Sail.me Rentals Helps Owners Monetize Their Boats

In 2018, a group of sailing enthusiasts wanted to make a user-friendly website that would make it easy to rent a boat and list one available for rentals. Within a year, the name sail.me was chosen and the first boat was launched on the website in one of the most popular boating destinations in the world, Miami.

The founders focused on making it easier for an owner to monetize his/her boat in a safe, secure environment. A user-friendly app and website let the owner manage reservations and add-ons and set customized routes to provide a better rental experience.

How to Monetize a Boat

A boatowner can list his/her boat with sail.me and rent it out to earn money from it. He/she can manage reservations, messages, payments and an availability calendar. An owner isn’t obliged to stick to a permanent price. The sail.me Advanced Prices and Availability Calendar let him/her manage and set custom prices based on demand, season, holidays and days of the week. Changes can be made on the go.

In May 2019, the sail.me app for iOS was launched so people could publish, search for and book a rental on their iPhones. The Android App followed soon after in September.

Some of the advantages that sail.me provides are getting insurance for a rental, renting out an unlimited number of boats for free, the ability to preset add-on services, create interactive boat routes, manage the price plan, accept online or cash settlements, get detailed rental statistics and secure personal data.

Additionally, payments can be accepted after a reservation has been made and all transactions can be completed online through a secure gateway that includes authentication and fraud prevention analysis. Once a transaction is completed, an automatic settlement is sent to an owner’s preferred bank or e-wallet account.

Getting Started

To begin making money with sail.me, an owner registers his/her boat using the green “Boat Owner” button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page. It provides instant access to all features without exposing private data. The owner then adds photos and an accurate description of the boat, including attractive features, followed by any additional services and excursions the owner plans to provide. The last step is to set the price. Then sit back and watch the money roll in. Questions are sent directly to the boat representative listed on a given boat’s page. Once payment and the booking request are submitted, the owner will respond within 48 hours.

Once the boat is listed, sail.me promotes the boat and helps an owner customize their listing in ways that bring in more bookings. Following are examples of some ways that sail.me can help an owner:

Create Adventure Itineraries.

Sail.me helps an owner set preliminary routes for private excursions and trips and display them on an interactive map with a relevant destination. Potential renters are more likely to book if they know where they are going in advance.

Members can pre-plan beach-hopping and/or sightseeing tours, explore nearby islands or hidden coves or plan a fishing adventure. Add-on interactive route features let renters determine if activities like snorkeling or SCUBA diving are conducive to a local environment.

Customize a Renter’s Experience

Sail.me aims at minimizing risks and customer dissatisfaction by offering a selection of additional services. A custom boat experience tailored to client demands and expectations is available thanks to sail.me’s optional and required add-on features that organize the rental to get the best of a private tour. If a renter plans to host a social event, they can book a DJ or catering service. If a yacht is more adventure-oriented, consider offering rental equipment for snorkeling or diving as well. The add-on feature also lets an owner include local port taxes, tips and additional insurance.

Member-Focused Service

Sail.me helps an owner position his/her boat to provide a quality customer experience. Sail.me prides itself on fast, reliable, friendly service on its website and apps that make the platform available and fully operational on desktop and laptop computers, tablets and smartphones. All the aforementioned features are accessible on all devices. An owner can connect and interact with renters in real-time.

Advanced Price Management

An owner isn’t obliged to rent his/her boat at a fixed price throughout the year. A flat fee can be frustrating on a holiday and sometimes a renter doesn’t have a full day free. Sail.me has adjusted its platform to provide flexibility to a pricing plan. The advanced Prices and Availability calendar lets a boatowner manage and set custom boat prices based on demand, season, holidays and days of the week. Changes can even be made on the go.

Easy Transactions

With sail.me’s built-in flexibility, different kinds of settlements are offered. Rentals and add-on services are payable on booking and base with no hidden costs or commissions. An owner can accept cash post-reservation or use the online system to process instant payments through a secure gateway. All transactions go through an authentication and fraud-prevention analysis. After checkout, an owner gets an automatic settlement to his/her preferred bank or e-wallet account.

For Enthusiasts

The owners of sail.me say the website is a community “built by boat lovers for boat lovers.” Becoming part of the community lets a member rent a boat at locations around the world including Italy, Turkey, Croatia and more.

Members can choose among sailing monohulls and catamarans as well as powerboats. Filter by boat type, length, price, crew or trip duration. A boater can choose the dates and rent a boat or charter a yacht on his/her terms.

All members can also share experiences with each other and provide assistance when someone has a question or concern.