OUR SERVICES
Boat Purchase & Travel Planning Consulting
Sometimes you don't need a captain on the boat. You need someone who has spent decades in the marine industry to sit down with you, think through your situation, and give you a straight answer. Whether it's a boat you're thinking about buying, a voyage you're mapping out, or a problem you've never run into before, this is consulting built on real time on the water and real time in the industry, not a sales pitch.
OUR SERVICES
Boat Purchase & Travel Planning Consulting
Sometimes you don't need a captain on the boat. You need someone who has spent decades in the marine industry to sit down with you, think through your situation, and give you a straight answer. Whether it's a boat you're thinking about buying, a voyage you're mapping out, or a problem you've never run into before, this is consulting built on real time on the water and real time in the industry, not a sales pitch.
OUR SERVICES
Boat Purchase & Travel Planning Consulting
Sometimes you don't need a captain on the boat. You need someone who has spent decades in the marine industry to sit down with you, think through your situation, and give you a straight answer. Whether it's a boat you're thinking about buying, a voyage you're mapping out, or a problem you've never run into before, this is consulting built on real time on the water and real time in the industry, not a sales pitch.
USCG Master 100 GRT
GREAT LAKES & INLAND WATERS
USCG Master 50 GRT
NEAR COASTAL
Commercial Towing Assistance
Endorsement
B.S. Mechanical Eng.
U of M Dearborn
Past Commodore
Ford Yacht Club · 2004–2006
USCG Master 100 GRT
GREAT LAKES & INLAND WATERS
USCG Master 50 GRT
NEAR COASTAL
Commercial Towing Assistance
Endorsement
B.S. Mechanical Eng.
U of M Dearborn
Past Commodore
Ford Yacht Club · 2004–2006
— WHAT'S INCLUDED
What Marine Consulting Covers
Consulting engagements are open-ended by design. There's no fixed curriculum and no set outcome. You bring the question, I bring the experience. Most of what people come to me for falls into one of these.
01
Boat purchase consulting
Before you buy is the cheapest time to find out what you're really looking at. I help with pre-purchase evaluation: what to look for at survey, how to read a vessel's condition and history, what a survey finding actually means for you, and whether the deal in front of you is worth making. A second set of eyes that has bought, sold, delivered, and maintained boats for a living can save you from an expensive mistake. If you want to go deeper on what a survey turns up, see what a marine survey covers, and the questions worth asking before you buy.
02
Travel and trip planning
03
Seamanship questions
04
Vessel systems and maintenance
05
General guidance
EXCLUSIVE PROGRAM
The First Mate Coaching Package
Deck leadership, dock lines, VHF radio, trip planning, and what to do in the terrifying event that your own captain has been injured or suffers a medical emergency. Your decisions and actions as the First Mate matter.
Let OCS bolster your knowledge and confidence. The only program of its kind on the Great Lakes.
— WHAT'S INCLUDED
What Marine Consulting Covers
Consulting engagements are open-ended by design. There's no fixed curriculum and no set outcome. You bring the question, I bring the experience. Most of what people come to me for falls into one of these.
01
Boat purchase consulting
Before you buy is the cheapest time to find out what you're really looking at. I help with pre-purchase evaluation: what to look for at survey, how to read a vessel's condition and history, what a survey finding actually means for you, and whether the deal in front of you is worth making. A second set of eyes that has bought, sold, delivered, and maintained boats for a living can save you from an expensive mistake. If you want to go deeper on what a survey turns up, see what a marine survey covers, and the questions worth asking before you buy.
02
Travel and trip planning
03
Seamanship questions
04
Vessel systems and maintenance
05
General guidance
EXCLUSIVE PROGRAM
The First Mate Coaching Package
Deck leadership, dock lines, VHF radio, trip planning, and what to do in the terrifying event that your own captain has been injured or suffers a medical emergency. Your decisions and actions as the First Mate matter.
Let OCS bolster your knowledge and confidence. The only program of its kind on the Great Lakes.
— WHAT'S INCLUDED
What Marine Consulting Covers
Consulting engagements are open-ended by design. There's no fixed curriculum and no set outcome. You bring the question, I bring the experience. Most of what people come to me for falls into one of these.
01
Boat purchase consulting
Before you buy is the cheapest time to find out what you're really looking at. I help with pre-purchase evaluation: what to look for at survey, how to read a vessel's condition and history, what a survey finding actually means for you, and whether the deal in front of you is worth making. A second set of eyes that has bought, sold, delivered, and maintained boats for a living can save you from an expensive mistake. If you want to go deeper on what a survey turns up, see what a marine survey covers, and the questions worth asking before you buy.
02
Travel and trip planning
03
Seamanship questions
04
Vessel systems and maintenance
05
General guidance
EXCLUSIVE PROGRAM
The First Mate Coaching Package
Deck leadership, dock lines, VHF radio, trip planning, and what to do in the terrifying event that your own captain has been injured or suffers a medical emergency. Your decisions and actions as the First Mate matter.
Let OCS bolster your knowledge and confidence. The only program of its kind on the Great Lakes.
HOW IT WORKS
How It Works
There's no package to choose and no clock to beat. It starts with a call. Tell me what you're trying to figure out, and we'll go from there: a single conversation if that's all it takes, or ongoing input through a purchase or a trip if that's what's useful. Pricing depends on what you need, so it's quoted once I understand the situation. Get in touch and we'll sort out whether I can help.
Reach Out
Tell us what you're working through and we'll determine whether a consulting engagement is the right fit.
Connect
Captain Tom sits down with you, in person or remotely, to understand your situation in full before offering any direction.
Get Answers
You leave the conversation with clear, honest guidance grounded in decades of hands-on marine industry experience.
HOW IT WORKS
How It Works
There's no package to choose and no clock to beat. It starts with a call. Tell me what you're trying to figure out, and we'll go from there: a single conversation if that's all it takes, or ongoing input through a purchase or a trip if that's what's useful. Pricing depends on what you need, so it's quoted once I understand the situation. Get in touch and we'll sort out whether I can help.
Reach Out
Tell us what you're working through and we'll determine whether a consulting engagement is the right fit.
Connect
Captain Tom sits down with you, in person or remotely, to understand your situation in full before offering any direction.
Get Answers
You leave the conversation with clear, honest guidance grounded in decades of hands-on marine industry experience.
ABOUT CAPTAIN TOM
Professionally licensed, with 36 years of context you can put to work.
Some questions don't fit into a coaching program or a delivery contract. Should I buy this boat or wait for the next one? Is this survey finding a dealbreaker or a negotiating point? Can I actually make that trip in a single season? Those are the conversations I enjoy most — because they're the ones where experience actually matters. I grew up on the water. Six years working in a marina before I had a real job title. 36 years in the automotive and marine supply industry. Thinking like a mechanical engineer about why boats behave the way they do. I've run every mile of water from Lake Erie to Lake Huron, and I've been involved in more boat deals, repowers, surveys, and travel plans than I could list. Bring me your question. I'll give you a straight answer.
Tom Ketelhut
Owner, Offshore Captain Services
ABOUT CAPTAIN TOM
Professionally licensed, with 36 years of context you can put to work.
Some questions don't fit into a coaching program or a delivery contract. Should I buy this boat or wait for the next one? Is this survey finding a dealbreaker or a negotiating point? Can I actually make that trip in a single season? Those are the conversations I enjoy most — because they're the ones where experience actually matters. I grew up on the water. Six years working in a marina before I had a real job title. 36 years in the automotive and marine supply industry. Thinking like a mechanical engineer about why boats behave the way they do. I've run every mile of water from Lake Erie to Lake Huron, and I've been involved in more boat deals, repowers, surveys, and travel plans than I could list. Bring me your question. I'll give you a straight answer.
Tom Ketelhut
Owner, Offshore Captain Services
ABOUT CAPTAIN TOM
Professionally licensed, with 36 years of context you can put to work.
Some questions don't fit into a coaching program or a delivery contract. Should I buy this boat or wait for the next one? Is this survey finding a dealbreaker or a negotiating point? Can I actually make that trip in a single season? Those are the conversations I enjoy most — because they're the ones where experience actually matters. I grew up on the water. Six years working in a marina before I had a real job title. 36 years in the automotive and marine supply industry. Thinking like a mechanical engineer about why boats behave the way they do. I've run every mile of water from Lake Erie to Lake Huron, and I've been involved in more boat deals, repowers, surveys, and travel plans than I could list. Bring me your question. I'll give you a straight answer.
Tom Ketelhut
Owner, Offshore Captain Services
LEARN MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer consulting if I'm buying a boat in another state?
Yes. A lot of pre-purchase consulting happens over the phone and by reviewing photos, listings, and survey reports. If an in-person look makes sense and it's within range, we can talk about that too.
Is this the same as a marine survey?
No. A surveyor produces a formal report for insurance and financing. I help you understand what that report means and what to do about it, and I help with the judgment calls a survey doesn't cover, like whether the boat fits how you actually plan to use it. The two work well together.
Can you help me plan a Great Lakes trip I'll run myself?
That's exactly what travel planning consulting is for. We build the route, the daily distances, the stops, and the contingencies, and you run it. If you'd rather have a captain aboard for part of it, that's a different conversation we can have.
What does consulting cost?
It depends on what you need, so it's quoted after a short call. Some questions take one conversation. Others run through an entire purchase or voyage.
How do I get started?
Schedule a call. Tell me what you're working on, and we'll figure out the rest.
LEARN MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer consulting if I'm buying a boat in another state?
Yes. A lot of pre-purchase consulting happens over the phone and by reviewing photos, listings, and survey reports. If an in-person look makes sense and it's within range, we can talk about that too.
Is this the same as a marine survey?
No. A surveyor produces a formal report for insurance and financing. I help you understand what that report means and what to do about it, and I help with the judgment calls a survey doesn't cover, like whether the boat fits how you actually plan to use it. The two work well together.
Can you help me plan a Great Lakes trip I'll run myself?
That's exactly what travel planning consulting is for. We build the route, the daily distances, the stops, and the contingencies, and you run it. If you'd rather have a captain aboard for part of it, that's a different conversation we can have.
What does consulting cost?
It depends on what you need, so it's quoted after a short call. Some questions take one conversation. Others run through an entire purchase or voyage.
How do I get started?
Schedule a call. Tell me what you're working on, and we'll figure out the rest.
LEARN MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer consulting if I'm buying a boat in another state?
Yes. A lot of pre-purchase consulting happens over the phone and by reviewing photos, listings, and survey reports. If an in-person look makes sense and it's within range, we can talk about that too.
Is this the same as a marine survey?
No. A surveyor produces a formal report for insurance and financing. I help you understand what that report means and what to do about it, and I help with the judgment calls a survey doesn't cover, like whether the boat fits how you actually plan to use it. The two work well together.
Can you help me plan a Great Lakes trip I'll run myself?
That's exactly what travel planning consulting is for. We build the route, the daily distances, the stops, and the contingencies, and you run it. If you'd rather have a captain aboard for part of it, that's a different conversation we can have.
What does consulting cost?
It depends on what you need, so it's quoted after a short call. Some questions take one conversation. Others run through an entire purchase or voyage.
How do I get started?
Schedule a call. Tell me what you're working on, and we'll figure out the rest.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Have a question worth asking?
There's no script here. Just an experienced captain who has seen a lot and is glad to help you think it through.
Or give me a call at (248)-497-5791. If I'm on the water, I'll call you back same day.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Have a question worth asking?
There's no script here. Just an experienced captain who has seen a lot and is glad to help you think it through.
Or give me a call at (248)-497-5791. If I'm on the water, I'll call you back same day.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Have a question worth asking?
There's no script here. Just an experienced captain who has seen a lot and is glad to help you think it through.
Or give me a call at (248)-497-5791. If I'm on the water, I'll call you back same day.
Explore
©️ 2026 Offshore Captain Services LLC · All rights reserved
Explore
©️ 2026 Offshore Captain Services LLC · All rights reserved
Explore
©️ 2026 Offshore Captain Services LLC · All rights reserved