Yacht Shares

Yacht Shares is a new option in yacht sales in the United States. It is often referred to as fractional yachts, fractional ownership, shared yachts, or interval ownership, similar to a time share. A yacht share consists of more than one person sharing ownership of a yacht. Typically, yacht shares are offered by a third party company that also manages the yacht.
There are three primary types of yacht shares: equity yacht shares, club membership yacht shares, and lease yacht shares.
*An equity yacht share is typically structured such that the vessel is owned by a limited liability company and 4 - 12 members own a share of the company that owns the yacht. It is very similar to a partnership with each owner accepting full responsibility for the yacht.
*A membership yacht share is typically operated as a boat club with access to multiple, owner-operated vessels. The vessels are typically part of a fleet of boats owned by a private company.
*The lease share model has proven to be the most popular type of yacht share. This model involves a company first selling the vessel to an underlying owner, and then selling term access to the yacht such as a 2,3, or 5 year lease. This model is typically less expensive than the equity share model with fewer shareholder responsibilities, but it is more private with less members than the boat club membership model.

Yacht Sharing allows for owners with varying incomes, experience and lifestyles. The limited experienced boaters appreciates the turn-key approach, while those with extensive boating knowledge appreciate the hassle-free, cost-effective yachting experience afforded by the yacht share model.
Mega-yacht builder Rodriquez Cantieri Navali, which produced Ocean Emerald, plans to make 10 boats for a time-sharing program.

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