Renting-your-boat craze

SPECTACULAR boats and beautiful holiday homes are definitely among the top few visions people have when coming to Mallorca. So it’s little surprising that the rent-your-home phenomenon sweeping the world finds itself mirrored in Mallorca’s blossoming rent-your-boat business. 

The giant global holiday home renting website Airbnb has now even launched its top 20 boat homes made available to the public while the owners are away just looking for an extra spot of cash or company. 

Without naming names, most are dotted around Palma and Port d’Andratx with a few scattered around Port de Soller and Pollensa. Rates easily sweep beyond €1,000 per night but the criteria isn’t just luxury. 

With superyachts easily costing €50,000 for a week, less grandiose owners are appealing to wealthy, but more middle class tourists who are happy to fork out a few grand for a boat holiday but prize simplicity, comfort, company and sheer sail-ability above extreme luxury. 

But anyone considering renting out their boat online should beware. Just being slightly off-shore doesn’t spare people from registering their boats as a tourist rental. The last thing anyone needs is an illegally operating boat sailing around with a foreign family aboard.