Boatsy: New boat-rental marketplace launches in Europe

A new boat-rental marketplace, Boatsy, has launched with the promise of a ‘new way’ to book sailing holidays.

The platform, founded by a collective of entrepreneurs with roots in tourism and technology, aims to transform the conventional boat rental process by making it possible for customers to book their itinerary and preferred boat in one process.

The founders say Boatsy can reduce the complexities often associated with booking a sailing trip by integrating itinerary planning with boat selection. The platform has a network of local experts in key sailing destinations, which means guests can even ‘instant book’ their trip if desired.

“We created Boatsy to provide a solution to one of the most commonplace challenges of booking sailing holidays,” says Alp Ocal, managing director. “We invested hours of research and analysis with both onboard guests and boat owners and found that the most common complaint, for both parties, is how frequently the vessel and itinerary are mismatched.

“The second most common complaint was the unexpected costs that arise during a trip due to a lack of itinerary planning or understanding about what is required for the sail, from fuel costs to mooring and docking fees, to port fees and sail time.

“Our goal is to simplify the process, making it effortless for travellers to plan and book their dream voyage, whilst providing them with complete transparency and peace-of-mind. We’ve made it a priority for our launch year to onboard a diverse fleet of boats that can cater to all preferences and budgets.”

Sailing holidays have become increasingly popular in recent years. The pandemic caused a shift in behaviour that spurred growth in the boat rental market as people sought out socially distanced alternatives to traditional holidays, and this interest appears to have been permanent.

Boatsy launches with a fleet of over 13,000 boats, including a portfolio in the Mediterranean, ready to set sail across European water this summer. The fleet includes modern yachts, catamarans, and traditional sailing boats.

The platform has prepared 100 sailing routes, focused around different themes including culture, food, privacy and adventures.

“Innovation lies at the heart of our mission,” adds Ocal. “We understand the needs of today’s travellers and where the common pitfalls are when booking sailing trips. With Boatsy, we aim to combine our guests’ need for flexibility, reliability and experience-led travel into a single, holistic platform that provides 100 per cent clarity and the maximum possible predictability before embarking on holidays at sea.”