Yachtshare

Imagine for a moment, spending idyllic weekends cruising around the bay in a luxury yacht with family and friends, discovering treasure islands with glass of champagne in hand. For anyone who’s ever held such dreams but can't afford them, Yachtshare is the sure fire way to turn such imaginings into reality.

Costing just a fraction of the price of a luxury yacht, Yachtshare is how those-in-the-know get to enjoy all of the fun parts of yacht ownership without the price tag, upkeep, maintenance and cleaning.

How is it possible? The way it works is along the lines of the time share concept applied to holiday apartments and resorts, but without the pushy salespeople and faceless companies behind it.

Yachtshare manages a small syndicated fleet of luxury yachts of various sizes and sells time shares in them to those who want to live the dream.

This entitles the owner (who shares it with 9 other like-minded sailors) to 33 days (and nights) per year on the water (11 days in three trimesters), at one tenth of the full price of the yacht. A monthly fee (similar to a holiday unit’s body corporate/management fee) covers the entire cost of upkeep, maintenance, insurance, berthing, registration and cleaning so all there is left to do is set sail and enjoy.

It may not sound like enough but research has found that no matter how keen the sailor, yacht owners in general spend an average of 25 days a year out on the water.

When it comes to selling, because the fleet of Yachtshare yachts are meticulously maintained and kept clean, the value for on-sell (also organised through the Yachtshare broker) is minimally decreased and the sale itself is totally taken care of by Yachtshare, again avoiding any hassle for the owners.

Like the idea of setting sail on a luxury yacht but don’t know a furling genoa from a main sail? That’s taken care of too, with buyers receiving 2 days full training included in their share purchase. All yachts feature a state of the art computerized GPS navigational and operational system, so once programmed, the boat pretty much sails itself, with no chance of being lost at sea. And with the flick of a switch, the system can change from sails to motor when required.

The Lagoon 39 catamaran is a bit like a compact split level glamorous beach apartment inside, with self-contained cabin bedrooms and bathrooms on the lower level (with skylights that open to view the stars) and upstairs a dining/lounge saloon with table and seating that converts into a bed, caravan-style for extra sleeping space and a kitchenette with electric fridge/freezer, microwave, gas oven and stove top.

There’s also a flat screen LCD TV, power points to recharge devices and a four speaker stereo to keep the party going. Meanwhile under cover outdoors there’s a gas BBQ and another dining area which converts into a bed as well.

Moored at Manly Harbour (the largest marina facility in the southern hemisphere), the Yachtshare yachts sit gleaming, clean and ready to sail, for when their owners rock up. All that needs to be packed are towels, clothes, swimming gear, food and drinks, so the fun begins the minute you step onboard.

And a short sail from the harbour is the unspoilt ocean wonderland that is Moreton Bay with its myriad islands to discover, pristine beaches to swim and walk on, marine life - dolphins, giant turtles, stingrays and dugongs - to spot, ship wrecks to explore and mini reefs to snorkel.

Having your own yacht gives access to little-accessed places like Peel Island with the ruins of the old leper colony, Moreton Island with its giant sand dunes and shipwreck reef to snorkel, St Helena Island, Coochie Mudlo and North Stradbroke. And one of the best kept secrets of the area is that yachts can berth for $50 overnight and Couran Cove and drink and dine at its bars and restaurant and take a dip in its swimming pool.

But sailing is not confined to Moreton Bay. Yachts can be taken to the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or further afield with a maximum stay of 7 days. Or attend an event like Riverfire in Brisbane or even make a surprise visit to friends and moor the boat at their suburb.

And what about the cost? The Yachtshare yachts vary in size, according to need and budget, with the ‘smallest’ monohull, 33ft Sun Odyssey ‘Sensation’ costing $19990 per share and $550/month ongoings and 36ft Sun Odyssey ‘Inspiration’, ranging up to the newest acquisition, the stunning twin hull 10 sleeper 39ft Lagoon ‘Imagination’, which costs $60000 per share and $829/month outgoings.

Need to know -  If you are into the idea and would like to try before you buy, Yachtshare’s Anton (and his lovely wife Gabriela) can take you out for a demo sail in the yacht you are interested in taking up a share in, just to be sure it’s a dream come true.

Must do Brisbane.com were the guests of our sponsor Yachtshare for an unforgettable weekend on Moreton Bay.