As charter boat captains and independent contractors, our role is pivotal in ensuring the safe and enjoyable experience for customers renting vessels through platforms like Getmyboat. However, the recent decision by Getmyboat to impose an 11.5% fee on payments issued to captains creates an unjust financial burden.

Unlike employees of the platform, we, as captains, are independently contracted by those chartering the boats. We hold no legal affiliation with the rented vessels through the Getmyboat service, nor should the platform have any claim over the compensation we receive directly from charterers for our services.

This service fee significantly affects our take-home pay. Many of us depend solely on this income to support our livelihoods, and having 11.5% siphoned off jeopardizes our financial stability.

Furthermore, there is no transparency in how these fees are utilized by Getmyboat, raising questions about the fairness and necessity of such a surcharge. Other similar platforms have managed operations effectively without placing extra financial stress on captains, revealing that this fee is not a prerequisite for the platform’s success.

We propose that Getmyboat reconsider and revoke this fee to ensure that captains are rightfully compensated for their services. By doing so, they would not only sustain the trust and cooperation of the captains that help to ensure the viability of their business model, but also uphold a fair and supportive environment for all parties involved.

Join us in urging Getmyboat to put an end to this 11.5% fee on our hard-earned income. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Background Information

Beginning in 2024, Getmyboat began suggesting bareboat rental owners provide their captains list to the renter through the Getmyboat platform. This change required independent captains to sign up on their platform or risk being passed over for trips booked through the platform. It also allowed Getmyboat to begin charging the charterer a service fee on the captain’s hourly rate.

For two years, they touted the benefits of this arrangement, making sure to emphasize that there were no service fees or charges for the captains hired to operate the rented vessels. But as of April 15th, 2026, that policy has been significantly altered. In addition to the fees that Getmyboat charges both the renter and owner to facilitate a bareboat rental transaction, they now charge a service fee on the captain’s cost to both the renter AND the captain.

The boat owners have been coerced to allow the captain payments to flow through the platform. And now the captains, who, by law, need to be hired by the charterer directly, are in a position where Getmyboat will take 11.5% of their fee simply because they’ve forced that relationship onto their platform.