When Jappie van der Pol first came into contact with TrackJack via Yamaha Motor in 2013, he was one of the first in the Netherlands to fit sailing yachts with a GPS tracker. Now, more than eight years later, the systems installed back then are still in use on the boats. “It is an extremely stable and reliable system.”
If you’re in Sneek and come across one of the most enthusiastic people you’ve ever met, chances are you’ve bumped into Jappie van der Pol. The owner of the charter company Polboten grew up in Friesland and the charter business is in his blood. “My father quit his job and started a rental company. Ten years later, the first new boats were bought, and another ten years on, I joined the business.” Since then, it has taken off in a big way. Larger vessels were introduced, along with an (online) booking system and a drive towards automation, including the TrackJack boat tracker. “We are now one of the most modern sailing boat rental companies.”
Polboten has the finest and most modern sailing yachts available for hire.
GPS trackers for the boats
Polboten uses boat GPS trackers to prevent theft or in other emergencies. “When bad weather is on the way, I want to be sure my customers aren’t stuck in the middle of the IJsselmeer. But apart from that, I prefer not to look at them too much, only for practical reasons. For instance, it’s ideal if there are faults on board. The system makes it incredibly handy for the operator.”
Fortunately, however, such malfunctions are rare. “We’re a very good rental company that takes excellent care of its equipment. That’s also why most of the tracking systems are still the original ones.”
“It’s an incredibly stable and reliable system.
Most of the tracking systems are still from the very beginning”
Busy in winter, quiet in summer
After a turbulent 2020 due to Covid, 2021 is looking back to normal. The boats will be launched on 1 April and everything needs to be sorted within 5 to 6 months. Yet it’s busy in winter and quiet in summer. “People often think it’s the other way round, but they don’t understand our business. In winter we have to maintain, repair and get everything ready, whilst in summer everyone is out enjoying a sail. We never get bored, certainly not on changeover days, but we do get to sit in the grass and enjoy ourselves from time to time.”
And it’s clear that Jappie enjoys his work. He works with happy, active people, and in what he himself describes as the most beautiful province in the Netherlands. “You don’t need to go to France or Spain. You just hop on the boat; moor at a jetty, fire up the barbecue, and have the time of your life.”