Boston Company Lets You Rent A Luxury Boat Without The Hassle Of Owning It
CHARLESTOWN (CBS) - If you're looking for a safe way to experience summer 2020 without going too far, why not rent a luxury boat?
There's a saying that "the best boat is your friend's boat."
SailTime, docked in Charlestown, brings that saying to life.
The company's part owner, Paul Sullivan, showed us one of their boats that's worth nearly half-a-million dollars.
"You take it out for an afternoon with their friends, their family, or their business partners and colleagues, and at the end of the day, tie it up and walk away," he told WBZ-TV.
Sullivan says a SailTime membership allows people, once they become certified to sail, to share luxury rides, from small sailboats to catamarans.
"A lot of people are really staying home. It's almost like a staycation. You've got all the amenities you could possibly have at like a summer cottage," he added. "A boat of this size can entertain a mom and dad and kids and a whole family and you're right here in your backyard of Boston."
Below deck, there are two full bedrooms, a bathroom, and kitchen complete with a stove to cook on. And they make sure they teach you all the ropes before you head out on the water.
Sullivan also owns Black Rock Sailing School.
"Three consecutive training days from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. studying the books a bit will get you a foot in the door where you can sail a 30-foot boat all by yourself," he said. "It doesn't take too much, just takes a good attitude and the desire to be out in the ocean if you're someone who loves the salt water and fresh air, then you have a head start."
Breaking down the pricing of the membership, Sullivan made the connection to splitting an Uber with friends.
"$8,200, you think of what it might cost for a family to go to a hotel or a resort. That's sort of all-inclusive. That price really stretches out nice over a summer season. Seven sails a month, you're out sailing for a little over $200 per sail and if you split that with friends that's how much an Uber ride across town would cost. That gets you 6 months of sailing, so that gets you the month of May all the way through the month of October," he said.
And in a time where all of us have to keep our distance, the ocean makes it easy.
"Very much, you know," he laughed as he looked to sea. "I mean you're on your own little bubble."
Each boat is also stocked up with cleaning supplies.
"Once one family gets off the boat, we then come in and do a deeper clean so that it's ready for the next group," Sullivan said.
For more information, visit SailTime Boston.