P2P Bass Boat Experience?

[Bennie985]

Just wondering if anyone has experience renting their Bass Boat out via a 3rd party website like boatsetter?

 

I've been fishing from a 27' tri-toon on Lake St. Clair for a few years and am giving some serious thought to purchasing a 20' multi-species boat.

I'm able to fish ~25 times per season and its a great experience, but I'm limited to drift fishing and the family 'toon is slow to get from point A to B.

 

For me, its hard to justify purchasing another $60k boat, but if I could rent the fishing boat out a few times each month it would make a serious dent in the payments.  I'm interested because it seems there are very few options for boat rentals on St. Clair (maybe because there are so many guide services?)

My hopes are out-of-towners without a boat would be interested in renting mine, as it would be priced well below what a guide costs.

 

Let me know if you've had an experience with P2P boat rentals good/bad and if you think this idea might be viable. 

 

Also I'd like to hear opinions on how much better the fishing experience is with a good trolling motor, side scanning fish finder, and other features of a bass boat. 

 

Thanks for the advice.

-Ben

 

 

[Fishing Rhino]

There is an old expression about getting a rent a car.  "Drive it like you stole it." That is said as a joke, but if there wasn't a nugget of truth in it, it wouldn't be funny.

 

The first person you need to talk to is your insurance man.

[A-Jay]

On 12/14/2019 at 8:32 PM, Bennie985 said:

Also I'd like to hear opinions on how much better the fishing experience is with a good trolling motor, side scanning fish finder, and other features of a bass boat. 

 

Thanks for the advice.

-Ben

 

 

Hello Ben and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ 

Besides the insurance required (as mentioned above) renting your rig sounds like a headache waiting to happen.

As for judging the 'bass boat experience', perhaps fish with a reputable guide for a day or two and see for your self.

Bet you learn some stuff too.

Good Luck 

A-Jay

[Jig Man]

I don’t know of a person to whom I would loan my boat let alone rent it to a stranger.  There are way too many expensive things which can be damaged or ruined by someone who doesn’t know how to operate them.

[MN Fisher]

28 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

I don’t know of a person to whom I would loan my boat let alone rent it to a stranger.  There are way too many expensive things which can be damaged or ruined by someone who doesn’t know how to operate them.

Add to this: by renting the boat via advertising, you are in fact 'running a business'. There might be licensing issues, permits and registering as a business - plus business insurance in addition to the regular insurance on the boat.

[Fishing Rhino]

You own the boat.  You may/can be held responsible for injuries/deaths  and losses due to someone else's actions.  I don't think I could get a good night's sleep being responsible for someone else's actions.

 

A few years ago, a local U.S. congressman rented a sailboat and abandoned it rather than returning it according to the terms of the rental contract. He just tied it to a dock and walked away.  It was a good sized sailboat, not just a "puddle jumper".

 

It became a nightmare for the owner of the boat.  He got a bill from the boat yard where it was abandoned for mooring or dock rental space.

 

The marina would not turn it over to the owner until the bill was paid.

 

I addition to the licensing mentioned by an earlier poster, you may need to have a licensed operator on the boat.  That will vary according to state regs.

[Dirtyeggroll]

Have you thought about being the one doing the renting?

[Bennie985]

Great points everyone, especially about liability. 

What a horror story about the sailboat, Rhino.