Boatsharing Berlin

The Boatsharing ProgrammeHow it works and frequently asked questions

Boatsharing is the alternative to traditional boat rental

Sail and motorboat sharing is a long-term boat rental with a single contract over a season of seven months. Sharing costs only apply for these 7 months. Depending on weather conditions and agreement, the season can be extended. You can either choose one boat or use several boats from the boat pool. With frequent use, costs are far lower compared to the traditional daily charter model, as you pay a fixed monthly price over the contract period and can use the boats at any time of day or night after intensive training sessions.

You receive your own access to the boat and dock and can flexibly schedule your trips from one day to the next using an easy-to-use online calendar. When using the boats, you are not bound by business hours. You take the boat independently without needing to contact anyone.

A boat is shared by a maximum of 5 users. Users have unrestricted access to the boat unless another user has reserved it or the boat is out of service for maintenance. Thanks to the boat pool, scheduling conflicts are rare in our experience.

Who is Boatsharing for?

Target Group

    Boatsharing is ideal if you do not want to buy your own boat, preserving professional and personal flexibility by not taking on any obligations beyond paying the usage fee.

  • No time commitment:
    Boatsharing is ideal for people who do not want to spend time on regular boat maintenance, winterising, craning, slipping, covering, boat repairs, and potential insurance claims for their own boat – but still want to use a boat as if it were their own.

  • Predictable costs:
    Apart from the usage fee, there are no additional costs that owning a boat would always incur. These include, for example, costs for berths at the harbour and winter storage, repair costs, maintenance costs, liability and comprehensive insurance, not to mention the high purchase costs of comparable boats.

  • Use of different boat types:
    Boatsharing is also ideal for people who first want to gain experience in boating or are considering buying their own boat later, wanting to try out different boat types first without committing to a single boat for a long time. You can switch your sharing boat after a season or sign a contract for the use of three boats from the pool, allowing you to sail any of them.


Craning, transport to winter storage, storage – we take care of this effort and the resulting costs.

Craning and winter storage

The advantages:
- Your own access to the dock and rental boats.
- Use at any time of day or night without boat handovers.
- No costs beyond the monthly fees.
- Costs for boat berths, insurance and winter storage are eliminated.
- No costs for repairs and maintenance, no craning or slipping fees.
- No purchase costs – arguably the biggest cost factor.

Frequently Asked Questions

This concern is understandable, but usage statistics show that boats are often available even at weekends and scheduling conflicts rarely occur. Usage patterns show that many participants also use the boats spontaneously during the week, for example after work. If the desired boat is already reserved, any other boat in the pool can be used, so nothing stands in the way of an outing. A booking can be made without advance notice. If the boat is free and you want to set off within the next 15 minutes and sail for 3 hours, you can enter the booking immediately and reserve the boat for your trip.
A usage period of up to 24 hours can be booked. Longer periods, for example over several days, would conflict with the sharing principle and disadvantage other participants.
For the sailboats, the German inland waterways sailing licence (Sportbootführerschein Binnen unter Segel) is required. This is mandatory in Berlin for boats with more than 3 m² of sail area. If you do not yet have a licence, we can train you and guide you through the examination before starting the boatsharing programme. As the engines on all sailboats are under 15 HP, you do not need a motorboat licence for the sailboats.

If you wish to use the motorboats, you need the German inland motorboat licence (Sportbootführerschein Binnen Motor), as all motorboats in the fleet have more than 15 HP.
No, you only pay the monthly fee for the agreed season months during which the boat can actually be used. The season starts on 1 April, ends on 31 October, and thus lasts seven months. Upon request, the season can start earlier and, depending on weather conditions, also end later. If at least one participant wishes to sail until the end of November, there is nothing to prevent it. The contract does not renew automatically.

If you pay the entire season price for all usage months in advance, the usage price is reduced as indicated on the individual boat pages.
In a clean condition. Sweeping and wiping is usually sufficient, taking about 10 minutes. Cleaning supplies, sponges and buckets are provided.
You will receive training on all boats in the fleet, or optionally on the boats you are interested in. Once you can safely handle the respective boat after training, your access will be activated in the online portal and you can use the boat or boats immediately. A free skipper training is included for each boat.
Damage discovered before the trip:
Please document it with a photo and contact us. The trip can take place if the damage does not compromise safety.

Damage occurs during the trip:
The damage and all boats and persons involved in the incident are noted. The sequence of events is documented in writing. If the damage was self-inflicted and is covered by the insurance, the skipper is liable up to the amount of the insurance excess.
A deposit of €250 is due upon signing the contract. If all boat documents and keys have been returned at the end of the contract and the boat has been left undamaged, the deposit is refunded in full.
Below you will find an example calculation for the costs of one of the medium-sized sailboats.

Annual costs:

- Berth at the dock: €1,600
- Winter storage: approx. €600
- Insurance (comprehensive and liability): €290
- Antifouling: €400 (every 2 years)
- Maintenance and minor repairs: approx. €400

Total: €3,290 per year
Plus, of course, the biggest expense: the purchase price of the boat and possibly a trailer.
phone

phone

+49-151-144 53 758

mail

email

info@boatsharing-berlin.de

address

Addresses

Boathouse:
Am Pichelssee 19
13595 Berlin

Office:
Kaiserstraße 4
13589 Berlin

ring

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