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Ahoy Club was founded by Ian Malouf, a globe-trotting mogul who made his fortune by cleaning up industrial waste in Australia. Today, his digital charter platform offers luxurious and fairly-priced yacht charters, with options for everyone, anywhere across the globe.
In this exclusive interview, Malouf tells us how he got hooked on luxury yachting, the value of doing dirty work and his rubbish to riches story.
TD: Could you share with our readers your ‘rubbish to riches’ story? How was the business of cleaning up industrial waste like?
IM: I started with a small truck and shovel 35 years ago, earning USD 100 a day. I’ve always been a hard worker and enjoyed rolling up my sleeves, so it was a perfect fit.
Back in 1984, my mom wanted me to be a lawyer, but that lasted six weeks because I knew where I wanted to go in life. Shortly after, launched Dial-A-Dump in that same year for about AUD 700 and sold it for USD 577 million in 2018.
“No one likes to do the dirty work, but there’s tons of opportunity in it”
The business was and still is great, which is why we were able to sell it for a nice deal. No one likes to do the dirty work, but there’s tons of opportunity in it. Waste is a big issue, as we all know. Waste is growing more and more, and the future is taking that waste, recycling it and creating clean energy from it.
How did you come up with Ahoy Club?
I’ve always been a fan of being on the water. My family always had boats of some sort, smaller than superyachts of course. Since I could remember, my father and I would go out on our boat to catch tailor or bluefish.
Ahoy Club was birthed when our family went on our first holiday on a 100ft yacht that we chartered with my friends. After we got a taste of luxury yachting, we were hooked. The end of our trip came and we just didn’t want to go home, so we spotted another boat we liked and did a direct charter with the owner. This opened up our eyes to the ability to rent yachts peer-to-peer, which no one was doing at the time.
How is the platform innovating in the industry?
Once a yacht has been requested by a charter guest on the app, an owner’s acceptance generates a digital contract, and a 25% deposit is immediately accepted via credit card, instead of the 50% deposit required by bank transfer in the past, which could take weeks.
Ahoy Club’s expert personal concierge and charter agent teams are then available 24-7 to assist customers with selections and itineraries. Ahoy Club’s new automation also allows yacht owners to set prices instantly for specific periods, lengthening the yachting season beyond the current peak of three summer months.
“The lowest charter rates in the market”
Ahoy Club also offers the innovative “YOTSWAP” feature for owners. For example, an owner with a yacht currently in the Caribbean could swap with an owner whose yacht is in the Mediterranean, saving substantial fuel and relocation costs for both owners.
Ahoy Club is innovating the industry by guaranteeing the lowest charter rates in the market, with no compromise to service or quality. Ocean lovers can charter any yacht, anywhere for the best possible deal.
“Just like you’d book an Uber or Airbnb”
What type of yachts are we talking about and to whom and where are they available?
We’re talking yachts ranging from as low as USD 15,500 a week to USD 500,000 a week. We have options for everyone, anywhere across the globe. They’re available 24/7 and can be found in destinations ranging from the Caribbean & Eastern Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean & Southeast Asia. We make it a seamless process to book a charter via our app, just like you’d book an Uber or Airbnb.
How do you think this service will affect the industry?
This will impact the industry in a significant way. The chartering business has been much harder and more expensive than it needs to be, so we’re challenging conventional models of yacht ownership and charter. We’re providing new tools to help owners, charters and all members of the industry — all while adding fluidity to the process.
Our primary objective is to improve the market. We have a large team, and we’re a full-service digital platform, and there is nothing like it in the industry. Sometimes you have to break things to fix things, and that’s what we aim to do. We have over 3,500 yachts and counting on our platform, and aim to provide luxurious, fairly priced yacht charters with ease.
What are your dreams and ambitions for Ahoy Club?
We aim to continue to serve as the number one digital charter platform in the world. We want to make yachting more efficient by automating the process and providing support to yacht owners, charters and travellers across the world.
We firmly believe that Ahoy Club will be another success story. We’re providing value for everyone involved, and that is a key component to breaking through any market. We realize that yacht ownership and chartering are exclusive lifestyle choices. And we have cleverly applied the latest in technology to make that exclusive lifestyle more accessible and approachable than ever before.
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