If you like boats but not the headaches, join a boat club!

[kaivaksdal]

Hi all
My friend and I had been ;looking to buy a boat together for ages. Despite all the stories about "the 2 best days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it" - we wanted a baot, right?
Problems with this were - 1) A decent boat costs a lot, 2) Mooring costs a lot 3) taking it in and out of the water costs a lot 4) repairing stuff costs a lot - you get the idea.

So, whilst wondering around the Southampton Boat Show, we found a boat club. It's been how it's done in the US for years - basically you pay a monthly fee and have access to (in this case) 7 different boats as often as you like. All of the good bits and none of the bad bits.
The boats are high end and are stored in a "dry dock" to keep them fresh and clean.

Just wanted to let some of you know that this is an option as I genuinely think it's an awesome idea !!

Kai

[Brother D]

This is what we have in Chicago https://www.pinnacleyachts.com

Not outrageously priced, but you are liable for things that happen when you take it out such as engine over heating or getting a tow...

[dvs_dave]

I can recommend doing it this way....mostly benefits, but also a few drawbacks.

For me the biggest being that you have to tie up your booking slots well in advance for prime days/holidays. And then Sod’s law that day comes and the weather is st and you can’t/don’t want to go out. And you’ve blown a load of other great opportunities for boating as you’ve tied up your bookings for the best days. It’s also not well suited if you just want to spend a lazy day and night hanging out on your boat drinking/eating etc, and not actually going anywhere. Just soaking in the sun and atmosphere of boating. Also whilst the boats are generally decent, you can’t keep any personal items onboard, and you develop an eye for things that annoy you and would not be how you would like to keep/operate your own boat.

It’s at these times that having your own boat is worth the expense.

[kaivaksdal]

Thanks guys.
Yes, I can see good and bad points to this.
On the whole, there are more good points for me - not least that I don’t have £70-90k to spend on a decent boat. Lol.
I’m sure many of these schemes are different in their approach- let me know if you’d like any details if you are U.K. based and South Coast.
Cheers
Kai

[loggo]

How would they handle it if you nipped down to the Scillies and could not return because of a change in the weather ?
Or worse - the temptation to put to sea in weather conditions beyond your comfort zone to meet time constraints.

[kilty2]

Brother D said:

This is what we have in Chicago https://www.pinnacleyachts.com

Not outrageously priced, but you are liable for things that happen when you take it out such as engine over heating or getting a tow...

Those prices are not bad assuming that the boats are on a slip in the city.

My standing costs (slip in Winthrop harbor, and haul out/storage at Larsen in Waukegan) are @$3k. Of course I have maintenance and repair on top of this, but amortising over 5 years of ownership I reckon this is about $1k/year.

This is on a 24 year old 30' sailboat in good shape, and pretty much all depreciated out.

Champagne tastes on a Scottish beer budget.

[kaivaksdal]

My club is restricted to a maximum 48 hours and along the south coast of England but it’s more than enough fir a weekend away to IoW or finding some secluded beaches or even a sleepover on the boat. They are pretty strict with the weather - anything over a force 5 and you don’t go out so there’s little chance of getting stuck anywhere. Either way, they’re pretty flexible.
What I like is that you can choose between ribs, speedboats and fishing / day boats.
Website is boatclubtrafalgar.com
Cheers
Kai

[loggo]

Ah. I see Kai. When you mentioned tying up £70-£90k I was thinking of something considerably larger than a rib or dayboat.

You could buy one of those and only need around £7 - £9k

[Simond S]

kaivaksdal said:

My club is restricted to a maximum 48 hours and along the south coast of England but it’s more than enough fir a weekend away to IoW or finding some secluded beaches or even a sleepover on the boat. They are pretty strict with the weather - anything over a force 5 and you don’t go out so there’s little chance of getting stuck anywhere. Either way, they’re pretty flexible.
What I like is that you can choose between ribs, speedboats and fishing / day boats.
Website is boatclubtrafalgar.com
Cheers
Kai

You on commission?

£595 a month may make sense to someone, but when you can buy a rib for £10k which will give the same hoonability, or a day boat for £15 that you can sleep on this doesn't seem like a bargain to me.

[kaivaksdal]

I hear what you’re saying guys.
However, these are nearly new boats worth 70k - 90k, not 15k. I know you can get a rib for 15 or an old speedboat for less but that comes with its own problems- like an old car, I guess.
The other thing was mooring costs, putting in and out if the water, defouling, maintenance, all that stuff is also expensive.
Then you have to stump up the cash in the first place. A monthly figure works better for me.
Lastly, I might not use it much - although I think I will - but if not, I’ve lost 5k and I’m not stuck trying to sell something.

It’s horses for courses right?
This works for me 👍
Ps no, I’m not on commission 😁
Kai

[Jeremy-75qq8]

A lot of it is also how much free time you have to spend on the boat.

I have a boat in Mallorca and spend 4 or so months a year on it.

A friend has 6 weeks holiday and ownes half a boat that is kept on the mainland ( mooring cost is a third) which gives him cheap boating with little downside.