Safety is something you build, not something you promise
What people worry about most is what happens if something breaks. Here is how we think about it — and an honest account of what is actually in place today versus what arrives at launch.
Where we stand today
Sailfloat is still being established. You deserve to know exactly what that means before you hand over your boat or your email address.
You cannot book or pay through Sailfloat today. Nothing on this site takes money.
Sailfloat provides no insurance. The rental agreement is between owner and renter, and the boat is covered by the owner's own policy. Renting out for payment is often excluded from ordinary leisure-boat insurance — read what insurers require.
Planned for launch alongside payment. No profiles are BankID-verified today.
This is the one thing under way: we are taking on boats from owners who want to be there from day one in their area.
How we design for safety
The principles below govern how the platform is being built. They describe how it should work at launch — not a service running today.
Cover belongs inside the platform
Competitors answer the insurance question by telling you to call an insurer yourself. We think cover has to follow the booking, or it is not really there when it counts.
Deposits are held, not charged
A deposit is a hold on the card, meant to cover the deductible if something happens, released once the trip ends without damage. It is neither a payment nor insurance.
Verified profiles on both sides
Owner and renter both get verified, not just the renter. Trust has to run both ways when two strangers meet on a dock.
Operator requirements checked against the real rules
In Norway a boating licence is required for boats over 8 metres (26.25 ft) or with an engine of more than 25 hp, for operators born on or after 1 January 1980. The thresholds are 'greater than' — we do not round them in either direction. For countries whose rules we have not worked out, we say so rather than guess.
The owner decides about their own boat
The law sets a floor, not a ceiling. An owner may always impose stricter requirements than the regulation — a higher age, documented experience, or a licence where the law asks for none.
Documentation beats argument
Photographs before and after each trip remove almost every disagreement about what was already there. It is the simplest safety mechanism there is, and it costs two minutes.
Your own responsibility at sea
No platform can take over the responsibility you carry as the operator. Below are the minimums set by Norwegian regulation. Sail in Sweden or Denmark and the numbers differ — we publish a separate guide for each country.
- §In Norway a boating licence is required for boats over 8 metres or with an engine over 25 hp, if you were born on or after 1 January 1980.
- §In Norway the minimum age is 16 if the boat has an engine of more than 10 hp.
- §The alcohol limit follows the waters you are in: 0.8 in Norway for leisure boats under 15 metres, 0.2 in Sweden, and 0.50 in Denmark for certain vessels.
- §In Norway the limit is 5 knots within 50 metres of swimmers or bathing buoys.
- §In Norway, suitable CE-marked flotation equipment must be worn in boats under 8 metres while under way.
If something goes wrong
This is how the process should work at launch. Until then everything is handled directly between owner and renter, with the owner's insurance underneath.
People first
People before boat, always. If life or health is at risk, call 120 (sea rescue) or 112.
Report immediately
Contact the owner right away, including for minor damage. Damage reported at once is an entirely different problem from damage discovered at handback.
Document on the spot
Photos, timestamps and a short description while you are standing there. This is what decides how smooth the settlement is.
Settlement
The deductible should be stated up front. If you are not liable, the deposit should be released in full.
Common questions about safety
Are boats on Sailfloat insured today?
No. Booking has not opened and we have no insurance agreement to point to until it is signed. If you rent out your boat today, on any platform, your own policy governs — and rental is often excluded from ordinary leisure boat insurance.
Are profiles BankID-verified?
Not yet. BankID verification is planned for launch alongside payment. No profiles are verified today.
Who checks that the renter has a boating licence?
At launch the requirement will be checked at booking. Today it is the owner's responsibility to confirm that whoever will actually helm the boat meets the requirements — not merely whoever books.
As an owner, can I set stricter requirements than the law?
Yes. The regulation is a minimum. You are free to require a higher age, documented experience or a licence even where the law does not.
What does the deposit cover?
The deposit is meant to cover the deductible after damage, and is released once the trip ends without incident. It is a hold rather than a payment, and it replaces no insurance.
Read what actually applies to insurance
Ordinary leisure boat insurance usually does not cover renting out. That is the single most important thing to understand before you rent out your boat.