The smartest way to own a boat

What’s the only thing that could possibly be better than a day of sun-kissed swanning about on a beautiful boat?

How about, an entire week of it? Now, thanks Smart Boating, it’s yours for the taking, thanks to a generous boat-share model that is ‘heaven sent’ for time-strapped would-be skippers and their families.

While boat-share syndicates are a far more affordable alternative to outright boat ownership, another other major benefit is the amount of quality time on the water they offer participants. Modern life is busier then ever, and a ‘shared economy’ is now the norm, whether it’s ride-share or car-share platforms, short-term accommodation, streaming service subscriptions and more.

That same philosophy can now apply to boating. With Smart Boating, there’s no need to own a boat outright, when you can own 100 per cent of that boat for 10 per cent of the time.

And while there are some boat syndicates and charter options that will allow you to enjoy a day or perhaps even an overnight stay on glorious Sydney Harbour, Smart Boating, allows you to go further and longer.

That means you can sail forth from the confines of the harbour and head for the high seas, tacking south as far as Jervis Bay or north to Port Stephens. This is not just spending time on a boat, but living on it, with up to seven consecutive days available to Smart Boating owners.

Smart Boating also has a wide array of boats on offer, including small bowriders, sailing yachts, luxury motor cruisers – even voluminous, four-bedroom catamarans! There’s something to suit just about everyone.

With Smart Boating, you don’t have to own a boat to have access to one. And, as an equity-share owner in the boat of your choice, when the boat is sold at the end of the syndicate term, you’ll receive an equal share of the net sale price it attracts.

However, the real drawcard is how Smart Boating can maximise your on-water enjoyment. Boating is wonderful fun, of course, but cleaning, maintaining and preparing one every time you want to head out certainly isn’t.

Fortunately, Smart Boating has reinvented the ‘walk on/walk off’ concept, which means its staff will clean, maintain, prepare and even help you park your boat at the end of the day. The idea here is that you turn up at the marina at the same time as your friends – no need to get there early, remove the weather covers and check everything – and then leave with them at the end of the day, leaving all the packing up, tying down and cleaning to Smart Boating. It’s all the fun, none of the work.

And yet, unlike some other boat-share companies where you’re sharing access to a big fleet of boats and not always getting what you want, when you want it, with Smart Boating, the boat you purchase as a 1/10th equity owner is 100 per cent yours, 10 per cent of the time.

Research shows the average boat owner spends just 20 days a year on their vessel, but for your equity investment and a monthly fee, Smart Boating will give you up to 34 days out on the water and unlimited stand-by days to enjoy doing what you love, from fishing to watching fireworks explode overhead, to soaking up spectacular sunsets and all those “Ahhh” moments with family.

Or, as mentioned, you can take the boat far away for up to seven of those days at a time and truly savour a life on the high seas.

The Smart Boating model also allows you to grow the size of your boat in line with your confidence and aspirations. You can start in something quite small and benefit from the excellent training Smart Boating’s staff offer, and then decide you want to go to something bigger, or switch from a motor boat to sailing. You can simply trade in your share and move to a boat the next size up.

There’s no worry about finding a buyer or depreciation – just a seamless, simple move to your next kind of boating life.

Anyone who owns a boat will tell you it’s great fun to be a skipper and to watch everyone else having fun and perhaps enjoying a drink or two, but for those days when you want to just experience being on the boat, and not have to worry about where you’re going and how to get there, Smart Boating can also provide skippers for hire – an absolute boon that most boat owners would love.

Or, at the end of the day, if you don’t want to do the hard work of berthing your boat, Smart Boating will send out two staff on a tender, so one can jump on board and do the parking for you.

You can also choose to keep your boat at a location that’s convenient for you, with Smart Boating offering moorings at stunning Clontarf in Sydney’s Middle Harbour, in spectacular Pittwater, at Bobbin Head, or even up in the pure paradise of the Whitsundays on Hamilton Island.

Your boat comes equipped with everything you could ask for, so you don’t have to spend on extras like coffee machines, Bluetooth sound systems, TVs or tenders, while many of the boats in Smart Boating’s fleet are even fully air-conditioned.

Boat-share ownership really is the ultimate way to make your boating dreams become a reality, with none of the stress and time constraints that come with owning a boat outright, and at a far more affordable price.

All you really need to do, then, is decide which boat is right for you, and to help Smart Boating has a series of questions you can ask yourself to help you make the choices between power and sail, mono or multihull.

Those questions include:

By answering these questions for yourself, and then perusing the many boat-share options available on the Smart Boating website, you’ll be ready to hit the water in no time.

To discover how easy and affordable a superb boating lifestyle can be, visit the Smart Boating website.