Captain Justin

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About Me

Hello I'm Justin. I have been a boater since 1995, sailor since 2018, and a charter captain for hire in Lake Michigan since 2022. In this section I'll answer a few basic questions about my services.Q: What is a bareboat charter?
A: A bareboat charter is when you rent the boat without a captain or crew included. Instead, you (the charterer) take on temporary ownership and full responsibility for the vessel during the charter period. A boat still needs a captain, which is where I come in. Think of me as your designated driver.Q: What do you charge?
A: My rates are Wednesday/Thursday: $100/hr, Weekends: $120/hr, Special Weekends/Holidays: $150/hr**Special Weekends include Memorial Day Weekend, Chicago Scene Boat Party, 4th of July Weekend, Chicago Air And Water Show, and Memorial Day WeekendTips are not required but always appreciated.I also charge a non-refundable deposit of $100 to secure a space on my calendar. The rest is paid in full prior to boarding on the day of sailing.Q: What happens if the weather is bad?
A: I check the weather the evening before and the morning of every charter. I take a fairly conservative approach to go/no-go decisions. NOAA Small Craft Advisories are an automatic no-go. If I think the weather has a good chance of turning bad, I may insist on a reschedule.Q: What is your cancellation policy?
A: Deposits are non-refundable except in specific, weather and mechanical related instances. I do accommodate reschedule requests pending schedule availability and reasonable notice given.Rescheduling due to inclement weather is possible only in the event of a published NOAA Small Craft Advisory, or at Captain's discretion. If the weather turns bad during your charter, I may insist on returning to port. If this happens, I will refund whatever time was not spent out on the water. For example if we were out for a 6 hour charter and we return an hour early, I will refund 1 hour.Rescheduling due to the mechanical condition of the boat works as follows: I have very good relationships with the owners of most boats I operate. If an owner informs me that their boat is unfit for a charter with enough notice, I will try to connect you with another owner so that we can depart as planned. If I am unable to find another boat owner, we can reschedule.