List of boat membership clubs: subscription and shared ownership models
Eleven companies currently on MIN‘s radar for pushing the boundaries of shared-ownership and membership based models. Read about how the industry is tackling the growth of boat memberships clubs.
Axopar x Agapi Boat Club – operates internationally – unlimited, pay as you go, and other membership options
Axopar x Agapi Boat Club offers different levels of memberships and has outlets across many international destinations. In January 2024, the club announced rapid expansion and opened its first joint membership club.
How Axopar x Agapi Boat Club works: Members chose a level to buy into (unlimited, pay as you go, business, smart boat) and then are onboarded (online training, a personal or virtual meeting with a mentor and practical training on the boat).
Beyonder – operates Conwy, Haslar (image below) and Portland Marinas in the UK – subscription
Beyonder is a relative newcomer to the boat share party. Part of the boatfolk family, Beyonder says it caters to a wide audience from seasoned boaters who are looking to wind down when it comes to their boating commitments, or those who are keen to get into boating.
How Beyonder works: Subscriptions start from £500 per month for a 12 month period. This allows three pre-planned days to be booked at any one time, with bookings made up to six months in advance. Members can also benefit from unlimited spontaneous use if their boat is available in the next 48 hours. Unlimited days can be booked in addition to planned days, helping members take advantage of sudden good weather. If a member’s boat is not available in the next 48 hours, a similar available boat can be booked instead, either at their home marina or in another UK location. Read MIN‘s latest news about Boatfolk, parent of Beyonder.
Borrow a Boat – operates internationally – straight forward rental model
Borrow a Boat offers day boat rental and yacht charters. In March 2024, the company acquired boating marketplace Zizoo as part of its growth strategy. It was under fire in the summer of 2023 when it was acquired by a group of investors and CEO and founder Matt Ovenden. The company made assurances to its customers that trading would continue uninterrupted after entering an administrative process in March 2023. At that point, it divested from yachting holiday firm Helm – a curated marketplace of premium charter holidays – following a ‘first-hand experience of the challenging Venture Capital fundraising market’.
Prior to this, Borrow a Boat was the fastest-growing boat charter group in the UK, consisting of several brands and platforms including helm (the Borrow a Boat open boating platform for boats of all sorts for charter, with over 45,000 listings), and Barqo – the leading Dutch boating marketplace.
How Borrow a Boat works: Borrow a Boat offers traditional yacht charter companies and peer-to-peer yacht charter. Peer-to-peer charter enables boat owners to offset the costs of boat ownership by reducing maintenance costs and marina fees, while offering consumers more affordable and flexible boating experiences. With over 45,000 boat rentals and yacht charters available in 65+ countries including the UK, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, North America and South-east Asia, Borrow a Boat says it has all types of boats available for rental, including sailboats, motorboats, riverboats, RIBs, catamarans, gulets, superyachts and luxury yacht charters. Customers can choose a boat with or without a skipper, depending on their sailing experience. Read MIN‘s latest news about Borrow a Boat.
Freedom Boat Club – operates internationally – subscription model
Freedom Boat Club (main image above) is owned by Brunswick Corporation and currently has 400+ locations (Savannah is pictured below), with more than 90,000 members. The membership base includes first-time boaters, seasoned boaters, young professionals, families and retirees. It says 35 per cent of its members are women, which underscores its commitment to increasing diversity on the water.
How Freedom Boat Club works: Freedom offers a subscription-based model, in which members pay a one-time initiation fee and monthly dues. Members enjoy unlimited access to their home club fleet of boats and reciprocal access to the 400+ locations worldwide. As part of their membership, Freedom owns and maintains its fleet of boats handling the storage, insurance, maintenance and repairs, cleaning and having the boat fuelled prior to each outing. The only additional cost members incur is for the fuel they use during each outing.
Freedom is currently in 34 states across North America, as well locations across Canada and Puerto Rico. It also has international locations in the UK, France, Spain, Denmark and Australia. It says it is the world’s first and largest boat club, and celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2024 after initially launching in 1989 in Sarasota, Florida.
Read MIN‘s latest news about Freedom Boat Club.
Meros Yachtsharing – Mediterranean and Middle East – shared boat ownership
Meros has two co-ownership models. There has been controversy online since its launch about the price of the scheme and its nature – shared ownership versus timeshare – but MD Georg Oehme bats this away saying that ‘breaking the mould’ of perceptions is the first challenge the company has had to overcome.
He acknowledges that the time share idea has been frowned upon for many years, and having a concept that has similar roots means the company has to prove its value.
How Meros Yachtsharing works: Flexshare (flexible usage and fixed cost) allows owners to add, sell or trade their weeks each year. Quarter share offers pro rata ship ownership of a Sunseeker, giving 12 weeks of use of that yacht per annum. Shares in the latter model cannot be flexibly reduced or increased, they are exactly what they are.
Navigare Yachting – operates UK south coast and global locations – investment programme
Navigare Yachting (within Ancasta) offers an investment programme that provides full yacht ownership with income-generating opportunities through chartering. Owners benefit from income generated through charters and have access to the holiday programme that allows sailing in various global locations using any yacht in the fleet.
“Boat shares can be a great option for individuals who want to experience yachting without the full commitment of ownership. They allow for shared costs and responsibilities, making boating more accessible,” says Lily Overton, Navigare sales manager. She explains that Navigare Yachting investment programme is different to most models as it offers full ownership of a yacht, coupled with a structured program that generates income through chartering. “By owning a yacht through our program, you not only benefit from income generated through charters but also gain access to our exclusive holiday program.” That allows owners to sail in various global locations using any yacht in the fleet.
How Navigare Yachting works: Owners maintain full ownership of their yacht and benefit from professional management and a guaranteed income stream. As well as guaranteed charter income, owners have a planned exit strategy.
Premier Agapi boat club – operates UK south coast – subscription model
Following substantial growth at its flagship boat subscription club at Swanwick Marina, the Premier Agapi Boat Club expanded to Chichester on the UK’s South Coast in 2022. The year before, the club expanded its boat fleet in the UK to include an Agapi 800 and an Agapi 950 powered by a single 425hp Yamaha V8 outboard.
How Premier Agapi Boat Club works: There are three levels of membership – bronze, silver and gold – starting at £300 per month. The club will assist with RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling Course along with a RYA VHF Radio Course, and offers simple weekday-only options through to a full service package where extra skippers, cleaning and fuelling are all included. Members can also use the growing number of Agapi Boat Club centres across Europe, allowing UK members to use boats from 17 centres in mainland Spain, the Balearics, Crete and Scandinavia.
Pure Latitude – based in UK – subscription model
Pure Latitude, the UK’s original boat and yacht share club, offers 20+ sail and motorboats with what is describes as flexible and fair access for all members. In April 2023, the company expanded its operations by opening a new base in Lymington Yacht Haven and offering both Hanse sailboats, plus an Axopar 28 adventure boat.
How Pure Latitude works: To become a member, MIN understands the pricing is a £700 monthly fee with a 12-month commitment. Today, members have full access to a quality fleet of sail and motorboats and a wide range of training options.
Rib Shack Marine – based in UK – shared boat ownership
Rib Shack Marine says it offers real ownership, with no limitations or restrictions, at an effective cost. It merged with Southampton and Portsmouth Rib Charter in June 2024 to offer shared boat ownership in, for example, Axopar cabin boats.
How Rib Shack Marine works: Owners purchase a 25 per cent share into their chosen boat. Each equal owner has equal access to that boat all year round. Owners can swap weeks with one another, managed by the company.
Skipperi – based in Finland – subscription model
Skipperi , a shared-use boating subscription service and peer-to-peer boat rental platform, closed a €7m series A funding round in early 2023. The round was led by Yamaha Motor, with Baltiska Handels Sverige, Matu Capital and HP Capital also participating. The company planned to use the money to fund its international expansion to Brisbane, Australia and several locations around the US, while strengthening its platform and tech team.
How the Skipperi fleet works: It’s is a shared-use boating subscription service where registered members are given unlimited use of any of the 400-plus boats in six countries via an app – with boats in Australia and the US on the way. Skipperi fleet users pay a monthly fee during the season and cover their own fuel costs.
Your Boat Club – operates North America – annual membership or day rentals
In 2021, Groupe Beneteau acquired a 40 per cent interest in Your Boat Club, a North American company operating in the boat club and marina sector. At the time, the club owned and managed 24 clubs, including seven marinas. It has plans for a major development programme over the coming years.
How Your Boat Club works: Members get access to a fleet of over 400 boats at over 40 locations – however, memberships have limited availability in some locations. All memberships have two main components: membership type (determining when boats can be accessed and how many reservations can be made), and Pier Level (dictating size of boat available).
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