Obviously, not everyone has the purchasing power to buy a boat. But there is a segment of the population that can afford to rent it as a family or with friends. The charter – as the world of leasing in the nautical sector is known – experienced effervescent moments when the hardest moment of the pandemic had already passed, but covid was still very present. Those were times when not all leisure activities generated a sense of security. In this context, there were many who chose to rent a boat to spend their holidays there. They felt more protected from the virus. This kind of boom happened, but it has left its mark. “Right now, four out of every ten boats that are sold in Spain are for the commercial sector, that is to say, for hire”, says Jordi Carrasco, director general of the National Association of Nautical Companies (ANEN). So, the trend has been consolidated as one of the main gateways to the sector.
And like everything that is trending in the world of boats, the rental can also be discovered at the Barcelona International Boat Show, which ends today. In the Old Port of the Catalan capital there are several companies dedicated to this area. One of them is Becharter. “People discover yachting through renting and then get hooked,” explains Albert Cardona, sales manager for the firm’s shipowners program. “With the pandemic, it was positioned as a safe alternative and now it has gone down, but all that has maintained a legacy”, explains Cardona.
In high season, a boat that can sleep around 8 people costs around 4,000 euros per week, says Cardona. His company is more specialized in renting without a patron to people who already have a degree. According to him, the charter alternative “will go further”. Cardona explains another advantage: “Since the boats are shared, it makes boating more ecological”.
Near his stand is Pau Fernández, a young man from Figueres who founded Wecharter. “We propose to boat owners that when they are not sailing, they rent them, adapting to them”, he describes. “It’s about doing business when the ship is stopped”, adds Fernández.
The young entrepreneur is sure that the sector is “going this way”. “People of my generation no longer want to own property, but to enjoy it. In such a global world, imagine that a job opportunity arises for you in Norway, for example. What?” argues the businessman and student of naval engineering.
Business Yacht Club Barcelona is a sailing club in the Catalan capital. Members start by paying 39 euros per month and are entitled to a trip with a skipper. “We do pedagogy about nautical”, comments Claudi Palacios, who is dedicated to boat maintenance.
“When the members gain experience, they rent on their own,” he says. According to Palacios, the America’s Cup will “encourage” the passion for sailing in Barcelona. “All this will go up”, he predicts.
Cardona, Fernández and Palacios consider the Saló Nàutic to be a good showcase to promote their initiatives and they believe that renting brings sailing closer to the public. “It’s a very important influx of new users that has been growing and has been sustained over the last few years,” says Jordi Carrasco. According to the director general of Anen, which collaborates with Fira de Barcelona in the organization of the Saló Nàutic, it is also a way for, over time, fans to “end up buying” a boat.
