How to Use This Calculator
This tool is designed for independent captains — fishing guides, snorkeling tour operators, sunset cruise skippers — who need to set per-seat prices that cover all costs and include a real paycheck. Most captains price by gut feel or by matching competitors; this approach often results in working for free or below minimum wage.
- Select your trip type to load sensible defaults (you can adjust every field).
- Enter fuel details. Use "Enter GPH directly" if you know your boat's burn rate, or switch to "Estimate from HP" to use the marine engine rule of thumb (gasoline: HP × 10% = GPH at WOT; at 75% cruise throttle = HP × 7.5%).
- Enter per-trip variable costs: slip/harbor fee, bait and tackle, and mate wages.
- Enter monthly fixed costs: loan payment, insurance, maintenance reserve, and licenses.
- Set your target captain income — what you want to earn per month (gratuity is separate and not included here).
- Enter your booking platform commission rate if you use FareHarbor, Boatsetter, GetMyBoat, Viator, or similar.
- Read the results: the big number is your minimum per-seat price at your expected fill rate. The breakdown table shows exactly where every dollar goes.
The Formula, Explained
Fixed cost per trip = (monthly fixed costs) ÷ trips_per_month
Captain wage per trip = target_monthly_income ÷ trips_per_month
Total cost per trip = fuel + slip + bait/tackle + mate + fixed_per_trip + captain_wage_per_trip
Required gross (pre-platform) = total_cost ÷ (1 − platform_rate)
Minimum seat price = required_gross ÷ (capacity × fill_rate)
The platform commission is applied after calculating all costs because the platform takes its cut from your gross revenue — so you must charge more to net the same amount.
Source / method: Fuel estimates follow the marine engine rule of thumb documented by Boating Magazine (0.50 lb/hp·hr for gasoline ÷ 6.1 lb/gal; 0.4 lb/hp·hr for diesel ÷ 7.2 lb/gal). Cruising at 75% throttle reduces WOT fuel burn by approximately 50% per the same source.
When to Use This Tool
Season pricing review: Run this before each season when fuel prices, insurance premiums, or marina fees change. A $0.50/gal diesel increase on a 20 GPH boat running 20 trips a month adds $200/month to your costs.
New trip format launch: Pricing a new sunrise trip, night snorkel, or whale-watch excursion? Adjust duration and variable costs to see whether your market-rate price is profitable.
Evaluating a platform listing: Enter the platform's commission percentage to see exactly what seat price you need to list. If your competitor is cheaper on Viator and still profitable, they likely have lower overhead (paid-off boat, higher fill rate).
Mate vs. solo analysis: Set mate cost to $0 to compare solo operation profit against hiring crew at a given mate wage.
Common Pricing Mistakes
- Not including your own wage. The "target captain income" field is the most commonly omitted item. If you leave it out, you are your own unpaid employee.
- Forgetting platform commission in the listed price. If you net $60/seat but pay 10% to the platform, you needed to list at $66.67/seat — not $60.
- Assuming a full boat every trip. Price at 60–70% fill, and let a full boat be the profit day, not the break-even requirement.
- Underestimating maintenance. Marine engines and hulls are expensive. A realistic reserve is 10–15% of the boat's annual value, spread monthly.
- Using WOT fuel burn. Cruise fuel consumption is significantly lower than wide-open throttle; the idle/slow-speed hours input captures anchor time separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I calculate fuel cost for a charter trip?
- Multiply your engine's gallons-per-hour (GPH) consumption by trip hours, then by fuel price per gallon. For gasoline engines, a reliable rule of thumb is HP ÷ 10 = GPH at wide-open throttle; at cruise speed (75% throttle) use HP × 0.075. For diesel, use (HP × 0.4) ÷ 7.2 = GPH. Add separate idle hours at roughly 30% of cruise GPH for anchor and slow-speed time.
- What is a realistic booking platform commission for fishing charters?
- Most charter booking platforms (FareHarbor, Boatsetter, GetMyBoat, Viator) charge 6–20% commission on gross revenue. Many operators use 10–15% as a working estimate when they use multiple channels. The calculator applies the commission to gross revenue, so the per-seat price you enter into a listing is already the inflated figure that nets you your target.
- How many passengers can I legally carry on a USCG-licensed charter?
- A USCG Six-Pack license (OUPV) limits you to 6 paying passengers. Carrying 7 or more on a vessel under 65 feet requires a USCG Master 100-ton (or higher) license, and the vessel must have a Certificate of Inspection (COI) specifying the maximum. Always confirm your exact COI number before changing capacity assumptions.
- Should gratuity be included in the listed seat price?
- Industry convention is to keep gratuity separate. Guests tip 15–20% of the trip cost directly to captain and mate at trip end. Including it in the listed price can suppress bookings because the comparison price looks higher. Instead, account for your mate's wages as a per-trip variable cost in this calculator, and communicate tip expectations clearly in your booking page description.
- What fill rate should I assume when setting seat prices?
- Independent fishing and excursion charter operators typically average 60–80% fill rate across a season, with higher rates in peak weeks. Pricing at 65–70% fill protects you from losses on slower days. A fully-booked trip at a 70%-fill price yields about 42% margin above your variable break-even — a useful cash buffer for unexpected repairs.
- How do fixed monthly costs convert to a per-trip cost?
- Sum all monthly fixed costs (boat loan, insurance, maintenance reserve, permits) and divide by trips per month. Running 20 trips/month with $1,150/month in fixed costs = $57.50 fixed cost per trip. Run fewer trips and each must absorb a larger fixed overhead share — which is why off-season or low-trip-count pricing often needs to be higher, not lower.