If you’ve ever gazed at the sails and motorboats on Lake Michigan and wished to be on the glittering water yourself, there’s good news — chartered yacht rentals are now available in Chicago through SamBoat.

“SamBoat’s first boats in Chicago have just been uploaded to the website,” says Robert Harrington, the company’s US Country Manager. “We’ve launched our fleet in Chicago several months ahead of the warmer summer season so people can start planning and reserving their yachts well ahead of time. You can now book for the summer holidays (Juneteenth, July 4th or Labor Day), as well as the events you have coming up this summer, such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries.”

SamBoat enables ordinary people to rent their own boats through a simple and secure online platform. “The idea is new and is based upon the sharing economy we’ve seen explode over the past half a decade,” Harrington says. “Renting a boat has never been easier. It’s now just as easy as booking yourself an Uber or Lyft. It’s very much like Airbnb, except instead of renting a home, you would be renting a boat or yacht.”

How SamBoat works

SamBoat rentals are located along Chicago’s shoreline of Lake Michigan at a variety of different yacht clubs and berths. Rentals can last anywhere from a couple of hours or days to even weeks or months. For those who don’t know how to skipper a yacht themselves, many listings include the possibility of hiring a crew.

The website is a simple, easy-to-use interface. Just specify your port of embarkation and the dates for your trip, as well as the kind of boat you are interested in: motor or sailboat. Click on “Search,” and a list of appropriate options will appear. Photographs of the sleek hulls immediately deliver a thrill — which yacht can you see yourself driving over the waves or sunbathing on?

The website also allows you to choose the order in which listings appear. One option gives you recommended boats first, while another shows you the options from least to most expensive. It’s also possible to sort the listings by previous customers’ highest average rating.

Once you click on a particular listing, that boat’s web page comes up with more details, such as its length, year of manufacture, and horsepower. More photographs will pop up, and some will even show you the yacht’s interior, as well as the staterooms or cockpit. Each listing has a clear description of the boat’s additional features, such as Bluetooth audio, kitchen, wet bar, or sun pad.

The service also opens up opportunities for those who own yachts. “Boat owners can make money by offering their boats for rent through our platform,” Harrington says. “This can help offset costs while you’re not utilizing the boat yourself. Otherwise, you can turn your boat into a full-time money-making operation.”

Chicagoans would rightly feel lucky to have such possibilities at their fingertips. Harrington feels the same way about Chicago.

Why Chicago is the perfect fit

“Chicago is a great place to get out on the water, especially during the warmer months,” Harrington says. “It’s not only one of the largest cities in the country, but also one of the hotbeds for tech startups. While SamBoat is based in Bordeaux, France, we needed to have a presence in such a large, dynamic, influential American city.”

No other operator offers the ease, reliability, and affordability that SamBoat brings to this market. “The alternatives haven’t always lived up to Chicagoans’ expectations in terms of customer service and price,” Harrington explains. “We’re excited to finally offer a solution that will live up to expectations.”

According to Harrington, SamBoat is better than the other options in Chicago for several reasons. “We have flexible payment options and payment plans,” he says. “There’s no need to shell out the full amount of your yacht charter months in advance. We are also happy to come up with a personalized plan for you.”

He also referenced SamBoat’s fantastic selection. “You’re bound to find the perfect yacht for your day on the water, whether it’s a 30-footer or a 70-footer,” he says. “There’s no need to browse for hours looking through different websites.” SamBoat’s flexible cancellation policies ensure stress-free booking.

SamBoat is also less expensive than other boat booking websites. “For the same exact boats,” Harrington observes. “Why pay more for the same experience? Keep that extra money for a few bottles of champagne while on your yacht charter.”

Other places SamBoat operates in the US

According to Harrington, SamBoat is available in basically all the large coastal US cities, from California to Florida and up to New England. “We’ve especially seen rapid growth in South Florida at ports like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach,” he notes. “The company is growing at a rapid pace; we’ve recently added Mexico and the Caribbean with a particular focus on the beautiful resort cities of Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Cancun.”

Nothing compares to the serenity and satisfaction of blue mind. That unparalleled experience is what SamBoat is bringing to Chicago and other ports throughout the US.

“Above all, we’re always trying to share our love of the water as broadly as possible,” Harrington says. “At the end of the day, some of your very best memories will be time spent on the water. We’re excited to help people create those memories.”