Fairly often we get emails from folks looking for a bareboat charter in Port Townsend. This morning we noticed a post on GeekWire for a new AirBnB like service that makes it possible for individuals to charter their boat. A good idea? Who knows. But interesting.
This 2007 Catalina 320 out of Edmonds is listed at $256 a day bareboat.
If you’re looking for some serious return on investment, owning a boat isn’t a great idea. Not only are there storage and maintenance fees to pay every year, but a boat typically isn’t used all too often — especially in a place like Seattle, where the sun doesn’t shine as much.
That problem is exactly why Aaron Hall started Boatbound two years ago. And so far, it appears he’s come up with a pretty good fix.
The San Francisco-based startup is like Airbnb, but for boat rentals. Its premise is simple: Owners put their boats up on the Boatbound marketplace; interested renters pay to use the boats for either a half day or full day.
Both the buyer and seller benefit — an owner makes money when his property would otherwise sit idle, and renters get to enjoy a day on the water without having to purchase a boat.