Barnes & Thornburg Advises Getmyboat in Merger of ‘Airbnb for Boats’ Companies

Barnes & Thornburg served as legal counsel to Getmyboat in its merger with fellow boat rental platform Boatsetter.

The merger forms a global leader for boating and on-the-water adventure, with about 13 million annual users and more than half a billion dollars in bookings across 50 countries, the companies announced on Dec. 18, 2025. The newly combined entity will be based in Miami.

Launched in 2013 in San Francisco, Getmyboat has grown to be the world’s largest boat and watercraft rental marketplace, with more than 2 million users in over 160 countries. The company is backed by Japanese engine manufacturer Yanmar, which was also represented by Barnes & Thornburg in the deal.

Yanmar has been working with Getmyboat since its initial investment in March 2018. Yanmar acquired a majority stake in the company in 2022 and will continue to support the combined entity along with the other existing investors.

Boatsetter, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., launched the same year and is backed by private-equity firms Level Equity and Centerbridge Partners.

The merger made headlines in The Wall Street Journal and other news sources.

The BT team was led by partner Brian Robertson. The team also included partners Reid Johnson, Michael Maimone, John Dickey; counsel Jeff Connor; and associates Anesha Pink and Sophi Gorman.