Booking Software System

Case Studies Maritime Industry Platform
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Maritime Industry Platform

Coretech partnered with a client in the maritime industry to build a modern booking and scheduling platform designed for marinas and charter operators.From the start, the vision was clear: replace the industry’s patchwork of spreadsheets, phone calls, and calendars with a single connected system that simplifies daily operations.

With no legacy system to migrate, we had a blank canvas  and a client who deeply understood the challenges. Together, we set out to design and develop a solution that would make scheduling, confirmations, and customer communication seamless.

Before the platform, marinas relied on paper logs, texts, and manual updates  often leading to double bookings, missed calls, and lost revenue. Our goal was to bring everything together into one clear, reliable workflow.

Scenario

A customer wants to book a sunset cruise.The marina admin checks a paper calendar, calls the captain to confirm availability, and updates a spreadsheet.

Meanwhile, another customer inquires about the same time slot  but there’s no real-time way to know it’s already taken. The result? Confusion, crossed wires, and frustrated customers.

The platform we built changed that completely. Now, each booking is updated instantly, synced across users, and viewable from any device eliminating scheduling conflicts and manual follow-ups for good.

Decision Time

With the problem clearly defined, we moved into planning  choosing the right technology stack, mapping the architecture, and assembling the right Coretech team to bring it to life.

At Coretechs, before we write a single line of code, we ask a few key questions:

  • Who will use this system daily, and what do they truly need?
  • Which parts of the app need to move fast, and which need quiet scalability?
  • What tools will let us deliver quickly, without limiting future growth?
  • Are we building something that will evolve  or a one-time solution?
  • Which third-party tools (payments, notifications, analytics) should integrate seamlessly?

For Maritime Charters, we had to serve three distinct audiences: Marina Admins — need a clean, mobile-friendly dashboard, Captains — need self-serve tools to block dates, confirm trips, Customers — need simple booking interfaces that just work

This is what we decided on and why for this project:

Technology Choices

Our Reason

Language : Python / Django

Our team trusts Django for projects that need a reliable, future-proof foundation. With its mature ecosystem, proven security model, and extensive built-in features, Django allows us to move quickly without reinventing the wheel. It’s an excellent choice for platforms expected to evolve and scale over time.

Frontend Stack : Vue 3, Quasar Framework, Vue ChartJS

Vue gave us flexibility, and Quasar gave us polish. Perfect for mobile-ready admin tools captains could use right from the dock. Vue ChartJS : Visual dashboards for revenue, bookings, and performance — no spreadsheets required.

Database : PostgreSQL

Structured, scalable, and rock-solid. Great for managing bookings, timezone handling, and preventing conflicts across multiple marinas.

Payment Gateway : Stripe + ACH

Secure, automated payments. Stripe Connect allowed revenue splits between marinas and captains, and ACH enabled direct bank deposits.

Communication : Twilio + SendGrid

Automated SMS and email alerts kept everyone — admins, captains, and clients — informed in real time

Where does the stack live?

Once the technology stack was finalized, the next step was deciding where the system would live. Hosting wasn’t just about speed or storage; it was about reliability, scalability, and uptime critical for a booking platform that might be accessed at any time, from anywhere.

We built the foundation on Amazon Web Services (AWS) for flexibility, performance, and long-term growth.

  • EC2 instances run the PHP backend, manage the APIs, and serve the admin dashboard. They’re load-balanced and kept healthy with rolling deployments and constant monitoring.
  • S3 storage is used for boat images, manifests, and documents. Everything is organized and easy to retrieve, whether you’re on a laptop or a dock with your phone.
  • CloudFront CDN helps media and assets load fast everywhere. So captains and customers aren’t stuck waiting for booking details or images to show up.
  • Monitoring and backups are built in. CloudWatch watches for issues. Snapshots run on a schedule. The system is designed to catch problems early and keep the data safe.

With this setup, the platform is equipped to scale effortlessly  from one marina to hundreds  without compromising speed or reliability.

Implementing strategies with our development:

 

 

This part doesn’t always get the spotlight, but it’s critical. At Coretechs, we don’t just build features  we align development with how clients actually work. Maritime Industry Platform  brought deep industry insight. They knew where the bottlenecks were, what was manual that needed automation, and what just needed to work better. Our job was to translate that into custom software.

We started by mapping real workflows​ – from booking to manifest to payment. That informed the first sprints: real-time booking, automated alerts, and shared calendars. From there, we prioritized based on operational value. If captains needed an easier way to block off time, it fell in that sprint. If admins struggled with late manifests, Coretechs automated them ASAP.

Between major releases, we polished flows, fixed edge cases, and improved performance on mobile. Internal builds were shared with real users​ – captains, owners, and marina teams​ – so we could gather real-world feedback early and often. That loop helped us fine-tune everything before full rollout.

Gil Austin

President of Coretechs

Talk to Gil

Gil has over 39 years of experience in software development, project management, and business development. He’ll provide an on-the-spot assessment, critical feedback, and determine the level of effort required for your project.

202-540-0002

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gill illustration

Gil Austin

President of Coretechs

Talk to Gil

Gil has over 39 years of experience in software development, project management, and business development. He’ll provide an on-the-spot assessment, critical feedback, and determine the level of effort required for your project.

202-540-0002