VICTORIA, Seychelles — Ellipsis, the Seychelles-based online boat rental platform launched late last year by local entrepreneur Devyn Sharpe, has continued to grow its operator base and will add five more vessels to its own fleet in the coming months. The platform, which Sharpe built after completing his A-levels in the United Kingdom in mid-2023, now lists a range of experiences well beyond bareboat charter, including snorkelling, fishing, island tours, and yacht parties. Operator listings on the site are free of charge, with the company taking a small commission on each confirmed booking.
Sharpe said in an interview that the move back to Seychelles had been deliberate. He wanted to build something specifically for the local market, with payouts going to Seychelles-based bank accounts, in contrast to the foreign platforms that dominate the global online activity-booking space. The platform, he said, aims to become the single online point of access for sea-based experiences in the archipelago. International clients from the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates have so far made up the bulk of bookings, with most growth coming through Instagram and Facebook marketing.
One of the early operator partners is Seyscapes, a luxury accommodation and yacht-charter company run by Edwin Adrienne. Mr Adrienne said his business has five boats listed on Ellipsis and that the platform is well suited to the local market. He noted that the cost of entry for operators is low, and that the customer experience is, in his view, more personal than on the larger international booking sites. The commission rate is also lower than the industry average, he added.
Sharpe and his family are also adding five vessels of their own to the platform over the next several months, with the explicit aim of making boat hire more affordable for visitors. The family plans to focus on bareboat charters at the lower end of the price scale, partly in response to demand from European visitors who arrive with sailing qualifications. The model allows qualified individuals to rent and skipper a boat themselves, with Ellipsis handling the booking and payment.
On the environmental side, Sharpe said the company will donate a portion of each booking’s revenue to the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, to support ongoing coral restoration in the St Anne Marine Park. He framed the commitment as a deliberate one for a business that draws directly on the marine environment. The partnership, he added, is one of several conservation initiatives the platform plans to roll out in 2024.
