Boatbound: Airbnb of Boats Makes Getting on the Water Easy

Eric Collins spent three years watching diners dock their boats at Sam's Anchor Cafe, the waterfront establishment where he works on San Francisco Bay, but could never afford to buy his own — until now. The San Franciscan purchased a Chris Craft Launch 25 three weeks ago, only after learning that he could subsidize the cost on a peer-to-peer (or as the company calls it, "pier-to-pier") boat-sharing service.

Boatbound, essentially an Airbnb for boats, has been steadily growing since its launch in 2012. The site is fresh off a recent financing round that raised $2.5 million, and lists nearly 2,000 boats — a far cry from the approximately 20 it started with. But perhaps more importantly than its financial success, Boatbound is making boating more accessible to the public. Read more...