# T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
Peer-to-peer boating makes it easier than ever to take to the water without having to own a boat.
HOW TO HIT THE WATER BY BOAT WITHOUT EVER BUYING ONE BY S U S A N PA S T E R N A K
Peer-to-Peer Boating Boosts Accessibility to This Coveted Luxury Pastime
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FREEDOM BOAT CLUB
Ever think about what it would be like to cruise Lake Michigan on a private boat, music and the sunlit skyline in the background? Then reality sets in: The high costs of boat ownership — the upfront hefty price tags and the ongoing maintenance — keep most people planted on firm ground. Enter the sharing economy, which has reached the shores of Lake Michigan, and makes it easier than ever to take to Chicago’s waterways without ever having to own a boat. Thanks to a host of companies riding this peer-to-peer boating wave, Chicagoans can access thousands of boats — from basic sunfish sailboats to luxury yachts with a crew. On the flip side, boat owners who have already paid the upfront costs and continue to shell out for maintenance can recoup some of that in the peer-to-peer boat economy.
“Chicago has our highest average trip value in the country, which is why our top owners make tens of thousands of dollars in a single season,” says Justin Parker, chief marketing officer at Boatbound, a peer-to-peer boating company, which started in Seattle and has rapidly expanded to other cities. “Boats sell out quickly on the weekends; and for popular events, such as the Chicago Air and Water Show, boats will get booked months in advance.” There are some 12.2 million boats registered in the U.S., yet the average boat gets used just 26 days a year, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, a boating industry group, which is banking on peer-to-peer boating to expose a new demographic to the pastime, potentially bolstering what is already a $121.5 billion dollar industry. The number of days of use in Chicago is likely much lower, due to our short boating season.
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