This Summer, Try the Airbnb for Boats

Growing up in Colorado, boating was one of Kira Maixner’s favorite summer activities. On hot summer days, the Maixner family would pile into their pickup truck and drive to Horsetooth, Chatfield, or Green Mountain reservoirs for a day of sun and fun on the water. Even after moving to San Francisco and starting her own family, Maixner still frequently gets out on the water. Her boating options have grown tremendously, thanks to GetMyBoat.

Maixner is the head of communications for the three-year-old company, which is the world’s largest marketplace for boat rentals and charters. The San Francisco-based firm now lists more than 57,000 boats scattered across 154 countries. Several hundred of these are in Colorado, across about two dozen locations. Want to raft the Colorado River through Ruby and Horsethief Canyons without a guide? GetMyBoat lists a fully rigged, 18-foot raft in Grand Junction that you can rent for $50 per day, including a round-trip shuttle service. If a jet ski is more your speed, you can rent one at Lake Granby for $895 per day.

The idea for this peer-to-peer service came about when GetMyBoat’s co-founders were sailing in the Atlantic and noticed large numbers of unused boats idly floating in the marinas. The online marketplace is a win-win for both owners, who can now easily rent out their craft when it’s not being used, and renters, who can find everything from kayaks to sailboats to luxury yachts and obtain pay-by-the-day insurance through a quick and convenient app.

While anyone can request to reserve a boat, the owners or rental companies will review a potential renter’s experience with the desired vessel, as well as years of boating knowledge and any appliable certifications, before agreeing to rent it. (Read some tips on what to include in your request.) However, some companies also offer captained or crewed charters for those who don’t want to man the ship themselves. Both renters and owners can also share reviews of their experience.

If you’ve dreamed of exploring farther afield, GetMyBoat offers thousands of options across the U.S. and around the globe, from houseboats on Lake Powell to luxury charters along France’s famous Cote d’Azur and a cruising catamaran in Australia’s gorgeous Whitsunday Islands. If you really want to make some waves, GetMyBoat even has a few famous watercraft on its rolls, including the sleek, 108-foot Sunseeker Predator used in the James Bond movie Casino Royale, and a Sunseeker Superhawk, used in The World is Not Enough, which you can rent by the hour. Just remember to drink that onboard martini shaken—not stirred.