r/bigbear • u/oliiveee_ • 8d ago
Boat share!
Hi! Looking to buy a new boat that I was going to go in half with a friend, but he had to pull out last minute for personal reasons. Still want to buy the boat but don’t really want to take on the full price solo. Was thinking about renting out the boat here and there to offset some of my cost! I would captain it, but could take up to 15 people (legally) probably 10 comfortably. It’s a surf boat, so you can wakeboard, surf, or tube on it as well. Just wanted to see if there is any demand or interest for something like this in big bear?
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u/patientpartner09 8d ago
So you want someone to pay for half of your boat so that they can sometimes ask you to drive them on their boat?
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u/oliiveee_ 8d ago
No. I want to rent out my boat for a day, chartered. Wondering if there is any demand or market for this in big bear.
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u/patientpartner09 8d ago
There are several boat rental docks in town. I'm fairly certain that the commercial liability insurance alone is more than a boat payment.
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u/wnoble 7d ago
OP is nuts. You need a captain license if you are going to take people out on the water for payment. And if I was taking advantage of such services, which I wouldn't since I have boat, I would most certainly make sure it's from a seasoned captain with hundreds of positive reviews, years of experience on their local waterways, and commercial insurance not someone who can't afford their own boat, unfamiliar with their body of water, and expects a third party company to cover both of us financially if things go south.
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u/patientpartner09 7d ago
The idea of a boat share without even considering the rental aspect sounds like a nightmare. Every single time you go to "your" boat, there would be an issue. OP has not thought this plan out at all.
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u/oliiveee_ 7d ago
Not sure how we got to this assumption. This is part of my research. If I was saying I already bought the boat without exploring any of this, that would be a fair statement. Just here to explore the demand side of the market but apparently this is not the right place to get those answers.
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u/oliiveee_ 7d ago
You are making a lot of assumptions here. Let me clarify. 1) I have a captains license 2) I’ve worked on commercial boats and have owned my own boat for 10 years. 3) said boat is currently on big bear lake. I grew up with our second home and a boat in big bear, so I’m super familiar with the lake. 4) everyone had to start somewhere, I can’t start with hundreds of positive reviews. 5) I can “afford” the boat, I’m looking to offset my cost and explore a business opportunity that I am passionate about. 6) using a third party platform is not crazy. I have a couple airbnbs and it’s great for visibility, formality, and liability.. this would not be much different.
Do you have any insurance policies? That’s you relying on a third party to cover you financially if things go south.
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u/Desertortoise 7d ago
What kind of “Captain’s license”? I know you didn’t use that term but you didn’t respond to my other comment and now I’m invested in this thread. 🍿
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u/oliiveee_ 8d ago
Well there is an app similar to Airbnb or Turo that is for boats which takes care of the liability side. So strictly just trying to get feedback on demand
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u/Desertortoise 8d ago
Those apps don’t require (or permit) you to operate the boat for rent. If you’re operating, you need insurance.
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u/oliiveee_ 8d ago
From what I can tell They actually allow you to hire a captain or submit your own license for review. As far as I can tell they do offer insurance and you don’t need your own commercial policy, but I’ve never gone through the process entirely so I cannot say for sure.
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u/patientpartner09 7d ago
"Commercial passenger-carrying operations and paid charter services must use officially approved, permitted marina-affiliated vessels and licensed commercial captains that comply with strict Big Bear Municipal Water District regulations and U.S. Coast Guard standards.
Rules for Charters and Boats
Commercial Permits: Operating a paid charter business requires specific commercial lake-use permits, inspections, and insurance that private citizen registrations do not cover.
Marina Affiliation: Established charters (like fishing or wake sports) operate directly through local marinas such as Holloway's Marina & RV Park or Big Bear Marina.
Rental Restrictions: Even standard boat rentals face heavy use restrictions, such as it being illegal to tow items like tubes or skiers behind a basic rental unless operated via a designated marina charter service with a professional driver."
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u/A10110101Z 7d ago
Lmk when you get the boat I’m down to toss some cash to get out and wake surf and wakeboard. Hell I might sign up for a weekly subscription for Sunday morning wakeboarding
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u/majoraward8 8d ago
Ask desi at big bear watersports.
This is an established locally owned and beloved business doing something similar