Rental boat app GetMyBoat looking for Iowa ‘captains’

Iowa may be a landlocked state, but an app wants to make it easier for Iowans to spend a day on the water.

GetMyBoat has just started to establish a presence in Iowa by adding boat options on lakes around the state including in Iowa City, Monticello and Okoboji, and at vacation spots such as Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.

The company was created as a platform to connect potential customers with charter boat businesses as well as companies that offer kayaking and other options.

“Our presence in Iowa is still very small and we have a lot of work to do to get more boat owners and charter operators who rent out their boats,” said Val Streif, who handles marketing and communications for GetMyBoat.

GetMyBoat first launched in 2013 in San Francisco.

“Our presence has grown from coastal hot spots like California and Florida to many inland states with boating lakes,” Streif said.

The app can connect with more than 130,000 boats in 9,300 destinations, Streif said.

Streif said the company has been challenged in finding enough boat owners and operators to meet the interest in renting.

“The renter demand is outpacing the operators, so if you're a boat captain, please come on board,” Streif said.

“If you're a boat owner or captain and want to list your boats or charters with GetMyBoat, you create an account and our sales team will help you add listings of your boats with descriptions and photos,” she said.

Streif noted it’s free to list a boat and have an account. It charges an 8.5 percent fee for bookings.

Founded initially as a boat rental marketplace, GetMyBoat has grown to offer other on-the-water experiences — from whale watching tours and eco-kayaking trips to houseboat rentals and private sailing lessons.

“The pandemic was a very busy time for us,” Streif recalled. “Boats are environments that are regularly cleaned and sanitized — pandemic or not. All surfaces can be easily wiped down and you're outside in the fresh air, isolated from crowds, which made boating stand out as a safe activity during the pandemic.”

The process for renting, she said, is very similar to home rentals through Airbnb or Vrbo.

“You'll want to search your location or destination, if you want to use us while traveling, and you can filter by price, group size and type of experience. From here you'll see which boats or water experiences are available and you can read real user reviews and even see user-added photos,” Streif said.

“If you find a boat you like, you will send a booking inquiry to the captain or owner and then they will respond to you with an offer.”

Know a business in the Corridor that could make for an interesting “My Biz” feature? Let us know via michaelchevy.castranova@thegazettee.com.