Placing a boat into Charter - Write-off your Expenses and Generate Income In 2003, the IRS adopted new policies to help stimulate the economy. Section 179 of the Jobs & Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 allows you to deduct up to $108,000 of qualifying equipment (like an income producing yacht) purchased for business use in the year of acquisition. All of your out-of-pocket expenses become tax-deductible. This includes interest on any outstanding loan, annual depreciation, travel costs when you visit the boat, slip fees, dive service, property taxes, insurance and any equipment upgrades, repairs or replacements. We offer our new 32'- 39' Beneteaus and 38'- 44' ft Lagoons in the best Charter Fleets in San Diego. Harbor Sailboats - www.harborsailboats.com - For Beneteau Sailboats Harbor Island Yacht Club - www.harboryc.com/catamarans.htm - For Lagoon Catamarans Shelter Island Sailing - www.shelterislandsailing.com - For Beneteau Sailboats
Please ask us for references from the owners of the boats currently in the fleet. Testamonial from Beneteau Owner in charter:
From : A Very Happy Sailboat Owner
Dear Future Sailboat Owner –
If you are thinking about purchasing a sailboat, why not buy a beautiful new Beneteau and put her in charter? That’s what our family did and it was one of the best decisions we have ever made.
With the tax benefits of purchase and the income from chartering, it has not cost us one cent to own our new yacht…to the contrary, we are in the black and actually making money…and the boat is maintained better than we could do ourselves with no muss and no fuss, leaving us lots more time to do what we love best, go sailing with our family and friends.
We purchased a brand new (2006) Beneteau 373 last September from Southwestern Yacht Sales (SWYS) and put her in charter with the best charter fleet and sailing club on the west coast, Harboar Sailboats (HSB), an American Sailing Association (ASA) top school several years running, SWYS and HSB work together to maximize the charter experience and are two of the most outstanding companies I have ever had the pleasure of doing business with during my 40 years of working in San Diego. They are both simply first rate, top notch outfits.
We had taken a few ASA courses at HSB and were duly impressed with the members we met, the excellent instructors, the committed management, the friendly and helpful staff, and the wonderful facilities at Harbor Island West Marina where HSB is located. Most of all we were impressed with the cleanliness and overall pristine condition of HSB’s large fleet of quality sailboats for charter. Freddy and Julia do a first class job keeping the yachts at HSB in Bristol condition and sailing instructors Logan and Andrew make sure they are safe and sail ready each time you charter one. Laura and Leanne in the front office at HSB assure that your charter will be coordinated perfectly and hassle free. So impressed were we with the entire operation at HSB that we decided to purchase a sailboat and put her into charter with them.
Prior to putting our boat in charter we met with HSB, who carefully explained to us the benefits of chartering and we were sold. They referred us to SWYS (whose name we had heard before, always with kudos attached) and suggested to us a range of yacht sizes that would be successful in charter. They recommended that we purchase a Beneteau because they offered the most value for the buck and HSB preferred them over other sailboat manufacturers due to their high quality of construction and excellent sailing performance.
We had already looked at Hunters and Catalinas and even gone for a few test sails. Well, the first meeting we were so impressed with the quality of construction on the Beneteaus and the incredible value, we bought a new Beneteau 373 on the spot and didn’t even ask for a test sail. We just knew she was right for us (and after sailing her, she far exceeded our expectations for performance and quality – what a fantastic yacht, we couldn’t be happier).
The service we received at SWYS was exemplary. The entire team is wonderful and each and every one of them introduced themselves to us personally and made sure that everything was to our satisfaction, down to the smallest detail. They stayed in close contact with us throughout the entire commissioning process and answered any questions we had and responded to all our requests immediately.
Southwestern made the boat buying experience simple and painless from beginning to end and were a Godsend for a “newbie” family like ours who knew relatively little about boating and had never owned a yacht before (three ASA lessons, two test sails and a few outings by ourselves was our total experience at that point). They were infinitely patient, explained the entire purchase process, secured our boat financing, made sure everything was ship shape during commissioning and delivered the yacht on time and in sail away ready condition. Not one detail was overlooked. They also made us aware of certain tax benefits of chartering a boat, which will save us big money at tax time next year. All in all, it was the most pleasurable big ticket purchase we have ever made in our life. They are true professionals, putting customer service above all other considerations. No wonder they are the number one dealer for Beneteau in the USA!
They even arraigned a licensed skipper to take our family sailing for several hours on three different occasions, just to make sure we were comfortable with the yacht, the electronics and all the boat systems, prior to our taking delivery and putting her into charter. What that ever helpful! By the time we were ready to place the boat in charter with HSB, we were sailing pretty well and were very comfortable with our new 37 foot yacht (and just a few months earlier, we were white knuckled on a 22 foot Catalina). The outstanding sailing instruction we received at HSB before buying our boat and the complimentary hand holding given to us by the excellent licensed captain provided by SWYS were just the encouragement we needed to be able to take the wheel of our new yacht with confidence.
Now, we can use our new yacht whenever we please (as long as we reserve it in advance, which has never been a problem) and HSB maintains it better than we could ever dream of doing, keeps the licensing and insurance current, handles all charter arrangements and takes care of dozens of other minute details too numerous to mention. They handle all the engine and systems maintenance and best of all, they keep the boat pristine and in perfect working order at all times. Safety is a huge issue with HSB and they make sure that whoever charters our boat is duly qualified and checked out on all boat systems to assure a safe and damage free charter. As part of the charter package, they also install all the latest safety equipment and other essentials needed to make the yacht as successful as possible in the charter business.
Our yacht is always clean, serviced and ready to go at a moments notice. And every time we go out sailing, we are greeted by the very well organized and extremely helpful staff at HSB, which always makes sailing a pleasure.
If you love to sail and want it to be hassle free and not cost you a fortune in berthing and maintenance fees, then run out and buy a Beneteau at SWYS and put her into charter with HSB. It will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. And chances are, it won’t cost you a dime to go sailing whenever you want, not to mention the great new friends you will make in the sailing community!
By dealing with two of the finest yachting organizations on the West Coast, SWYS and HSB, you will also be a very happy sailboat owner. I hope to see you on the water in a new Beneteau from SWYS and also around the club at HSB.
Fair Winds,
Dr. Timothy Wilson San Diego, CA Beneteau 373 “Lea” From: A Happy Beneteau Owner with Shelter Island Sailing’s Charter Fleet
To: Anyone considering the purchase a Sailboat If you’re thinking about getting a sailboat, you should also consider the possibility of placing the boat with a charter service. The tax benefits and charter income have more than offset the costs of the boat’s purchase, I sail my beautiful Beneteau 361 whenever I please, she is very popular with the Club’s Members and the Charter Skippers and she is producing a substantial income; I received over $5,000 in Charter Income from just the first two months in service with Shelter Island Sailing. I purchased my Beneteau 361 through Southwestern Yacht Sales and worked with salesperson Allan Hardwick. Allen did a superb job helping me through all phases of the transaction and his professionalism and knowledge of the Beneteau Line is second to none. If you are thinking about buying a Beneteau, you should talk to Allen. I recommend Beneteau Sailboats, Southwestern Yacht Sales, Allan Hardwick and Shelter Island Sailing without reservation! Jon Riksford
A Zuri Experience This year is full of milestones: 15 year wedding anniversary, 50th birthday and 20th anniversary as a Harbor Sailboats proud member. My wife and I decided it was time to step up and buy a new sailboat. I think it is worthwhile for you to know a little about my history and why we decided to buy, and put our new boat into the Harbor Sailboats fleet. During these 20 years as a member of Harbor Sailboats, I have chartered many sailboats with a variety of crews~family, friends, business associates, customers and clients. What a fabulous way for those that would never otherwise have the opportunity to experience sailing the scenic San Diego Bay and the majestic Pacific Ocean. One might think that you’d grow tired of the landscape, but every time I sail, I find new beauty and appreciate the scene even more. After a day of sailing I always come back with renewed vigor and fond memories. Nothing compares to sailing next to beautiful grey whales and dolphins in the ocean, witnessing spectacular unmatched sunsets off Point Loma, sailing close and watching the fantastic tall ships stretching their sails or witnessing the America’s Cup contenders, just to mention a few.
Since inception, Tom Hirsh has continued to attract and retain the most professional and friendly team at Harbor Sailboats. It not only shows in their customer-focused approach, which has been consistent during these 20 years, but also in their member growth and variety of sailboats available for charter. I have sailed with affiliates throughout the West Coast and Harbor Sailboats shows them how it is done, hands down. The boats are immaculate, members are educated and certified, and these members treat the boats chartered with respect as if they were their own. As an acknowledgement of the trust and reverence we have for Tom and his crew, Tamara and I purchased our first sailboat and she is joining the Harbor Sailboats’ fleet. Her name is ZURI (which means beautiful in Swahili) and she is the first 2006 Beneteau 343 to the join the fleet commencing in December 2005.
So how did we find our boat? Harbor Sailboats is basically a Beneteau club. We have sailed Beneteaus not only in the club, but also with the Moorings all over the world. So we understood the quality and craftsmanship of Beneteaus which are USA built by the largest sailboat manufacturer in the world.
That's where Barrett Canfield, Vice President of Southwestern Yacht Sales comes in. He came well recommended. Since buying a new yacht would be a first for us, we proceeded with some trepidation. Meeting Barrett changed our perspective of a yacht sales dude. Not only is he educated on the whole yacht industry, and shared that education with us, but he showed that he is the delivery guru and proved Southwestern Yachts is true to their tag line …one boat at a time! From the introduction and purchase of our boat to the commissioning process, and finally, the delivery of our new Beneteau 343 we had a seamless, positive and delightful experience! The after-care” of our yacht continues to reflect the utmost in customer service demonstrated by each of the service team members at Southwestern. They are really dedicated and care about you. We highly recommend the entire team at Southwestern Yachts to help you fulfill your dream! It was truly a ZURI experience.
Enjoy, and Happy Sailing!
Jody & Tamara Krimstock
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Southwestern
Yacht Sales • 2731 Shelter Island Dr. • San Diego, CA
92106 • 888-642-5125 |