How Samboat Changed My Holidays And Later On My Life!

A few years back, while I was living between France and California, I discovered Samboat’s platform. I was looking for something different to do during the holidays with friends. 

 Something closer to the water, more adventurous, more unusual that would put me out of my comfort zone. 

 I started thinking about boating, but I did not own a boat myself, and neither did any of my friends.

 Back then, I remember thinking it would be very expensive to rent a boat for a week in the Mediterranean or in the United States.

 After surfing a little bit on Google, I clicked on their website and discovered what was going to change for a long time the way I traveled.

 Samboat is basically an Airbnb for boat rentals.

They allow people owning a boat to rent it on their platform for as short as two hours and up to years! On the other end, people like you and I can go on their platform https://www.samboat.com/ and rent a boat. 

 What surprised me at first was that they had so many kinds of boats: jet skis, motor boats, pontoons, sailboats, catamarans and even crazy luxury yachts. But also that they were literally everywhere: United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Croatia and others. I think today they have boats for rent in seventy countries all over the world.

 I found it very convenient to know that one brand could provide me with the same service anywhere I would be traveling. 

 All of that for very affordable prices for a boat day or a charter week.

 Back to my story, I ended up renting a boat in Croatia for a week with seven of my friends for 250$ per person! 

 We rented a Bavaria 42 cruiser for 7 days and sailed around the islands in Croatia.

 To be honest, it was not that easy to figure out what type of boat we would need, but Samboat’s team helped me through the whole process.

 Once I had booked, I could not believe it, that would be the price for a nice hotel close to the water.

 Later on, I told my friends I was super anxious until we actually saw the boat for real. I was scared it was a scam.

 Everybody was very happy when we got to the marina and discovered the boat. It was so exciting. The boat looked really nice and comfy. We were very impatient to go on the water and never looked back.

 I will always remember the excitement and the smile on my friends’ faces when we first departed from the port. It was the end of the day; the light was low, the sky blue and pink. We were living a dream.

  The next morning was also something. Waking up in the middle of the water, seeing the port from far.

 There was a little dingy coming to us with food, like a floating supermarket. I remember that made us laugh. 

 My friends and I never had such amazing holidays. We felt so free and lucky to be on this huge boat, jumping in the water in the morning before coffee, exploring the islands and stopping in little ports to enjoy a restaurant or a nice hike.

 We even went to a music festival during the trip.

 As for driving the boat, in our case, we did not book the boat with a captain because we had someone with us holding a captain’s license and having experience sailing.

 If you don’t, this is not a problem; you can totally rent the boat with a captain that would be provided by the owner. This is a good opportunity to have someone knowing the area you are traveling in, giving tips about nice spots for swimming, restaurants but also the history of the country.

 What I really value in Samboat’s idea and concept is to make boating affordable for everybody. The love of being at sea should not be dedicated only to people who can afford to buy and maintain a boat.

 I recently went to Florida and rented a boat for the afternoon in Miami to have a little adventure. Only half a day on the boat made me feel like I went on holiday for a whole weekend. That’s what I like about boating as well. It is so unique it feels like a proper adventure.

 And thanks to Samboat you don’t need to rent it for a week. They have boats available for even two hours if you want.

 To give you a better idea, a very nice boat in Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Clearwater, or the Keys would be around 1500$ for 10 people, so 150$ per person for a whole boat day experience with a skipper included, drinks, water toys etc.

 And the cheapest option would be 70$ / person for a full day on a private motorboat going around Miami.

 On top of everything I already mentioned, it is super easy to use. Once you find a boat, you can instantly book it or ask for a quote.

 The sales team behind it was also very nice. I remember talking on the phone with the sales agent (I still remember his name, Nicolas) and thinking he was so nice he could be my friend. He helped me through the whole process and made my experience very easy.

 When I said Samboat changed my life, it really did. I am now regularly renting boats to travel and explore the world in a different way. I am about to rent one for the day in Corsica to show the beautiful islands to my boyfriend.

 And the big news is: I started to work with them two years later!

 Soon I will myself be holding a boat license and be able to captain my own boats.

 This is a beautiful story where a company I love agreed to have me work with them. And now that I work for them, I love them even more.

 Again, thank you, Samboat, for everything!

This is a guest post from Sarah, who looks at Samboat and has asked to share her story and passion with our readers.