Photo by Jennifer Curington
Photo by Pamela Power
Couple said they sailed into dream job
Jim Niebauer and his wife, Ginny, went sailing together a few years back and loved the experience so much that they said they decided to quit their jobs and open a sailboat rental business.
They opened Austin Sailboat Rentals, LLC in December 2012 on Lady Bird Lake near I-35 with little sailing experience, so they try to cater to customers who have not sailed previously.
"I bought one of those little sailboats, a little Snark, just for me and [Ginny] on a Sunday afternoon to go play in the water," Niebauer said. "We fell in love with it, actually, and while we were on the water people were constantly asking, 'Where did you get those? Where can I rent one of those?' So it gave us the idea that there may be a need for this service in Austin."
Austin Sailboat Rentals remains the only sailboat rental business on Lady Bird Lake, he said.
