Fun on Deck

Ever been sitting in beach traffic on a sunny summer day, gazing out at Lowcountry waters filled with pleasure-cruising crafts and thought, “I need more friends with boats’’? Well, thanks to David Yates, you now have a whole bunch of them at the touch of your finger (though they’re a little pricier than the kind paid in six-packs). This spring, the longtime Mount Pleasant fisherman and boat captain launched HOBA, which allows users to “hop on a boat anywhere.”

HOBA captains, who are licensed with the U.S. Coast Guard, are available for sunset cruises, fishing tours, even late-night rides home. But unlike road-bound ride-sharing apps, HOBA trips can be scheduled weeks in advance as easily as they can be made impromptu. As soon as the app is opened, GPS technology locates the closest captains within a 100-mile radius, and from there, users can sort through profiles, reviews, and rates until they find the right skipper.

“We operate wherever there are captains signed up,” says Yates; so far, that means Charleston, New York, and Miami, although he thinks global service is only a matter of time. Captains, for their part, take home a pretty penny: 80 percent of whatever rate they set, plus tips.

Welcome Aboard: A look at HOBA by the numbers

➼ About 130 captains are signed on with HOBA, mainly in Charleston and Miami.

➼ Most local boats max out at six guests and range in price from $75 to $150 an hour, though rates fluctuate based on factors including demand and type of trip. More luxurious ”XL” crafts land in the $250-an-hour range.

➼ The top three uses for HOBA thus far? Booze cruises, lunchtime trips to Shem Creek eateries, and sightseeing adventures.