Help us rebuild from the ashes
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"...giving all people in DC a sense of joy and ownership in their incredible rivers and placing citizenship ahead of profit!" www.boatsdc.com
My name is Eric and I have been captaining boats on Washington DC's rivers for over 20 years. I also am a graduate marriage and family therapist and chaplain, but I had to put that career on hold rebuild my former buisness. A group of friends and I are starting a community boat company in Southwest DC to serve the extraordinary place we call home. Our first company, Capital Yacht Charters, was purchased from us in 2011 and then closed by the new owners after an accidental fire last year. We feel obligated to our community, our old employees, and our old customers to rebuild and start anew. Our vision is to bring all people in Washington down to the river to explore the place they live, meet new friends and neighbors, and create special memories. The new DC Yacht Charter and Tour Company will offer tours and unique one-of-a-kind charters from weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs to cruises for churches, wounded veterans, special needs children, and those who care for our precious waterways, and teas for women old and young and the people who love them. We believe that small, locally-owned businesses are the best way to create jobs, strong relationships, and a sustainable economy in our community. Please join us!
See the Website I did myself at www.boatsdc.com.
We are starting this company with two lovely old boats (Click Gallery above) that are certified to carry passengers and need some work. Finished Business is a classic all-wood "Grande Dame" yacht built in 1947 originally as a rescue PT Boat. Celebrity is our strong workhorse boat: a converted oil platform supply boat built of a unique alloy known as CORTEN.
Why Support Us?
To be ready for the National Cherry Blossom Festival (the biggest waterfront event in DC) our team has already contributed most of our savings and hundreds of hours of sweat equity. We have also volunteered both boats for several spring fundraisers for homeless people in our community.
We are raising funds to pay our start up costs for start-up costs including commercial insurance, slip fees, to upgrade our marketing, build a website, and lots of reconstruction and maintenance materials. If you've ever had a boat, you know they need a lot of TLC! We need you on our team to help make these boats shipshape.
The company will donate at least one event a month for charitable events such as outreach programs to homeless families and kids in our neighborhood.
Contributors can get choices of the following perks:
All contributors will get a monogrammed T-Shirt and access to our community events letter which will include a statement as to how you helped each step of the way.
If we don't reach our entire goal, we will seek traditional lending and investment, We prefer not to do this because it will encumber us with debt that will limit our ability to succeed in our mission. Besides, we'd rather pay you with perks than pay interest to a bank!
The Impact
Historically, our waterways in DC were dirty and dangerous and no place to relax or enjoy; today they are cleaner and more inviting than ever before. Over half the people in the world live in coastal regions, and most of those people would like to spend more time on and near the water. We know river-based business can be successful.
We also know that the poorest and sickest among us seldom get the chance to enjoy the spiritual and economic benefits of the river in our midst. Our mission is simple: create jobs, strong relationships, and a sustainable economy for ALL people in our community. This means spending a larger portion of our time and efforts supporting community organizations with a view toward protecting water resources for all people and ending suffering in the neighborhoods. Yes, we believe that we can and must use our unique business in this way.
Our old Captains and crew - who are also the owners and operators - have an incredible 35-year track record in the southwest DC community. We're not talking about a cruise here or there. We are talking about major campaigns, events and festivals for our community such as our first Tall Ships Festival hosting historic vessels like the Amistad, the Southwest Arts Festival, the Kidney Foundation Festivals, the annual Blessing of the Fleet, the annual Easter Seals Cruise for Kids, the new National Cherry Blossom Festival, the founding of the Anacostia Watershed Society, wounded vets and veteran couples fellowship events, teas for the Washington Tea Society for African American Young Girls, Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington fundraising, a lecture series on History of Black Mariners on the Potomac, the founding of a new Sea Scout Ship, and countless philanthropic events with churches in the neighborhood.
Please join Captains and crew Eric, Walt, Kevin, Gunner, Dennis, Debbie, Bill, and Al in the next decade of giving all people in DC a sense of joy and ownership in their incredible rivers and placing citizenship ahead of profit!
Risks & Challenges
We have two big challenges. The first is getting these two old boats ready for the 2015 season. We are running out of time! The second is that we have spent so much time on the boats we are behind on marketing and getting the word out. In addition, all the traditional risks of the boat business apply (safety, navigation, machinery, and weather).
While these risks may appear large, they are manageable if we can avoid the high debt that comes with traditional boat financing options. We have an incredibly gifted team, including two master shipwrights, a master engineer, highly experienced Captains, and a yacht steward. Two members of the team have successfully started and run businesses for a combined total of over 50 years.
We have the expertise and experience; we need your help to make the final push so that 2015 will be a strong inaugural year for this business and the idea of a community boat company.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you want to help us but don't have money to give, please consider sharing this with other people you know. Also, we would love to hear about your local community business and what you have learned!
My name is Eric and I have been captaining boats on Washington DC's rivers for over 20 years. I also am a graduate marriage and family therapist and chaplain, but I had to put that career on hold rebuild my former buisness. A group of friends and I are starting a community boat company in Southwest DC to serve the extraordinary place we call home. Our first company, Capital Yacht Charters, was purchased from us in 2011 and then closed by the new owners after an accidental fire last year. We feel obligated to our community, our old employees, and our old customers to rebuild and start anew. Our vision is to bring all people in Washington down to the river to explore the place they live, meet new friends and neighbors, and create special memories. The new DC Yacht Charter and Tour Company will offer tours and unique one-of-a-kind charters from weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs to cruises for churches, wounded veterans, special needs children, and those who care for our precious waterways, and teas for women old and young and the people who love them. We believe that small, locally-owned businesses are the best way to create jobs, strong relationships, and a sustainable economy in our community. Please join us!
See the Website I did myself at www.boatsdc.com.
We are starting this company with two lovely old boats (Click Gallery above) that are certified to carry passengers and need some work. Finished Business is a classic all-wood "Grande Dame" yacht built in 1947 originally as a rescue PT Boat. Celebrity is our strong workhorse boat: a converted oil platform supply boat built of a unique alloy known as CORTEN.
Why Support Us?
To be ready for the National Cherry Blossom Festival (the biggest waterfront event in DC) our team has already contributed most of our savings and hundreds of hours of sweat equity. We have also volunteered both boats for several spring fundraisers for homeless people in our community.
We are raising funds to pay our start up costs for start-up costs including commercial insurance, slip fees, to upgrade our marketing, build a website, and lots of reconstruction and maintenance materials. If you've ever had a boat, you know they need a lot of TLC! We need you on our team to help make these boats shipshape.
The company will donate at least one event a month for charitable events such as outreach programs to homeless families and kids in our neighborhood.
Contributors can get choices of the following perks:
All contributors will get a monogrammed T-Shirt and access to our community events letter which will include a statement as to how you helped each step of the way.
If we don't reach our entire goal, we will seek traditional lending and investment, We prefer not to do this because it will encumber us with debt that will limit our ability to succeed in our mission. Besides, we'd rather pay you with perks than pay interest to a bank!
The Impact
Historically, our waterways in DC were dirty and dangerous and no place to relax or enjoy; today they are cleaner and more inviting than ever before. Over half the people in the world live in coastal regions, and most of those people would like to spend more time on and near the water. We know river-based business can be successful.
We also know that the poorest and sickest among us seldom get the chance to enjoy the spiritual and economic benefits of the river in our midst. Our mission is simple: create jobs, strong relationships, and a sustainable economy for ALL people in our community. This means spending a larger portion of our time and efforts supporting community organizations with a view toward protecting water resources for all people and ending suffering in the neighborhoods. Yes, we believe that we can and must use our unique business in this way.
Our old Captains and crew - who are also the owners and operators - have an incredible 35-year track record in the southwest DC community. We're not talking about a cruise here or there. We are talking about major campaigns, events and festivals for our community such as our first Tall Ships Festival hosting historic vessels like the Amistad, the Southwest Arts Festival, the Kidney Foundation Festivals, the annual Blessing of the Fleet, the annual Easter Seals Cruise for Kids, the new National Cherry Blossom Festival, the founding of the Anacostia Watershed Society, wounded vets and veteran couples fellowship events, teas for the Washington Tea Society for African American Young Girls, Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington fundraising, a lecture series on History of Black Mariners on the Potomac, the founding of a new Sea Scout Ship, and countless philanthropic events with churches in the neighborhood.
Please join Captains and crew Eric, Walt, Kevin, Gunner, Dennis, Debbie, Bill, and Al in the next decade of giving all people in DC a sense of joy and ownership in their incredible rivers and placing citizenship ahead of profit!
Risks & Challenges
We have two big challenges. The first is getting these two old boats ready for the 2015 season. We are running out of time! The second is that we have spent so much time on the boats we are behind on marketing and getting the word out. In addition, all the traditional risks of the boat business apply (safety, navigation, machinery, and weather).
While these risks may appear large, they are manageable if we can avoid the high debt that comes with traditional boat financing options. We have an incredibly gifted team, including two master shipwrights, a master engineer, highly experienced Captains, and a yacht steward. Two members of the team have successfully started and run businesses for a combined total of over 50 years.
We have the expertise and experience; we need your help to make the final push so that 2015 will be a strong inaugural year for this business and the idea of a community boat company.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you want to help us but don't have money to give, please consider sharing this with other people you know. Also, we would love to hear about your local community business and what you have learned!
Organizer
Eric Slaughter
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC
