Boat club

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A boat club is a sports club based around boats, especially rowing and yachting, but also canoeing, motor boats and other small boats.

A boat club has become more than just men in blazers smoking cigars and drinking cognac. It's evolved into a simple alternative to boat ownership. A boat club is an avenue for boaters who enjoy the boating lifestyle but might not have the time, skills, or dollars to get out on the water. Traditional boat clubs have been around for a century; however, the shared asset model concept has only been around a short time.

The shared asset model is based upon the recent surge in fractional ownership. Consumers are looking to have all the benefits of owning luxury items from jets to handbags; without absorbing the brunt of the costs. The same holds true in boating. Consumers want to enjoy all the benefits of boating without all the hassles of boat ownership. Hassles are defined as the items not included in the sticker price of a boat, such as insurance, maintenance, storage, slip space, etc. By joining a boat club, members do not have to worry about these items. They simply make a reservation via phone or an online reservation system, get their boat and go. It's that simple. With some clubs, they offer other amenities such as a reciprocal program. The only other costs that the consumer pays, after a membership fee and monthly dues, is the gas they use. Boaters are not limited to what type or size of the boat they use. They get unlimited use of a fleet of boats. Membership plans very by fleet, location and types of boating.