Amsterdam Light Festival on a Boat

Every year the beautiful canals of Amsterdam light up for a brightening event when the nights get longer and the cold starts to settle in our days. It is then time for the Amsterdam Light Festival - a long route across the city full of art pieces and installations where light is the primary material. Its lack of materiality though, that of light that is, makes the challenge even more interesting for the artists participating. The solutions presented are often awe inspiring and talented at capturing such immaterial nature. 

In old pagan Northern Europe many traditions used fire in different ways during the dark and long months of the year as a reminder of the dorment life to be birth by the Winter, with the coming of Spring. The most obvious survivor of such traditions are city decorations during Christmas time. The Amsterdam Light Festival can be thought of as a contemporary take on it that mixes tradition, contemporary art and lightening techniques inviting us out of our winter burrows into the illuminated night.

Even though the route can be taken afoot there is no comparison to enjoying it during a boat ride. This is most certainly where you will have an immersive experience of the art installations as you pass them by and feel the light around you. It has become a tradition for us at “We are on a Boat” to organize a sustainable tour during this event, but this year we are even more invested in it as the festival theme, “Disrupt!” calls attention to the issues at the heart of our mission. It invites us to think not only about the dangerous aspects of sudden disturbances to our environment but also about ways of disrupting the status quo and changing ways of doing things. 

We are very excited to see what all the different artists have come up with inspired by this years’ theme and would love to welcome you on board to share the moment and reflect together. So come along on the 7th of December, 5pm and bring your friends and family! Tickets are available here and will have a surge in price soon, so be quick!  

Bring your gloves and Gluhwein and get on board!

Interested to list or book
a sustainable boat?

We are on a Boat organises an AI Design Sprint networking event on a boat during Amsterdam's World Summit AI

Artificial Intelligence is the word on the street. For good or for bad, it is here to stay. At We are on a Boat we believe that keeping up with technology advancement is half way walked towards making sure innovation serves humanity’s sustainable and fair development, as well as the future of the planet.

That’s why we didn’t want to miss this growing event happening at our step door. The World Summit AI Amsterdam is a young conference but already an established one in the field. In its third year, it presents itself as the world’s leading summit and offers a world class programme covering all the major and most interesting issues in the field. From education to space exploration you will definitely exponentially grow your AI knowledge during next week’s many events. Check the full menu here!

And because we are immensely excited and curious about the possible applications of AI for the sustainable boating and sustainable mobility fields, we are not only attending the summit but also promoting a networking event on a boat, that will transport participants from the location of the summit in Zaandam to the centre of Amsterdam.

During the ride there will also be a short introduction by the Human Future Design team to AI Design Sprints and the AI Card Deck Tool - developed by AI design firm 33A (33A.ai).

So don’t miss this opportunity to connect, pump up your sustainable travelling, and get acquainted with this innovative design tool.

There are limited places available. Book your ticket now!

Disclaimer: This is not an official event of World Summit AI.

Interested to list or book
a sustainable boat?

Rent eco-friendly boats. Electric, wind or solar-powered.

4 years ago we naively launched our boat sharing app to match people who would like to be on a boat with people who are willing to share their boat. Since then we have been building a community of boating enthusiasts. We have been relying on Social Captains that occasionally shared their boats in exchange of a simple smile, a draw, a hug, drinks and snacks, a good story, a new friend, a bottle of wine, etc.

It all started in Amsterdam, but the app is being used all over the world, with more then 10 000 app downloads from 100 different countries. We saw boats being shared in Amsterdam, Denmark, Italy, Toronto, U.S., New Zealand, Japan and counting..

With the rise of the collaborative economy became easier then ever to get on a boat. Any boat. In some way is great to see our canals, rivers and oceans full of boats. But at the same time, the more motor boats we have on the water, more polluted it becomes. 

Luckily, there are alternatives to motor boats, but for some reason they are not having the attention they deserve.

Therefore, we are on a mission to promote the rental of eco-friendly boats & yachts. Electric, wind or solar-powered, with our new marketplace.
And also promote ecotourism experiences such as Dolphins & Bird watching, etc.

Triggered by the issue of global warming we want to contribute towards a healthier and eco-friendly planet.

By renting 100% green boats, we aim to eliminate fuel costs/noise/smell and exhaust fumes. 
We want to give people the opportunity to experience sustainable technology hands on. 
We can all have fun without harming the environment. Calmness, that’s what we all need.

Furthermore, if all the boats on Amsterdam canals would have a solar panel, they could generate enough energy for all the city and respective homes. We can do this.

We also want to keep motivating people to share their boats with our boat sharing app, iOS & Android. Making new friends while reducing the boat rental costs.

We dream a future where we can swim everywhere. Dive in from the boat whenever we feel like, without healthy concerns due to a polluted water.

We dream a future where we empower independent solar boat makers to rent their own solar boats, allowing these independent creators to have funds to invest in more and better eco boats, creating at the same time awareness to this matter. Would also motivate people to buy solar boats, or help the ones who have motor boats to convert them into electric.

We dream a future where the people who rent solar boats, can also share the empty places they might have through a simple app, reducing the rental costs, reducing the number of boats in the canals, and at the same time meeting other people outside their social circle, maybe people with different cultures, different believes, etc.

These human interaction would naturally spark new personal relations, new innovative ideas, etc. 
All in all a better understanding between a diverse community, and a better understanding towards environmental issues.

Finally, we will contribute with part of our funds to organisations we admire and have a meaningful purpose of keeping our waters safe and clean such as Ocean Cleanup, Plastic Whale, Boat refugee foundation, and others..

Here, to a sustainable future. Let’s make the world great again.

List your eco boat. Rent an eco boat. Share your boat. iOS & Android.