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Now that car and bike sharing ventures are spreading across the globe, what’s next? In Amsterdam, a boat sharing concept just launched—Sloepdelen, which lets members share aluminium jolly boats/dinghies powered by electric motors. So—how does sharing work when it comes to boats? It’s not that different from car or bike sharing. After signing up for EUR 25 per month or EUR 200 per season, members can reserve a boat online for a minimum of two hours between 10 am and 10 pm. Reservations are confirmed by SMS and email, with a unique code to open a key locker at the dock. Members grab their key, find their boat and off they go. If they’d like to extend their rental period, they can do so by SMS or phone, as long as the vessel hasn’t been reserved by another member. Rental fees are EUR 30-35 per hour, on top of monthly or seasonal membership fees, and are billed monthly. Fun example of a startup catering to transumers—consumers who are more interested in using an object than owning it. Convenience is an important factor: Sloepdelen members don’t have to worry about insurance, winter storage or maintenance. The open-topped vessels are cleaned daily and use their nightly rest to recharge for the next day—a fully charged battery will run for 12 hours. Sloepdelen currently operates two docks in Amsterdam, one in Zeeburg and one in Westerpark. Both docks have room for 10 boats and are fitted for self-service by members, although staff members are present for part of the day. The company is hoping to expand to other cities next year. One to set up as a franchise in other countries?