'Airbnb for Boats' Companies Boatsetter, GetMyBoat to Merge

 

“Two peer-to-peer boat rental platforms are merging.

 

Boatsetter and GetMyBoat, online platforms that allow users to rent boats of various types from other users, have signed a deal to combine, Boatsetter Chief Executive Michael Farb told The Wall Street Journal.

 

Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

 

Boatsetter, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is backed by private-equity firms Level Equity and Centerbridge. GetMyBoat is majority-owned by Japanese engine-manufacturer Yanmar. All three backers will continue to hold ownership stakes in the combined company, Farb said.

 

The combined company is expected to have over $100 million in bookings this year, Farb said. It is set to reach profitability next year and is planning an international expansion, he added.

 

Farb will lead the combined company.

 

Boatsetter and GetMyBoat are the latest iteration of a peer-to-peer rental model. The model, best known from accommodation site Airbnb, allows users to rent out their property to other users.

 

Most of the companies' more than 50,000 listed boats are in the U.S. A small portion are international.

 

Both sites offer rentals ranging from yachts to jet skis, as well as fishing charters, party boats and other experiences. Many rentals come with captains, meaning renters don't need any boating experience. Farb said that 70% of bookings are for travel experiences.

 

Similar models have emerged in other areas. Sites like Turo and Getaround offer car rentals, while sites such as Outdoorsy and RVshare focus on recreational vehicles.

 

Boatsetter and GetMyBoat both split their business between peer-to-peer rentals, where users list their own boats, and commercial operators such as boat-charter companies. The two platforms combined have about 13 million annual users.

 

They competed in many of the same areas, including Miami, the biggest market for both companies. Scale will help the combined company compete in the growing boat-rental sector, which has benefited from consumers shifting to spending more on experiences.” [1]

 

1. 'Airbnb for Boats' Companies Boatsetter, GetMyBoat to Merge. Glickman, Ben.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 19 Dec 2025: B2.