Glossary

Charter Operator Glossary

50 terms every charter operator should know.

50 terms in 5 categories

Charter Types

12 terms

Bareboat charter

Customer operates vessel without captain. Customer must be qualified.

Captained charter

Operator provides licensed captain. Most common for larger vessels.

Day charter

Charter lasting single day.

Half-day charter

4-hour charter block.

Overnight charter

Charter including accommodation aboard.

Multi-day charter

2+ day charter. Common for sailing and fishing.

Fishing charter

Charter for sport fishing. Captain plus often a mate.

Sailing charter

Charter with sailing vessel. Bareboat or captained.

Whale watching charter

Charter for whale/wildlife observation.

Private charter

Charter exclusively for one party.

Shared charter

Charter combining multiple parties on same trip.

Corporate charter

Charter for business clients or entertainment.

Vessels & Operations

10 terms

Charter fleet

Vessels owned or operated by charter company.

Helm

Steering position on vessel.

Cockpit

Area aft of cabin on sailboats. Area around helm on powerboats.

Galley

Kitchen aboard vessel.

Saloon / salon

Main cabin living area.

Tender

Small boat for transporting people and supplies.

Slip

Docking space for vessel.

Marina

Harbor facility for vessel moorage.

Shore power

Electrical connection from dock.

A morning list of what needs your call

Expiring insurance, a departure with no guide, a lapsed CPR card: each with the button to fix it.

No credit card required. 21-day free trial.

Morning brief listing an insurance renewal, a cruise with no guide and an expired CPR certificate

Captains & Crew

9 terms

USCG 6-pack

License for up to 6 passengers on uninspected vessel.

100-ton Master

License for larger vessels, up to 100 gross tons.

Auxiliary sailing endorsement

License extension for sailing vessels.

Offshore endorsement

License extension for waters beyond protected shoreline.

First mate

Second-in-command crew member.

Deckhand

Crew member assisting captain. No captain license required.

Gratuity

Tip to captain and crew. Typically 15-20%.

Day rate

Captain daily pay. $200-800+ varies.

STCW certification

International crew standards for commercial vessels.

Compliance & Safety

9 terms

COI (Certificate of Inspection)

USCG document for commercial passenger vessels.

Documented vessel

Federally documented (instead of state registered).

Passenger for hire

Legal status triggering USCG commercial rules.

Insurance

Commercial marine liability required for charter operations.

EPIRB

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. Required on larger charters offshore.

VHF radio

Marine radio. Channel 16 distress.

USCG inspection

Regular audit of commercial passenger vessels.

Safety briefing

Pre-departure passenger briefing. Required.

Manifest

Passenger list per trip.

Booking & Business

10 terms

Deposit

Partial payment at booking, 25-50% typical.

Full payment

Some charters require full at booking.

Security deposit

Hold on customer payment for potential damage.

Damage waiver

Optional customer purchase limiting liability.

Cancellation policy

Rules around refunds for cancellations.

Weather policy

Rules around operator-canceled charters.

Fuel policy

Customer vs operator fuel responsibility.

Gratuity

Customer tip to captain and crew.

Provisioning

Food, drinks, ice. Included or customer responsibility.

Turn-around

Time between charters for cleaning and restocking.

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