Joining Barton & Gray functions a bit like becoming a member of a country club: but instead of tee times and lunch reservations, boat enthusiasts pay an initiation fee of $24,500 and then assume quarterly dues ranging from $9,875 to $29,625 (plus the cost of fuel), which vary depending on the membership tier. With any plan, members can book an unlimited number of days out on the water anywhere the company sails — and they boast a fleet of 90 yachts across 40 different harbors, including in Nantucket, its original harbor, Long Island Sound, the Great Lakes and Florida. Each yacht comes with a captain to pilot it. 

“Far too many people buy boats and end up selling them in three to five years,” said Jim Doering, partnership director at the Barton & Gray Mariners Club, adding, “we have some members who go out in excess of 80, 90 times per year.” 

From a Barton & Gray Daychaster 48’ to a Hinckley Talaria 40’ and 44’, a Catamaran 62’, Boston Whaler 17’ to a Hinkley Picnic Boat 34’ to 37’ the company, which turns 10 next year, is expanding more than just its fleet. 

Imagine, a chef-prepared, 12-course omakase while staring out at the Statue of Liberty, a crab feast while sailing on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, or a lobster boil after cruising to a secluded beach in Nantucket. Thanks to the culinary director at the club, that’s an easy ask.  

In addition to yacht access, Barton & Gray added a five-star hospitality concierge program to its offerings.

From Sag Harbor to Harbor Springs, Newport to St. Bart’s, yachting clubs have begun to function like timeshares for the water; travelers now don’t even need to leave major cities to enjoy a day (or week) on the water. Most of our members have houses in two or more of our markets,” Doering added, and with a Barton & Gray membership, clients can access any available yacht in all of their harbors. 

Boatsetter, which bills itself as the Airbnb or Turo of boats, takes less of an upfront commitment. Anyone can log on and receive access to a database where they rent from individual boat owners on a day-to-day basis. While that may be the backbone of the business, earlier this year, the company fully launched its new VIP club Boatsetter Blue. Aimed at customers who have spent at least $10,000, Boatsetter Blue offers members access to a concierge service, discounts on day charters, invitations to member events, and reciprocal benefits with partners like XO private jets.

“We just want to ensure that there's a really like-minded community that we're building there,” said Caitlin Choate, Boatsetter’s CMO. “And so we're just trying to be really intentional with the community that we build there and making sure that we can go above and beyond the service level that we promise as being part of the club.”

Currently an application-only program, Boatsetter Blue doesn’t require any additional dues.

In total, Boatsetter operates in more than 700 locations all around the world from New York and San Francisco to Ibiza, Cannes, and beyond. Choate said Boatsetter Blue club members often rent the best of the best, pointing to a 105-foot Leopard yacht in Miami as an example, complete with a captain, water toys, and a giant water slide for the ultimate day out of the water.

If ownership is important, SailTime offers both a membership and ownership program. The fractional boat membership works like a timeshare, only a handful of specific people have access to that specific boat. Membership costs vary depending on the individual boat, but average about $10,000 per season including the cost of fuel.

“We like to say we are the closest thing to boat ownership that one can get to before taking the plunge and buying the boat,” said Paul Sullivan, owner and manager of SailTime Boston. “We’re a really great fit for someone who lives a busy lifestyle.”

The ownership program uses a proprietary yacht management system for guaranteed monthly usage (read: income) on an owned vessel. All boats are less than five years old (they “graduate” when they get older) and while it is possible to book a captain to go out with you, Sullivan said members mostly pilot their own boats and take them out for longer periods of time.

For SailTime, each location is operated independently and can vary in size — there are about 30 bases in total around the country — but there is a system in place for members to rent boat slots for a fee in other cities when they visit if one is available.

“We specialize in larger boats that have sleeping quarters and stoves and amenities where members can take their families out for two, three, four, five days if they wish,” Sullivan said, adding members can trade with each other to secure the days they want. “It's not a timeshare, but shared time… There’s a community around this.”