As a shareholder in our fractional sailing program, you essentially provide yourself with the use of the yacht for 2 weeks during the sailing season, to be spent over 28 timeslots. For most sailors, this is about the time they really get out on the water. You pay the fee of $6000 plus tax for the season and, for new members, an initiation fee and that is the extent of your commitment.

ETAPCharterlease LLC takes care of all the other expenses, including the dockage, insurance, maintenance etc. All you have to do is show up and sail. If you like the experience, you can renew the next season.

Financial comparison : shareholder versus outright ownership

This is the easiest part. Once you have realized you are not going to use your yacht all the time, the financial rationale for the Charterlease formula is very compelling.
Below, we compare the cost-per-sail of outright ownership of an Etap 37s (financed over 20 years, with 20% down) against the cost of being a shareholder in the program on a cost-per-sail basis.

A fully loaded ETAP 37s (like the ones you will find in the program)
costs $260,000 plus tax. Assuming financing at 6.00%, 20 years, the
cost of outright ownership compared to ETAPCharterLease is:

'07spread

So, an outright owner (who does not have an ETAP in a managed program) will have a cash outlay in any given year of $31,432 and in the first year will have a down payment of $52,000 as well. Assuming he sails 14 days (same as in the program), the cost-per-day to sail amounts to $2245.

In the ETAPCharterlease program the cost-per-day to sail is $429.

Obviously, the outright owner takes on a much larger commitment as well, both financially and in terms of time. He has to take care of his boat as if he owned it (because he does), the Charterlease shareholder only has to sail it like he owns it.