Is participation more important than possession? We explore the rise in popularity of pay-to-play boat clubs
We’ve all heard the old trope that if it flies or floats, you’re better off renting it but when it comes to boats, there is a third option – subscription-based boat clubs.
The premise is simple enough – rather than buying your own boat, you pay an annual or monthly subscription for access to a shared fleet of boats. These are typically modern, professionally maintained new or nearly new boats based in convenient marina locations that are cleaned, fuelled and ready to go the moment you arrive.
The appeal isn’t hard to see: you don’t need to stump up a big lump sum to buy a boat; you don’t need to spend precious time cleaning and maintaining it; and you don’t have to worry about variable and often unpredictable expenses such as unscheduled repairs and depreciation.
You could of course charter a boat but unlike the transactional experience of hiring, membership clubs offer a more immersive, longer-term proposition that allows members to use boats much as they would their own craft. This includes spur of the moment excursions, year-round access, familiarity with the boats and social interaction with fellow club members.
“Hassle-free boating” is a phrase commonly used on boat club websites and for those who relish the freedom and enjoyment of going boating but are worried about the commitment of owning and looking after their own craft, boat club membership certainly offers an easier route in.
All the financial risks of buying, berthing, insuring, servicing, maintaining and selling the boat are taken care of by the club, leaving you to pay for the fuel and enjoy all the fun stuff.
Obviously that comes at a price: the boat may not always be available at the time you want to use it; you can’t leave your possessions on board; and your time is usually limited to a few hours or days aboard at a time, but to Gen Zs and millennials, less concerned with the concept of ownership, it makes a lot of sense.
It’s also starting to appeal to a growing number of more mature boaters, who are either reluctant to tie up a large chunk of capital in a boat or like the idea of having a fleet of boats to choose from, allowing them to select the boat that best suits the occasion – a flybridge for a family outing, a wheelhouse boat for a fishing trip or a RIB for watersports activities and so on.
A range of boats to choose from and club social events are boat club bonuses
Boat club communities
Often, the club will also lay on social activities, training courses or cruises in company so you can meet other members and be part of a like-minded community. And because the boats are being used by more than one owner, there’s a case for it being a more sustainable choice too.
For reasons of safety, most clubs require proof of competency, normally RYA Powerboat Level 2 (or similar), but if you don’t yet have this, most clubs offer training as part of the joining process and many are approved training centres already.
The cost of membership varies according to location, the type of boats available, the ratio of members to boats and the amount of access you require. Usually, but not always, this involves a relatively modest one-off joining fee and a monthly or annual subscription often with different levels of membership based on the boats it gives you access to and the amount of time you can use them for.
This varies according to the size/value of the boats and the timing – weekends, school holidays and summer months are more popular than winter week days for instance – but some clubs offer unlimited year-round access for those who can take advantage of it.
More established clubs usually have an app or online booking platform that allows members to book boats as and when required. However, most also have some form of restriction in place to prevent block bookings and ensure a fair allocation of popular boats during busy periods.
Some clubs are also part of a larger international network of bases some of which offer reciprocal access arrangements, opening up a world of possibilities for foreign cruising and warm weather adventures.
Even if your heart is set on buying your own boat one day, joining a membership boat club for a year or two provides the ultimate ‘try before you buy’ experience, allowing you and your family enough time to try a variety of different craft before making that lasting commitment.
To give you an idea of what’s on offer we’ve pulled together our pick of the best UK and overseas offerings.
Pure Latitude operates from a number of locations and includes a mix of day boats through to motor and sailing yachts
Pure Latitude
Founded in 2007 and still in the same private ownership, Pure Latitude currently has a total of six motor boats with four based on the River Hamble and one boat each in Lymington and Windsor. As well as dayboats, there are larger boats for overnighting and multi-day cruising (one of very few clubs to offer this) with eight days being the maximum number of days in a single block.
I found Pure Latitude to have a very easy-to-understand website with details of their proprietary points-based booking system biased more towards boat availability, ensuring members get what they want at the times they want, instead of placing the emphasis on offering as many days as possible.
The exact number of days boating you get depends on the boats you use and when you use them. Larger boats at peak times cost more points than smaller boats at off-peak times so it’s up to you to decide how you spend them. A £7,950 annual membership provides 500 points which typically equates to 15-20 days boating.
There are plenty of sailing yachts in the fleet as well, and Pure Latitude is known for running a large programme of events with over 150 days a year across skill training, RYA courses and experience building trips. Members can choose to pay for events with their membership points or at an invoiced rate.
Contact: www.purelatitude.com
The Boat Club at Poole is also dog friendly, and its extensive fleet includes Axopars and an Invictus
The Boat Club
One of the pioneers of the boat club experience in the UK, The Boat Club has two prime locations on the south coast and access to a further club boat in Antibes, South of France. With its head office situated at Parkstone Bay Marina in Poole harbour, members enjoy access to a collection of premium day boats and motor cruisers owned by the club.
Members enjoy access to the club’s private deck and clubhouse with complimentary beverages where they can enjoy a light bite before heading out. Further use of the marina facilities, marina car parking pass and invitations to year-round events offer a feeling of exclusiveness befitting its location close to Sandbanks in Poole, known for some of the UK’s most expensive real estate.
Two levels of membership are offered: Club and Cruise, both incurring a £7,500 one-off initial joining fee.
At Club level members mainly have access to day boats up to 25ft whereas at the Cruise level opportunities for overnighting on a smarter range of boats in the 30-40ft category is possible. At this level boats such as Axopar 28s and 37s, Invictus GT320S and Jeanneau NC37 will make you feel you are truly living the life, but this will incur an upgrade fee of £7,500 paid annually in addition to a monthly subscription charge.
Contact: www.theboatclub.com
Premier Agapi Boat Club
Based at Premier Marina, in Swanwick, Hampshire, the Premier Agapi Boat Club is part of the Agapi network of clubs. With over 30 locations in 15 different countries, it’s a good example of how the reciprocal agreement between clubs in different countries really comes into its own, allowing members to extend their boating to multiple overseas locations rather than just their home turf, albeit at a cost.
The fleet at Premier Marina in Swanwick consists of five boats from two different manufacturers, including Ring and Agapi with a cruising range that extends from the West Wittering’s to the Needles and as far west as Poole harbour.
Membership types include Unlimited from £299 per month and PayGo which starts from as little as £900 for an annual membership, then a daily charge from £300 per boat. PayGo allows customers the chance to test and explore the concept with minimal financial commitment up front.
Solent familiarisation trips help new boaters build their confidence and familiarise themselves with different harbours and creeks and more confident boaters can join a flotilla and head out in small groups if they wish.
The Agapi app allows for last-minute booking enquiries and for planned-in bookings ahead of time. Club e-learning courses are also available through the app.
Contact: www.agapiboatclub.com
Boat Club Trafalgar
Situated in the tranquil setting of Trafalgar Wharf inside Portsmouth Harbour, Boat Club Trafalgar offers a personal touch to its club, which currently owns eight boats and has
a ratio of ten members per boat.
There’s an emphasis on customer service and supporting less experienced members with unlimited training and regular ‘Solent Discovery’ guided trips organised throughout the year by the club’s own instructors.
Arranged on a no-cost basis apart from any fuel used, these discovery trips are a good example of the ‘added value’ that a well-run club can offer members, allowing the chance to discover new destinations and ideas for places to visit, while building up confidence and experience.
Club Trafalgar has a no joining fee policy, instead members subscribe to one of three membership plans including bronze, gold or platinum. In addition, a platinum corporate level membership has been set-up for businesses wanting to reward or thank their staff, or to use boating and navigation for innovative team building and business networking events.
Contact: www.boatclubtrafalgar.com
Flexisail
Flexisail has been operating for over 19 years now but last year was purchased by Parker Adams Boat Sales, which has already introduced a number of changes to the business, including the option to add your own boat to the fleet to offset the running costs and even make a return on your investment.
It still operates out of two bases on the South Coast but the Lymington operation only has sailing yachts, while the Hamble one offers a wider selection of sail and powerboats, including an Axopar 37 Cross Cabin and Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095 flybridge as well as smaller RIBs and sportsboats.
Unlike some clubs which use a points-based system to give access to a fleet of different craft, Flexisail members sign up primarily to one of the boats in the fleet, albeit with the option to borrow other craft from time to time.
They reckon this gives a greater sense of ownership and familiarity with the boat and its other members. You still have to book your time on board using the online system but each member has their own key and longer overnight trips are possible, including cross-Channel trips on some of the larger boats.
Three different membership options are offered: Midweek only; Weekend; Anytime. Prices range from £580 to £915 per month plus a one off joining fee of £495. The top Anytime level gives you up to 66 days boating per year with 12 guaranteed weekend days, 24 guaranteed midweek days and 30 last-minute bookings. The lowest Midweek level offers a maximum of 30 midweek days per year. There’s also a new Pay as you Boat plan from just £100 per month plus a daily fee for the boat.
As well as access to boats, Flexisail membership unlocks a number of other benefits, including free Skill Days to hone your boat handling and boost your confidence plus members’ rallies and organised trips to discover new places and meet other members.
Contact: www.flexisail.com
Lymington Boat Club
Located in one of Hampshire’s most charming coastal towns, Lymington Boat Club offers an ideal gateway to exploring the entire Solent region and beyond to the east or west, where picturesque destinations such as Poole Harbour, Swanage and Weymouth are easily attainable with overnight stays on one of the club’s three Axopar 28s or Finnmaster T8s.
For high-powered excursions, members have access to four high quality RIBs from brands including Scorpion and Ribcraft, ideal for watching and following one of the many events and regattas in the Solent.
Facilities at the club base at Lymington Yacht Haven are among the best on the South Coast, and the club holds regular social events on water and on land, such as touching up on boat handling or simply popping over to the island for lunch. The friendly ethos and sense of community surrounding the club means that members are always welcome to propose group social activities of their own.
With a maximum ratio of just six members to each boat, availability is rarely a problem and because the club is co-owned by Solent RIB Charter, extra boats can be pulled in at short notice if the demand is there.
Membership operates from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year and is an all-inclusive annual fee of £10,200 for a single helm and £1,000 for additional named helmspeople from the same household.
Contact: www.lymingtonboatclub.co.uk
Freedom Boat Club
Founded in 1989, Freedom Boat Club has become the world’s largest network of franchised boat clubs, with over 400 locations globally and 100,000+ members.
In the UK, there are six locations, including Hythe, Swanwick, Chertsey, Windermere, Loch Lomond, and Torquay with many more clubs around the world, from Spain and Portugal to the USA, Australia, and New Zealand.
Members get unlimited access to their ‘home location’, so you can enjoy boating as often as you like. Each location offers a variety of membership options, including 60-day terms or 12-month agreements, giving you flexibility to choose the best plan that works for you.
Whether you want to use a boat every day or just on weekdays there are options to suit. Prices vary by location but members pay a one-off entry fee followed by a monthly subscription. The cost of the monthly membership is usually no more than monthly berthing fees alone, making it an affordable way to enjoy boating.
Members receive a login to an online reservation system where you can choose your preferred day, the boat, and arrival time. Bookings can be changed and cancelled online, but someone is always available at the end of a phone to assist with bookings.
Full-day orientation training is offered for new members to ensure they are fully confident before heading off for the first time and unlimited ongoing training is included and can be customised to individual needs.
With reciprocal access, you get up to four free day-visits per year to any of Freedom’s 400+ locations offering plenty of opportunities to explore new waterways but you must ensure you meet the training requirements of each location – RYA Powerboat Level 2 certification is widely accepted.
Freedom became part of the Brunswick Group in May 2019 and while many of the boats come from the Brunswick portfolio, much thought has gone into ensuring the right boats are in place for the prevailing conditions at each base.
When you arrive and return, a dockmaster will be there to assist with lines and ensure you’re set for a safe and enjoyable day. Afterwards, you are encouraged to relax and unwind with complimentary hot or cold drinks and refreshments in the clubhouse, making for the perfect end to your boating experience.
Regular guided trips and social events are organised, and members can connect with fellow boaters through WhatsApp and private Facebook groups, sharing tips, asking questions, and discovering new spots while being part of a supportive community.
The UK welcomed its first River Thames site in July 2024 featuring two electric Rands, offering an eco-friendly option that has become a huge hit with members and reciprocal guests.
Contact: www.freedomboatclub.com
Powerboat club.uk
Powerboatclub.uk is a family run ‘boutique-style’ business based at Cobbs Quay Marina in Poole. It uses its position as a privately-owned, independent membership club to its advantage by offering members unique ways to create memorable days out based on individual requests.
Listed on its website under the heading of Experiences, members can also take advantage of tailored ‘packages’ for special occasions such as an adrenalin fuelled ride on a motor boat combined with a fine dining experience at a Rick Stein restaurant. Or how about being picked up from home in a chauffeured car, whisked to Bournemouth airport for a helicopter ride over the Dorset coast, followed by a boat ride to Sandbanks in Poole, where Rick Stein’s culinary delights await.
If all that sounds a little too frenetic, standard membership opportunities exist across a small fleet of three dayboats under 8m and three Sea-Doo jetskis, with water toys and paddleboards for the young at heart.
Should you wish to exit with no hard feelings, a 28-day money back guarantee minus expenses, allows you to do so.
Contact: www.powerboatclub.uk
Urban Truant RIB Club
Urban Truant RIB club has been in operation for eight years but five years ago the club decided to simplify membership to a straightforward “pay per play” system. There is an annual membership fee of just £225 but from then on it’s just a flat day or evening rate.
Day sessions run from 9am to 4.30pm and cost £165. Evening sessions run from 5.30-9.30pm and cost £80 or you can book a combined day/evening rate for £225.
Alternatively, for £75 per month the club offers 12 months unlimited use but you can only book one session at a time up to two weeks ahead and you can’t book any combined day/evening sessions.
The club uses 6m Highfield RIBs and is due to take delivery of two 6.3m RS Pulse electric RIBs to its fleet.
To ensure availability there are restrictions on booking consecutive days, but we are assured by the club that it never has a problem with demand, even in high season.
Contact: www.utrib.club
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