As boat owners, we all know that even when we're not using our boats, they still cost us money. Slip fees, insurance, and maintenance don't stop just because our boats are sitting at the dock. At the same time, there are lots of people who aren't ready to invest in a boat, but who still want to get out on the water. To bridge these two boating groups, a new concept called peer-to-peer (P2P) boat rental has emerged.

Peer to peer websites

For a few years now, people with underused assets, such as cars, bicycles, rooms, and even entire houses, have been connecting via P2P websites to others who want to rent them for a few hours, a day, or a week. Companies such as samboat, which allow people to rent out unused items on a daily basis, have been around for a few years, and the concept has now migrated to boats. With P2P rental, boat owners can collect some money on days their boats would otherwise sit at the dock or on the trailer. Non-boat owners can get on the water when they want, and let someone else handle the costs of ownership. Vacationers can rent boats far from their normal cruising area, opening up new waters to explore, read this so as to understand that one advantage for those looking to buy a boat is that it's possible to rent a model you're considering buying so that you can get a whole day's use to evaluate it.

The way it operates

Boat owners list their boats on a P2P website, such as Boatbound.com, samboat etc and Potential renters browse boats of all types and sizes, and once they find something they want to rent, the website handles the transaction from start to finish. Owners set their own price based on the market, as well as required deposits. Insurance should be included in the price with a deductible, 2 percent of the boat's value, whichever is greater. Many boat owners set the deposit so it will cover the deductible.