Leisure
Booking software for Boat hire businesses
The unlicensed boat goes out by the hour, the RIB by the half day, and the weather can postpone ten trips at once.
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The challenges facing boat hire businesses
By the hour for small boats, by the half day for the rest
Two units of sale and two audiences in the same base. A diary that only knows one forces you to keep the other on a chart, and it is the chart that gets it wrong.
Each boat is a hull, not a slot
Three small boats, two RIBs, one day boat. Availability is counted in boats, and one more customer does not make one appear.
Deposit, fuel, skipper: the add-ons make the contract
They are the gap between the advertised price and the price paid. Stated at booking, they surprise nobody on the pontoon.
The weather can postpone ten trips at once
A gale warning, and the whole day goes. Ten calls or one message to everyone, with the new date.
Certificate, experience, number of passengers: it all gets asked beforehand
On the day of departure it is too late to discover that a customer holds the wrong certificate or wants nine people aboard a boat coded for six.
How Kagenda helps
The problem
By the hour for small boats, by the half day for the rest
With Kagenda
Each service gets its own slots: some in the morning, others late in the day.
Hours per service
The problem
Each boat is a hull, not a slot
With Kagenda
Every session in one place, by day, week or month.
One central calendar
The problem
Deposit, fuel, skipper: the add-ons make the contract
With Kagenda
Ask your questions at booking time: reason, history, expectations.
Custom fields
The problem
The weather can postpone ten trips at once
With Kagenda
Confirmed, moved or cancelled — both you and the client are told.
Email notifications
The problem
Certificate, experience, number of passengers: it all gets asked beforehand
With Kagenda
Take a deposit at booking time and get paid online before the session.
Deposits and payments
The features that matter to you
24/7 online booking
Clients book from your page, even while you are with someone else or closed.
One central calendar
Every session in one place, by day, week or month.
Custom fields
Ask your questions at booking time: reason, history, expectations.
Deposits and payments
Take a deposit at booking time and get paid online before the session.
Email notifications
Confirmed, moved or cancelled — both you and the client are told.
Hours per service
Each service gets its own slots: some in the morning, others late in the day.
Client records
History, preferences and follow-up notes gathered on one record per client.
Automatic reminders
Texts and emails go out before every appointment, with nothing to remember.
Practical guide: Boat hire businesses
- Each boat is a named resource, with its coding and its number of places. Not "a RIB", but that one.
- Two families of service: by the hour for the small boats, half days and full days for the rest.
- Fuel, skipper, fishing kit as priced add-ons at booking. The quote is done before arrival.
- A deposit at booking, especially in high season. The balance and the security deposit are settled on the pontoon.
- A required "certificate held, experience, number of passengers" field. It is the question that prevents a cancelled departure.
- Weather cancellation from the diary: everyone is told at once, with the new date if you already have one.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a boat for a day in the UK?
Around £150 to £350 for a day boat or a canal day boat, £300 to £800 for a skippered RIB or motor cruiser, and £25 to £60 an hour for a small unlicensed craft. Set your own prices.
Do you need a licence to hire out a boat in the UK?
The customer usually does not; you almost certainly do. There is no general requirement for a recreational skipper to hold a certificate at sea in UK waters, which is why hire without qualification is possible — though the RYA Powerboat Level 2 or an ICC is what insurers and foreign waters demand. Your own obligations are substantial. Inland, hire boats need a navigation authority licence from the Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency or the Broads Authority, a Boat Safety Scheme certificate and compliance with the Hire Boat Code. At sea, a vessel carrying passengers for hire or reward is a small commercial vessel under the Maritime and Coastguard Agency codes, requiring coding, survey and a qualified skipper. Add third-party liability insurance and a written handover briefing.
How do I manage my fleet in the diary?
By declaring each boat as a named resource with its places.
Can I offer a skipper as an add-on?
Yes, with its price, at booking.
How do I postpone all my trips in a blow?
From the diary. Everyone gets their message at once.
Can I check the certificate before departure?
Yes, with a required custom field.
Ready to simplify your bookings?
Create your account in minutes and let your clients book online starting today.
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