Hire calendar
Every boat booked by the hour, half day or full day with turnaround and refuel time built in.
Boat hire booking software with licence checks
Boat hire: book the boat, check the licence, sign the waiver. All done before they reach the jetty.
Bookings come in by phone, licences get checked on the pontoon and waivers flap about on a clipboard while the next family waits. We build booking systems for boat hire businesses that sort the licence, the waiver, the bond and the briefing before anyone reaches the water. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for boat hire booking software that handles licences, waivers and bonds?
A boat hire business is a fleet, a booking desk, a safety officer and a weather watcher rolled into one. Most run on a booking widget that doesn't know which boats need a licence, a pile of paper waivers and a phone that rings every time the wind picks up. On a sunny Saturday that means a queue on the pontoon and boats heading out late.
Wollopit builds custom boat hire software around how your fleet actually runs. Hirers pick a boat and a time online, add their licence, sign the waiver, watch the safety video and lodge the bond before they leave home. Your staff see who's cleared, which boats are back and what needs fuel. We connect the tools you already like, replace the ones holding you back and look after the lot on our own servers.
01The problems
What we hear from boat hire businesses
Does your boat hire business have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most boat hire operators we talk to know the water inside out. It's the bookings, the paperwork and the Saturday morning rush that wear them down.
- The problemBookings by phoneHalf-day and full-day slots juggled in a paper diary while the phone rings and someone's halfway through a briefing.How we fix itOnline booking by the hour, half day or full day with live availability per boat and turnaround time built in.
- The problemLicence checks at the jettySomeone turns up without their licence or it's expired. The boat sits there and the family goes home grumpy.How we fix itLicence number and photo captured at booking and checked against each boat's rules. Licence-free boats skip the step.
- The problemWaivers on clipboardsPaper forms in the wind, wet pens and scrawled names you can't find when there's an incident.How we fix itDigital waivers signed on their phone before arrival, stored against the booking and searchable in seconds.
- The problemSafety briefings drag onEvery hirer gets the same ten-minute talk on the pontoon while the next group stands around waiting.How we fix itA safety video and short quiz sent before the day, so the jetty briefing is a quick look at the boat and the boundaries.
- The problemBonds handled by handCard imprints, cash bonds in an envelope and refunds forgotten for a week.How we fix itBonds pre-authorised online and released in one tap once the boat's checked. Damage deductions come with photos.
- The problemWeather cancellationsA strong wind warning comes through and you spend the morning ringing twenty hirers to move them.How we fix itCancel a session for weather and every affected hirer gets an SMS with rebooking options or a credit.
- The problemFuel and extras go unchargedFuel used gets guessed. The esky, bait and rods go out free because nobody wrote them down.How we fix itExtras added at booking and fuel logged on return, all charged to the same booking.
- The problemLate returns and no-showsBoats come back an hour late and blow out the afternoon. No-shows leave a boat tied up earning nothing.How we fix itReturn reminders by SMS, late fees set per boat and deposits that cover no-shows.
- The problemMaintenance on a whiteboardNobody remembers when the outboard was last serviced or that the bilge pump on boat 3 is playing up.How we fix itEngine hours, service due alerts and defect reports from staff phones that block a boat until it's fixed.
- The problemBookings from everywhereSome from your website, some from Viator and some by phone. Then a double booking on the long weekend.How we fix itOne calendar that pulls in website, phone and agent bookings so a boat can't be sold twice.
- The problemBBQ boat parties by MessengerBirthday groups booked over DMs with numbers and catering changing daily.How we fix itGroup bookings with passenger limits, catering add-ons and a link where the organiser updates numbers.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for boat hire businesses. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Licence capture
Licence details and photos collected at booking, with rules set per boat.
Digital waivers
Signed on their phone before arrival and stored with the booking.
Online safety briefing
Safety video, operating area map and a short quiz completed before the day.
Bonds & deposits
Bonds pre-authorised online and released in one tap after the boat's checked.
Weather rebooking
Cancel a session and every hirer gets rebooking options by SMS.
Extras & fuel
Eskies, bait, rods, BBQ packs and fuel used all charged to one booking.
Jetty check-out app
Staff see who's cleared, hand over the boat and log fuel and photos on return.
Fleet maintenance
Engine hours, service reminders and defect reports that pull a boat off the calendar.
Channel sync
Website, phone and agent bookings in one calendar so nothing doubles up.
SMS reminders
Booking confirmations, what to bring, return time nudges and review requests.
Gift vouchers
Vouchers sold online and redeemed against any boat or session.
A website that floats
Fast on mobile, live availability on every boat and built to rank for 'boat hire near me'.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole fleet, on one system.
These are the systems boat hire businesses ask us about most. Each one works on its own and they get properly clever when they're joined up.
Hire calendar
Every boat, every slot, booked online.
Hirers pick a boat and a time on your website and pay on the spot. The calendar knows how long each boat needs to refuel and clean, so you never book a tinnie back in before it's tied up.
- Hourly, half-day and full-day rates
- Live availability per boat
- Turnaround and refuel buffers
- Peak, school holiday and weekend pricing
- Passenger limits per boat
- Website, phone and agent bookings in one place
- Deposits or full payment at booking
- Gift vouchers and promo codes
- Group and BBQ boat party bookings
Pre-arrival checks
Licence, waiver and briefing done before the jetty.
Once they book, hirers get a link to add their licence, sign the waiver and watch the safety briefing. By the time they arrive your staff can see they're cleared and hand over the keys.
- Licence number and photo upload
- Licence rules set per boat
- Licence-free boats skip the step
- Expiry dates checked automatically
- Digital waivers with signatures
- Safety video and operating area map
- Short quiz on the rules of the water
- Reminders for anyone not finished
- Cleared status on the staff app
Bonds & extras
Bonds back in one tap. Fuel and extras never missed.
Bonds are pre-authorised on the hirer's card so there's no cash in an envelope. Extras get added at booking and fuel is logged on return, all on the one booking.
- Bonds pre-authorised by Stripe
- Released in one tap after the check
- Damage deductions with photos
- Fuel used logged on return
- Eskies, bait, rods and BBQ packs
- Late return fees per boat
- No-show deposits kept automatically
- Payments straight into Xero or MYOB
Weather & rebooking
A wind warning, sorted in one step.
When the forecast turns, pick the sessions to cancel and every affected hirer gets an SMS with new times to choose from or a credit. No morning on the phone.
- Wind and tide forecast on the calendar
- Cancel a session or the whole day
- Rebooking links sent by SMS
- Credits that never get lost
- Weather policy shown at booking
- Waitlist for the rebooked slots
- Staff notified of every change
Fleet & jetty app
Know every boat's hours, fuel and faults.
Staff check boats out and in on their phone with photos, fuel and engine hours. Service alerts and defect reports keep a dodgy boat off the calendar until it's fixed.
- Check-out and check-in on a phone
- Before and after photos
- Engine hours per boat
- Service due alerts
- Defect reports from staff
- Boats blocked until repaired
- Safety gear and flare expiry tracking
- Rego and survey reminders
04How it changes
Before and after
A sunny Saturday, wolloped.
Here's how a busy Saturday morning could change. Every boat hire business is different, so we map yours first.
Before
- Phone rings all morning with booking questions
- Licence checked at the jetty and one's expired
- Waivers filled in on a clipboard in the wind
- Ten-minute safety talk while the next group waits
- Bond taken as a card imprint
- Wind picks up and you ring everyone to rebook
After
- Bookings taken online overnight
- Licences captured and checked at booking
- Waivers signed on their phone at home
- Safety video watched before they arrive
- Bond pre-authorised and released in one tap
- Weather rebooking sent to everyone by SMS
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for boat hire businesses.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for boat hire businesses
Built around how your boat hire business actually runs: hire calendar, licence capture and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for boat hire businesses
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Boat hire business system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for boat hire businesses
Digital waivers and online safety briefing: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Rezdy, FareHarbor and Bookeo so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your boat hire business, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect to the tools you rely on, work alongside booking platforms you're happy with or replace the ones holding you back.
- Rezdy
- FareHarbor
- Bookeo
- Checkfront
- Xero
- MYOB
- Stripe
- Square
- Google Business Profile
- Google Calendar
- Twilio SMS
- Viator
- GetYourGuide
- Tripadvisor
- Mailchimp
- Bureau of Meteorology
- WillyWeather
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your boat hire business: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We spend a morning on your jetty and at the booking desk, then work out what's actually slowing you down.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your boats, licence rules, waivers, bonds, weather policy, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering, shown to you early and often. Usually the most painful bit first, so you get a win before the next long weekend.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things boat hire businesses ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Can it handle licence-free boats differently?
Yes. Each boat can have its own requirements, so licence-free boats skip the licence step while boats that need one ask for it at booking.
Can it check that a licence is current?
It captures the licence number, expiry date and a photo, then flags anything expired or missing so your staff can sort it before the hirer arrives.
How do bonds work?
The bond is pre-authorised on the hirer's card when they book or check in. Once the boat's checked on return you release it in one tap or deduct damage with photos attached.
What happens when the weather turns?
You pick the sessions to cancel and every affected hirer gets an SMS with new times or a credit. Your weather policy is shown at booking so nobody's surprised.
We already use Rezdy or FareHarbor. Do we have to switch?
No. If your booking platform is doing its job we build around it, adding licences, waivers, bonds and the jetty app on top. If it's holding you back we'll show you what replacing it would involve before anything changes.
How much does a boat hire system cost?
It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller jobs like online waivers or a hire calendar can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early instead of waiting for everything at once.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most boat hire businesses we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a boat hire business problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.