Nekton boats may come back!!

[vladimir]

Large corporation who? Nekton or even Aggressor? Give me a break.

Hilton and Mariott are large corporations but you can get a full refund on a 24 hr notice. This is not the question of size, my friend.

You made a general statement about contracts:

In a contract, both sides should be equal.

I responded with a general statement about contracts:

You would have a hard time entering into a contract with a large corporation if you insisted upon equality.

I apologize if that was confusing.

Yes, I realize that these are not large corporations. All the more reason they might need an escape clause to avoid runninng successive charters that lose money. Yes, if they are consistently losing money they should adjust their business model, but they might have commitments to customers a year or more into the future. Would you have them run 50 consecutive charters with 1 diver aboard? I think they all realize that invoking the escape clause is detrimental to their business, and clearly they are reluctant to do so. As Cappyjon has noted, Nekton ran a lot of money-losing charters and I have seen Peter Hughes go out with just a handful of divers.

 

[donhealy]

Well,
There is the conundrum. Does Kris want to write a marketing plan the addresses the mid to low end market or the mid to high end market. Some good marketing research needs to go into that one. Clay M. and Explorer Ventures or AquaCat might be a good place to start.

FLL meets an unmet customer desire (and niche) but does it satisfy the financial expectations of the white knights. Great Exuma or Nassau might require less working capital and have lower variable expenses but will it attract the required customer base. Isn't it fun setting up a new business?

BTW, you can ask EV how much it costs to run a boat out of the Bahamas and how difficult it can be to get replacement parts and a decent price on food.

Don

Don

 

[EVFleet]

Aw, there you go, Don, draggin' me into it! Interesting thread but you don't want to get me started!!!

;-)

Frank, tell 'em about the lunch we had in Casper 15 or so years ago...!

eace2:

 

[tarponchik]

Not true, I am in the >500,000 category, and do lots of trips with Aggressor/ Aquacat ect. If I booked private yachts, I would only be able to do a couple of trips a year, I now dow at least 5 liveaboard trips a year.

This is exactly what I said.

 

[tarponchik]

Yes, I realize that these are not large corporations. All the more reason they might need an escape clause to avoid runninng successive charters that lose money.

Your argument was about the corporations size, sort of "you lose anyway cause they are big and can pay ****loads of money to their lawyers." I would agree with this argument in general but pointed out that (1) it is not applicable to liveaboard charters cause they are small, and (2) in fact large corporations are more generous. There is nothing easier than canceling your bookings at Hilton, or returning unwanted stuff to WalMart. Now you are trying to switch the argumentation back from legal to business side. Like I explained earlier, I am not pushing the idea that liveaboards should lose money going out with 2-3 divers aboard; I am against the idea that I should also lose. Their no-refund-upon-cancellation rules are based on a false the assumption that they are always completely booked and they had refused other customers in favour of my reservation. Also, I had refused other liverboards/resorts when I chose them.

 

[vladimir]

Your argument was...
Now you are trying to switch the argumentation...

Wow, I didn't even know I was arguing. I'll tell you what: I surrender, you win, okay?

 

[daniel1948]

I'm jumping in without having read all 100 + posts. I sailed on the Nekton Pilot a little over a year ago. I quite liked it. I thought it was very well run. I know nothing about the business side, but the crew and the boat were excellent. Since I get seasick easily, the swath design was a big plus for me. (Aqua Cat this winter was more luxurious, but I got extremely sick during the crossing from the Exumas to Eleuthera.)

So I'd seriously consider returning to a swath boat. I gather the Rorqual is nearly the same as the Pilot. Within reason, cost is not a big factor for me. Departing from a U.S. port would be a big plus, but not a necessity. Foreign flagging would be okay if I was convinced that safety inspections were not being compromised. One or two mornings structured for freediving would be cool. I was not yet diving nitrox when I sailed on the Pilot, but I thought that offering only EAN 27 or 28 was chintzy. On the Aqua Cat we got 32% plus or minus 1%. I'm certified to dive nitrox and it's my responsibility to know my MOD and stay above it. That would be my only complaint about Nekton.

Good luck with your project. I think seasick divers everywhere would like to see a swath boat back on the water.

 

[H2O Gal]

Not true, I am in the >500,000 category, and do lots of trips with Aggressor/ Aquacat ect.

Diverdoug, are you married?? (just kidding!)

Sign me up with the leaving from Florida vote--I flew to FLL on the Nekton trip I took, but I liked having the option to drive if I wanted to. And I certainly wouldn't hesitate to book a trip on a refit SWATH boat, if the price was right. I am one of the people who barely make enough to go on a liveaboard trip, so cost is certainly a deciding factor on who I book with. Good luck with your endeavor!

 

[diverdoug1]

Yup, married to my best friend & dive partner!

 

[navi_jen]

Can't provide input about liveaboard destinations, but having owned & worked in the bike vacation industry for many years (while in my 20s and early 30s) wanted to pass along a few ideas.

The most successful operators often underpriced their weekend and/or stateside trips. This allowed new clientele to gain confidence with the operator before plunking down thousands of dollars on an overseas vacation ($4 to $7k total, including ground & air). The bike operators foreign destinations usually have a greater profit margin built in, in order to recoup the losses of the domestic trips (and to take advantage of the customer's subconcious acceptance of 'it's foreign, it must be more expensive than the inn on Sanibel/Nantucket/Sonoma). Translation: When building your plan, don't assume that every itinerary should have the same profit margin. It's all about supply & demand.

Think about the longterm viability of the entire business and how your price structure & product can attract relatively novice divers and can help convert them into diehard veteran divers. Marketing studies have shown welcoming a repeat customer is 70-80%cheaper than attracting a new one...

And, other posters are correct. In the long run, service & accomodations are what will make or break the company. Think long and hard about how your product will be different than your competition. Whether it be unusual itineraries or themed trips (ie partner with Wood's Hole students to have 'guest lectures'), you need to stand out from the other operators.

And, having an eagle eye focused squarely on your fixed operating costs and cash flow. As a consultant, I can tell you that most (75%) of independent restaurants fail within the first 5 years...mostly due to cash flow issues.

Hope these ideas are helpful. I wish you best of luck, as I look forward to diving off a liveaboard one day

Jen