The Future of Boat Sharing

Why Boat Sharing Is Becoming the Center of the Connected Boating Ecosystem

For decades, innovation in the boating industry was measured by the boats we built. Better hulls. More powerful engines. Greater comfort. Higher performance.

Today, I believe innovation is being measured differently.

It's no longer just about building better boats. It's about building better boating experiences.

And when you look across our industry, something fascinating begins to emerge.

Different companies. The same direction.

Over the past year, I've noticed something that, at first, didn't seem connected.

Boat manufacturers are investing heavily in connected boats and digital owner experiences. Engine manufacturers are transforming propulsion systems into intelligent connected platforms. Boat sharing operators continue expanding globally. Technology companies are digitising fleet operations. Dealers are experimenting with memberships and subscription models. Marinas are looking beyond traditional berth rentals to create ongoing customer relationships.

Different companies, different business models, different strategies. Or are they?

I don't think so. I believe they're all responding to the same shift: the future of boating is becoming connected.

A global trend is emerging

Look at what's happening.

Different companies. Different strategies. The same destination: a connected boating ecosystem.

Brunswick Corporation continues expanding Freedom Boat Club globally while simultaneously investing in connected digital ecosystems — owner apps like MyWhaler and Sea Ray+ now give Boston Whaler and Sea Ray customers remote monitoring and engine data long after the sale. Mercury Marine's SmartCraft ecosystem provides live engine data, diagnostics, maintenance information, and keyless access, transforming the boating experience beyond propulsion itself.

Across Europe, the same pattern is emerging.

X Shore is building cloud-connected electric boats with open APIs. Axopar Connect brings telemetry and digital services directly to boat owners, developed in partnership with Navico Group. RAND Boats has developed its Smart Owner App with integrated monitoring and connected ownership. Nimbus Connect gives owners real-time engine, battery and fuel data plus a direct line to their service workshop. Candela's Connected Vehicle Platform collects operational data across its fleet of electric hydrofoiling boats, using it for predictive maintenance and continuous performance improvements. And Saxdor has gone a step further: its MySaxdor app now includes Saxdor AI, an AI-powered co-skipper built with Finnish AI company Cadentia — turning a connected boat into one that can actively guide and support its owner.

None of these companies are building the same products. Yet they all appear to be moving toward the same destination: from selling boats to building relationships.

From selling boats to building relationships

For decades, manufacturers primarily focused on designing, producing and selling boats. Today, they're increasingly investing in something much broader: long-term customer relationships.

Connected boats allow manufacturers to understand how boats are actually being used. Dealers can maintain ongoing customer relationships instead of ending the conversation at delivery. Owners receive continuous digital services throughout the life of the boat.

The relationship no longer ends when the boat leaves the dealership. In many ways, it has only just begun.

Connected boats are transforming ownership from a one-time sale into a lifelong relationship.

Why boat sharing matters

This is where I believe boat sharing becomes strategically important — not because it replaces ownership, and not because it competes with traditional boat sales, but because it connects many of the industry's most important innovations.

A 2016 NMMA/Discover Boating study found that even among people actively considering a purchase, average time on the water was just 13.3 days a year — and for everyone else, closer to seven. That's a boat sitting unused well over 95% of the year. Most of the connected data those OEMs are so eager to collect simply never gets generated, because the boat never leaves the dock.

Every shared trip generates operational insights. Every connected boat creates valuable data. Every digital interaction helps improve maintenance, customer experience and future product development.

Boat sharing transforms connected boats from individual products into continuously learning fleets. Instead of understanding how one owner uses a boat, manufacturers can begin to understand how hundreds of different people use the same boat across different weather conditions, locations and experience levels. That knowledge has the potential to improve product development, customer support, service planning and future innovation.

Boat sharing doesn't just increase utilisation. It increases learning.

The installed fleet still matters

This transformation won't happen overnight. Millions of boats already on the water don't have built-in connectivity and will continue relying on aftermarket telematics and retrofit solutions for many years. That installed fleet represents an enormous opportunity.

But the long-term direction is becoming increasingly clear. More boats are leaving the factory already connected. As connectivity becomes standard, the industry's competitive advantage will gradually shift — away from collecting data, and towards creating value from it.

The platform opportunity

Connected boats alone won't transform boating. Neither will telemetry, subscriptions, or boat sharing on their own.

The real opportunity lies in connecting them — manufacturers, operators, dealers, marinas, service providers and customers — into one seamless boating ecosystem. That's where I believe the next decade will be won.

The next decade won't be won by the best connected boat—it will be won by the platform that connects the entire ecosystem.

Looking ahead

I don't believe the future of boating will be defined by one technology, one business model, or one company. It will be defined by how well we connect boats, data and people.

Boat sharing is no longer simply another way to access a boat. I believe it's becoming the catalyst that connects connected boats, digital platforms, telemetry and customer experiences into one connected boating ecosystem.

The future of boat sharing isn't simply about sharing boats. It's about connecting the entire boating ecosystem — and I believe we're only just beginning to see what's possible.

Henrietta Roslund is CEO & Co-Founder of MOXSEA, whose mission is to accelerate the transition to boat sharing by building the platform that powers it. Through her work with OEMs, marinas, dealers, operators and boat clubs across multiple markets, she writes about the future of boat sharing, connected boating and the digital transformation of the marine industry.