Disinfecting rental boats
Regular clients of Kerboat Services agencies in the Mediterranean, boat hire companies have had to adapt their operations to the health standards in force following the Covid-19 pandemic. The company has set up a specific response with its clients, paying attention to the specificities linked to boating. "The rental companies, already customers, asked us for disinfection protocols between each renter. We therefore responded by paying attention to the dangerousness of the products. We need disinfectants suitable for food contact, which do not damage the upholstery... We can't put just anything on a work surface where the client is going to cook a few hours later. You have to pay attention to the whole living space and its uses, thinking that boats are closed and poorly ventilated environments" explains Sébastien David, founder of the Kerboat Services franchise.
The difficult anticipation of boat shows
On the manufacturers' side, the problem mainly concerns the boat shows to come in the autumn. "We have had a lot of requests from our customers who are wondering about the shows in Cannes or La Rochelle, disinfection between visitors... The difficulty is that things can still change a lot between now and then. We prefer to wait to adapt to the latest regulations in force. I had the example of another activity in second homes where the protocol devised during the confinement finally had to be revised downwards because the standards were different when the building was reopened," Sébastien David testifies.
Disinfection kits for yacht crews
On the yachting side, action has been taken on several fronts. YAS Protec, a specialist in temporary worksite coverage, has even created YAS Protec Sanitary, an entity dedicated to sanitary actions. "Initially, the idea was above all to enable the activity to continue and the companies to survive in the long term. We first worked on decontaminating the refit sites, by zones, to continue the work. We then developed a disinfection kit with medical-type products to be used directly by the crews, with a certificate that reassured owners and tenants. It is also cheaper than hiring a professional and works in the long term" explains David Sieur, manager of YAS Protec.
Although the situation has changed working methods, the clientele remains the same. "We haven't seen any new customers to date, but we're in the middle of a peak of boat preparation activity that we weren't able to do during the confinement," concludes Sébastien David.
