Welcome To The Premium-Boat Boat Club
Sovereign Boat Club was founded in 2019 to offer up-scale 27’+ powerboats to people in Florida who want a 1st class boating experience -- without the high cost of ownership. SBC also wanted to solve the problems inherent in boat clubs that offer low-cost entry-level boats with too many members, and too little boat 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 2 or more engines
- All boats have electric-flush heads
- All boats can go up to 50 miles offshore
- All boats can take multiple-day overnight trips
- Membership is limited so boat availability is maximized
- You are the captain – not a stranger you have to pay
- Members can be proud of the boats they operate
- All boats are equipped with chartplotters and VHF radios
WHY SBC MEMBERSHIP IS MUCH BETTER THAN OWNERSHIP
High Cost to Buy
Most new boat prices have gone up 10% in the last year. This is a 30-year trend and shows no sign of changing.
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 for 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 fuel line, a split raw water intake hose, a frayed electrical wire, galvanic corrosion… that’s just the beginning.
Borrowing Cost Uncertainty
Access to easy, cheap money for financing purchases like homes, cars, and boats appears to be ending as interest rates rise.
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 50% of the purchase price.
THE TIME HAS COME FOR SHARED ACCESS TO BOATS
Boat clubs, rental companies, and fractional-ownership operations are popping up all over the country because “shared access” is the future for high-priced assets such as planes, trucks, heavy equipment and boats.
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.
HOW SBC MEMBERSHIP WORKS
There is nothing quite like owning your own boat -- except being a member of Sovereign Boat Club. SBC is the closest thing to ownership, because you are a member of a boat that is virtually “yours” nearly whenever you want it! Two of our members describe SBC like this.
“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. The SBC’s Pursuit DC266 is a premium boat and I can always use the boat when I want it.”
– SBC Member Tim T
There are other reasons to be a member of SBC. Here are a few of them
If you’re not sure boat ownership is right for your family, SBC is a low-cost, low-risk alternative to find out the kind and size of boat you might like to own. Memberships last no longer than one year and may be transferrable.
The current SBC Fleet
- Everglades 235 CC – St. Petersburg, FL
- Pursuit DC266 – St. Petersburg, FL
- Axopar 28 Cabin – Bradenton, FL
- Robalo R317 DC – Bradenton, FL
- Saxdor 32 – Palm Beach, FL (Coming in December 2022)
- BOSTON WHALER 280 Outrage, Tierra Verde
- Edgewater 370 CC – Riviera Beach, FL (Winter Only)
On-board entertaining of friends and business associates on a premium boat that is all but yours, will be enchanting for them and very satisfying for you.
Treat yourself for a life well-lived, with a boating experience you’ve always wanted – with no worries and at low cost.
Do you have a business client you want to impress, or thank? Or, do you prefer an undisturbed afternoon to get away? There’s nothing better than a fun day on a premium boat.
You get the idea.
Here’s How Our Program works
- SBC Membership is in a specific boat. You choose a boat near you that fits your needs, then “join” that boat. There are annual dues, just like a yacht club, and fixed monthly maintenance fees.
- Different Membership Costs for Different Boats. Each SBC boat is owned by a private individual and because they 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 3-6 month seasonal membership programs are ideal for snowbirds who only spend winters in Florida.
- Membership is limited to 8 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.
- 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.
- Consecutive multiple 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 days which makes it is possible to visit (and swim with) the manatees in Crystal River, or fish and cruise in the Everglades National Park.
- Special Reciprocal Arrangements. SBC has been able to arrange for reciprocal use in the boats and locations below
- Use of the 2 Regal 33 SAV vessels in St. Petersburg and Tierra Verde, Florida are reciprocal. When one is not available, the chances are, the other one will be.
- Use of the Axopar 28 Cabin and the Robalo R317 in Bradenton, Florida are reciprocal. As an added bonus, a late model NauticStar 1800 center console in Bradenton, is also available to members in either boat. This means that one of the 3 boats should be available at virtually any time.
- Use of the 2 Axopar 28 Cabins on the west coast of Florida, one in Bradenton, the other in Tarpon Springs, are reciprocal. This makes exploring new, distant areas, easier for members of each of the boats.
ANNUAL DUES & MONTHLY FEES
St. Petersburg, FL
Everglades 235 CC
Annual Dues
$5,795
Monthly Fee
$525
Regal 33 SAV
Annual Dues
$9,995
Monthly Fee
$820
Pursuit DC266
Annual Dues
$6,495
Monthly Fee
$635
Tierra Verde, Florida
Regal 33 SAV
Annual Dues
$9,995
Monthly Fee
$820
Bradenton, Florida
Robalo R317
Annual Dues
$8,542
Monthly Fee
$712
Axopar 28 Cabin
Annual Dues
$8,542
Monthly Fee
$712
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Axopar 28 Cabin
Annual Dues
$8,542
Monthly Fee
$712
Palm Beach, Florida
Saxdor 32
Annual Dues
$9,395
Monthly Fee
$735
Riviera Beach, Florida
Everglades 370 (Nov 1 – Apr. 30)
Annual Dues
$10,557
Monthly Fee
$1,173
All dues and monthly and are subject to change.