Clean, fueled and ready to go: automate your changeover times

You're feeling the stress. You want to get that new group out on the water as quickly as possible, but you also want to give them a clean, safe boat. The result? You're rushing, maybe forgetting a check, and sweating as you wave goodbye to your new guests. That's not the experience you want to offer. And frankly, it's completely unnecessary.

As a host, you don't want bookings to be seamlessly connected. You need breathing room. Time for inspections, time for cleaning, and time to catch your breath. With i-Reserve you can automatically schedule those breaks. Without having to fiddle with your schedule yourself.

The invisible pause button: 'time for session'

In a standard calendar, finishing at 2:00 PM also means starting at 2:00 PM for the next person. Logical on paper, impossible in practice. A boat has to be docked, people have to pack their things, disembark, and you have to board for the inspection.

The "Time for Session" setting in i-Reserve solves this problem. Simply tell the system how many minutes you need to get the boat ready for rental again. For example, 15 or 30 minutes.

How does that work for the customer?

Suppose a customer books a boat until 4:00 PM. You've specified a 15-minute buffer time requirement.

• The customer sees that the boat is occupied until 4:00 PM.
• The next customer wants to make a reservation. The system doesn't show the boat available again until 4:15 PM.

Those 15 minutes don't exist for the customer, they're sacred to you. The system automatically blocks this time. So you don't have to worry about a quick booker "stealing" that time. This way, you always have time to throw away those empty cans, check the tank, and straighten the cushions. The next group boards a fresh boat, and you relax on the dock.

Prevent traffic jams: spread out your start times

Besides the time between bookings on the same boat, you also have to deal with the crowds at your location. If you have twenty boats and they all leave at 10:00 a.m., it's chaos at reception and on the dock.

i-Reserve also helps you with this. With the "Time between start sessions" function (often combined with "Parallel periods"), you can regulate departure times.

Instead of allowing everyone to start at any time, or even all at once, you enforce a rhythm. For example, a boat can depart every 15 minutes.

• Group A starts at 10:00.
• Group B starts at 10:15.
• Group C starts at 10:30.

This ensures a natural distribution. You have time to calmly explain the sailing routes and how the outboard motor works to each group, without tripping over other customers' feet.

What if things really go wrong? (maintenance)

Sometimes fifteen minutes of cleaning isn't enough. A previous renter has damaged the propeller, or the engine is sputtering. That boat can't be launched this afternoon.

You absolutely want to prevent anyone from booking that boat online. In i-Reserve you can then immediately create a "dummy reservation" or a maintenance hold. This immediately removes the boat from rental for the period required for repairs.

Your planning overview shows you exactly which boats are "in the trash" and which are available. This way, you'll never rent out a boat that isn't 100% in working order.

You provide the service, we provide the planning

Running a rental business is a top-level sport on sunny days. You want to maximize your revenue, but not at the expense of quality.

Automating your changeover times and buffers creates a calm atmosphere. The system acts as your strict gatekeeper: "No, this boat isn't ready yet." This allows you to focus on what really matters: ensuring your guests hit the water with a smile and return with an even bigger one.

Would you also like more peace and quiet on the jetty?

Curious how to set up those automatic buffers for your fleet? Stop rushing and start planning smartly. Try i-Reserve free for 30 days . Experience for yourself how convenient it is when your system takes your schedule into account.