Until now, the process of renting out a private buoy on a short-term basis has been a largely manual affair, involving considerable paperwork and cost. Transfer fees associated with short-term rentals have made it, in practice, impossible for owners to host visiting boats without taking on a heavy administrative burden.
Under the new arrangement, BookABuoy will automate all communications with the Harbourmaster’s office, taking on responsibility for that process on behalf of buoy owners. The agreement removes from buoy owners the transfer fees, which have previously made short-term rentals impractical, removing one of the biggest barriers to opening up private buoys to visiting boats.
The founder of BookABuoy confirmed to Boating NZ that the agreement followed a recent series of meetings with the Harbourmaster’s office and that progress has moved quickly since then, with the new arrangement now in effect.
For Auckland’s boating community, the change could make it far more straightforward for buoy owners to earn some return on an under-used asset, while giving visiting boaties easier access to swing moorings around the harbour.
