A successful app for boaters and harbours: valuable insights from Mooringo AB founder

25 Aug 2022
5 min read

Sofię_Nalimską

Project Manager

Just imagine. Summer. A gentle breeze blowing through your hair. Clear sky above your head and the never-ending horizon ahead. It is perfect, right? It is not surprising that more and more people want to enjoy such moments, escape from everyday routines and worries, and merge with the endless and mysterious water world. The statistics are proof of this. The recreational boating market is expected to reach $ 36.78 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 5.1% during this period. Geographically, North America continues to take leading positions in the market for recreational boats. However, Sweden has the highest density of leisure boats per capita in the world, and every fourth Swede goes boating every year. The number of boats floating on Swedish water reaches more than 790 000, and the number of yacht and boat clubs is huge. The Swedish Sailing Federation alone has over 435 clubs. The increasing number of boaters, yacht clubs, and harbors leads to certain challenges related to various aspects of the industry. People want to enjoy the process, do what they love, and not be distracted by organizational issues. Our client from Sweden deals with the solution to one of these issues. And Powercode is proud to be able to help them and dive into the marine world of apps for sailors and boaters. The result of our cooperation with Mooringo AB is a custom mobile app for recreational boaters to find occupancy level in marinas and anchorages. You are welcome to read the detailed information in our recent case study “Mooringo Breeze.” Fair winds article

Today we are meeting with Robert Mertens, a captain and founder of Mooringo AB. Robert is a system developer and a sailor who has lived on the boat for 15 years. He knows about all the boaters’ difficulties not by hearsay. He is passionate about the sea and ocean at any time of year. So, uncork a bottle of rum, catch a fair wind and enjoy reading an interview with this incredible person.

When and how did you decide to create such an application?

I am a boat-owner myself and I was frustrated about the lack of reliable data when at sea. The main problem was the uncertainty about the situation in destinations like marinas and anchorages. After performing a validation study among other boaters I realized most boaters feel stressed about the fact that the destination might be packed when they arrive and not able to find a nice parking spot for the boat.

What is the main idea of Mooringo?

The main idea is to help boaters relax at sea. The app delivers vacancy prediction data in marinas and anchorages based on satellite data and also helps boaters to find online berth booking in advance. We link directly to all various booking systems so the user does not have to browse all different websites.

Who and where can use this app?

Anyone can use the app for free in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Estonia but we are currently expanding to new countries. We are going to be in Croatia, Greece, Turkey in the coming summer.

What features make Mooringo unique and distinguish it from its competitors?

Booking a berth in advance is the best method to relax at sea and Mooringo is the first app that consolidates all booking systems to help boaters find all online marinas in any country. For all other offline-marinas we provide reliable vacancy predictions using high-tech satellite data.

If we compare Mooringo 4 years ago and now what has been changed?

Over the years Mooringo has realized we need to focus our offering and make case-studies before developing new features. We have also realized we need expert help from professional developers like Powercode to deliver state-of-the-art design and functionality. Design and user experience is as important as the functions the app provides.

How did you start your cooperation with Powercode? Could you share your experience and thoughts?

Mooringo has been working offshore in Ukraine for several years but we had to break with our former development partner as we, as a startup, are looking for a deeper partnership. We found Powercode via references last year and had an initial meeting where we explained our ambitions. We understood each other and started cooperating just before the invasion. The team at Powercode has proven really dedicated and committed. The team leader at Powercode keeps moving the project forward and we feel that the value for the professional work always exceeds the invoice.

Are you going to develop your app further? Maybe you are planning to conquer new markets and regions?

Yes – Mooringo will continue to develop the app with Powercode. We now have a great platform to add and improve features to the app for a long time forward. We also have demands to improve and develop new systems for Mooringo as a company. We need to improve our website, internal support systems and marina back-end systems. We are going to expand to new markets and regions to have a longer season. Next up is New Zealand and the Caribbean where we might need to do some regional modifications. We want to thank Robert for finding time in his busy schedule and kindly agreeing to answer our questions. It was easy for the entire Powercode team to work on the project. It is simply impossible to remain indifferent to sailing when you work with such an enthusiast. We highly appreciate our cooperation and look forward to further projects. We encourage you to visit Mooringo and personally get acquainted with all the features of this fantastic creation. Besides, suppose you need any marine software or have an idea you do not know how to implement. In that case, our team is always ready to assist you and provide quality development services, from business analysis to the release of your product. All you need to do is fill out the form here.