Written by Adrian and Natalya Walker (both Full-time MBA 2014), this husband and wife team tell the story of how they came to set up Boataffair.
A first for the sailing community
Boat swapping is a first for the sailing world as a true sharing option for private boat owners. The yachting industry in general is still catching up with modern technology and trends. Many myths still exist in the market. Let us debunk some of them and explain how our Boat Sharing Community enables a new way to travel.
We both have 20 years of sailing and boating experience and a vast network of friends in the yachting world – we understand boat owners, their values and pain points.
After speaking with fellow boat owners and boating enthusiasts, we realised that among all boating platforms available out there, there was none that really catered for the needs of private boat owners. New platforms are very fast to shout how they’re the new ‘Airbnb’ for boats – there are numerous of them. But while many boat platforms aim at enabling boat owners to rent out their vessel in order to make more money Airbnb-style, we realised two things:
- In most countries renting out your private vessel is next to illegal or very paperwork-heavy. These boating platforms mislead the public somewhat therefore.
- Secondly, over 70% of private boat owners we talked to privately and through surveys do not want to rent out their boat. They tell us they would prefer to use their vessel to make new friends and simply share theirs with others. They were looking for a tool that connects them with other owners.
The idea for boat swapping was born: Boat swap is not a commercial transaction and the barriers to entry are a lot lower than with a boat rental scheme therefore.
What is Boat Swapping?
Boataffair is the first boating platform to truly cater for the needs and wishes of private boat owners. Within the boat swapping community, boat owners get the chance to share or swap their boat with other boat owners globally, liberating them from the need to charter a boat if you want to experience boating in a new location. We are well connected: to date, boat owners from over 30 countries, among them Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, USA, Greece, Italy, France or Spain, have joined the community. It is a unique opportunity to make like-minded friends and have the very best and joyous experience possible, and because you are hosted locals, you will have access to all the secret spots, not found in any guide book.
The benefits of boat swapping, or our boat sharing club, are manifold. Boat owners experience new boats in new countries and get to know new people. Make like-minded friends and discover new amazing boating locations through the eyes of the locals. Authentic experiences which you will not find in any guide book.
We have just arranged a boat swap between owners of sailing yachts in Australia and Montenegro and look forward to helping many more in the future.
Find out more about us here boataffair.com or write to us any time at welcome@boataffair.com.
Share
