Additional Revenue

In the past, The Moorings has incurred a sunk cost each time they "shift" a boat from one location to another. This one-way trip (made by an employee) costs fuel, the use of the boat, time and employee wages.

Because of the down economy many people are looking for shorter vacations taken a few times a year as opposed to one long vacation taken annually. These people are also waiting until the last minute to book their trips. The Moorings has not tapped into this growing market but could potentially profit by creating a short "initiation to sailing" package for sailors who are apprehensive about committing to a two week trip far in advance.

Here is the catch: the trip is cost-based (covering the cost of the trip plus 20%) however, it is only offered on an "as available" basis. This means that customers do not get to choose which boat or how long their trip will be. On the upside, they get to enjoy the trappings of a full service sailing trip with less commitments and at a fraction of the cost.

This trip will be a one-way trip, as its purpose is to generate revenue while shifting boats from one port to another (where the boat has already been booked to launch a longer trip). Guests will either fly to the launch destination and sail home, or leave from home and sail to a destination, then fly home. The Moorings will not pay for flights, but can assist in booking and transportation to/from airports.

The Moorings can choose to market this special trip as an "initiation into sailing" for first time sailors as previously mentioned, or reserve them for The Moorings' member rewards program. The Moorings may choose to open the one-way trips to anyone or perhaps open them to employees at only the cost of the trip. This might be a fantastic incentive for employees who enjoy spending their free time on the water.

By posting these trips on The Moorings website as soon as they become available and informing customers about the new offers, hopefully a dramatic increase in the number of "clicks" on the website will occur from people constantly keeping an eye out for these fantastic (but limited) deals!