Fractional Sailboat Membership

[WestUniversity]

A Sunfish! Ha ha.

No comparison to a larger heavy keel sailboat.

A completely different sailing experience.

I’ve had both and sailed both as well as many others. My 31’ sloop was a far different experience than a Sunfish. Frankly the Sunfish was more fun and WAY less hassle and less expense…

 

[mystang52]

Even if it's only for one year, it's an almost $11,000 dollar commitment. As I believe another poster wrote, why not rent whenever you want to sail? Do it for a full 6-9 months, or even a year, then examine the total cost.
For me, one "soft cost" that is saved by renting is not feeling compelled to use the boat to "get my money's worth." Disclaimer: I am not a sailor.

 

[OldShooter]

I would have an attorney pull a D&B on the company and a background check on the individuals. Look for liens and judgments, pending court cases, collections, etc. I would also talk to several of the boat owners (names from the state registry, not from the promoters) and see how it has gone getting paid, getting repairs reimbursed, etc.

Depending on the details of the contract, if the company tanks you may find the friendly folks at the bankruptcy court expecting you to keep paying to the end of your contract. Your attorney can give you an opinion on this.

 

[skyking1]

We have a 2008 17 foot Montgomery sailboat and trailer (which was actually built in southern California where you are!) and a 1989 Pacific Seacraft 34.

The PSC34 costs about as much per year as we paid in total for the M17

I actually like sailing the M17 better right now as I am so used to it I can tack down a river or come screaming into a beach area close hauled at an eye watering 5 knots and then instantly cruise 20 feet from the shore on a beam reach, making all the land lubbers jealous that they don't have a nifty little sailboat.

The PSC34 is a serious boat with more than a 5 foot draft and massive keel. You don't play around with it so much.

you reminded me of my first sailing experience
I was a junior in high school, and my brother invited me along for a week of sailing during my spring break.
I drove to Anacortes and took the ferry to Friday Harbor to meet them.
Spring break madness at the marina, I walk down with my duffel bag to the dock to the outside finger. There is one spot left in the whole place, there on the outside. 5 boats round the point into the harbor at more or less the same time, and one by one they drop sail and start motoring, save one. This boat is moving right along under sail. He just keeps coming, and the boaters start to watch this madman with one foot on the tiller and a sheet in each hand. They get close enough and recognize my brother up on the foredeck with a fender in hand. That's my boat!
He sailed it right to the dock, dropping sail, kicked the rudder over and landed perfectly to scattered applause. I tossed my duffel on deck like this happens all the time, but I could tell that was cool.

 

[audreyh1]

We sailed into the slip most of the time. I got very good at it. DH hated that stinky little outboard motor.

 

[Koolau]

I know nothing about sailing, but just about any "pleasure" craft has significant fixed costs (insurance, mooring, routine maintenance, etc.) That was true with aircraft ownership. I was in a partnership with 2 other guys when we owned an airplane. It worked out rather well. I don't recall a single instance of "NO! I need the plane this weekend." We had a signup sheet and were rigorous about coughing up our monthly ante. Once we all got our licenses and around 100+ hours of time, we seemed to lose interest, I suppose and sold the plane after 2 years. Relatively painless and allowed us to have a plane that none of could afford on our own at the time.

I'd do my homework on the details, but spreading the fixed costs makes a lot of sense IMHO. YMMV

 

[Fermion]

We sailed into the slip most of the time. I got very good at it. DH hated that stinky little outboard motor.

Our PSC34 has a ~15hp electric inboard motor so I can make it "look" like we are sailing into the slip heh heh.

 

[skyking1]

LOL that is cheating.
The summer I took up sailing in earnest, we raced most Wednesday evenings in Tacoma.
It was a 22 Catalina with a swing keel, and if we were on any kind of downwind run we would crank up the keel until we started sliding.
We took second in our class every time, behind the boat that was always first. It was a blast.

 

[marko]

Even if it's only for one year, it's an almost $11,000 dollar commitment. As I believe another poster wrote, why not rent whenever you want to sail? Do it for a full 6-9 months, or even a year, then examine the total cost.
For me, one "soft cost" that is saved by renting is not feeling compelled to use the boat to "get my money's worth." Disclaimer: I am not a sailor.

One of the most important lessons my dad taught me about sailing is this: "If you're going to break down how much it's costing you per day sailing, go find another hobby. You have to do this because you love it and what it costs, is what it costs. You're never going to get 'your money's worth'."
(but it would be nice if the upkeep on my boat was only $11K per year)

Second most important advice: "The time to reduce sail is the first moment you wonder if you should"

 

[phil1ben]

Found two other friends and together we share a small sailboat. None of us would use it enough to own on our own. It has worked great for 6 years so far. We opened a bank account that we all contribute into and pay bills. We all share responsibilities.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Found two other friends and together we share a small sailboat. None of us would use it enough to own on our own. It has worked great for 6 years so far. We opened a bank account that we all contribute into and pay bills. We all share responsibilities.

From the drama I've seen centered around family cabins, I'd be concerned about sharing property like that with someone other than a spouse, child, or parent. (The issues seem to arise around adult sibling and cousin levels, IME.) However, I'm glad it works for you, and maybe if those participating don't have bringing decades of memories and childhood baggage about the property in question it's much easier to manage.

 

[Sunset]

One advantage the renting has is that OP would mostly want to rent when the seasonal weather is nice, and quite possibly not even sail in the middle of Winter.
An effective use of the money, offsetting a possible higher cost/day of sailing.

The fractional membership, means paying for months when not even wanting to sail.

 

[Fermion]

The fractional membership, means paying for months when not even wanting to sail.

As opposed to full ownership, which means paying for years when you can't find time to sail

 

[Sunset]

As opposed to full ownership, which means paying for years when you can't find time to sail

Yes, I've thought of that with my cars, often they sit still in the garage. A total waste of money each day

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

This thread really makes me grateful for the arrangement we stumbled into. Friends have a sweet, older (1974) 27' sailboat in a slip on Lake Michigan. We are partners (but not owners), and simply pay 50% of expenses and share maintenance chores. Sometimes we sail together, sometimes separately, but both couples get as much tiller time as we desire. Including the slip and winter storage, yearly expenses are ~$1500 per couple. We expressed willingness to buy 1/2 of the boat, but it isn't worth enough for them to bother with the paperwork. Can't beat that deal!

 

[Fermion]

Yes, I've thought of that with my cars, often they sit still in the garage. A total waste of money each day

I do wonder how many cars have sat a bit idle during these work at home COVID times.

Our big sailboat has sat idle in the slip for a year now because of COVID travel restrictions and other factors. Just the slip fees and registration/insurance are around $6,000 a year. This is not counting the delayed maintenance since boats are essentially just decaying as they sit in the salt water.

Compare this with our little sailboat, which sits safely inside our pole barn on its trailer, costing us $55 a year in registration...and we actually used it twice last year!

 

[skyking1]

@out-to-lunch,
That is a good deal. I did that one year with the 22 Catalina. DW got scared when she got blown down while at the helm.

 

[audreyh1]

I do wonder how many cars have sat a bit idle during these work at home COVID times.

Our big sailboat has sat idle in the slip for a year now because of COVID travel restrictions and other factors. Just the slip fees and registration/insurance are around $6,000 a year. This is not counting the delayed maintenance since boats are essentially just decaying as they sit in the salt water.

Compare this with our little sailboat, which sits safely inside our pole barn on its trailer, costing us $55 a year in registration...and we actually used it twice last year!

COVID travel restrictions meant you could sail the big boat? Do you not bother if you are only sailing out and back with no other destination?

 

[Fermion]

COVID travel restrictions meant you could sail the big boat? Do you not bother if you are only sailing out and back with no other destination?

We could not go into Canada, which was a key sailing destination, also we did not want to take the risk of traveling to the boat before vaccinations as it would involve interactions with more people on the ~7 hour drive to the coast and the larger population density where the boat is moored.

Should be better this year, except we are still really busy on the house build.

 

[audreyh1]

I see.

Our marina was a 15 minute drive from home through some pretty hill country. On a lake. It was very usable especially while working, after that we started traveling too much.

Because our marina fees were low and we paid little for the older sailboat when we first got it, we never felt like we had a money hole.

 

[WestUniversity]

As opposed to full ownership, which means paying for years when you can't find time to sail

For me it was a hole in the water I poured a lot of money into. Never mind the routine expenses of a slip, insurance, utilities at the dock, and fuel. Also all of the “marine duty” parts that regularly failed and all seemed to cost either $50 or $1,000. The endless trips to West Marine. Then there’s the really big expenses. Haul out to scrape barnacles, new anti fouling paint, repacking the shaft seal on the prop, pulling the stick to re-bed the mast plate screws because of a leak that also compromised some of the internal structure of the compression post, maintaining the gel coat of the fiberglass, maintenance on the diesel engine etc, etc, etc.

The old cliche was true for me. The two happiest days in a boat owners life…. the day he buys it and the day he sells it. Particularly if it’s a boat that is always in the water in a slip.

I’ll take a Sunfish on a lake any day…

YMMV

 

[Midpack]

For me it was a hole in the water I poured a lot of money into. Never mind the routine expenses of a slip, insurance, utilities at the dock, and fuel. Also all of the “marine duty” parts that regularly failed and all seemed to cost either $50 or $1,000. The endless trips to West Marine. Then there’s the really big expenses. Haul out to scrape barnacles, new anti fouling paint, repacking the shaft seal on the prop, pulling the stick to re-bed the mast plate screws because of a leak that also compromised some of the internal structure of the compression post, maintaining the gel coat of the fiberglass, maintenance on the diesel engine etc, etc, etc.

That's how I gave up on owning sailboats after 30 years and 5 sailboats from 26' to 35', 20 years racing sailboats. I was summarizing our spending and looked at what the boat cost me in 2018 - multiplied that by 20-30 years - and the total sum was staggering! I worked a lot of extra years for sailing, loved it, but not that much. Now I pay $550 a year to take out small daysailers up to 19' anytime I want, race or cruise, with no maintenance and no added expenses. Good enough...

 

[Brat]

Last weekend DH and I were dog-sitting on a floating home. A sailboater pulled their boat at the adjacent marina, loaded it on a trailer but failed to drop the mast. The whole area was out of power for 6 hours as PGE untangled the mast from a high-power line. Awful for us but it would have been worse if they had tangled with an overpass on the freeway.

 

[audreyh1]

OK, I remember occasionally honking at an RV that forgot to drop its TV antenna, but a sailboat mast!?!?

 

[skyking1]

That is epic fail. i work in heavy construction and one day i saw two trucks take out something with a raised bed or too high a bed. I drive a dump truck myself and always get out and look up before raising the bed.
The one boo-boo, I am waiting on the equipment to be delivered and this dump truck takes out the traffic lights right in front of me. I began to wonder if the job was jinxed.