jeffsnox
New Member
I guess a boat sharing arrangement can work really well if all parties are honest and diligent... but are boat sharing arrangements commonly problematic?
Boat Shares. Good idea or recipe for disaster?
- Thread starter jeffsnox
- Start date
Evadne
Well-Known Member
I think you've got the idea. I know of one partnership, two years old now, where one person put in loads of work and knowledge, but less money, at the start. It is working very well. Even with your best friend, I'd say have an agreement in writing, don't overestimate your abilities and work out how the partnership will end.
Talbot
Well-Known Member
I dont think the poll as designed will produce any meaningfull data.
A Boat share can be a very good way of getting the use of a much better boat than the individual can afford on their own. HOWEVER It must be approached as a business proposition, with clear responsibilities, penalties (i.e. if you dont do your maintenance share, appropriate costs for somebody else to do so), and work requirements plus how you share the boat, what the policy for upgrading, replacement etc, time in commission, where to come out for winter, where to be berthed during summer, and finally, how to stop the sharing.
A Boat share can be a very good way of getting the use of a much better boat than the individual can afford on their own. HOWEVER It must be approached as a business proposition, with clear responsibilities, penalties (i.e. if you dont do your maintenance share, appropriate costs for somebody else to do so), and work requirements plus how you share the boat, what the policy for upgrading, replacement etc, time in commission, where to come out for winter, where to be berthed during summer, and finally, how to stop the sharing.
gjgm
Well-Known Member
I think they work very well where the parties split the costs, but only one person really uses the boat! (well, works for that one person) /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
capt_courageous
Well-Known Member
I always think it is a bit like blokes trying to share a girlfriend. It might work so long as they keep an eye on each other but it is bound to end in tears.
ostra4
Well-Known Member
Fully agree with Talbot , a business arrangement is the only way to go .We were in a share for 8 years and it worked very well ,strictly business and all costs split equally .A large dose of common sense from the co-owners is a must plus abilty to compromise and not nit-pick all the time .If your very very boatproud its probably not for you unless your partners think alike .Lots of advantages and written agreement is a must BUT I would say this agreement should be adhered to by all parties without having to refer to it .If the time comes when you need to point out a rule from the agreement it probably means the partners are not compatable if you see what I mean ! Having been in a share a long time and more recently full owners I would say the freedom to do what you like with your boat when you like ,have work done by who YOU want or dont want and generally being fully resposible for making all the decisions /mistakes suits us better than the share .We did find it a bit frustrating at having to ask other partners about things all the time but then we had sailing on the cheap so it took the edge off any issues we had .The total costs if say you buy a quarter share will NOT be a quarter of what it would cost just one owner ,remember she will get far more use and gear wears out a lot faster with more owners .
tangomoon
Well-Known Member
Agree with you unless money doesn't matter too much to all involved. If one is less financially flush as the rest and prefers to do the work himself instead of boatyard prices, there is the start of a problem
milfordman
Well-Known Member
I think they can work very well. I was in a boat share arrangement for many years that was very satisfactory, and when it ended we were still good friends. However I think that the agreement must be made that suits each individual group of people, what suit one will not suit others.
Our arrangement was as follows:- Dave and I both engineers who both live in the Midlands each had a1/4 share, and Billy who was a teacher who lived in London had a 1/2 share. We counted the weekends, Billy proposed that if he could have the 7 weekends from mid July to end of August, then Dave and I who always sailed together could have our half of the weekends at any time to suit us. Billy sometimes used the remaining weekends. Dave and I proposed that we would do the bulk of the maintainace if Billy would help out with some of the grunt work. The reason being that as I said Dave and I were engineers and we knew we would not cut any corners, some of the previous modifications were of doubtfull quality, although we did not know who had done them. Billy insisted that any equipment that was bought was always godd quality, never cheap stuff. Dave an I were happy to do this as we thought if things go wrong at sea it would be due to bad luck not cheap kit or shoddy work. I mension that Billy was a teacher from London only to explain that it was convenient for Dave and I to travel and sail together, and that the shareing arrangement was due to Billy's long school holidays. The arrangement should not be taken as a critisism of teachers as I know several who are very competant practicle people. The point is that this arrangement suited us with our location, skills and inclinations.
Our arrangement was as follows:- Dave and I both engineers who both live in the Midlands each had a1/4 share, and Billy who was a teacher who lived in London had a 1/2 share. We counted the weekends, Billy proposed that if he could have the 7 weekends from mid July to end of August, then Dave and I who always sailed together could have our half of the weekends at any time to suit us. Billy sometimes used the remaining weekends. Dave and I proposed that we would do the bulk of the maintainace if Billy would help out with some of the grunt work. The reason being that as I said Dave and I were engineers and we knew we would not cut any corners, some of the previous modifications were of doubtfull quality, although we did not know who had done them. Billy insisted that any equipment that was bought was always godd quality, never cheap stuff. Dave an I were happy to do this as we thought if things go wrong at sea it would be due to bad luck not cheap kit or shoddy work. I mension that Billy was a teacher from London only to explain that it was convenient for Dave and I to travel and sail together, and that the shareing arrangement was due to Billy's long school holidays. The arrangement should not be taken as a critisism of teachers as I know several who are very competant practicle people. The point is that this arrangement suited us with our location, skills and inclinations.
