Getting back into it...via group / syndicate?

[flyingmono]

Hello all,

First time post here, so please be kind. If anything I'm about to say sounds ludicrous or laughable, I won't be offended...

In 2006 (in my early 20s) I did my Day Skipper down by by Gosport, but other than a couple of Sunsail holidays I haven't sailed "properly" since. I have, however, done a fair bit of dinghy racing and I'm a member of the sailing club on my local lake.

Separately, my main hobby / interest is general aviation and I own a share in a small microlight with a group of others. I run the group and brought it all together, looking after the admin side of things. It's a fun hobby to have with lots of crossover with the sailing world (I'm pleased to report that my Day Skipper theory gave me a great head-start for my aviation theory exams!).

Fast forward 15+ years and obviously my life has changed a lot...marriage, kids, jobs etc...and there is an idea that's starting to itch inside of me that says I'd quite like to get back into sailing, but in a very low-key way. It is never going to be my main passion nor do I have a family that are massively into it.

So, I suppose what I am curious about is whether the same concept I've got with my light aircraft is a 'thing' in the sailing world also? Namely, are there syndicates or groups out there that share a yacht between them? And do people come together to form groups for the purposes of buying what they want?

I understand about fractional ownership and have seen a few organisations advertising that sort of offering, but I'm not interested in anything that corporate.

In my head, what I think I would be looking for is to buy a simple day-sailer somewhere in the South-East and find a group of others to share it with. Something like a First 24 or similar, just for pootling about on an occasional weekend or weekday if I have the time off work. Sadly, with kids and family I don't have enough spare funds to buy something like that outright myself, nor would I want to be responsible for mooring fees, insurance etc on my own. If I could manage 5 - 10 days of sailing a year I think I'd be very happy. Of course, I would need to do some refresher training also.

Anyway, perhaps this is just a pipe dream. I'd welcome guidance on where I might start with this, or routes to take if I wanted to find similar-minded others. Perhaps this is a silly idea - feedback and advice will be gratefully received.

 

[jac]

Welcome to the forum.

Thee are a number of places that will organise things like that - yacht-fractions.co.uk being perhaps the best known together with various " pay to sail" type places where you buy a membership that buys you x trips a year but i suspect that they go into your " too commercial" definition.

If so, it will be a bit hit and miss as many wanting to do this will go via those routes,

You can create new syndicates and buy new / nearly new. Some manufacturers do offer to assist with setting these up but AIUI these tend to be bigger boats. So you are really left with trying to buy into an existing syndicate when one party sells out or forming your own on an adhoc basis. For the first - just keep searching - APollo Duck, various aggregator websites such as yachtworld may help.

Bets bet though might be to find a local club, crew with some local people and see what others want to do. Whilst waiting keep an eye on things like sailing club notice boards / crew sites or commercial things late sail or crew seekers and try and get your sailing fic that way.

As a final alternative, if you're only thinking abiout 5-10 days a year why not charter or buy a small second hand trailer sailor and keep it at home. That will avoid the mooring costs amd towing something small is within the capabilities of any large family car and would enable you to explore different areas easily and maybe introduce the kids to it by nice day sails ona sunnyu day whilst on holiday in lakes or Devon / Cornwall etc.

 

[ylop]

Fast forward 15+ years and obviously my life has changed a lot...marriage, kids, jobs etc...and there is an idea that's starting to itch inside of me that says I'd quite like to get back into sailing, but in a very low-key way. It is never going to be my main passion nor do I have a family that are massively into it.

So, I suppose what I am curious about is whether the same concept I've got with my light aircraft is a 'thing' in the sailing world also? Namely, are there syndicates or groups out there that share a yacht between them? And do people come together to form groups for the purposes of buying what they want?

It can be done. lots of people will tell you why its a bad idea. I don't think its necessarily a bad idea, and considered it when looking to buy, but I think a couple of things you said were red flags for me when I kicked the tires with a few people. (1) Not wanting anything corporate - that says to me you don't want the formality / structure / organisation that comes with it. That's great if its a few people who already know and trust each other and understand what they all want. Not so good with sharing with effective strangers. (2) You implied you would buy it and then share it - I talked to a couple of people who had done that and it felt to me like I was buying into their dream like a lodger helping pay your mortgage and whilst on paper the partners were equal one was the instigator so not even. (3) You sound like you want a lower cost / lower maintenance cost boat. Many syndicates do it so that they can afford something bigger than they would otherwise.

However, if I was looking to join a syndicate and the family were not interested I'd give these guys some serious consideration: Brighton Belle Sailing Club

 

[Stingo]

Would chartering a boat for a fews days, when the weather etc suits you, not be a better option?

 

[ProDave]

I was in a boat share for a number of years (after initially owning one outright and it was not getting enough use)

The initial boat share was about 5 people sharing a small cheap boat and the annual costs were minimal. The big advantage of that was I got to sail with the other co owners, rather than just me and SWMBO which both improved my sailing and confidence and meant I got to sail more often.

We have just superseded that arrangement as the group that owned the small boat had largely dwindled away (2 had died!!!) and the result of sailing with a group led me to know who was a good keen and able sailor and who was not.

So it became a logical development from that to buy a newer, bigger boat as co owners with one member from that old group who I sailed with most and had become a good friend.

I think what I am trying to say is yes it works, but it is not an easy thing to set up and find the right co owner(s)

 

[Tranona]

As in the examples here most boat shares start from groups of friends with a specific interest, either type of boat or type of sailing and often involves racing. Many of the smaller keel boats in our club have shared ownership as it guarantees crew and keeps maintenance manageable.

Unlikely you will find a group from scratch to share a boat that you have bought. It is usually the group that comes first and decides on the boat, although membership is often fluid - one leaves and another joins. Far and away the best route in is to join an active club that has the type of boats you are interested in as most welcome potential active crew.

 

[flyingmono]

Thanks for all your replies and helpful comments. Perhaps it might be useful to clarify a few things in my OP just in case I've given people the wrong idea!

A good starting point is what I did / what I like about my microlight group, as that helps set the scene.

In that situation, I formed the group of like-minded people first, agreed the budget and then collectively purchased the aircraft. There was, however, a lot of paperwork and a good agreement / group structure: I took charge of making sure everything was above board and that everyone 'bought in' to the group rules etc, with clear documentation. I manage all regulatory / compliance for the group, registrations, permit renewals, insurance etc...any mandatory bulletins requiring any part to be inspected or checked. Between us, we collectively look after the aircraft, keep things clear, top up oil, regrease, light repairs etc. It all works out very well, with the group availability managed via Shlott.com.

So, what I'm saying on that front is that I'm definitely not looking to avoid paperwork / admin - secretly I quite like that sort of stuff! What I don't want though is to be paying money out to a firm for a share in something I don't really own. I very much want to be an equity owner of an asset that's [partly] mine, where myself and the others have a vested interest in looking after it. I'd like it so that - if it's free and no-one else is using it - there is no restriction on me booking it out and heading out for a day, if I find myself at a loose end with a day off mid-week. I definitely don't want to have a 'ration' or 'allowance' that I use up. In our aircraft group, there's no limit and in practical terms, with 6 people in the group, there's always excellent availability (if anything, the aircraft needs flying more often than it gets flown currently).

So, just to clarify: my thought would be to form a group first and then buy together, and to run it like a proper syndicate / group with appropriate governance. But, I appreciate that this is easier said than done!

What I like about the way our aircraft group works:

There's generally excellent availability
There's no limit on how much you use it
Everyone has a stake and an interest in looking after it
It's 'ours'; and we can sell our share as and when we like
You can always find someone to join you on a flight / share the load
If someone major breaks, I'm not exposed to a cost that I can't deal with

What I don't like about the way our aircraft group works:

If another member donks the aircraft, it's grounded for repairs and no-one can use it
There's always the risk of something expensive breaking (but not sure that's any different for a yacht, if anything it's worse!)
There can occasionally be limited disagreement about

The suggestions made on here are very helpful. Sadly, owning my own yacht is just out of reach financially PLUS I just don't think I would sail her enough for it to make sense. I also live in a VERY smal cottage with tiny garden so I couldn't trailer anything.

 

[KeelsonGraham]

We used SailTime a while back. Good booking system, nice yacht, good electronic reporting of boat faults. No need to worry about anything other than turning up to sail and getting it back on time.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Thanks for all your replies and helpful comments. Perhaps it might be useful to clarify a few things in my OP just in case I've given people the wrong idea!

A good starting point is what I did / what I like about my microlight group, as that helps set the scene.

In that situation, I formed the group of like-minded people first, agreed the budget and then collectively purchased the aircraft. There was, however, a lot of paperwork and a good agreement / group structure: I took charge of making sure everything was above board and that everyone 'bought in' to the group rules etc, with clear documentation. I manage all regulatory / compliance for the group, registrations, permit renewals, insurance etc...any mandatory bulletins requiring any part to be inspected or checked. Between us, we collectively look after the aircraft, keep things clear, top up oil, regrease, light repairs etc. It all works out very well, with the group availability managed via Shlott.com.

So, what I'm saying on that front is that I'm definitely not looking to avoid paperwork / admin - secretly I quite like that sort of stuff! What I don't want though is to be paying money out to a firm for a share in something I don't really own. I very much want to be an equity owner of an asset that's [partly] mine, where myself and the others have a vested interest in looking after it. I'd like it so that - if it's free and no-one else is using it - there is no restriction on me booking it out and heading out for a day, if I find myself at a loose end with a day off mid-week. I definitely don't want to have a 'ration' or 'allowance' that I use up. In our aircraft group, there's no limit and in practical terms, with 6 people in the group, there's always excellent availability (if anything, the aircraft needs flying more often than it gets flown currently).

So, just to clarify: my thought would be to form a group first and then buy together, and to run it like a proper syndicate / group with appropriate governance. But, I appreciate that this is easier said than done!

What I like about the way our aircraft group works:

There's generally excellent availability
There's no limit on how much you use it
Everyone has a stake and an interest in looking after it
It's 'ours'; and we can sell our share as and when we like
You can always find someone to join you on a flight / share the load
If someone major breaks, I'm not exposed to a cost that I can't deal with

What I don't like about the way our aircraft group works:

If another member donks the aircraft, it's grounded for repairs and no-one can use it
There's always the risk of something expensive breaking (but not sure that's any different for a yacht, if anything it's worse!)
There can occasionally be limited disagreement about

The suggestions made on here are very helpful. Sadly, owning my own yacht is just out of reach financially PLUS I just don't think I would sail her enough for it to make sense. I also live in a VERY smal cottage with tiny garden so I couldn't trailer anything.

A major difference between boating and aircraft is the regulatory environment. Repairs to aircraft HAVE to be done by qualified experts using approved parts. Aircraft equipment has to be on an approved list and again, fitted and maintained by qualified experts. So there can be little or no argument about how to carry out repairs or fit equipment, With boats, there are no such regulatory barriers, so a possible cause for contention between members of a syndicate is how repairs are carried out - some may be happy with a DIY repair; others might want a professional job doing. Some may want top-of-the-range equipment; others whatever works! Also, because there are no regulatory barriers, there is a far wider range of equipment to choose from, from bleeding edge sails made from the latest carbon fibre materials to bog standard Dacron, from B&G to Nasa! And boats are almost endlessly modifiable to suit different needs. Then again there can be differences in the ways members of the syndicate use the boat - some may want to do round-the-cans racing, and want the best sails, replaced regularly; others may prefer gentle exploration, and be indifferent to the cut and age of the sails and hence reluctant to invest in them.

I think that sailing has far more "degrees of freedom" that would allow disagreement between members of a syndicate, and hence requires far greater care in making sure that the aims and desires of members of the syndicate are aligned.

 

[ylop]

I very much want to be an equity owner of an asset that's [partly] mine, where myself and the others have a vested interest in looking after it.

OK so some of the 'commercial' ventures are as you imply not really shared ownership but basically recurring charters, but some are simple syndicates with some degree of management provided (which might be nothing more than the booking site and a platform to sell your share or could be everything from marina fees, cleaning, maintenance etc).

I'd like it so that - if it's free and no-one else is using it - there is no restriction on me booking it out and heading out for a day, if I find myself at a loose end with a day off mid-week.

My gut feel is you might find that more frustrating for a yacht share. Presumably people don't take the microlight for a week or two at a time? With a boat - it feels like it might be less spur of the moment (although I've never owned an aircraft!)

I definitely don't want to have a 'ration' or 'allowance' that I use up. In our aircraft group, there's no limit and in practical terms, with 6 people in the group, there's always excellent availability (if anything, the aircraft needs flying more often than it gets flown currently).

I think thats where problems start. Really you want people who's use will be similar but at different times so there's no bickering over bills - well you sailed it 3x as much as me so you should pay more of the engine servicing. Or well I did all the antifouling so I shouldn't have to pay for the rigger etc.

So, just to clarify: my thought would be to form a group first and then buy together, and to run it like a proper syndicate / group with appropriate governance. But, I appreciate that this is easier said than done!

Many people have done it before you and the rya even provide members with sample paperwork. But the trick it to find enough people who want the same style of boat, in the same location, with the cash available, etc.

What I like about the way our aircraft group works:

There's generally excellent availability
There's no limit on how much you use it
Everyone has a stake and an interest in looking after it
It's 'ours'; and we can sell our share as and when we like
You can always find someone to join you on a flight / share the load
If someone major breaks, I'm not exposed to a cost that I can't deal with

Those principles apply to a yacht too - although I suspect most pilots have a similar degree of aircraft care / maintenance (because falling out the sky usually hurts!) whereas not everyone sees yacht care as the same priority (you can limp home in many cases).

What I don't like about the way our aircraft group works:

If another member donks the aircraft, it's grounded for repairs and no-one can use it

Thats a real problem with typical yachts. If something breaks today (whether accident or just wear n tear) can it be fixed before you start your 2 week summer holiday next week. Its why you really want to be "friends" who know each other, understand each other etc - but not such good friends that falling out over who dinged the prop ruins it. It might be different with a dayboat - but people will get really upset if their plans are ruined last minute.

Finally are good sailing days also good flying days?

 

[flyingmono]

OK so some of the 'commercial' ventures are as you imply not really shared ownership but basically recurring charters, but some are simple syndicates with some degree of management provided (which might be nothing more than the booking site and a platform to sell your share or could be everything from marina fees, cleaning, maintenance etc).

My gut feel is you might find that more frustrating for a yacht share. Presumably people don't take the microlight for a week or two at a time? With a boat - it feels like it might be less spur of the moment (although I've never owned an aircraft!)

I think thats where problems start. Really you want people who's use will be similar but at different times so there's no bickering over bills - well you sailed it 3x as much as me so you should pay more of the engine servicing. Or well I did all the antifouling so I shouldn't have to pay for the rigger etc.

Many people have done it before you and the rya even provide members with sample paperwork. But the trick it to find enough people who want the same style of boat, in the same location, with the cash available, etc.

Those principles apply to a yacht too - although I suspect most pilots have a similar degree of aircraft care / maintenance (because falling out the sky usually hurts!) whereas not everyone sees yacht care as the same priority (you can limp home in many cases).

Thats a real problem with typical yachts. If something breaks today (whether accident or just wear n tear) can it be fixed before you start your 2 week summer holiday next week. Its why you really want to be "friends" who know each other, understand each other etc - but not such good friends that falling out over who dinged the prop ruins it. It might be different with a dayboat - but people will get really upset if their plans are ruined last minute.

Finally are good sailing days also good flying days?

Thanks for the really helpful replies.

At my level of experience (flying), good sailing days are often poor flying days and vice-versa, which is why it works well. Anything over 10kts wind, or 15kts gusts is where my comfort zone starts to end in a microlight; that's not to say you can't fly above that, but once you're getting towards 15kt base wind it starts to become less fun and more of a challenge. Plus, the main limiting factor is crosswind for landing. All of which is to say that at a bit of a breeze might stop play in the air, but is likely a great day to get out on the water.

You're right that people don't take the microlight for more than a day at most, but I'm not envisaging buying anything that might be appropriate for living on for more than a couple of days. As I mentioned, I'm after something smaller, day-cruiser. Bimbling about in, really.

I am also leaning towards the idea of buying something on the newer side, or new. I did like the look of the First 24 as felt that between 4 - 6 people it's within budget and seems to tick all the boxes for me, but I am happy to concede I am really on Day 1 of my research at this stage (quite literally) and so in no hurry to decide what the solution to my problem might be.

If I wanted specifically a 'share' in an existing group, where would you recommend I look? Perhaps doing the refresher training would be the first port of call? In which case, any recommendations for anywhere in the South-East where I might not only do the training, but meet likeminded others at the same time?

Thanks all.

 

[Minerva]

I think I'd enter into a shared ownership scheme if it were a cheapish one design boat - such as a hunter 707 or the like. Couple of grand to buy in and £100 a month each running costs for 5 blokes to race at XX club on Wed nights with a couple of travelling regattas. Clear aim for the group, clear statement on where it's being based and as most of you will be on board racing at any given time, no arguments about who broke what.

A cruising boat then the costs are 10x, members will want to take it away for 2-3 weeks a time, folk wanting to move it around for new cruising grounds every couple of years - I think thats a recipe for trouble if I'm honest.

 

[Stemar]

ISTM that shared ownership makes sense for a high cost boat. If you're spending over £100k, not many with mortgage & kids can do that, but if you're looking second hand, you'll find plenty of capable boats for 1/10 of that and, if you're prepared to do a bit of fettling, 1/50th, which makes it a lot more affordable for an individual.

That way, it's your boat, and the disputes that can arise so easily don't happen. No arguing about whether it was Fred, Jim or flyingmono who dinged it - if it's dinged it was you! Also, the ding is a lot easier to fix as very few things on a boat have to be done to anything like aviation standards.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks for the really helpful replies.

At my level of experience (flying), good sailing days are often poor flying days and vice-versa, which is why it works well. Anything over 10kts wind, or 15kts gusts is where my comfort zone starts to end in a microlight; that's not to say you can't fly above that, but once you're getting towards 15kt base wind it starts to become less fun and more of a challenge. Plus, the main limiting factor is crosswind for landing. All of which is to say that at a bit of a breeze might stop play in the air, but is likely a great day to get out on the water.

You're right that people don't take the microlight for more than a day at most, but I'm not envisaging buying anything that might be appropriate for living on for more than a couple of days. As I mentioned, I'm after something smaller, day-cruiser. Bimbling about in, really.

I am also leaning towards the idea of buying something on the newer side, or new. I did like the look of the First 24 as felt that between 4 - 6 people it's within budget and seems to tick all the boxes for me, but I am happy to concede I am really on Day 1 of my research at this stage (quite literally) and so in no hurry to decide what the solution to my problem might be.

If I wanted specifically a 'share' in an existing group, where would you recommend I look? Perhaps doing the refresher training would be the first port of call? In which case, any recommendations for anywhere in the South-East where I might not only do the training, but meet likeminded others at the same time?

Thanks all.

The differences between light aircraft ownership and usage patterns and small boats has been explained. Few individuals can afford to run a light aircraft and pooling resources is just about the only way to have an ownership experience. It helps enormously that the activity is highly regulated and all pilots have to be licenced, plus most usage (I would guess) is short term, that is by the hour.

Cruising yachts are very different. Firstly there are tens of thousands of people who can afford to own and run them, there are no regulations or restrictions on use. Boats are very personal things and the majority of people do their own maintenance and improvements. They are also often family owned and used, more like a holiday cottage. Of course some will have shared ownership, family or friends usually.

Shared ownership usually requires a common interest, so those syndicates that work best are either owning a share in a boat primarily used for racing, or specifically for a holiday "cottage" mostly abroad. The latter have been popular and 4-6 people sharing a professionally managed 40 footer in somewhere like Greece is fairly common.

I would suggest what you are looking for is a non starter. The chances of finding 4-6 people to share a day boat weekender like a First 24 are pretty small. If there really was a demand, somebody would have tried to meet it already - but in 40 odd years of active involvement I have never heard of such a set up. Couple of friends, father and son or similar close social relationship, yes. But 4-6 strangers, no. People have tried all sorts of structured shared schemes, both profit and non profit, but few last for long. It is just hard work keeping a group of that size together when the only interest is the boat (about which there will be lots of potential points of disagreement).

As I said before a reliable way back into sailing is to join an active club to get crewing opportunities. Many clubs have club owned day boats and active club classes plus cruiser racers. In our club we have big fleets of Ospreys, 420s, YW Dayboats, 19' keel boats , Cornish Shrimpers and a whole host of cruisers up to about 40, with active round the cans and offshore races. Bit out of your area in Poole, but similar clubs anywhere there is enough water to play on. Solent obviously the biggest area because there is lots of water and foreshore. Medway and east coast (Essex and Suffolk) similar.

 

[wonkywinch]

A few "boat share" organisations in the Solent like Flexisail, Pure Latitude etc. Plus the charterers, Hamble Point Yacht Charters, Fairview etc.

I also fly a light aircraft (minor share in one) but the operation of a boat vs plane are chalk & cheese as highlighted above.

If you're just getting back into sailing, have a look at the well established options already available but bear in mind it's a lot harder to operate a boat solo than it is a plane, especially if you have limited experience so sailing with others is very useful (other club or group members, or friends/family).

 

[penfold]

Microlights and home built aircraft on Permits To Fly can be maintained by the owner(s), it's a huge cost saving. There is oversight/inspection through LAA or BMAA but it's fairly light touch.

A major difference between boating and aircraft is the regulatory environment. Repairs to aircraft HAVE to be done by qualified experts using approved parts. Aircraft equipment has to be on an approved list and again, fitted and maintained by qualified experts.

.

 

[Refueler]

ISTM that shared ownership makes sense for a high cost boat. If you're spending over £100k, not many with mortgage & kids can do that, but if you're looking second hand, you'll find plenty of capable boats for 1/10 of that and, if you're prepared to do a bit of fettling, 1/50th, which makes it a lot more affordable for an individual.

That way, it's your boat, and the disputes that can arise so easily don't happen. No arguing about whether it was Fred, Jim or flyingmono who dinged it - if it's dinged it was you! Also, the ding is a lot easier to fix as very few things on a boat have to be done to anything like aviation standards.

My thoughts as well ....

There are plenty of 23 - 27ft boats out there for a lot less money than a First 24 - which have more headroom etc.
Insurance can be 3rd Party and cheap.
Swinging mooring ?

I was for a short period close to shared ownership some years ago - but then got wise to the likely outcome - maintenance on me !! Decided that if I am going to do the upkeep etc - I want it all mine.
Never regretted the decision.

 

[ylop]

If I wanted specifically a 'share' in an existing group, where would you recommend I look?

They do come up very occasionally on appolloduck etc. The obvious place is yachtFractions which someone linked to above. But I don’t think you will find many shares in something small. There are people who share small boats - probably more like 2-4 people than 6, but the ones I’ve met have all known each other for years and it just made sense rather than being a proper planned exercise. Realistically though you’ll find that share advertised (or known about) in the sailing club / harbour / marina where the boat is based.

Perhaps doing the refresher training would be the first port of call? In which case, any recommendations for anywhere in the South-East where I might not only do the training, but meet likeminded others at the same time?

Lots of Sailing clubs about on the South coast. They are all different some posher than other, some more expensive, some sail only, some a bit of everything, some race focussed, etc. you need to think about where you want to be based. Close to home - ideal for frequent use; or close to great sailing; or is there a club that is likely to have more of the sort of people you are hoping to find.

You probably don’t need a refresher course. Just some time on the water. If you don’t want to hang around a club befriending people to do that, most sailing schools offer “mile building” trips. That could be another good way to find people who might be interested in your size of boat - either other “students” on the course or by talking to the instructor.

we came to the conclusion a share wasn’t for us because of two factors: I want to be able to decide tonight that I’m going sailing on Sat and not have to negotiate acccess with anyone AND I want to turn up with all MY kit already on the boat and stuff in the place I left it not packing a car with my personal gear and turning up wondering what state the cockpit locker had been left in, or if the tools I need in a hurry are back where I keep them etc.

 

[Gsailor]

Hello all,

First time post here, so please be kind. If anything I'm about to say sounds ludicrous or laughable, I won't be offended...

In 2006 (in my early 20s) I did my Day Skipper down by by Gosport, but other than a couple of Sunsail holidays I haven't sailed "properly" since. I have, however, done a fair bit of dinghy racing and I'm a member of the sailing club on my local lake.

Separately, my main hobby / interest is general aviation and I own a share in a small microlight with a group of others. I run the group and brought it all together, looking after the admin side of things. It's a fun hobby to have with lots of crossover with the sailing world (I'm pleased to report that my Day Skipper theory gave me a great head-start for my aviation theory exams!).

Fast forward 15+ years and obviously my life has changed a lot...marriage, kids, jobs etc...and there is an idea that's starting to itch inside of me that says I'd quite like to get back into sailing, but in a very low-key way. It is never going to be my main passion nor do I have a family that are massively into it.

So, I suppose what I am curious about is whether the same concept I've got with my light aircraft is a 'thing' in the sailing world also? Namely, are there syndicates or groups out there that share a yacht between them? And do people come together to form groups for the purposes of buying what they want?

I understand about fractional ownership and have seen a few organisations advertising that sort of offering, but I'm not interested in anything that corporate.

In my head, what I think I would be looking for is to buy a simple day-sailer somewhere in the South-East and find a group of others to share it with. Something like a First 24 or similar, just for pootling about on an occasional weekend or weekday if I have the time off work. Sadly, with kids and family I don't have enough spare funds to buy something like that outright myself, nor would I want to be responsible for mooring fees, insurance etc on my own. If I could manage 5 - 10 days of sailing a year I think I'd be very happy. Of course, I would need to do some refresher training also.

Anyway, perhaps this is just a pipe dream. I'd welcome guidance on where I might start with this, or routes to take if I wanted to find similar-minded others. Perhaps this is a silly idea - feedback and advice will be gratefully received.

What you say does exist, sadly I only ever heard of it and it went in one ear out t’other.

It was a club that owned a boat and membership was about £100 a year and you booked when you wanted to use the boat and ‘rented’ it.

All club based and sounded like a good idea.

Have not read whole thread, perhaps someone else has mentioned it, if not, yes your idea is sound and in use.

 

[Dellquay13]

Slightly different concept, but there are groups who get together to charter boats for 1 or 2 week cruises eg Trent Offshore Group. (Midlands based but charter all around the UK or further afield in the winter)
I seem to recall there is a minimal annual membership fee for admin costs, then you pay for your berth as you book on to it.

It isn’t designed to have a small boat for your solo use for a day or so, because tbh most small boats (like my own 24’) are 40yr old, a bit tatty and cheap enough to not have to boat share, so people just own them outright.
It is designed to get individuals together into a group big enough to afford it and enough hands to crew a commonly available charter boat.