It’s probably a big dream of many peoples to own a personal superyacht, hopping to and from Europe’s most famous harbours in glorious weather, whilst living in ultimate luxury on clear blue waters. Although the full lifestyle might be a way off for now, one company is helping you get a lot closer to making this a reality. A holiday with Borrowaboat.com means you can at least pretend to be an A-lister for a week or two…
The foundation of Airbnb in 2008 revolutionised the way people book holidays - no longer do you have to communicate with tricky travel companies or hotel franchises that are only looking to sell you more - you can contact genuine people just like you, offering you their own living quarters for exceptional prices. The booking process is far simpler and you can interact with your hosts on a much more personal level.
It’s a bit of a mystery why this system hasn’t been replicated in other aspects of life, but Borrowaboat has turned up to change that - as you can now do exactly the same thing except on the water!
The principle is pretty much the same; using the website or a handy app, you can browse thousands of vessels owned privately by individuals and pick your ideal one. There are plenty of filters you can use to narrow down your search, for things like boat size, price range, sleeping capabilities and accompanying skipper can all be searched for, so you won’t struggle to find exactly what you want. As mentioned, many listings offer you the option to have a skipper on board with you, so you don’t even need to know how to sail either. They’ll often act as a perfect tour guide for your trip too, showing you all of the best places to visit along the way.
It isn’t just European based either as you can use this service in just about any of the world's most amazing countries - Australia, Canada, Bahamas and Myanmar to name a few. Anywhere in the world that you’d like to visit, you can now do so via the open ocean!
Prices differ a huge amount so the service can be enjoyed by just about everyone - you can secure a trip for less than £200 in some places, and if you want to go all out there are fully staffed, full-scale superyacht options for as much as £50,000 which is staggering.
If you want to stay inland, there’s a great riverboats section where you can cruise the calm waterways on a purpose-built home - there are some great UK options here too.
So boating holidays just got a whole lot easier - you could even book one today and have someone greet you to their fully serviced vessel next week, without any catches. What’s more, you don’t even have to be rich, there are many offers here that won’t set you back any more than a hotel or apartment on solid ground.