CONDITIONS OF HIRE AND DRIVE

Boating and water activities can present a number of dangers. At Boating West, we strive to supply vessels only to people with the necessary skills and attitude to safely use our boats. We do this to ensure the safety of you, your passengers, and all other water users. Having a Recreational Skippers Ticket does not automatically qualify you to operate our boats. We reserve the right to refuse use of our boats if we deem you unsuitable.

1. Bookings of the 5.7m Aluminium Bow Riders “Wahoo” (UVI 440866) and “Nomad TD1565” (UVI 439250) require a Recreational Skippers Ticket accompanied by a current Drivers License or other form of suitable ID in the same name, and the hire will only commence once both have been supplied/sighted.

2. The skipper must be free of alcohol and prohibited drugs when operating the vessel. Staff have the authority to refuse hire where a person appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of vessel handover. If a major incident occurs the skipper will be asked to undertake a drug and alcohol test upon arrival back at the jetty.

3. Hirers are required to keep within a distance of 5 nautical miles from the mainland coast, and must stay within range of the Local Coast Station VHF radio. This station will be advised to you at the time of handover.

4. A maximum of 6 passengers is allowed upon the vessel at any time. If our staff reasonably believe that more than 6 people have, or intend to be, brought on board this vessel, we reserve the right to refuse the commencement of hire or terminate the hire immediately. In such circumstances, no refund or compensation will be provided.

5. The skipper must obey all local, state and federal laws, and local speed restrictions must be adhered to at all times, with a maximum speed of 25 knots.

6. When in the vicinity of navigational hazards, boat speed is to be reduced to 10 knots or the speed limit (whichever is the least). The same holds for operating in channels or restricted waterways.

7. The vessel is to be operated during daylight hours only.

8. The skipper must only operate the vessel in weather and sea conditions that are safe for the vessel, it’s occupants, and the intended area of operation. Weather and sea conditions can change rapidly, and it’s the skipper’s responsibility to continually monitor conditions throughout the hire and return to shore before conditions become unsafe. Boating West may, at it’s sole discretion, refuse, delay, shorten or terminate a hire if we consider actual or forecast weather or sea conditions to be unsuitable. Any weather information, forecasts or guidance provided by Boating West is provided as general information only and does not constitute a representation or guarantee that conditions will remain safe throughout the hire.

9. The skipper is required to stay at a minimum distance of 50 metres from any persons in the water, any popular areas of beach users, and any other vessels using the designated cruising area, except in areas where it is impossible to maintain such distances, such as channels and shallow water areas.

10. Dogs may be brought on board the vessel only with prior written approval from Boating West. If our staff reasonably believe that a dog or other animal has been, or is intended to be, brought on board this vessel without prior approval, we reserve the right to refuse the commencement of hire or terminate the hire immediately. In such circumstances, no refund or compensation will be provided.

11. Although indicative local maps are supplied to the skipper at handover, it is the responsibility of the skipper to update himself/herself about the local conditions of their destination and route. This includes the weather forecast and sea conditions for the area of boat operation during the hire period.

12. Navigational hazards such as reefs, shoals, sand bars, etc. are to be avoided by keeping a vigilant lookout and also monitoring electronic charts.

13. The approved skipper must remain on the vessel at all times during the hire period while it is operational.

14. The vessel must only be operated in the agreed operating area, as discussed at the time of handover.

15. All commercial hire is subject to the boat meeting the required survey category and agreement by Boating West, and noted on the hire agreement by Boating West.

16. The vessel will be supplied with a full tank of unleaded fuel at the time of handover, and must be returned in the same condition. For hires that include a launch and retrieve service, the vessel will be refuelled by Boating West staff after the hire has finished, at the expense of the hirer. For boats returned without a full tank of unleaded fuel, Boating West will charge the nominated skipper at the rate of $3.00 per litre for fuel and a $100 administration fee.

17. If the incorrect fuel is used at the time of refuelling (for example E10, diesel, or water) the nominated skipper will be charged for the incorrect fuel to be removed, and for any damage to the motor.

BOOKINGS

1. Bookings are confirmed upon receipt of full payment of the approved hire dates. A $500 bond is held as a pre-authorisation against the card you booked with, and released within 3 business days of the end of a hire, upon successful inspection of the boat where no damage or loss of equipment has occurred.

2. Damage to the boat valued at less than $500 will be deducted from the bond. If the damage or loss exceeds $500 the bond will be retained in full to cover insurance excess costs.

3. For large damages an insurance excess of $5,000 applies. The hirer agrees to cover all expenses in order to return the boat back to the same condition it was hired in. Due to our remote location repair quotes can take time. In such conditions, your bond will be held until a quote can be secured.

4. Boating West will supply the vessels Wahoo (UVI 440866) and Nomad TD1565 (UVI 439250) in a fit and proper condition at each commencement of hire. Any defects will be rectified at the cost of the hirer on completion of the hire period, and any associated recovery costs of the vessel will be charged to the responsible skipper.

CANCELLATIONS AND LATE RETURN

At Boating West, we prefer to work with you and move your booking to another suitable date where possible, however we understand that sometimes cancellations are unavoidable. As such:

1. Cancellations received 30 days or more before the hire period will have the payment of hire refunded in full.

2. Cancellations less than 30 days from the booked hire will only have the payment of hire refunded in full if another booking is received for the entirety of the booked period. If a booking is received for part of the hire period, a refund amount will be worked out on an individual case basis.

3. Once a hire has commenced there will be no refund for early return for any reason, unless another booking is received over the hired period.

4. In the instance that bad weather is forecast, any hire will be rescheduled where possible, or cancelled and fully refunded if rescheduling is not possible. At Boating West, “bad weather” is defined as the daily predicted wind speed being consistently over 20 knots, and/or swells greater than 4 metres, as determined by the Bureau of Meteorology, or at the sole discretion of Boating West. In the event that a person has a hire period of longer than one day, cancellations or partial cancellations will be done on a case by case basis, at the discretion of the owners.

5. Late return of the boat will be charged at a late return fee of $100 per hour past the agreed upon time. It is the nominated skipper’s responsibility to make sure that adequate time is allowed to return the boat at the agreed time. If the boat is not going to be returned on time, it is the nominated skipper’s responsibility to notify Boating West accordingly by text message or phone call. By keeping Boating West advised of the boat’s estimated return time, the late return fee may be cancelled or reduced.