Cast Off — From Vacation Frustration to SaaS in One Day
Built a complete SaaS booking platform for charter boat operators — Stripe Connect, waivers, dynamic pricing — in a single day. Operators save 15%+ vs marketplace fees.
Key Results
The Backstory
I was planning a family vacation to the Bahamas — a boat tour through Nassau with crystal-clear water, swimming pigs, the whole deal. I found Angelo, an incredible local captain, through GetMyBoat.
Then I saw the fees.
GetMyBoat takes 14.5% of every international booking from the operator. But that's only half the story — they also charge the customer up to 13% plus a flat $20 service fee. On a $1,000 charter, the customer pays ~$1,150, the captain gets ~$855, and GetMyBoat pockets ~$295. Angelo wasn't even getting discovered through the platform — his customers find him through WhatsApp referrals and word of mouth. He was paying a 15% tax on relationships he already owned, while his customers were getting gouged on top of that.
When I mentioned this to Angelo, he felt the same way: "I just need a way for people to book and pay. I don't need a marketplace."
That's when it clicked. This wasn't just Angelo's problem — it was every small charter operator's problem.
The Insight
The value proposition of booking marketplaces is shifting:
- Old model: Pay for access to the platform's audience
- New model: Pay for the tools to own your own audience
GetMyBoat isn't really selling boat rentals. They're selling a booking widget, payment processing, and a profile page. All of which can be built — fast — with modern tools.
What We Built
Cast Off (castoff.boats) — a SaaS booking platform where charter operators own their customer relationships and keep 100% of their revenue.
The Key Decision: SaaS, Not Marketplace
We deliberately chose a subscription model over commission:
| Marketplaces (GetMyBoat) | Cast Off | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator commission | 11.5–14.5% | 0% |
| Customer service fee | Up to 13% + $20 | $0 |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0–$29 |
| On a $1,000 booking | Operator loses $145, customer pays $1,150 | Operator keeps $1,000, customer pays $1,000 |
| Payment processing | Platform controls | Operator's own Stripe |
| Customer relationship | Platform owns it | Operator owns it |
| Total platform take | Up to $295 per booking | $0 |
This isn't just a pricing advantage — it's a fundamentally different legal position. Cast Off is a software provider, not a party to the transaction. No liability for services not rendered. No escrow headaches. Clean.
Stripe Connect: The Technical Secret
The magic is Stripe Connect Express. Money flows directly from customer → operator's own Stripe account. Cast Off never touches the funds.
Customer books → Stripe authorizes deposit on OPERATOR'S account
↓
Operator confirms?
↓ ↓
YES NO
↓ ↓
Capture $100 Release hold
(operator gets $) ($0 fees)
Operators connect their own Stripe account in 5 minutes through Stripe's hosted onboarding. We handle zero compliance.
Features — All Built in One Day
What started as "just a booking page" quickly became a feature-rich platform:
For Customers:
- Browse operator directory with ratings, photos, and pricing
- Full booking flow with calendar, time slots, and party size
- Add-ons and upsells during checkout
- Digital waiver signing
- Message the captain directly
- Transparent cancellation policies
For Operators:
- Claim and manage their business profile
- Dashboard with booking management, pricing, calendar
- Configurable cancellation policies (Flexible / Moderate / Strict)
- Security deposits via auth-only holds (for damage protection)
- Captain Protection — authorize full trip amount, capture on no-show
- Dynamic pricing (seasonal, demand-based, last-minute discounts)
- Instant booking toggle
- Digital waivers (customizable)
- Message inbox
- Verified Captain badges
Platform:
- Stripe Connect Express for direct operator payments
- Transactional email via Resend (claim verification, booking confirmations)
- SEO meta tags per operator (OG images, Twitter cards)
- Vercel Analytics
- Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (PIPEDA-compliant)
- AI-generated brand assets and operator photos
The Competitive Landscape
We researched every major player:
- GetMyBoat — 11.5% US / 14.5% international from operator, PLUS up to 13% + $20 from customer
- Boatsetter — Similar commission model with customer service fees
- Peek Pro — Up to 6% booking fee + monthly SaaS
- FareHarbor — 6% per-attendee fee
- TripWorks — Lower fees but complex setup
- Bókun — $49–499/mo + 1–1.5% booking fee
Every single one either takes a cut of the operator's revenue or charges high SaaS fees. Cast Off's free tier with $0 commission is genuinely unique in this space.
The Results
For Angelo specifically:
- Estimated annual charter revenue: ~$100,000
- Previous marketplace fees: ~$14,500/year (14.5% to GetMyBoat)
- With Cast Off: ~$2,900/year (Stripe's standard 2.9% — paid by every platform anyway)
- Annual savings: ~$12,000
- Plus his customers save up to 13% + $20 per booking — making him more competitive on price
For GTA Labs:
- Proof that a competitive SaaS platform can be built and launched in a single day
- Template for marketplace disruption across any vertical
- Live case study with a real customer
The Pattern: Marketplace Disruption as a Service
Cast Off isn't just a boat booking app. It's a template for marketplace disruption.
Every industry has a "GetMyBoat" — a platform taking 15–30% from small operators:
- Restaurants: DoorDash, UberEats (30%)
- Hotels: Booking.com, Expedia (15–25%)
- Services: Thumbtack, Angi (15–20%)
- Events: Eventbrite (5–10% + fees)
The pitch to any operator in any vertical: "You're paying $X,000/year in platform fees. We'll give you your own booking page for $29/month. First year savings: $X,000."
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend | Next.js + Tailwind | Fast SSR, great DX |
| Database | Supabase (Postgres) | Auth, RLS, real-time ready |
| Payments | Stripe Connect Express | Operators own their money |
| Resend | Transactional email, free tier | |
| Hosting | Vercel | Auto-deploy, analytics, edge |
| Images | OpenAI gpt-image-1 | Generated brand assets and operator photos |
| AI Assist | Claude (via OpenClaw) | Architecture, code generation, content |
What's Next
- Production Stripe — Move from test to live keys
- Email automation — Pre-trip reminders, post-trip review requests
- Google Calendar sync — Auto-block availability from operator's calendar
- Pro tier billing — Stripe Billing for $29/mo subscriptions
- Mobile app — Operators managing bookings from the dock
Built in one day. Deployed at castoff.boats. This is what's possible when you combine deep domain understanding with modern AI-assisted development.