Skipperi’s city boat service is expanding intensely and going international in the 2020 season – partnerships with Yamaha and Yamarin involve over 100 new boats

The city boat service tested various boat brands and models in the 2019 season. User experiences of and feedback on the Yamarin Cross range were positive. The Bowrider models Yamarin Cross 54 BR, Cross 57 BR and Cross 62 BR combine comfort, style and durability all in one.

“Boaters also wanted the possibility to stay overnight in the boat, and to meet this need, we will introduce the newly launched modern Yamarin 63 Day Cruiser with a bow cabin to the fleet”, says Kristian Raij, CEO of Skipperi.

”The popularity of the urban boat sharing service indicates a transformation in the boat business, a change in consumer needs and valuations, and understanding them. The sharing economy and boat sharing are increasing trends and we want to contribute actively to this,” says Juha Lehtola, CEO of Inha Works Ltd., manufacturer of the Yamarin and Cross boats.

The intended new home ports for city boats are in the Turku region, Tampere, Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta, Joensuu, Hanko and Lohja. Three more will be opened in Stockholm, and the Oslo home ports will be specified later in spring 2020. In addition, more ports will be opened in Espoo and Helsinki.

“The product development cooperation with Yamaha and Yamarin will enable us to offer several features next summer that will make the service easier to use. The cities involved have also been very positive towards us, as they see the service as an important attraction for the city, from the viewpoints of resident satisfaction and staycations,” says Kristian Raij.

Skipperi takes care of the city boats’ maintenance, servicing, insurances and boat availability, making boating easier and more convenient than ever next summer. New urban boaters will also receive electronic training materials and practical guidance for boating to make it as easy as possible to take on boating as a hobby.