Buying a yacht is a major investment and can often leave you stuck in the same region unless you want to sail long distances. A new company launched late last year www.Sailo.co, is about to change all that. They are doing for yachts what Airbnb has done for accommodation; offering peer-to-peer rentals, cutting out the middleman. Holidaymakers get to rent a yacht and the owners get to make some money out of an underused boat. It’s a win-win situation, which could go down a storm in Malta.
The concept was born after CEO Adrian Gradinaru had a frustrating experience renting a boat during a holiday in Greece. His brainchild has simplified the process; would-be renters enter their dream location, the number of people in the party and the dates that they want to rent on the sleek home page. The search engine then pops up all the options available, along with details and pictures. You can filter the kind of power you want (sail, motor, or human), boat length, price and fuel economy. You can also select a captain if you need one (not necessarily the boat owner). Lindsay Minerva, Sailo’s marketing manager said: “Our goal is to make boating more accessible, affordable and enjoyable.”
Even if you charter a boat for a week and it seems expensive, it’s still less expensive than owning a boat for even half a year
The service comes worry-free for renters. All boats are 100 per cent insured, Sailo lists only licensed captains and they check each boat in person to ensure that “what you see on our website is what you get”. Every booking made on the Sailo platform is fully insured for damages and liabilities.
Minerva says: “Sailo prides itself on having a fleet of safe and desirable boats, and this will remain a priority as we expand.” And as Sailo captain Mike says, renting takes all of the hard work out of boating.
Using sites like Sailo makes boats that are otherwise unaffordable with reach.“The beauty about chartering is that the minute you step off the boat, you’re done. Even if you charter a boat for a week and it seems expensive, it’s still less expensive than owning a boat for even half a year.”
For captains looking for work, Sailo provides a way to generate additional income while offering the flexibility to choose where, when and how you sail. Aspiring captains can also start to build a client base through the site. And captaining is carefree, with all insurance and liability taken care of. International captains are welcome on the site but, Lindsay Minerva says, currently they “must have a valid licence in the US” and will be vetted by Sailo.
For boat owners looking to make a few Euros, the site is the ideal platform, linking supply with demand for owners of sailboats, motor yachts, pontoons, catamarans and cruisers. Owners get a piece of Sailo’s marketing, with hundreds of people seeing what they have on offer. And if you’re worried about letting your nautical baby out of the harbour with a stranger on board, Sailo offers full insurance, protecting the boat for almost €1 million in damages and €2 million in liabilities. You can also charge a security deposit and a cleaning fee if you choose.
Catamaran owner Andrea describes her experience of the site as “seamless”. “The site is easy to use and we love it,” she says. “We’re really happy to have this platform to reach out to renters.”
Sailo deals with accepting payments and then pays the boat owner directly into their bank account (minus the service fee that they charge renters).
Life on land is overrated
A typical offering is Captain Chuck’s boat, based on Pompano Beach. He has 30 years of experience and encourages renters to participate by taking the helm, handling the lines and basically learning to sail. His six-person boat can take you all along the Miami coastline where you’ll see dolphins and turtles, watch water birds or try your hand at fishing. It costs €324 per day including a captain and fuel, which isn’t bad for that number of people when you consider that the boat is also a suite of floating hotel rooms. Or in Boston, for €185 a day, you can hire a Searay Sundeck motorboat that takes 10 people (it has no sleeping berths). You’ll get a half hour of instruction or you can hire a captain too for an extra €185. The owners will even deliver it to your dock.
There’s just one small catch; so far, the 200 or so boats currently on the Sailo system are located in US cities, with Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York and Key West the most popular. If that’s where you’re planning to take a holiday (or if you’re lucky enough to have a boat overseas), then you’re all systems go. If not, you’ll have to wait until Sailo start to roll out a European system.
Hopefully, that will happen shortly. Sailo say that they plan to be in Europe next summer and intend to include key nautical destinations like Malta and Greece. Minerva says that’s a very personal mission for the directors: “Co-founder Delphine Braas’s favourite boating memory is sailing from Malta to Croatia.”
Minerva adds that local partners will be welcome when the company expands. “We make a point of working closely with people and businesses in the local areas where we are active. Sailo is not simply a boat rental service but also a welcoming community of renters, boat owners, and captains with the shared interest of enjoying the boating lifestyle and experience.”
Minerva quotes Adrian Gradinaru as saying, “life on land is overrated” and she adds: “In a sense, Sailo considers itself a supplier of happiness.”
So hoist the main sail Malta; a technological boating revolution might just be about to hit our shores, making it easier than ever for every man and woman to become a salty sea dog and reserve their own little piece of nautical happiness. And there are plenty of boat owners on the island that will be happy to cash in.