ONBUOY readies for upcoming boating season with green boating events around Puget Sound

||| FROM DARREN AUSTIN for ONBUOY |||

OnBuoy, SPC, is thrilled to introduce their initiative to address the challenges of increased boating tourism to the San Juans and minimizing the environmental damage caused by increased boating traffic to the islands. Learn more and meet founder Darren Austin at an upcoming local Q&A session on Saturday, April 19, 2025 at the Orcas Island Public Library in the Community Room from 12-1pm. 

OnBuoy is planning similar events throughout Puget Sound this summer to introduce their platform to moorage owners and boaters and discuss the benefits of Green Boating practices to all waterfront communities in Puget Sound. Moorage owners interested in learning more or attending a future event are invited to register their interest here: https://bit.ly/onbuoy-live-qa

Originally introduced in 2024, OnBuoy addresses three specific problems: a shortage of reliable guest moorage, the need to encourage Green Boating practices in the Salish Sea and beyond, and the high cost of moorage maintenance. 

“OnBuoy is a win-win-win for private moorage owners, our local economy, and the precious marine environment of the Salish Sea,” says founder Darren Austin, “As recreational boating visitors grow, we’re proud to offer a platform that promotes Green Boating by making it easy for boaters to avoid anchoring and protect sensitive eelgrass beds. We invite all local moorage owners in the San Juans to join us in this effort and become part of a community that’s making a positive impact on our local waters.”

OnBuoy increases the number of places for boaters to safely tie up their boats. Instead of trolling around a public dock or dealing with the inconvenience and risk of dropping anchor in unfamiliar waters, OnBuoy helps boaters find available community mooring spots at their destination. OnBuoy lets boaters reserve a specific tie-up completely online without having to make a phone call or leave the comfort of their captain’s chair.

Rather than let their moorage go unused for days or weeks at a time, OnBuoy enables moorage owners to loan their moorage to fellow boaters – offering them a better, more environmentally friendly option for tying up for the night. In the process, hosts earn proceeds that help them offset the maintenance for their moorage. Hosts can also choose to donate their proceeds to Friends of the San Juans, the Northwest Straits Foundation, or Puget Soundkeepers to support shoreline restoration efforts in the Salish Sea.

Membership in OnBuoy is a win for private buoy and dock owners, a win for the environment, and a win for the boating community at large. By adding their tie-up to the OnBuoy network, dock and buoy owners provide a benefit to fellow boaters, help preserve our local marine environment, and ensure that their equipment is always in good working order. Furthermore, each time an owner hosts a fellow boater on their tie-up, OnBuoy SPC donates a percentage of the proceeds to the local marine charities listed above.

Safety and trust are top priorities for OnBuoy. Each moorage in the OnBuoy community is required to be inspected annually and OnBuoy screens all guests to verify their identity when they request to use a host’s moorage. OnBuoy also provides Host Protection to reimburse hosts up to $50k for any damage incurred to their property during a stay.

OnBuoy provides a new, innovative, and environmentally friendly response to the culture and community of boating tourism in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether reserving favorite spots for summer or joining as a host, the OnBuoy community unites boaters and hosts who care about each other and the environment.

OnBuoy extends a personal invitation to local residents to attend an upcoming Q&A session and learn more about how they can support this initiative.

ABOUT ONBUOY:

OnBuoy, SPC is a Washington State Social Purpose Corporation committed to preserving and restoring the marine environment by increasing the number of safe mooring options for recreational boaters and reducing the need to drop anchor. OnBuoy is an online community that gives owners of private docks and mooring buoys an easy way to offset the cost of maintaining their mooring equipment by sharing their unused mooring space with fellow boaters. Learn more and join our community today: onbuoy.com