5 Helpful Resources For People Who Love Boating
If you grew up in a landlocked state, you might be a little intimidated at the thought of going out on the ocean, but don't worry. Even if your skills are a bit rusty, there are ways to get out on the water with a trustworthy vessel and competent crew without needing to purchase an expensive yacht. Check out these resources to learn more about how your family can spend some or all of your vacation on a boat. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
5 Resources Helping People Get Out on the Water
| Name | What They Do |
|---|---|
| Boatsetter | Boat rental community that provides a marketplace for thousands of vessels all over the world so anyone can set sail on a boating adventure |
| Zizoo | Holiday platform catering both to licensed sailors and those with no experience interested in hiring a captain and crew |
| GlobeSailor | Multilingual site and search engine connecting people to yacht charters, motor boats, catamarans, and other vessels |
| Classic Harbor Line | Sightseeing tours, cruises, and private charters in New York City and the East Coast, with themed options based on holidays and seasons |
| Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating | Allows people with disabilities, recovering warriors, and youth from at-risk communities to experience the therapeutic value of sailing |
Welcome to Boatsetter
Crucial Organizations That Study & Protect Our Oceans
| Organization | Headquarters Location | Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Conservancy | Washington, DC | Create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it |
| Reef Check | Marina Del Rey, CA | Empower people to save reefs and oceans through education, research, and conservation |
| Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation | Annapolis, MD | Protect and restore ocean health by providing science-based solutions |
| Reef Environmental Education Foundation | Key Largo, FL | Protect biodiversity and ocean life by actively engaging and inspiring the public through citizen science, education, and partnerships with the scientific community |
| Oceanites | Washington, DC | Utilize the power of science, policy, and education programs to monitor and assess penguins, the Southern Ocean ecosystem, and the fragile, changing planet |
| The Wild Dolphin Project | Jupiter, FL | Study and report on a specific pod of free-ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins |
| Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | East Boothbay, ME | Investigate the microbial drivers of global ocean processes through basic and applied research, education, and enterprise |
Sailing With GlobeSailor
Fascinating Facts About The Ocean
- Oceans cover nearly three quarters of the earth's surface
- Cigarette butts are the most common form of ocean litter
- Hurricanes are formed by a combination of thunderstorms and warm ocean waters
- Sand is composed of decomposed rocks, volcanic material, organic by-products, and fish feces, among other things
- Some waves are caused by friction between wind and the water's surface and others are caused by the pull of the sun and moon
- The ocean produces over half of the world's oxygen and stores 50 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere
- Seventy-six percent of all U.S. trade involves some form of marine transportation
- Many medicinal products come from the ocean, including ingredients that help fight cancer, athritis, Alzheimer's disease, and heart disease
- The ocean transports heat from the equator to the poles, regulating climate and weather patterns
Where Water Is Found On Earth
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior
| Location | Percentage of Earth's Water |
|---|---|
| Oceans | 97.2% |
| Ice caps & glaciers | 2.0% |
| Groundwater | 0.62% |
| Freshwater lakes | 0.009% |
| Inland seas & salt lakes | 0.008% |
| Atmosphere | 0.001% |
| Rivers | 0.0001% |
Meet the Skippers of Zizoo
In Depth
There's a special sort of freedom that comes from being out on the water. However, we aren't all lucky enough to possess our own vessels. Thankfully, there are many ways for new and experienced sailors to give it a try. This list, presented in no particular order, takes a look at resources that will let you experience the open sea.
The #1 entry is Boatsetter, an online boat rental marketplace. Founded in 2012, it connects owners with those seeking vessels, whether for a single-day jaunt or a week-long charter. Billing itself as the largest such service, it promises more than 17,000 available crafts to be found in cities around the world.
Users simply search among the site's fleet of privately owned vessels, locate a boat owner and a captain, book their dates, and then hit the seas. While the company operates globally, the majority of available boats can be found within the United States, with the most popular cities including San Francisco, Washington DC, New York, and Miami.
While the company operates globally, the majority of available boats can be found within the United States, with the most popular cities including San Francisco, Washington DC, New York, and Miami.
At #2, it's Zizoo, a boat holiday platform offering over 30,000 vessels across 500 destinations worldwide. It caters both to licensed sailors looking to book a watercraft only, and to those with no sailing experience, interested in hiring a boat together with a captain and optional crew. CEO Anna Banicevic sees the company's mission to be making holidays at sea accessible and easy to book.
The company is named after one of legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau's nicknames. To appeal to customers, Zizoo highlights its large fleet, drawn from pre-selected, professional charter companies, its lack of booking charges, and its price match guarantee. Founded in 2014, the organization is headquartered in Austria, with a team spread out all around the world.
#3 is GlobeSailor. Based in Paris, it provides an optimized search engine that allows customers to locate and charter a boat from a worldwide inventory of nearly 10,000. Customer requests are sent directly to the local charter operator who manages the fleet, with no sales intermediaries. This arrangement creates room for discounts by excising the middleman.
This arrangement creates room for discounts by excising the middleman.
GlobeSailor selects well-regarded yacht charter companies. All the boats listed meet the specific standards of maintenance and comfort essential to creating a satisfying cruise experience. With departure bases all over the world, clients can embark on journeys from locations on the Indian Ocean, West Africa, the Black Sea, and everywhere in between.
Clocking in at #4, Classic Harbor Line maintains old-style yachts for sightseeing tours in New York City, as well as a smaller fleet that covers destinations in Boston, Key West, and Newport, Rhode Island. The company also offers private yacht charters, for corporate gatherings, birthday soirees, or any event requiring a unique space. The vessels are also rented for TV, film, photo, and fashion shoots.
The company's ticketed cruises provide dramatic views of modern-day New York aboard old-world-style yachts, all featuring teak decks, varnished mahogany rails and gleaming brass fixtures. A range of different themes are available, from architecture tours to sightseeing jaunts, 4th of July fireworks spectaculars to relaxing sunset viewings. There are also special event trips, such as those for Pride every June.
There are also special event trips, such as those for Pride every June.
Wrapping up our list in the #5 position, it's Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, or CRAB. It began in 1991 as a non-profit organization seeking to provide the recreational and therapeutic value of sailing for people with disabilities and youth from at-risk communities. The group maintains its own fleet, consisting of six Beneteau First 22A's, and a Martin 16 with a "Sip & Puff" steering system.
Today CRAB provides sailing experiences and instruction to over 1,000 guests every year from its base of operations at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, Maryland. In recent years, it has been working to construct a high-level adaptive boating center that can accommodate larger and more diverse fleet of sail, power, and paddle boats, as well as a virtual reality learning center.
