charters. Multi-day charters are often planned months in advance, while day charters are often booked last-minute.
• Minimum duration set a minimum duration for day charters. Day charters can range from 2 hours - 12 hours. Pick the durations that work for you.

Multi-party payouts

Anchor is the only marketplace, or even charter brokerage, that has automated multi-party payouts. Our platform is able to pay each party individually. Meaning your Captains, Crew, and even a 3rd party Cleaning company can get paid right through our application without Owners having to stroke checks.

Keep in mind that in the navigable waterways of the US (and other parts of the world), it is illegal for Owners to pay Captain and/or Crew directly (Ex: recreational/bareboat charter laws). So this tool not only makes chartering easier and more convenient, but it also keeps you federally compliant.

Consider this a free and optional payroll service. Owners can set their payout preferences in their Owner dashboard.

Cancellation fees

Boats break down–that’s a reality, we get it, and we sympathize with it. But the show must go on. Any time you have a confirmed booking on your calendar and need to cancel, there will be a Cancellation fee.

The Owner’s Cancellation fee is equal to the booking fee paid by the renter for the charter you are canceling. There are no exceptions–Anchor incurs costs on every booking and charters should not be canceled once confirmed.

We believe the customer’s experience is just as important as the Owner’s experience. Anchor uses your cancellation fee to credit the customer if they choose to find an alternative boat. Or if they decide to cancel their booking altogether, Anchor uses the cancellation fee to cover our customer acquisition costs.

If Owners cancel too many charters, we will remove their listing from the website altogether.

Need to cancel?

You can login into your Owner dashboard and cancel from the Upcoming charters page. In order to cancel, you will need to upload a payment method and you will be billed an Owner Cancellation fee.

Accepting Charters

If you do not have your listing set to Intabook, you will receive requests for each charter. Requests are sent to Owners via text, email and push notifications via the Anchor Owner mobile app (coming soon). Owners are required to accept at least 90% of the charter requests. Accepting charters improves your placement in search.

Requests will include the date, departure time, and your earnings for that charter. Earnings are determined by your listing and cannot be changed once a request has been received.

To ensure you meet the 90% minimum acceptance requirements, Owners should update their calendars at least once per week.

Suggest an alternate start time

If you receive a charter request and there is a problem with the departure time, Owners can suggest an alternative start time for that same departure date. Suggesting an alternative start time does not improve your search rank.

Owners can suggest an alternative start time only–you cannot suggest an alternative start date. Renters are very specific on which dates they want to charter.

Suggesting alternative start times may mean your settings are incorrect or your calendar is not up to date. We recommend Owners update their products quarterly and their calendars at least once a week.

Declining a charter

Owners should never have to decline a charter request. Anchor gives you the tools to access your online dashboard 24/7–where you can update your products and calendars. Declining charters hurts your search rank.

Owners that decline too many charter requests may have their listing suspended or permanently removed.

Insurance for Owners

Anchor provides a general liability policy for every charter, however, we require that our Owners obtain some form of commercial policy which allows chartering. Anchor does not cover the hull damage to your vessel. Passengers can purchase additional insurance for their charter but are not required to do so.

Anchor allows private boat owners to start their new (or improve their existing) charter business. While we do provide more insurance than most, we are unable to prevent your private/personal insurance underwriter from denying a claim if you do not have the proper coverage.

Please refer to the Boat Owner Agreement for more details. Anchor is not a party to the charter.

Captain / Crew

Bring your own Captain(s) or Anchor will pair you with Captain(s). We love it when Owners have a preferred Captain they trust. We will work with that Owner and the primary Captain to ensure your charter offering is legal and compliant.

Keep in mind, for many US-based charters, the United States Coast Guard has very strict and specific regulations which govern charter operations–much of which is centered around the transactional flow between Owner, Captains, and the Renter.

Regulations are based on the waterway in which you are operating your charter.

Increase Bookings

Basic listings get basic results–make your listing irresistible. Owners can take some very simple steps to improve their listing and receive more bookings from Renters. Below are proven ways you can improve your listing:

1. Price & value: while it may seem obvious, price is the most important part of a listing. Set your price to reflect changing demands with the seasons. If your price is too high, it will get overlooked and never booked. Price is the most commonly used filter on the website.
2. Photos & video photos & videos are all a renter has to imagine their experience before it actually happens. Photos should be professional and high resolution–be sure to capture the exterior and interior spaces, as well as some lifestyle photos to inspire your guests’ imaginations. Photos of a boat without guests on board are less effective than lifestyle photos.
3. Layout & cleanliness Layout refers to the type of boat you own–year, length, make, model and style of boat. Different layouts are more popular in some areas and less popular in others. We recommend doing research on which layout is most popular in your area to maximize bookings.
4. Amenities & Upgrades Chartering a boat or yacht is an experience–amenities & upgrades make the experience unforgettable. Guests love boats with remodeled/modern interiors, bluetooth stereos, upgraded sound systems, water toys, and other enhancements that make the boat fun and functional.
5. Title & Description Make your title and description fun, detailed, and informative. Explain the amenities, upgrades, nearby destinations, itinerary and what makes your boat unique and worth the value.
6. Location & Itinerary Your boarding location and where it goes is important to renters. Guests are looking for a convenient pickup location and places of interest nearby. You’ll want to explain possible destinations & itineraries based on your preferred durations and products.
7. Duration & products Owners are able to customize charter durations as products they offer. You can offer a 3 hour sunset cruise all the way up to a multi-day overnight charter. Pricing can also be customized for each product to attract more renters.
8. Discounts & premiumsSetting your price to reflect changing demand means it will fluctuate throughout the week and the year. Owners can change their base pricing any time, add discounts to specific days or days of the week, and add premiums to holidays or special events.

Boat maintenance

Anchor now offers full preventative maintenance & upkeep services known as “Yacht Management”. Yacht Management packages can be all-inclusive or a la carte purchases. Some of the services include:

• Interior cleaning
• Exterior cleaning
• Mechanical checks & upkeep
• Electrical checks & upkeep
• Bottom cleaning
• Details, buffs, and waxes

Boat Owners are responsible for mechanical upkeep and fixes. Normal wear and tear as a result of your boat's age, hours, usage, etc is the sole responsibility of the owners. Having your boat in a charter program is not a substitute for upkeep, rather, the boat needs to stay in charter-ready condition at all times.

Having your boat properly and professionally maintained prevents you from cancellations and downtime, which negatively affect your earnings and revenue.

Boat Damage

Renters are responsible for cosmetic damage caused to your boat in most circumstances. Anchor requires a security deposit hold (not a charge) for each booking. Owners can customize the hold amount in the owner dashboard.

In some cases, if the Captain was negligent, the Captain may be liable for damage–handled directly between the Captain and Owner. Although most damage caused by Captains is the responsibility of the owner.

Anchor is in the business of advertising, marketing, booking, and coordinating. Anchor is not a party to the charter and is never held responsible for damage caused to any vessel–no exceptions.

Captains Licenses

Captains licenses vary from country to country and sometimes state to state. Most waterways are federally regulated and require a Captains license to operate certain types of charters. Other waterways (such as some lakes) do not require any type of license to operate a charter.

Unlicensed Crew able to “Mate” while they are working towards their Merchant Mariner Credential (aka Captain’s License).

Signing up

Whether you’re a licensed Captain with decades of experience or you’re totally green and wanting to learn the ropes, your journey starts by downloading the Anchor Captain app.

Captains and Crew members use and communicate through the Anchor Captain app. Download the app for free on your mobile device (in the app stores) and create a profile.

Captain / Crew profile

Captains & Crew should spend time building out a great profile. Renters and Owners are able to see your profile and will make decisions based on items like your photo, credentials and experience. Try to keep it professional and fun.

Getting started

It’s time to get networking and connect with other members of the Anchor community.

Captains: After you have downloaded the Anchor Captain app and created a professional profile, you’ll want to follow these additional steps:

1. Join your local WhatsApp Captains chat group. WhatsApp is a free app where our admins can communicate based on geographic region.
2. Apply for Orientations when they are available to be added to newly added vessel rosters.
3. Mark yourself available for Mate gigs. Running as another Captain’s Mate can get you added to a roster, just like an Orientation. Plus, it’s a paid gig.
4. Communicate with your local Captain community. Captains can help one another with local knowledge, weather reports from the local area, tie up together, share pictures, and so much more.
5. Generate new business by using Anchor’s Affiliate Broker app. Earn commission from your referrals with the backing of Anchor’s professional support team.
6. Ask guests to leave 5 star reviews and mention your name.

Crew: After you have downloaded the Anchor Captain app and created a professional profile, you’ll want to follow these additional steps:

1. Join your local WhatsApp Captains chat group. WhatsApp is a free app where our admins can communicate based on geographic region.
2. Mark yourself available for Mate/Stew gigs.
3. Be active in the WhatsApp group by posting availability and sharing photos.
4. Generate new business by using Anchor’s Affiliate Broker app. Earn commission from your referrals with the backing of Anchor’s professional support team.
5. Ask guests to leave 5 star reviews and mention your name.

As a Captain or Crew member, Anchor gives you the tools to do more. We are here to empower entrepreneurs by putting the right tools in your hands. Be thorough, be present, and stay connected.

Orientations

Anchor is all about safety–we want every Captain to be familiarized with a boat before they show up for their first charter. Additionally, we want to ensure every boat is equipped with the proper safety gear. Orientations are our way of ensuring safety and quality across the fleet.

When a new boat owner signs up for our program, we take several factors into consideration when determining whether or not they require an Orientation. In certain situations, an Orientation may be required before the Owner’s listing can go live or book their first charter–while in other situations where the Owner has been a part of another charter program (or charters properly on their own), an Orientation may not be required.

Captains can apply for Orientations in their service area. If accepted to attend the Orientation, Captains should treat this as a working interview–dress to impress, be on time, and do research on the vessel’s systems prior to arrival. Attendance alone does not guarantee a Captain will make it on the approved operator list.

Using the app

Here at Anchor, we’re dedicated to making Captains’ lives safer and easier, and we built the Anchor Captain app with Captains and Crew in mind. Captains take on a lot of risk and responsibility in their line of work, and we wanted to create something that made their lives a little easier.

The Anchor Captain app makes accepting “gigs” as simple as the touch of a button. The app provides Captains and Crew with information about your gigs such as pay rates, dates, times, location, customer details, boat specs, and boat owner information. That way Captains and Crew can work independently and have proper documentation on their gigs in the palm of their hands. Everything you need to know for your charters (and deliveries) on one screen.

The Anchor Captain app also allows Captains to click through and document check in and check out processes for boats. Owners want, and some laws require, Captains to check in and check out a boat before and after a charter. The Anchor Captain app walks Captains through a step-by-step process to ensure check in and check out procedures are properly followed.

Lastly, we built the Anchor Captain app to empower entrepreneurs. The app gives Captains the ability to share & sell charters by sharing their affiliate links–allowing each Captain to be a charter broker and earn income off the water. The all new My Boats section of the app gives Captains quick links and QR codes for their rostered boats. When customers book using a Captain’s link, Captains earn commission for their referrals, in addition to their already competitive pay rates.

Using the Anchor Captain app protects Captains and Owners. Failure to use the app properly may result in delay of payout and/or denial of claims. We encourage every Captain to use the Anchor Captain app to ensure safety across the community.

Affiliate brokers

Captains and Crew, Yacht Brokers, Professional Charter Brokers, Travel Agents, and even Social Media Influencers can earn more as an Affiliate Broker. Brokers earn commission by booking their clients through Anchor’s online booking platform.

We’ve created an incredible set of tools for Brokers–giving open and free access to thousands of boats worldwide. In addition to a worldwide fleet, Anchor provides brokers with an end-to-end booking tool which takes the headache out of booking charters.

Use built-in commission or send a custom offer with our new Send Offer tool. Brokers can customize any offer to their client privately, setting your own rates and commissions.

Affiliate brokers are expected to use the Anchor website to send offers and submit charter requests on behalf of their client–or you can use your affiliate links and let your clients use Anchor’s online booking process. When used properly, affiliate links are tracked and brokers can earn commission seamlessly–receiving support from Anchor’s support staff along the way.

Affiliates will only earn commission when they use the website properly. Affiliates must send offers and submit leads online or have your client submit a lead online. It is not Anchor’s responsibility to find your client a boat. Use Anchor’s search engine to find your client an available boat, and Anchor’s support team will assist you and your client after you or your client have submitted the charter request online.

Employment

Captains are not employed by Anchor. Captains are freelance independent contractors or in some cases employed by the Owner of the boat. There should never be a presumption of an employee/employer relationship between Anchor and any Captain or Crew.

Paid gigs

Each Boat Owner has the ability to set their Captain & Crew rates–Anchor does not set the pay rates. Rates are subject to change. Once a charter is booked, the rate is confirmed. Estimated pay rates are displayed when marking yourself available for a gig.

Pay rates may change if there is a service dispute or cancellation.

Getting paid

Our goal is to pay Captains, Crew, and Owners fast–like really fast! We currently pay weekly and our goal is to pay within 48 hours of the charter departure date.

The pay week begins on Wednesday and ends on Tuesday at midnight. All charters that departed Wednesday through Tuesday will be paid by midnight that Friday. All funds are paid via Stripe. You can set up your Stripe account in the Payment Center.

Pro tip: be sure to use the same email address you used to create your Anchor account when connecting your Stripe account. If you use a different email address, your Stripe account will not connect properly.

If you do not have a Stripe account, unpaid funds will remain in your Stripe balance until a Stripe account is created. Funds will remain available for 120 days. After 120 days, funds may no longer be available. Additional fees may apply or payment may be forfeited altogether.