BoatSetter, a peer-to-peer boat rental service, launches in South Florida
By Nancy Dahlberg, The Miami Herald | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
BoatSetter.com, which connects boat owners with consumers who want to enjoy a day on the water, said it is the first rental marketplace that offers a robust network of captains to would-be renters. BoatSetter is rolling out the service first in
To be sure, the new boat-sharing industry is attracting attention. Nationwide, there are more than a dozen companies that have launched such services, including Boatbound and Cruzin, which launched services in
Like many of the other players in the peer-to-peer boat rental industry, boat owners fill out a profile and list their boat for rent, including pictures and details on features and amenities. Once would-be boaters find what they are looking for, the system handles the transaction from start to finish. Included in the cost of the rental is insurance --
But central to the collaborative consumption model is trust, and BoatSetter's business model tackles this by offering the ability for renters to hire licensed captains, said Sturner, founder of
The availability of captains -- which will be an optional service -- opens up the service to almost any tourist, a huge market. Sturner said the captains set their own rates, but on average it will cost a couple hundred dollars a day to have a captain, in addition to the boat rental, Nearly 1,000 captains have already signed up on BoatSetter's portal, captainswanted.com, he said.
"You are exposing boating to a much larger, broader audience. Now anyone who wants to go out and enjoy a day on the water can -- regardless of their experience boating," said Sturner, who has also invested in and headed up other technology businesses. "We're democratizing the yacht charter business. We are allowing any boat to be chartered and not just a very, very expensive boat."
BoatSetter also is setting up a network of marinas nationwide working to help promote and deliver the service, including offering optional concierge services to check in and check out renters for the owners. The company currently has more than 100 marinas in the program with more signing up daily. In the
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