Spotlight: Dock Holiday

When summer ultimately arrives in Seattle, owning a boat seems like a genius idea. Imagine tooling around Lake Washington every weekend, sailing up to the San Juans or just buzzing over to Bainbridge. The sun shines; the water sparkles.

Unfortunately, for most of the year the boat sits at the dock racking up marina fees. This reality inspired last years online launch of Boatbound (boatbound.co), a San Francisco-based company that applies to watercraft the Airbnb model of peer-to-peer home rentals. Having now expanded to Seattle, Boatbound makes it possible for boat owners to offset their operating costs, and for those curious about the boating lifestyle to live it without the storage expenses and all the other hassles of boat ownership.

Owners set the prices, which in the Puget Sound area range from $110 for a full day on a classic inflatable-hull Zodiac to $1,100 for a full day on a Catana 472 luxury performance catamaran. Powerboats are a popular offering here (figure on $200 to $400 per day), but mellow boaters can also opt for a 17-foot canoe ($75/day). Renters and owners review each other online, and Boatbound screens renters who must be at least 25 years old for drivers licenses and previous DUIs. It provides boat insurance and round-the-clock water support, including towing, should your rental conk out. Deck shoes not included.