Why Are So Many Boats Sitting Unused? Could Crowdsourced Boat Sharing Be the Answer?
Walk through almost any marina and you'll notice something interesting.
There are hundreds of boats sitting in their slips. Some are used every weekend, but many appear to rarely leave the dock.
At the same time, there are thousands of people who love sailing, fishing and boating but don't own a boat. Many of them are already turning to Facebook groups and online boating communities to find boat owners looking for crew, sailing partners and people interested in getting out on the water.
So we started asking a question at SlipMaps.com:
Could there be a better way to connect all of these people?
SlipMaps already allows members to post when a boat slip is available. What if members could also post when a boat is available to share, when they're looking for crew, when they need a boat caretaker, or when they're simply looking for other people who love boating?
Instead of creating another traditional boat brokerage or rental service, perhaps there's an opportunity to build something much more community-driven:
A crowdsourced map connecting boat owners with people who want to spend more time on the water.
And we'd like your feedback.
Why Are So Many Boats Sitting Unused in Marinas?
Buying a boat usually begins with a dream.
Weekend trips. Fishing. Sailing. Exploring the coastline. Taking friends and family out on the water.
But life gets busy.
Work schedules change. Kids have activities. Owners travel. Boats require maintenance. Sometimes people simply don't have as much time for boating as they expected.
Before long, a boat that was supposed to be used every weekend might leave its slip only a handful of times each month—or even less.
The expenses, however, don't disappear.
Owners continue paying for marina slips, insurance, maintenance, registration, cleaning, engine service, repairs and other costs.
That creates an interesting imbalance.
There are boats sitting unused while people nearby are actively searching for opportunities to get on boats.
The challenge may not be supply or demand.
It may simply be connecting the two.
Facebook Groups Are Already Proving There's a Community
This behavior is already happening.
There are Facebook groups where boat owners look for crew members, sailors search for boats, fishermen look for fishing partners and experienced boaters offer to help owners with their vessels.
Someone might post:
"Experienced sailor looking to crew out of Newport Beach."
Another person might say:
"Looking for two crew members for weekend sailing."
Or:
"My boat doesn't get used enough. Looking for another experienced boater interested in sailing and helping with some of the expenses."
Facebook has helped create communities around these needs.
But Facebook groups weren't specifically designed to solve this problem.
Posts move down the feed and become difficult to find. Opportunities are spread among different groups. You might have to join multiple communities and repeatedly search through new posts just to find something close to you.
And that brings up one of the most important things about boating:
Location matters.
Someone in Southern California isn't just looking for "a sailboat."
They're looking for a sailboat in Marina del Rey, Newport Beach, Long Beach or San Diego.
Someone who wants to fish may want opportunities at one specific harbor.
Someone looking to crew might want to know what's available within 10 miles of home.
That's where we think SlipMaps could provide something different.
What If Boating Opportunities Were on a Map?
Imagine opening SlipMaps and zooming into your local marina.
Instead of seeing only marina and slip information, you could potentially see opportunities posted by members of the boating community.
A boat owner could post:
Boat Available to Share
"I own a 36-foot sailboat but only use it a couple of weekends each month. Looking for an experienced local sailor interested in spending more time on the water and potentially sharing some expenses."
Another could post:
Crew Wanted
"Looking for two experienced sailors for weekend trips."
Or:
Fishing Partners Wanted
"Have the boat. Looking for people who love offshore fishing and are interested in joining trips and sharing expenses."
And the posts wouldn't have to come only from boat owners.
People looking for opportunities could add themselves to the map too.
Looking for a Boat to Share
Imagine being able to place a marker near your local marina that says:
Looking for a Boat to Share
Your listing could explain your boating experience, interests and what you're looking for.
For example:
"Experienced sailor in Marina del Rey. Don't currently own a boat but would love to connect with an owner who needs crew or someone to help with maintenance and expenses."
Or:
"Recently moved to San Diego. Experienced fisherman looking to meet local boat owners interested in regular offshore trips."
Instead of waiting for the right Facebook post to appear, boat owners could discover people who are already interested.
The marketplace could work in both directions.
Owners find boat lovers.
Boat lovers find owners.
Boat Sharing Doesn't Have to Mean Boat Rental
When people hear "boat sharing," they may immediately think about renting a boat for the day.
That's only one possibility.
A community-driven boating network could include many different relationships.
Someone might want a regular sailing partner.
Another owner might need crew.
Someone might want to split fuel and operating expenses.
Two people might eventually decide to share ownership.
A fisherman may simply want other people to fish with.
Another owner may need someone to help care for a boat while traveling.
The idea isn't necessarily:
"Rent my boat."
It could be:
"Let's go boating."
That is a very different type of community.
What About Boat Sitting and Boat Caretaking?
There's another opportunity we find particularly interesting.
Boat caretaking.
Many boat owners live significant distances from their boats or travel for extended periods.
But boats still need attention.
Lines need to be checked. Batteries need monitoring. Boats need cleaning. Small problems need to be discovered before they become expensive problems.
An owner could potentially post:
Boat Caretaker Wanted
And someone nearby could post:
Available to Care for a Boat
The exact arrangement could be determined between the people involved, subject to marina policies, insurance requirements and local regulations.
In some situations, where marina rules permit it, owners might even be interested in live-aboard caretaking arrangements.
It could become the boating equivalent of house sitting.
Think Turo, VRBO and Facebook Groups—But Built Around a Map
The sharing economy has changed the way people think about expensive assets.
Homes don't always have to sit empty.
Cars don't always have to sit unused.
And perhaps boats don't either.
But we don't necessarily think SlipMaps needs to become another traditional rental marketplace.
There may be a more interesting opportunity.
Take the community behavior already happening in Facebook groups and organize it geographically.
Facebook is great for conversations and groups.
SlipMaps could provide the location and discovery layer.
A member could create a SlipMaps listing and then share that listing in a Facebook boating group.
Instead of a Facebook post disappearing down the feed, the SlipMaps listing remains connected to a location on the map.
That could make it easier for people to discover boating opportunities days, weeks or months later.
What Could You Post on SlipMaps?
SlipMaps already allows members to post available boat slips.
We're considering whether we should expand that concept with categories such as:
Boat Available to Share
Looking for a Boat to Share
Crew Wanted
Crew Available
Boat Partner Wanted
Looking for Boat Partnership
Fishing Partners Wanted
Boat Caretaker Wanted
Boat Caretaker Available
Live-Aboard/Caretaker Opportunity
Imagine clicking on a marina and seeing:
4 Boat Slips Available
6 Boats Available to Share
3 Owners Looking for Crew
5 Boaters Looking for Boats
2 Fishing Partners Wanted
1 Boat Caretaker Opportunity
Suddenly you're not simply looking at a map of marinas.
You're looking at a map of the boating community.
Could This Bring More People Into Boating?
This could potentially solve another problem: the high cost of getting into boating.
Not everyone needs to own a boat.
Someone who wants to sail twice a month may not need to purchase a sailboat, pay for a slip and take responsibility for all of the maintenance.
They may simply need to meet the right boat owner.
Likewise, a boat owner who isn't using a vessel very often may not necessarily want to sell it.
They might just need more people to enjoy it with.
A crowdsourced boating community could create opportunities for experienced boaters, younger sailors, fishermen, retirees, remote workers and people who are simply passionate about being around the water.
It could also introduce people to boating who otherwise might never have the opportunity.
What Would Make Boat Owners Comfortable?
Of course, trust matters.
We're interested in hearing what boat owners would want before connecting with someone through SlipMaps.
Would you want:
Member profiles?
Reviews and ratings?
Identity verification?
Boating experience?
Certifications?
References?
Photos?
Private messaging?
Availability calendars?
Information about the types of boats someone has operated?
There are plenty of questions to answer before building something like this.
That's exactly why we're asking the boating community first.
We Want to Hear From People Already Using Facebook Groups
If you're currently using Facebook groups to find crew, find boats, meet sailing partners, find fishing partners or connect with other boaters, we'd particularly like your feedback.
What's working?
What's frustrating?
Would you rather be able to open a map, zoom into a marina and immediately see who's looking for crew or what boats might be available to share?
Would you post your own profile saying you're looking for a boat?
If you're an owner, would you post your boat?
And what features would make you feel comfortable making that connection?
Help Us Decide What SlipMaps Builds Next
We're not assuming we know exactly what the boating community needs.
We want you to tell us.
If you're a boat owner, sailor, fisherman, live-aboard, crew member or simply someone who loves being on the water, leave a comment below.
Would you use a Boat Available to Share category?
Would you post Looking for a Boat to Share?
Would you use SlipMaps to find crew?
Would you look for fishing partners?
Would you be interested in boat caretaking?
And is there another category we haven't thought of?
The interesting thing is that we don't necessarily have to create the community.
The community already exists.
People are already connecting through Facebook groups and other boating communities every day.
Boat owners are already looking for crew.
Crew members are already looking for boats.
Boaters are already looking for partners.
And thousands of boats are already sitting in marinas waiting to be used.
Maybe what's missing isn't another broker.
Maybe what's missing is a map.
Leave a comment below and tell us: Would you use a crowdsourced boat-sharing and crew-finding feature on SlipMaps.com? And what would you want it to include?
