Sober Skippers: New app provides designated driver for your boat in Minnesota

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We all know how lifesaving a designated driver can be, so now you can arrange a designated captain for your boat.

A new initiative is kicking off this summer where you can hire someone to steer a boat through an app called Sober Skippers.

All you have to do is download the app and select a captain for your boat trip. You do need to give 24 hours advance notice for the logistics of getting out on the water, but it’s all an effort to cut down on drinking and boating.

With the official start of summer Friday, boating season in Minnesota will be in full swing. Brad McGill, the founder of Sober Skippers, hopes that all of those boaters stay safe.

“We will drive your boat and be your captain so you don’t have to worry about it,” McGill said. “You can just go out and have fun and drink and float.”

McGill came up with the new initiative to help cut down on impaired boating across the state.

A few years ago, he started Dasshh, which is a designated driver app that’s more localized than Uber or Lyft. He thought a boat ride-share program was missing in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

“So, I feel like I can make an impact and help society be safer,” McGill said.

John O’Brien took advantage of a gorgeous afternoon on Lake Minnetonka Wednesday. He’s an avid boater and thinks the Sober Skipper idea will keep everyone safe on the water.

“I think it’ll give more people a chance to get out and have some fun without any worries or problems,” O’Brien said. “People who are used to the lake, know where the buoys are, know where the islands are—it makes it easier for them.”

Sober Skippers is already incorporated into the Dasshh App. A designated captain will meet you and the boat at any lake or river in the area. It’ll cost you around $50 an hour.