JunglebeeRunning the day
Guides on selling, getting paid and running the day, from operators in the Caribbean and beyond.
Running the day articles
Snorkeling Gear: What a Snorkel Boat Captain Would Pack
A snorkel boat captain on what snorkeling gear to bring, what to borrow from the boat, reef-safe sunscreen rules and full-face mask risks.
What Is a Deckhand? The Job From the Deck to the Wheel
What is a deckhand on a Caribbean tour boat? The daily work, what operators hire for, deckhand salary data, and how the job leads to captain.
How to Start a Kayak Rental Business: Wind Comes First
How to start a kayak rental business: gear costs, permits, insurance, pricing, wind rules and a lost-paddler plan, from a St. Maarten boat guy.
How to Start a Jet Ski Rental Business
How to start a jet ski rental business: permits, insurance, buying skis, safety briefings, pricing, deposits, weather rules and online booking.
Family Business Succession for Tour and Charter Operators
Family business succession for tour and charter operators: what to move out of the founder's head and phone long before anyone takes over.
Pre-Purchase Marine Survey for a Charter Boat: What It Actually Costs (and What It Catches Before You're Stuck With It)
What a pre-purchase marine survey costs per foot, what surveyors check, and how findings affect your USCG inspection and insurance underwriting.
Charter boat captain salary: what the job really pays
Charter captain pay isn't the day rate, it's the year. An operator's take on day rates, tips, slow season and keeping good captains.
How to start a boat rental business: what I'd check first
I walk through starting a self-drive boat rental: bareboat rules, renter cards, insurance, fleet, and why the checkout briefing matters most.
How to get a captain's license: what I'd tell a new deckhand
Getting a US six-pack or Master license, plus why deck time as a mate matters more than the paper before you run guests.
Tour Operator Itinerary Software: What the Crew Actually Needs
A guide to itinerary software: test whether the guest plan and crew's working view stay in sync from booking through departure.
How to Start a Tour Guide Business: What I Would Get Right First
My operator's take on what to get right before launching a tour guide business: the trip, real costs and booking handoff.
How to become a Viator supplier: what I would prepare
What I would have ready before opening the Viator supplier portal: one trip, a clear meeting point, net vs retail, cut-offs, held seats, a weather plan.
Charter Boat Maintenance Checklist: What Keeps You Legal, Insured, and Running
USCG inspection items, safety-gear service intervals, and the records insurers want — the charter-specific maintenance checklist generic boat guides skip.
SEO for Tour Operators: The First Page I Would Fix Before Buying Ads
A founder's practical take on SEO for tour operators: fix the trip page and booking path before buying ads or chasing more traffic.
OTA Advertising for Tour Operators: What I Would Actually Pay For
A practical way to buy reach without buying more booking chaos, from a founder who has watched tour bookings break at the handoff.
USCG Vessel Documentation vs State Registration: What Actually Changes for Charter Boats
Documentation and registration solve different problems. See which one your charter boat needs, what each endorsement allows, and common costly mistakes.
The Online Reservation System I Wish We Had Before the First Booking
An operator's test for an online reservation system: real availability, payment status, crew handoff, and the changes that happen on the water.
100 Ton Captain's License: Moving Up From a Six-Pack
What changes when a six-pack captain moves up to a 100-ton Master license: sea time, TWIC, the exam, real costs, and when the upgrade actually pays off.
How to Build a Free Online Booking Website for Your Tour Business
A practical guide to building a free online booking website for a tour business, from the booking path to payment and weather-day handoffs.
Tour Operator Management Software: The Handoff I Would Fix First
A founder's view of the booking handoff that makes busy boat days harder than they need to be.
How to Start a Sunset Cruise Business: What I Would Set Up Before the First Guest
A practical founder-operator guide to building a sunset cruise product, route, weather plan, and booking handoff before the first guest.
Tour Booking Handoffs: The Operator Story I Keep Coming Back To
Tour booking handoffs are where good trips get lost. I share the operator lesson that made me rethink every booking system.
Charter Boat Insurance Requirements for Six-Pack Operators
Six-pack charter insurance isn't one federal rule. See where marina, permit, and policy requirements come from, plus the coverage stack you need.
Tour Operator Software With Reporting: What I Actually Check
The reports I would check before every trip: pending confirmations, deposits, balances, capacity, booking source, and the handoffs that still go wrong.