Getting Started With A Boat Share

A boat share is a middle-of-the road solution in between buying a boat and chartering one. Buying it might be overkill for someone who isn't planning to virtually live on it. At the other extreme, a yacht charter is cost-effective only for those who need it once a year or so for a vacation.

Sharing ownership of the vessel circumvents many of these problems and offers flexible sailing dates and time on the water, while not requiring a large investment and the ongoing hassles and costs of single ownership. Sharing a vessel means not having to deal with issues like insurance, marine fees, etc. Probably the single biggest benefit is freedom from having to deal with the cost and trouble of maintaining the vessel.

The fractional yacht ownership or boat share company will take care of all these and other issues. All that needs to be done is buy shares and become a part owner of the vessel. Alternatively, it might be a timeshare-type arrangement with yearly membership fees plus charges billed per trip based on usage, which will be very low as compared to the costs of chartering the same type of vessel.

In order to get the best possible deal with favorable usage terms and costs, it might be advisable to look around and check out a few of these companies. Check up on things like how much time on the vessel per year the company allows each co-owner, and how they schedule it. Many companies have limits on how soon after one trip a co-owner can book the next one.

Also, there will be a need to book in advance, in order to avoid date clashes with the vessel's other co-owners. This has a big chance of happening during holidays and other peak periods like summer vacations, if there is no scheduling system. Also look into the details of the maintenance charges for the vessel, and how the company actually maintains it.

Then there are also questions about the crew (if any) and other such factors that depend on the size and type of the vessel. The summary of it is that a boatload of money can be saved by opting for a boat share. It allows people to roam the seas at will without having to pay through the nose, but it still has to be looked into carefully to make sure the arrangement is legit.