Boat work in Port Aransas runs on weather, season and a dock that is always one repair away from a bill. Apply in five minutes; funding can arrive in as little as 24 hours.
Apply Now →Port Aransas is the only established town on Mustang Island, a barrier island north of Padre Island. Corpus Christi Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, the Lydia Ann Ship Channel and the Corpus Christi Ship Channel make up the surrounding waters. At the 2020 census the town had 2,904 residents, and it sits about 180 miles southeast of San Antonio.
For a marine mechanic, a boat dealer or a fishing charter captain, that geography is the business. It is also the cash-flow problem. Revenue follows weather, season and fishing conditions, while slip fees, insurance, fuel, payroll and parts invoices follow the calendar. See the broader picture on our Port Aransas business funding page.
| Business | The money gap | What working capital can cover |
|---|---|---|
| Boat repair and marine service shop | Parts, hauling and tech payroll are paid before the owner picks up the boat | Parts stock, a lift or tool replacement, payroll through a slow stretch |
| Boat dealer or broker | Inventory is paid for long before a sale closes | Buying a trade-in or new inventory, prep and detailing, a show-season marketing push |
| Fishing charter captain | Bookings bunch into good-weather days; maintenance and insurance do not | Engine work, safety gear, dock fees, a replacement vessel component |
Say a Port Aransas shop takes in a boat needing a repowering job. The owner pays $12,000 for an engine and $3,000 for parts and freight up front, then bills the customer once the work is done and sea-trialed. If the customer is slow to pay, or the boat sits waiting on a back-ordered part, the shop has carried $15,000 and a technician's weekly pay for longer than planned. Those are round numbers chosen to show the timing, not terms we offer or an outcome you should expect.
Nothing in that example means the shop is struggling. It means the work is front-loaded. Working capital is a way to keep paying people and suppliers on schedule while the invoice catches up.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and on a barrier-island coast that window shapes how marine owners plan cash. A sensible reserve question is less about whether a storm hits and more about the stretch of lost days around a threat: boats get hauled or tied down, customers cancel, and payroll still runs.
Some coastal property owners carry windstorm and hail coverage through TWIA, a not-for-profit insurer for people who cannot get that coverage in the regular market. Insurance and funding do different jobs, and neither replaces a cash cushion for the weeks when work stops.
If a request does not pass those three questions, it is usually better to wait or to ask for a smaller amount. Funding runs from $25,000 to $5,000,000 and the application takes about five minutes with a soft credit pull, so there is no cost to see what is possible. Sole proprietors, which many captains and one-person shops are, can apply. Compare structures on our Port Aransas lodging page if you also run a rental or lodging side.
Yes. Sole proprietors can apply, so a single-captain operation does not need to be incorporated or have employees to start an application.
Many owners use working capital for exactly that: dock fees, insurance, payroll and maintenance through weeks when weather or the calendar keeps customers away.
Equipment is a common use. Name the purchase in your application so the amount you request fits what it will cost.
About five minutes, with a soft credit pull. Funding can arrive in as little as 24 hours once approved.
Cash reserves, insurance and any funding do different jobs. Funding can help cover payroll and bills during lost days, but plan the payment against your slowest months, not your best ones.
Three months of business bank statements and a 5-minute application. FICO 500+ considered. $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours.
Apply Now →It takes about two minutes and it will not affect your credit score.
No obligation • No impact to your credit score
