Sound Sailing Charters

What Sound Sailing Charters does

Sound Sailing Charters operates as Desolation Sound Yacht Charters (DSYC), a private, Canadian yacht charter and marine services company headquartered in Comox, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. The company, founded in 1978 (originally as Gordon Greer Ltd.) and acquired by Merion (Maz) Martin and Jennifer Knox-Martin in 2012, runs a fleet of roughly 11 sail and motor yachts spanning brands such as Beneteau, Island Packet, Jeanneau, Marex, Tiara, Island Gypsy, Meridian, Grand Mariner, Grand Banks, and Bayliner. These vessels are offered on 6-day bareboat and skippered charters across the Desolation Sound, Broughton Archipelago, Princess Louisa Inlet, Jervis Inlet, and Toba Inlet cruising grounds, with Canadian-dollar weekly rates ranging from approximately CAD $4,200 to $12,600 plus 12% tax.

DSYC operates as a registered International Yacht Training and Canadian Recreational Yachting Association (CRYA) training center, providing certified sailing and power courses as well as Cruise N' Learn packages that funnel novices into bareboat charter eligibility. Beyond charters, the company runs a yacht management and ownership program (marketed as having the lowest commission structure on the BC coast), a full marine services operation with Red Seal and ABYC-certified technicians performing diesel engine work, brightwork, and Deep Trekker ROV underwater inspections, and a walk-in Marine Supply Store near Comox Marina selling parts, apparel, safety gear, and fishing equipment.

Commercially, DSYC runs a direct-to-consumer model in which bookings begin with a personal consultation and Experience Resume assessment, followed by a 50% deposit and final balance 60 days pre-charter. Revenue streams include charter rentals, yacht management services, marine repair services, retail parts and apparel, equipment rentals (SUPs, kayaks, fishing gear, foul weather gear), and training/certification courses. The company's technology stack is operationally oriented rather than software-centric: Deep Trekker ROVs for hull diagnostics and Starlink satellite connectivity on the Gulf Mariner, supplemented by a content-driven website with destination guides and sample itineraries. The business has no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed AI or ML components.

Name

Sound Sailing Charters

Legal name

Desolation Sound Yacht Charters & Services

Website

https://desolationsoundyachtcharters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sound Sailing Charters (Desolation Sound Yacht Charters) is a Comox, BC-based yacht charter and marine services company offering bareboat and skippered charters, CRYA-certified training, yacht management, marine repairs, and a retail supply store across Desolation Sound and surrounding Pacific Northwest waters, serving individual charter guests, novice boaters, and yacht owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Charter Services

NAICS

Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Bareboat Yacht Charters (Self-Skippered) (THAEAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters) (THAJAJAB), Private Yacht & Luxury Boat Charters (With Crew) (THAJALAE), Cruise Yacht Charters (Private Crewed) (THAEADAG)

Keywords

• Yacht charter services
• Bareboat charter rental
• Yacht management programs
• Marine repair services
• Boating certification training

Headquarters

HQ city

Comox

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Yacht Charter Rentals: Bareboat and skippered charter of exclusive sail and motor yachts. Rates are for 6 days, 6 nights, from 9am to 9am. Prices range from $4,200-$5,700 (sail) and $5,700-$12,600 (power) in Canadian dollars plus 12% taxes.
2. Yacht Management & Ownership Programs: Flexible yacht management programs for owners to offset cost of ownership. Includes lowest commission structure on BC coast with no restrictions on owner use. Scheduled and detailed maintenance programs to retain asset value.
3. Marine Services: Marine repair and maintenance services including diesel engine repairs, brightwork and polishing, septic systems, VHF installations. Staff are red seal and ABYC certified.
4. Marine Supply Store: Retail parts, supplies, leisure goods, fishing equipment, safety gear and apparel sales. Located steps from Comox Marina, open Monday-Friday 9:00-4:00.
5. Equipment Rentals: Rental items including quilts, sleeping bags, towels, foul weather gear, coolers, SUPs, kayaks, crab pots, fishing rods, and downriggers. Priced per day or per charter.
6. Training & Certification Courses: International Yacht Certification through Canadian Recreational Yachting Association. Basic sailing and power courses on 32-42 foot boats. Cruise N' Learn packages for bareboat charter qualification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Desolation Sound Yacht Charters (DSYC) rents an exclusive fleet of 11+ sail and motor yachts on 6-day/6-night bareboat and skippered charters in Desolation Sound, Princess Louisa Inlet, Broughton Archipelago, Jervis Inlet, and Toba Inlet waters of British Columbia. The company supplements its core charter business with CRYA/IYT boating certification courses, full-service yacht management and ownership programs, marine repair and maintenance (diesel engines, brightwork, VHF installations, underwater inspections), a retail marine supply store, provisioning support, and recreational equipment rentals.

Product overview

Desolation Sound Yacht Charters operates as a comprehensive yacht charter and marine services company offering bareboat and skippered charter opportunities across Desolation Sound, the Broughton Archipelago, and Princess Louisa Inlet. The core offering consists of a fleet of exclusive sailing yachts (Beneteau, Island Packet, Jeanneau) and motor yachts (Marex, Tiara, Island Gypsy, Meridian, Grand Mariner, Grand Banks, Bayliner) available for weekly charter. Supporting services include CRYA-certified training and certification programs, yacht ownership management, full marine maintenance services, a marine supply store, provisioning suggestions, and recreational equipment rentals. The company specializes in yacht management, maintenance and repair, and functions as a certified Sail and Power Training Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bareboat Yacht Charters Self-skippered yacht rentals allowing qualified individuals to charter sailing or power yachts for independent cruising in Desolation Sound, Broughton Archipelago, Princess Louisa Inlet, Jervis Inlet, and Toba Inlet waters on 6-day/6-night terms. Includes $2M liability insurance and access to chart and safety briefings.
• Skippered Charter Services Charters with a DSYC professional skipper hired to provide navigation, local knowledge, and an enhanced luxury onboard experience for guests who are not qualified or do not wish to skipper themselves.
• Training and Certification Programs International Yacht Training and Canadian Recreational Yachting Association (CRYA) certified courses including basic sailing and power courses on 32-42 foot boats, plus Cruise N' Learn packages that combine certification with on-water chartering to qualify for future bareboat chartering.
• Yacht Ownership Management Programs Flexible yacht management programs for owners offering professional services, scheduled and detailed maintenance, insurance protection, charter revenue offset, and lowest commission structure on the BC coast with no restrictions on owner use.
• Marine Services Full-service marine maintenance and repair including diesel engine repairs, brightwork and polishing, septic systems, VHF installations, and HD underwater inspections via Deep Trekker ROV for salvage and driveline troubleshooting; staffed by red seal and ABYC certified technicians.
• Marine Supply Store Retail marine parts, supplies, leisure goods, fishing equipment, safety gear and apparel available at the Comox Marina location, open Monday through Friday 9:00-4:00.
• Equipment Rentals Rental of recreational and charter-support gear including quilts, sleeping bags, towels, foul weather gear, coolers, SUPs, kayaks, crab pots, prawn traps, fishing rods, and downriggers, priced per day or per charter in Canadian dollars plus 12% taxes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Warranty: In unlikely event of more than 5 hours charter time lost due to breakdown or equipment failure, additional sailing time or monetary credit towards future charters provided
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ISPA (International Superyacht Association)minorOthers · 1 January 2012DSYC owners have held board member positions including ISPA Director
• Comox Business In ActionminorOthersDSYC owners have held board member positions with this local business association
• Association of Bareboat Charter and Sailing SchoolminorOthersDSYC owners have held board member positions in this industry association
• Northwest Marine Trades AssociationminorOthersDSYC owners have held board member positions in this marine industry association
• BC Boating MembersminorOthersDSYC owners have held board member positions in this BC boating association
• Canadian Recreational Yachting Association (CRYA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSYC is a registered CRYA training center providing International Yacht Certification. Offers variety of courses for beginners and experienced boaters to earn qualifications.
• Pacific Coastal AirlinesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAir travel option to Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) from Vancouver (YVR) and Calgary (YYC)
• WestJetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAir travel option to Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) from major cities
• Air CanadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAir travel option to Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) from major cities
• Harbour AirminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeaplane service from downtown Vancouver terminal to Comox Bay Marina
• Kenmore Air ExpressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeaplane service from Seattle area to Campbell River (45 minutes north of Comox)
• Lagoon Cove MarinaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFull-service marina along cruising routes offering fuel, water, gifts, garbage, propane, power, washrooms, showers, Internet
• Echo Bay MarinaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFull-service marina and turnaround point on Broughton Archipelago routes. Store, fuel, water, Wi-Fi, cell service
• Blind Channel ResortminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFull-service resort with fuel, moorage, water, restaurant, hiking trails along Broughton routes
• Refuge CoveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarina with fuel, water, propane, provisions, crafts, showers, laundry, seasonal cafe. Open June 1 to mid-September
• Heriot Bay Inn and MarinaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOld and quaint resort on Quadra Island with 550 metres of side tie moorage, restaurant, fuel, water, propane
• Gorge Harbour ResortminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExcellent marina/resort with full facilities near Gorge Harbour anchorage. Moorage, fuel, water, showers, store, excellent restaurant

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sunsail: Sister brand to The Moorings, Sunsail is a global bareboat and flotilla charter operator with a similar fleet model. It competes directly with DSYC for sailing-focused charter customers, particularly in the North American market.
• Dream Yacht Charter: Global bareboat charter operator with ownership and charter management programs similar to DSYC. It also offers a charter-to-ownership pathway that mirrors DSYC's yacht management and bareboat offering structure.
• The Moorings: Global bareboat and crewed yacht charter brand operating in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Pacific. Directly comparable to DSYC in offering weekly bareboat charters with both sail and power yachts to affluent recreational boaters.
• Navigare Yachting: Yacht ownership and charter program combining bareboat charter with ownership placement. Directly comparable to DSYC's yacht ownership/management program that allows owners to offset costs through charter revenue.
• Horizon Yacht Charters: Bareboat yacht charter operator in the British Virgin Islands offering weekly bareboat and crewed charters of sailing yachts. Similar fleet model and customer use case (multi-day charter holidays) as DSYC.
• Anacortes Yacht Charters: PNW bareboat charter operator in Anacortes, WA serving the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands. Same geographic market as DSYC with overlapping customer base and fleet configuration.
• San Juan Sailing: Bareboat yacht charter company based in Bellingham, WA serving the San Juan Islands and Pacific Northwest. Operates a comparable fleet of sail and power yachts and competes with DSYC for the same US PNW charter customer base.
• Bellingham Yacht Charters: PNW-based bareboat charter operator serving the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands. Directly comparable in fleet size, geographic setting, and target customer (experienced bareboat sailors).

Broad incumbents

• Fraser Yachts: Global superyacht charter, sales, and management company. Operates in an adjacent segment (luxury crewed charters) to DSYC's bareboat model but overlaps in charter customer demographics and management services.
• Camper & Nicholsons: Established global luxury yacht charter and brokerage firm operating in the superyacht and premium charter segment. Comparable to DSYC in crewed/skippered charter offering but at a significantly higher price point and fleet size.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/143250702398653
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desolation-sound-yacht-charters-ltd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sound Sailing Charters