See the lake live
Open the app and watch the day take shape on Lake Michigan — which boats are out, where the raft-ups are, who's up for company.
How it works
How BoatLife works.
The club and the app for Chicago's boating crowd — the way you'd explain it to a friend at the harbor.
Drop a pin
Tap once to show where you are — on the water or along the shore — so the boaters nearby can see you're up for a day out.
Get picked up
The boater arranges a spot to pick you up, and you're aboard with the right people. Nobody pays a fare — boaters host, guests join free.
Boaters & guests
Two ways in.
Every good day on the water needs both — one brings the boat, the other brings the right company. Here's how each side works.
If you own the boat
You're a Boater.
A full deck of the right people all season — you choose who comes aboard and where to meet. Founding boaters get in as one of the first ten in Chicago.
See the boater sideIf you want on the water
You're a Guest.
Days on Lake Michigan without owning a boat. See who's out, drop a pin, and get picked up by the right crowd. Guests join free.
See the guest sideWhere we're headed
Chicago first. Then the rest.
We're starting on Lake Michigan, then opening the cities where boating is a weekly thing — and where plenty of people want days on the water but a boat costs far more than it's worth to own.
Chicago, IL
Lake Michigan. The founding city.
Miami, FL
Year-round sandbar days on Biscayne Bay.
Austin, TX
Lake Travis and the country's biggest party cove.
San Diego, CA
Mission Bay and the harbor, boatable all year.
Scottsdale, AZ
Desert lake days on Lake Pleasant and Saguaro.
Atlanta, GA
Lake Lanier — one of the busiest lakes in the U.S.
Want BoatLife in your city? Tell us when you join.
FAQ
Good to know.
Quick answers to what people ask most — whichever side you're on.
An exclusive club and an app for Lake Michigan. See which boats are out, drop a pin to show where you are, and the boater arranges a spot to pick you up. The club is the app and the people — not a boat for hire.
No. Guests never pay for a ride and boaters never collect a fare. You're a guest aboard a member's boat, never a paying passenger.
Guests join free. Boaters host — founding boaters get in now as one of the first ten in Chicago. See the boater page for details.
Pick your side: apply as a boater if you own a boat, or request a guest invite if you want on the water. Both are invite-only.
Get started
Ready for the lake?
Two doors into the same club. Choose the one that fits and we'll take it from there.
If you own the boat
Become a founding boater
Never leave the slip with an empty deck. A full boat of the right people — you choose every one.
Apply as a boaterIf you want on the water
Join free as a guest
Days on Lake Michigan without the six-figure price of ownership. See who's out, drop a pin, get picked up.
Request an invite