Welcome To America’s Premium-Boat Boat Club
Sovereign Boat Club was founded in 2019 to offer top-tier 27’ to 40’ powerboats to people who want a first class boating experience — without the high cost of ownership. SBC also wanted to solve the problems inherent in boat clubs that offer low-cost, restrictive weekend usage and entry-level boats with too many members, and limited availability.
Here is a list of some of the benefits of Sovereign Boat Club
- Full day usage every day, including weekends
- Most boats have joysticks and two or more engines
- Electric-flush heads
- All boats can go up to 50 miles offshore
- Multiple-weekday overnight trips
- Membership is limited so boat availability is maximized
- You are the captain* – (*Paid captains are available upon request.)
- Members take pride in the boats they operate
- All boats are equipped with chart plotters and VHF radios
- Hands-on instruction offered by certified instructors
WHY SBC MEMBERSHIP IS MUCH BETTER THAN OWNERSHIP
High Cost to Buy
Most new boat prices have gone up 35% or more in the last 5 years. Tariffs, supply chain issues, labor rates and increased costs of raw materials all conspire to make boats more expensive each year. This is a 30-year trend, and it shows no sign of changing – and, it can’t change because of inflation, if nothing else.
What’s Your Time Worth?
In addition to the expense of boat ownership, the time involved for an owner to manage and maintain a boat can easily exceed the time spent on the boat for pleasure. What do you charge an hour – or day — of your time?
Annual Operating Expenses Going Up
Limited slip availability, fewer tradesman to do repairs and maintenance, and increasing insurance claims from hurricanes have all caused expenses to significantly increase.
What, Me Worry?
If you own a boat the answer is “Yes!” Potential problems on your boat are everywhere: a leaky hydraulic pump, a split raw water intake hose, a frayed electrical wire, galvanic corrosion... that’s just the beginning. Maintenance costs grow as boats age.
Borrowing Cost Uncertainty
Low interest rates that lasted for nearly 14 years after the Great Recession have given way to the Fed’s high-interest rates to tame inflation. There is no end in sight, say analysts.
Asset Depreciation
An industry rule of thumb is that the value of a new boat drops 25% upon delivery and after 4-5 years of use it will be worth 40% to 50% of the purchase price. Making matters worse, in the same five-year time period, the value of the dollar may have dropped 10% or more.
SHARED ACCESS TO BOATS & HOW IT WORKS
There is nothing quite like owning your own boat — except being a member of Sovereign Boat Club – because it’s the closest thing to ownership without the expense, worry, and maintenance hassle.
- SBC Membership is in a specific boat. You choose a boat near you that fits your needs, then “join” that boat, which in essence, is like a mini club. There are annual dues, just like a yacht club, and fixed monthly fees to cover maintenance, insurance and other expenses shared with other members.
- Different Membership Costs for Different Boats. Each SBC boat is owned by a private individual and because the boats are all different, and cost from $250,000 to $900,000, the price of annual dues and monthly maintenance fees vary accordingly. Memberships in the least expensive boats are the lowest cost, and so on. For that reason, reciprocal privileges are not available, with some exceptions.
- Seasonal memberships are available. SBC’s 6-month seasonal membership programs are ideal for snowbirds who only spend winters in Florida, or for local residents who have obligations or travel plans certain times a year.
- Membership is limited to 8 full-time members in each boat, but our experience is that there is usually an average of 6 members in a specific boat at any one time. That means, you can get the boat virtually anytime you want it.
- The boat is reserved online using SBC’s dedicated reservation system. Each member is allowed to have 4 reservations on the calendar at any one time. Once you have used one of those days, you may then book your next outing. In this way you always have 4 days reserved. By reserving in advance, you can be assured of having the boat when you want it (unforeseen events, notwithstanding).
- The boat is reserved for full days, even on weekends. This is one of the advantages of SBC’s programs over entry-level boat clubs. Because they have 12-13 members per boat, and most want to use the boat on weekends, they must restrict weekend use to 4 hours, and often for only one weekend day a month.
- Consecutive multiple-day bookings. One of the most exciting things about boating is taking a cruise up or down the Florida coast, one of the best cruising grounds in the world. All members are able to book 4 consecutive weekdays, which makes it possible to visit (and swim with) the manatees in Crystal River, or fish and cruise in the Florida Keys.
- All members are required to take a 4 to 6-hour hands-on educational course. One of the great things about SBC is the excellent educational program that is required of all members, no matter what their experience. Our certified, USCG-licensed instructors make sure that all members can handle each boat safely and with confidence.
Low-cost, Small Boat Clubs
The largest boat clubs are designed for entry level boaters on a limited budget. Boats that cost $25-50k typically don’t have amenities like toilets, joystick docking and dual engines. And, usage is limited to half days if you are lucky enough to get a reservation at all on weekends.
Day Rentals
Ideal for non-boaters who go out once or twice a year. These boats are usually kept at their owner’s house or on a trailer. The quality, amenities, and condition of the boats vary. For insurance reasons, rentals often require a licensed captain.
Yacht Charter
Bareboat yacht charter companies operating in exotic or desirable locations, such as the Caribbean or the Bahamas, last a week, and cost $18k or more in high season. Crewed charters of large boats typically cost $40k or more per week, depending on the size of the boat.
Fractional-Ownership
An option usually limited to large boats costing several million dollars — fractions are usually kept to 25% or more. All costs of buying, annual operation, and management is borne by the fractional owners. Four-to-five-year commitments are usually required, but ownership is typically transferable.
“It’s like owning our own boat, but way easier. The cost is similar to other boating programs, and much less, if you use the boat a lot, but what you get is a whole other level. If you compare their costs versus owning a boat of this caliber, there’s no contest.”
– SBC member Member Tom S
“I’ve been a member of a mass-market boat club for over ten years. It was nice for a period of time, but their vessels were mediocre and not suited for my needs. It was also not convenient to wait 1 month out, at minimum, for a boat on the weekend.”
– SBC Member Tim T