Chartering a Boat for Your Marathon Swim

Aside from training, hiring a boat and captain is one of the most important aspects of a marathon swim. In the 20 years I have been involved in marathon swimming, I have seen at least a half dozen swims derailed, called or canceled due to a poorly written charter agreement that protected only the charter and was subject to interpretation. A well drafted agreement will protect both parties and leave nothing to chance. In my opinion, such an agreement should include:

• Exact dates and times of the charter
• Total hours charter provides (dock to dock)
• Total fees and any additional fees for exceeding allotted hours
• Options available if allotted hours are exceeded
• Start time
• Anticipated finish time
• Hour of day when boat must return to dock
• Swim route
• List of meals provided by boat (if any)
• Number of captains (remember, if a swim is going to be 12 hours or more dock to dock, maritime rules require a second captain to be on board)
• Total number of passengers allowed on boat including swimmer and observer(s)
• Charter rules and any penalties for breaking them
• Options or contingency plans due to inclement weather or un-swimmable conditions

A charter agreement should never get in the way of a successful swim. The swimmer, charter company and boat captain can eliminate all misunderstandings and have a document to reference should the need arise with a properly executed contract.