Getting your Charted Waters profile set up the right way takes about 30–45 minutes. This guide walks through every step in plain language — no technical experience needed.
When your profile is complete, guests searching for charters in your area will find you, see your boat and listings, and be able to book directly without any back-and-forth.
Before You Start
Make sure you have the following ready:
- A profile photo or your company logo (any .jpg or .png from your phone works)
- At least 2–3 photos of your boat or past trips
- Your phone number and general location (marina or area name)
- A rough idea of what trips you offer and what you charge
You don't need everything perfect to get started. You can always come back and improve things.
Step 1: Verify Your Email Address
After you sign up, Charted Waters sends a verification email to the address you registered with. You must click the link in that email before you can publish your profile. This is a one-time step.
What to do:
- Open your email inbox and look for a message from Charted Waters with the subject line about verifying your email
- Click the blue button or link inside that email
- You'll be taken back to your dashboard with a confirmation message
If you can't find the email: Check your Spam or Junk folder. If it's not there, log in to your dashboard — you'll see a yellow banner at the top with a "Resend verification" button. Click it and check your inbox again.
You won't be able to publish any listings until this step is done. It only takes a minute.
Step 2: Complete Your Operator Profile
Your operator profile is the page guests see when they find you — it's your first impression. A complete profile gets far more bookings than a blank one.
What to do:
- In your dashboard, click Settings in the left menu
- Fill in your business name (this appears at the top of your public profile)
- Add your location — be specific. "Hurricane Hole Marina, Marsh Harbour, Abaco" is better than just "Abaco"
- Write a short About section — 3 to 5 sentences about you, your experience, and what guests can expect. This is where guests decide if they trust you. See the tip below for help writing it.
- Add your phone number and website if you have one
- Upload a cover photo — this is the large image at the top of your profile page. Use your best boat photo or a good action shot from a recent trip.
- Click Save
Tip — writing your About section: Pretend a guest asked you "Why should I book with you?" Answer that question honestly. For example: "I've been fishing the Abaco Islands for 22 years and know these waters better than anyone. I take small groups of 4 or fewer so every guest gets personal attention. Whether you're a first-timer or an experienced angler, I'll put you on fish." That's it. Short, personal, and specific beats long and generic every time.
Step 3: Add Your Vessel
A vessel is your boat. Adding it lets guests see what they'll be riding on and gives your profile more credibility.
What to do:
- In your dashboard, click Fleet in the left menu
- Click Add vessel
- Fill in:
- Vessel name (the name of your boat)
- Make and model (e.g. "Parker 28" or "Boston Whaler 27")
- Year
- Length (in feet)
- Capacity (maximum number of guests, not including you)
- Engine type (Gas or Diesel)
- Upload photos of your boat — at least 2 or 3. Inside and outside shots both help.
- Click Save vessel
If you have more than one boat, repeat this for each one. Guests like knowing what boat they're getting on.
Step 4: Create Your First Listing
A listing is a specific trip you offer — for example, a half-day reef fishing trip or a full-day island hopping excursion. Each listing has its own page with a description, price, and a Book Now button.
What to do:
- In your dashboard, click Listings in the left menu
- Click New listing
- Fill in the following fields:
Title — Be specific. "Half-Day Reef Fishing — Abaco Islands" is better than "Fishing Trip." Guests scan many listings, so a clear title helps.
Charter type — Choose the category that best fits: Fishing, Snorkeling, Sunset Cruise, Island Hopping, etc.
Description — Describe the trip in plain language. What will guests do? Where will you go? What's the vibe? 3–5 sentences is plenty. For example: "We'll spend 4 hours fishing the reefs south of Marsh Harbour, targeting grouper and snapper. All gear is provided. Suitable for beginners and experienced anglers alike. Departs from Hurricane Hole Marina at 7am."
Duration — Enter the trip length in hours (e.g. 4 for a half-day, 8 for a full day).
Max guests — The most guests you'll take on this particular trip. Be honest — an overcrowded boat makes for a bad review.
Base price — Your full trip price in US dollars. This is the total cost for the whole boat, not per person.
Step 5: Set Your Pricing and Fees
This step tells guests exactly what is and isn't included in your price. Guests really appreciate transparency here — it builds trust and reduces questions before booking.
What to do (still on the listing form):
Included fees — Check the boxes for everything your price covers:
- ✅ Fuel — if your price includes fuel, check this
- ✅ Bait & tackle — if you provide rods, reels, and bait, check this
- ✅ Dockage fees — if marina fees are included, check this
Not included note — If there's anything guests should know they'll need to pay for separately, write it here. For example: "Gratuity not included. Fishing licenses required for international guests — available at the marina for $20."
When you've checked at least one included fee box, your listing shows a "✓ No hidden fees" badge in the directory. Guests filter for this. It's worth spending 60 seconds to fill it in.
Step 6: Add Amenities
Amenities are the onboard features and equipment available on your boat. Guests can filter the directory by amenities, so filling this out helps the right people find you.
What to do (still on the listing form):
Scroll to the Amenities section and check everything that applies to this trip:
- Rods & tackle — if you provide fishing gear
- Bait — if bait is included
- Fuel — if fuel is in the price
- Cooler — if you have a cooler on board
- Life jackets — always check this if you carry them (you should)
- GPS — if your boat has navigation
- Shade — if there's a T-top, bimini, or covered area
- Snorkel gear — masks, fins, etc.
- Live well — if you have a live bait well
- Bluetooth — if you have a speaker system
- Toilet — if the boat has a head
- A/C — for cabin boats with air conditioning
Only check what you actually have. Don't add things just to look good — guests notice when reality doesn't match.
Step 7: Publish Your Listing
Once you've filled in the listing details, you're ready to publish.
What to do:
- Click Save at the bottom of the listing form
- Back on the Listings page, you'll see your new listing with a Publish button
- Click Publish
The first time you publish, a pop-up will ask you to confirm your pricing details — specifically what's included and any fees guests should know about. Review it and click confirm. This is a one-time step.
Your listing is now live and visible to anyone searching for charters in your area.
If the Publish button isn't working: Make sure your email is verified (Step 1). The publish button is disabled until that's done.
Step 8: Block Off Dates You're Unavailable
The availability calendar lets you mark days when you can't take bookings — holidays, maintenance days, already-booked private trips, and so on. This prevents guests from booking a day you can't do.
What to do:
- In your dashboard, click Listings
- Click the Availability link next to your listing
- Click on any date in the calendar to block it. Blocked dates turn grey.
- Click a blocked date again to unblock it.
You don't have to block every available date — only the ones where you're definitely not available. Guests see blocked dates and know not to choose them.
Step 9: Upload Your Credentials
Charted Waters offers a Verified badge — a teal checkmark that appears on your profile and in the directory. Guests actively look for verified operators. It's one of the biggest trust signals on your profile.
To get verified, you upload 5 documents. An admin reviews them within 1–2 business days. Once all 5 are approved, the badge appears automatically.
What to do:
- In your dashboard, click Settings, then the Credentials tab — or go to Dashboard → Credentials directly
- You'll see 5 document slots. Upload each one:
- Government ID — passport or national ID
- Captain's License — your official operator certificate
- Insurance Policy — your vessel insurance document
- Boat Safety Certificate — your vessel safety compliance document
- Nautical Tourism Permit — your permit to operate commercial charters
- For each document, click Upload, choose the file from your phone or computer, and wait for it to upload
- Accepted formats: PDF, JPG, PNG
You'll receive an email when each document is approved or if more information is needed. Once all 5 are approved, the Verified badge goes live on your profile immediately.
Step 10: Set Up How You Get Paid
You need to tell Charted Waters where to send your earnings. You have a few options depending on where you're located.
What to do:
- Go to Dashboard → Settings
- Click the Payments tab
- Choose your payout method:
PayPal — Enter your PayPal email address. When a payout is recorded by the Charted Waters team, the money is sent automatically to your PayPal.
Wise — Enter your bank details via Wise. Good for international transfers. Charted Waters covers the transfer fee.
Bank wire — Enter your bank account details. The Charted Waters team will send a wire transfer manually.
Other — If none of the above work for you, use this option and describe your preferred payment method in the notes field.
- Click Save settings
Guests pay securely through the Charted Waters platform. You don't handle card payments directly. Once a booking is completed, the Charted Waters admin team processes your payout using the method you set up here.
Step 11: Share Your Profile
You're live. Now get the word out.
Your public profile URL looks like this: chartedwaters.app/charters/your-name
Ways to share it:
- WhatsApp — Send it to past guests and ask them to bookmark it for next time
- Instagram or Facebook bio — Swap out your link-in-bio for your Charted Waters profile
- Email signature — Add it under your name when you respond to inquiries
- Business cards — If you hand out cards at the marina, add the URL
The more people who visit your profile, the more bookings you'll get. Guests who have already been out with you make the best reviewers — ask them to leave a review after their trip.
What Happens When You Get a Booking
When a guest books one of your listings:
- You'll get an email notification right away
- The booking appears in Dashboard → Bookings with the guest's name, date, and contact info
- The guest gets a confirmation email automatically — no action needed from you
- Before the trip, the guest may be asked to sign a liability waiver online
- After the trip, mark the booking as Completed in your dashboard (Dashboard → Bookings → the booking → Mark complete). This sends the guest a review request email.
Reviews appear on your public profile after they're approved. A few good reviews go a long way toward getting your next booking.
Quick Checklist
Use this to make sure everything is done:
- Email verified
- Profile name, location, and About section filled in
- Cover photo uploaded
- At least one vessel added with photos
- At least one listing created, priced, and published
- Fees and amenities filled in on each listing
- Unavailable dates blocked in availability calendar
- Credentials uploaded (5 documents)
- Payout method set up
- Profile URL shared with past guests
If all boxes are checked, your profile is in great shape. Questions? Email the Charted Waters team at support@chartedwaters.app.