A boat charter website that shows the boat, the trip and the weather policy
Guests booking a charter want to see the boat, know where it goes and what's included, and be sure what happens if the weather turns. A boat charter website should answer those on every boat page and let people book a slot. Since a boat takes one charter at a time, Anticode's per-slot booking calendar fits well, with a weather policy doing the rest.
Who's booking, and what they ask
Boat hire websites serve a wide mix: a couple wanting a sunset cruise, a family hiring a self-drive day boat, a group celebrating a birthday, a company entertaining clients, and experienced sailors after a bareboat yacht for a week. Their first questions overlap more than you'd think: how many people, how long, where, is a skipper included, can we bring food and drink, and what does it cost.
A page for each boat
Keep your fleet in a CMS collection so each boat has its own page with the same fields:
- Type, length and the maximum number of passengers it's licensed or rated for.
- Skippered, crewed or self-drive, and what licence or experience self-drive needs.
- Shade, toilet, cabin, galley, swim ladder, sound system.
- Photos of the deck and interior with people on board, so the space is clear.
- The trips that boat can do and its price for each.
Show your own boat: build the site as an app that uses photos you upload, or keep trips in a CMS collection whose image field holds hosted photos; stock shots of a superyacht make a small day boat look disappointing at the quay.
Routes and what's included
Describe trips as routes guests can picture: departure point, where you'll stop, how long you'll anchor, and what they'll see. Then spell out the inclusions, because they vary widely and cause most arguments.
| Item | Say clearly |
|---|---|
| Skipper and crew | Included, or an extra; tipping customs |
| Fuel | Included, capped or charged on return |
| Food and drink | Provided, available to order, or bring your own (and any glass or alcohol rules) |
| Water toys | Snorkels, paddleboards, towables, and whether they cost extra |
| Harbour or mooring fees | Included, or paid on the day |
| Security deposit | For self-drive hire: amount handled at the quay, and when it's returned |
Booking a boat slot
Set each boat and trip length as a service on Anticode's booking calendar: "Day boat, morning", "Day boat, afternoon", "Catamaran, full day". The form asks for the service, day, time, name, phone and email, and two guests can't take the same boat in the same slot. The times are fixed (six a day from 09:00 to 17:30, Mondays skipped), so treat each as a departure time and say on the page which ones each trip uses. Dates more than 120 days ahead are refused, which suits day trips but not week-long yacht charters booked a season in advance.
The calendar takes no deposits and has no passenger-count field. Many operators confirm by phone or email anyway, then send a payment link for the deposit or full fee. For week-long charters, a custom enquiry form with dates, group size, experience and preferred boat works better than slots.
The weather and cancellation policy
Nothing builds or loses trust faster than this page. Guests want to know, before they book:
- Who decides whether a trip goes ahead: the skipper, on the day, based on the forecast and conditions.
- When you decide, and how you'll contact them.
- What they get if you cancel for weather: a rebooking, a full refund or a choice.
- What happens if they cancel, at different notice periods.
- What happens if a trip is cut short at sea for safety.
Write it in plain words and link to it next to every book button. Also cover safety basics: life jackets provided and in which sizes, children's age limits, and alcohol rules for anyone at the helm. Your licensing and insurance obligations are yours to state; the site should simply report them accurately.
Corporate and celebration enquiries
Group events often need several boats, catering and a run of emails. A custom form tied to a site function can ask for date, group size, occasion, catering, budget and contact details, and a connector can send each enquiry to Slack, a Google Sheet or HubSpot. Our page on event venues covers hospitality enquiries in more depth.
Design for the harbour
Guests often check the site at the quay, in bright sun. High contrast matters more than a moody ocean photo behind the text. Swiss (Inter Tight) or Luxury (Jost) for yacht charters, with a teal or blue action colour, keeps the page calm. Put the meeting point, parking and arrival time on its own page so your confirmation email can link to it; Anticode doesn't email guests, so you confirm each booking yourself.
Limits
- No deposits or card payments on the booking form; use payment links.
- No bookings beyond 120 days ahead and no multi-day slots.
- No live weather feed or embedded map on published pages.
- No sync with charter platforms or other booking systems.
Questions people ask
Can guests book a boat online with Anticode?
Yes, one booking per boat and trip slot on the booking calendar, up to 120 days ahead. Take payment afterwards with a payment link.
What should a charter weather policy say?
Who decides, when, how guests are told, and whether they get a rebooking or refund. Link it beside every book button.
Does it work for week-long yacht charters?
Use an enquiry form for those. The calendar handles single slots on a day, not stays across several days.