Sailing In Your Own Environmentally Friendly GoBoat In Copenhagen

Environmentally friendly boats

GoBoat is located at Island Brygge next to the harbour bath. With Copenhagen being one of the greenest capital cities in the world, it’s no surprise that GoBoat is about appreciating and protecting our environment.

The architectural pavilion at Island Brygge is built using sustainable wood. The boats are powered by an environmentally friendly electrical engine from Torqeedo, which uses batteries that are charged by solar cells on the roof of the pavilion. This is important because you can sail with a clear conscience along the beautiful Danish canals. You can also sail in the most peaceful of ways because the engine is silent so you can truly enjoy a conversation with your fellow sailors.

No license or past experience required!

GoBoat makes the sailing experience for everyone and you do not require a license or any past experience. There are only three rules: the captain of the boat must be 18 years or over, sober and respect the rules of the harbour.

The GoBoat is quite spacious and can seat up to 8 people; there is no minimum number of sailors required. To experience GoBoat for an hour it costs 399 DKK (60 USD), for 2 hours it is 749 (113 USD) DKK and for 3 hours it is 999 DKK (151 USD) per boat.

Bookings can be made online at the GoBoat website or at the pavilion itself. However, if you want to guarantee a GoBoat, I would advise booking in advance. Cancellations can be made freely until 24 hours before your scheduled departure. However, let’s be honest, why would you want to cancel the chance to see the idyllic harbours and canals of Copenhagen, which are surrounded by such beautiful settings?

Sail by some stunning sights at your own pace

From the moment that you arrive at the GoBoat pavilion, you will feel welcomed by the positive and warm energy of the staff on site. Denmark is known to have the happiest people on earth and you will certainly get that vibe from the GoBoat staff who are doing a fantastic job in offering an environmentally friendly excursion for tourists and a relaxing get-together for locals. You will be provided with a map and given some helpful advice on the best route to take. The Danes are big fans of enjoying fresh air and doing activities outside, so you will often find blankets being made available in all restaurants with outdoor seating; GoBoat is no different because you will be offered blankets in advance of boarding the boat.

Once you board the GoBoat, you will be given some training on how to use the GoBoat and will then be waved a cheerful bon voyage for your journey through the canals. As my travel companion and I initially struggled to get going due to our rather embarrassing navigation skills, the GoBoat staff were immediately available and came to the rescue with more advice and guidance to help us along our way.

Sailing through the canals, you will be able to pass some absolutely beautiful scenery and Danish people who will give you a wave as you pass under the many bridges that the city has. Whilst the GoBoats are not speedboats, sailing in them is a fantastic way to chill-out and take in the wonderful and breath-taking city of Copenhagen. With the opportunity to see so many great sites such as the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Castle, Royal Danish Playhouse, Paper Island, Christiansborg Palace, Black Diamond Library, Opera House and Christiania, what are you waiting for? This is the chance for some fantastic photos with you, the GoBoat, the water and some other fabulous sites!

Top tips for your trip in a GoBoat

Having experienced GoBoat with my travelling companion during the sunshine, the wind and the rain (as it seemed I had booked a slot which gave me all forms of weather to experience!), I have evaluated my experience and come up with 5 tips for your trip if you decide to experience GoBoat.

Tip 1: Utilise the helpful and friendly staff at GoBoat. Ask for their suggestions on the route that you should take. Talk to them about what you want to see. They are extremely personable and passionate about GoBoat and what it has to offer, and no question will be too burdensome for them to answer. From my own experience, I can confirm that they helped me tremendously when I was struggling with navigating the boat and docking it at the end of the experience and they did this cheerfully.

Tip 2: Whilst I enjoyed the company of my travelling companion, I feel that, “the more the merrier” really does apply to GoBoat as it’s the type of experience that is so much more fun with more individuals. So if you have a group of friends, invite them on. However, if you want a romantic setting with no tourists peeking over you, then GoBoat can give couples a real intimate and special setting and should be considered.

Tip 3: As the GoBoats are sometimes known as “picnic boats”, you know that you need to get ready to have your breakfast, lunch or early dinner on them. You can either stock up from a supermarket or restaurant or from GoBoat itself. GoBoat offers delicious organic delicacies that you can purchase at the time of making an online booking.

Tip 4: Whilst neither my travel companion nor I had any previous boating experience, I have to admit that I did have some difficulty in operating the GoBoat whereas my travel companion did not. My travel companion has put this down to the fact that she has experience of driving a car whereas I do not. As a result, I would be mindful about using GoBoat if you’re not familiar with navigating some type of vehicle.

Tip 5: Make sure that you’re careful not to bump into any of the boats that are moored on the side of the canals or the large boats that are sailing alongside you. Take note of the little kayaks sailing around too and be mindful that the GoBoat is not too powerful so you may struggle to overcome water currents and too much wind. I would also advise that you check the weather forecast in advance.