I’ve been around boats my entire life. My passion for boating started as a child, sailing on a homemade windsurfing board along the shores of the Black Sea. Later, when I moved to the Atlantic coast of the U.S., that passion only grew stronger. Since the early 1990s, I’ve owned nine power and sailboats, and I even started a charter company in New Jersey, which I operated for over six years.
When Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the Caribbean, leaving many boats damaged or abandoned, I saw an opportunity. I decided to buy and restore a storm-damaged sailing catamaran, with the goal of putting her back into charter. Managing the refit wasn’t easy—especially doing it alone—but I got by using just a spreadsheet.
However, once the boat was back in charter, things became far more complicated. Trying to manage issues with the crew and charter company using emails, messages, and the same old spreadsheet quickly proved ineffective. Things fell through the cracks, and I experienced some painful (and costly) setbacks.
That’s when I decided to solve the problem myself. I’ve spent much of my career developing software solutions for the financial industry, so I offered to build an app specifically for tracking boat work and maintenance. In just over eight months, I launched FleetOps in 2018. It worked brilliantly, streamlining all of our fleet operations for almost two years—until COVID hit, shutting down charter businesses everywhere. To make matters worse, I lost my lead developer.
Still, I knew the concept had value. So I decided to pivot. I took the lessons from FleetOps and began developing a new version of the app—this time designed specifically for individual boat owners. That project became TreMate, which we launched in February 2023. Over the next two years, we kept improving it and also developed versions for charter managers and marine industry professionals who build, service, and sell boats. In just two years, more than 10,000 boats have been added to TreMate—making it one of the most widely used boating apps worldwide.
So why is TreMate different—and why would a boat owner want it?
At TreMate, we focus on delivering clear, relevant, and timely information that every boat owner needs. The app uses visual tools to display the condition and status of your boat at a glance. In-app notifications mean you’re no longer chasing down emails or messages—just open the app, and you’ll instantly see whether everything’s in order or if something needs your attention.
What boat owner wouldn’t want a simple way to track tasks, use checklists, store manuals, manage inventory, and automatically build a full service history? You can even export everything to a PDF or spreadsheet—and with just one click, transfer your entire account to the next owner when you sell your boat. That’s real value.
And best of all, TreMate will always offer its core features for free, forever, through our Forever Free plan—plus affordable premium plans for those who want additional tools and features.
The Tremate App is available on Appstore and Google Play Download here
For more details, visit the website Tremate.com
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