Boat sharing service, Skipperi, is adding another 20 boats to its fleet and opening a new location at Half Moon Bay.
Boat sharing service ‘Skipperi’ is adding a further 20 boats to its Auckland fleet, with the addition of a new location at Half Moon Bay
Launched in June 2021, Skipperi currently has fifteen Yamaha powered Haines Hunter SF545’s operating out of the Westhaven Marina and will look to bolster that fleet as well as establishing a new location at Half Moon Bay.
Skipperi New Zealand CEO, Alexander Rosenthal says the response in the first year of operation has been exceptional, with the popularity of the sharing service fast tracking expansion.
“Our first year of operation has been excellent, so much so that interest and demand has seen us expand and open a new location at Half Moon Bay, as well as ordering another 20 boats,” says Rosenthal.
“Half Moon Bay is an obvious location for us to expand into. There is a high demand for the service from the Eastern suburbs, and its proximity to the islands of the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf make it a perfect location to expand Skipperi.”
“We’re also looking at more locations around Auckland, and outside of the region.”
Since its launch, Skipperi has seen subscribers book over 2200 trips out on the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf, culminanting in just over 10,000 hours of boating on the water.
“The feedback from the subscribers has been excellent and it has enabled people who might not have the time or the means to own a boat outright themselves to get into boating.”
“Add to that, the performance and reliability of the Yamaha/Haines Hunter package has been great, providing a safe and reliable boating platform for our subscribers.”
Pricing for a Skipperi subscription starts at $310 per month for weekday usage, to $529 a month for usage across a full week with reservation durations 7.5 hours to 24-hour periods.
Skipperi takes care of the boats’ maintenance, equipment, insurance and boat availability. The majority of Skipperi boaters are experienced skippers, however, as part of the subscription, online courses are provided through the Coast Guard’s boating education platform. Practical training on the boats is also included in the subscription for beginners and more knowledgeable boaters alike.
The Skipperi fleet of Haines Hunters are kitted out with life jackets for all passengers of all ages, in addition to other necessary safety equipment.
Skipperi has begun taking new subscribers for Half Moon Bay, with the first boats expected to be operational in August 2022.
