Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Capper.
Eric, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve had a love for boating and being on the water since I was young. I grew up waterskiing on the Mississippi river, and my time with friends on the lake or the river were always the highlight of my summer. After moving to Texas in 2001, my wife and I were able to start spending time on the local lakes around DFW. Every available weekend, we were on the lake. We had one of the first wakeboard boats on the lake in 2003 and fell in love with it. As we continued to take friends to the lake over several years, we kept getting the question if we would consider taking other people out for private wakeboard and wake surf charters. In 2024 I decided to get my USCG captains license and we began the process of starting a part-time charter business that would target guests that are looking for something different than the typical boat rental or charter experience. We wanted to be a little different in the level of service we provided, and curate our charters to a concierge-level experience. Now we are running three different boats and have started to become recognized as one of the best customizable private charters in North Texas.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As with any young startup company there are always bumps in the road. No matter how much research you do and how prepared you think you are, something unexpected will come up. In the boat charter business, there are so many variables to have a successful season. Weather is always unpredictable in Texas and it’s important that our captains must be able to predict and accurately monitor weather to ensure the safety of our guests. Popup storms are common in the summer around DFW and we don’t want to get caught in the middle of a lake when a thunderstorm hits. We had to cancel more charters in the last two years than we expected due to weather. We probably also underestimated the amount of time it would take for small repairs to our boats. The repair shops are extremely busy during the summer, and we had occasions where repairs kept a boat out of commission longer than we expected.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a private boat charter business that specializes in crafting unique experiences for our guests. We separate ourselves from other charter companies by providing elevated hospitality, where every detail is intentional and our guests feel like they are receiving concierge-level service. We want our guests to know that a day on the water with us will be safe, fun and memorable. Regardless of what a guest envisions as the perfect boat day, we strive to make it happen. Our boats are all premium wake boats that are meticulously maintained and specifically designed for watersports like wake surfing, wakeboarding, etc. We also understand that some guests aren’t interested in watersports and just want to take a luxurious sunset cruise or spend the day anchored up in a private cove with a floating island. We will accommodate every reasonable request. We curate the entire day for our guests, from any watersport activity to music selection, to specific food and drink requests. We specifically target a clientele that expects great service and appreciates thoughtful planning and custom touches. We want you to leave a charter with us saying it was the perfect day at the lake!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
In the boat charter business finding a mentor and identifying a network is critical! I have a mentor who is a professional offshore fishing captain and he sparked the idea for me to begin this business. I leaned on him a lot in the beginning to learn the process of becoming a licensed captain to how to successfully navigate the challenges of running a charter business. I had no idea how much I didn’t know until I started talking with him. Then I began doing tireless research on what made other charter businesses successful and what made others fail. I joined every relevant Facebook group and listened to every podcast that had anything to do with boating, watersports, and the boat charter business. I communicated through social media to everyone who I saw was having success in the space. I talked a lot with charter boat owners in the Austin area, where the competition is highly competitive to learn about marketing. I reached out to other charter owners in the DFW market to pick their brains about the challenges here. Ultimately I developed a great network of people that have similar interests and are out there trying to help people make lasting memories on the water.
Pricing:
- $250/hour
- $900/4 Hour Charter
- $1350/6 Hour Charter
- $1800/8 Hour Charter
Contact Info:
- Website: https://threeseascharters.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threeseascharters/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Three-Seas-Charters-61580458926721/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThreeSeasCharters
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/three-seas-charters-little-elm-2
