Dockwa App Empowers Boaters to be Explorers

Planning a boat trip can be a hassle, especially when it comes to reserving a mooring or a slip at a faraway marina destination. Unless, that is, you have the Dockwa app.

Dockwa is a simple smartphone app that lets boaters quickly and easily reserve a spot with just a click. The interface is straightforward and clean, with large beautiful images of destinations you may want to visit. Whether you’re enjoying Martha’s Vineyard or planning a jaunt to Puerto Rico, Dockwa can help.

“We like to think that boaters are definitely explorers,” said Adrian Mott, VP of Marketing for Dockwa.

It’s that spirit of exploration that Dockwa taps into. Dockwa’s users are “the boater that likes to cruise on the weekend and go to a port that isn’t their home port. That tends to be people who are more willing to explore, a little bit more of a seasoned boater, someone who knows how to navigate,” Mott explained.

You can find marinas near your current location; search by date, dockage, services, and amenities; message marinas; and pay for a reservation, right from your iPhone or Android devices.

The Dockwa app is polished and easy to use. Best of all, the app is free to boaters.

The app was created in 2014 in Newport, Rhode Island, and has since seen massive growth, expanding to marinas along the Eastern seaboard and even into the Caribbean. Close to 250 marinas are now members, and the company is seeking to expand to the Great Lakes and West Coast, according to posts on their Facebook page.

Boaters can scroll through a list of marinas, either while still on land and planning the next getaway or on the water, when they’re looking for the nearest pit stop. Each listing includes an address, dock or mooring prices, and contact information, as well as a list of amenities with simple, easy-to-understand icons so you’ll know what to expect on arrival.

Booking is also a snap: Just request a reservation by inputting the type and length of your boat, the dates of your trip, and some basic contact information for the marina.

The 500,000 members of BoatUS have an extra incentive: discounted rates at select marinas, thanks to a partnership with Dockwa. “Every BoatUS marina has their own discount for BoatUS members,” Mott said. “For example, some offer 20 to 50 percent off transient dockage. Others offer 10 to 20 cents off every gallon of fuel. We made it easy with our relationship with BoatUS to allow them to add their BoatUS ID card into each reservation.”

And if you do have a problem, Dockwa offers 24/7 support to get you sailing.
The company focused on making the experience as easy as possible for both the marina and the individual boater. “After a boater gets a feel for the app and how easy it is, they keep coming back,” Mott said.