By Cèlia Gisbert, founder of Caretta Marketing Náutico · Published on 26 October 2026
To keep the customers of your nautical business over the winter, don’t wait for spring: organise your contacts, thank them with something personal, ask for a review while the memory is still fresh, keep your Google profile alive and give everyone who sailed with you first pick of next season’s dates.
Why winter is the best time to build loyalty
When the season ends, most nautical businesses do the same thing: close the books, put the boat away and start thinking about customers again in March. By then, the person who had an amazing day with you in August has forgotten your name and, when they next look for a plan at sea, they’ll start from scratch on Google or a booking platform.
Winter works in your favour. You have time to do things properly, your customers still remember the experience and your competitors have gone quiet. A returning customer doesn’t need ads to find you, doesn’t come through a platform that takes a commission and, on top of that, brings friends and family.
Building loyalty isn’t about sending discounts non-stop. It’s about staying present, with useful or beautiful things, so that when it’s time to book, yours is the first name that comes to mind.
Seven actions to bring your customers back
1. Organise this season’s contacts
Before you write to anyone, gather the details of everyone who booked this year in one place: name, email or phone, date, what they booked (a day trip, a week’s charter, a course, an activity) and any detail you remember (a birthday, whether they came with children, whether they asked about another route). A spreadsheet or the booking software you already use will do.
With that list you can write to each group with a message that makes sense to them, instead of sending the same thing to everyone. It will also show you how many customers really come back from one year to the next.
2. Send a thank-you email that isn’t an offer
Your first contact in the low season should be a thank you. A photo from the day (if you have one and can use it), a reminder of the route or a short video of the boat, and a personal line. No discounts and no pressure: just remind them how much fun they had.
A legal note: if your business is in Spain, the Spanish e-commerce law (LSSI) allows you to send commercial emails to former customers, provided you obtained their details lawfully and the services are similar to the ones they booked. Every email must include a simple, free way to unsubscribe. Rules differ from country to country, so if you’re unsure, check with whoever handles your data protection.
3. Ask for the review now, not in June
Reviews are the first thing someone who doesn’t know you looks at, and the best time to ask for them is while the memory is still fresh. Google lets you create a link or a QR code from your Business Profile so leaving a review takes seconds, and you can send it by email or WhatsApp.
What you can’t do is offer something free or discounted in exchange for a review. Google considers this fake engagement and prohibits it, so ask for feedback naturally and with no strings attached.
4. Reply to every review, even the old ones
Use the winter to answer the reviews that went unanswered in the middle of the season. Thank five-star reviewers by name, mention something specific about their experience and, if there’s any criticism, reply calmly and explain what you’ve changed. Anyone reading your profile in March will see a business that listens.
5. Keep your Google profile alive through the winter
Many nautical profiles freeze in September. Google’s Business Profile lets you publish updates, offers and events, with photos and a button that leads to booking or to more information. Posts older than six months are archived if you don’t set a date range, so it’s worth posting regularly.
It doesn’t take much: the boat on the hard, winter maintenance, the dates of your spring courses or the opening of your booking calendar. Small signs that the business is still going.
6. Give your customers first pick of dates
Before you open your calendar to the public, let the people who have already sailed with you know. You can give them a few days of priority access to choose their dates, or an early booking with flexible dates. There’s no need to cut the price: the value lies in securing their favourite date before anyone else.
For this to work, the step between the email and the booking has to be short. If your customer has to write, wait for a reply and make a bank transfer, they lose interest. A website that is ready to take bookings makes all the difference.
7. Give them a reason to come back (and to recommend you)
Think about what might make someone return: a different route from last year, a special trip for past customers, the next level of a course or a gift voucher for Christmas that they can give to someone else. The last one is especially useful in December, because it turns your customer into your best salesperson.
And if a customer recommends you, thank them. A personal message is worth more than any campaign.
A simple calendar from November to March
- November: organise your contacts, send the thank-you email and ask for any pending reviews.
- December: a Christmas gift voucher and a post on your Google profile.
- January: priority access to the calendar for last season’s customers.
- February: a reminder to those who haven’t booked yet, with something new for the season.
- March: bookings open to everyone. From here on, it’s time to prepare for the high season and attract new customers.
One email a month is enough. What matters is that each message adds something and doesn’t feel like a generic mailing list.
Mistakes that lose a loyal customer
- Disappearing until May. If you only write when you want to sell, your emails read like advertising.
- Sending the same thing to everyone. Someone who took a course doesn’t want the same offer as someone who chartered a boat for a week.
- Rewarding new customers more than returning ones. If the welcome discount is better than what a loyal customer gets, you’re telling them that coming back isn’t rewarded.
- Making booking difficult. Every extra step between “I’d love to” and a confirmed booking is a chance for them to go elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Can I email this summer’s customers without asking their permission?
In Spain, the LSSI allows commercial emails to people you have a previous contractual relationship with, as long as you obtained their details lawfully and you offer them services from your business similar to those they booked. Every email must include a simple, free way to unsubscribe. In other countries, check the local rules.
Can I offer a discount in exchange for a Google review?
No. Google prohibits offering anything free or discounted in exchange for reviews and considers it fake engagement. You can, however, ask all your customers for feedback with a link or QR code from your Business Profile, by email or WhatsApp.
How often should I write to my customers in the low season?
One email a month is usually enough, as long as each one adds something: a memory, some news, priority access to bookings or a gift idea. It’s better to write little and well than to fill their inbox and end up in the bin.
What if I have very few customer contacts saved?
Start with the ones you have and, from now on, collect the email address from every booking with the appropriate privacy notice. In one season you’ll have your own list, independent of any platform or advertising.
In short
The customers who have already sailed with you are your best opportunity for next season. Use the winter to thank them, look after your reviews and your Google profile, and give them first pick of dates. At sea, whoever gets the boat ready in winter sets sail earlier in spring.
If you’d like help putting together your loyalty plan, take a look at our nautical marketing services or get in touch.