North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Does any one know why all the charter businesses around town are for sale?
Obsession
River to reef
Beales
Fish darwin
Dundee explorer
And equinox have a couple boats up to
Must be tuff times as an FTO

It's a poop of a buisness to be in. You are on call 24 hours a day taking bookings. you do 16 hour days most of the time, the tourism industry is slowing down in Darwin as no one has any money, fishing is getting harder, overheads are getting higher- Fuel costs, insurances boat storage fees ect.

There is about 30 reasons I can think of not to stay in the fto buisness. Most of those charters have been for sale for a fair while.

It would be crazy to buy a charter buisness. It would be cheaper and easier to start your own from scratch!

Equinox has had boats for sale for 5 years I reckon, my not have been that long but feels like it, would be at least 3 years.

River to reef owner is moving interstate.
And from my understanding fish darwin was more of a booking business, don't think they took out fishos them self, but may be wrong. I'm pretty sure he left town a while ago and been up running it from interstate.

The others I do t really know about the others.
River to reef has been going for some times and always seems busy, would probably be a good business to purchas if you were looking to get into that industry.

Fish Darwin doe's run charters. It used to do mostly half day of Darwin harbor.

cuddlescooper wrote:It would be crazy to buy a charter buisness. It would be cheaper and easier to start your own from scratch!

Cuddles think you'll find the only way you can get a license to catch reefies as-well as barra at the moment is to buy into an existing license - no new licenses for FTO's catching reefies last I heard - just what I heard though I could be wrong.

Yes Nath you are right. You have to buy an existing FTO in the so called "Western Zone" now as they are all capped I believe. I still cant see most of these companies selling in a hurry.

Sheesh, didnt know about Obsession

Like most tourism related businesses, I think it would be an awful way to try to make a $.
So many variables, so little money. They still only charge $250/day – I used to run a 4wd business in the 80’s and that was my rate then.

Theres still a healthy market for a 'GOOD' half day fishing charter business in Darwin, theres a good regular client base tnere.
Its been proven by one operator in recent years.
One problem with failing charter businesses is the owner operators...non fishing & non boating people buying into it....they think its easy and no work...dumbass's.!!

I still love it , think i have been at it the longest now and have worked out how to manage it better in my old age.

Hemi wrote:Theres still a healthy market for a 'GOOD' half day fishing charter business in Darwin, theres a good regular client base tnere.
Its been proven by one operator in recent years.
One problem with failing charter businesses is the owner operators...non fishing & non boating people buying into it....they think its easy and no work...dumbass's.!!

I think this is the biggest point Hemi. People who know the area and are good with people. They are hard to find!

Compare running a tourism business to a sales based business and there is a clear winner.
Tourism you need a min daily number to break-even but you can only ever get to your max number of customers and that’s it, you cant make any more for that day.
Once you are full, you cant make any more $ unless you go into marketing products, caps, shirts etc etc.
With sales based businesses, there is no theoretical limit to the amount of customers you can have in one day.

Lots of fishing tourism businesses think they are selling fishing and forget they are selling the whole experience, wildlife, scenery, and the fish is just cream on the top

Just for your information, Obsession Fishing is not up for sale atm, but it will be next year!
This is my 18th season in the industry and the last three financial years have been my most profitable. The only reason Obsession will be up for sale is my wife is from NZ and we will be packing up and moving to the land of the long white cloud next year, as they say "happy wife happy life"!
And Cuddlescooper, until you know the price of a business, don't make ridiculous comments saying it would be crazy to buy an existing business and cheaper to start your own! I bought an existing business and it has been the best decision of my life.
Cuddlescooper, have you done your sums? You price a 200series Landcruiser, 6.3m Surveyed barra boat, an existing business of 18 years with 18 years of goodwill and advertising out there!
Cuddlescooper, again, you said you couldn't see most of these companies selling in a hurry - well, River and Reef has sold in a month without advertising, to an existing tour operator - obviously a profitable business to buy. So I suggest before you open your big mouth you should think about what you are saying, as obviously you have no idea...

"we will be packing up and moving to the land of the long white cloud next year"

JJ- you know trout don't boof...............but Kingies do!

Looking forward to 40kg boofing Kingies, the worlds largest Striped Marlin and the odd one or two snap snaps.
Might even start up another profitable charter business look out for obsessionfishing.co.nz
Will miss the boofing Barra though.