Would You Pay A Premium To Lease For A Season?
Exploring whether seasonal boat leasing has legs beyond my one-off Hamptons programming.
For consecutive summers, I quietly ran seasonal yacht leasing programs in the Hamptons. I’m considering a comeback, and I want your thoughts. The preposition was simple: give the lessee the convenience of an ownership experience without the off-season responsibility, while the owner was relieved of the cost burden and turned a profit on depreciation. As market values continue to dip, yet boating demand remains, is this the right time for a new ownership format?
The question isn't whether the concept works—I've proven it does. The question is whether there's a sustainable market for scaling seasonal boat leasing beyond boutique programs into a legitimate alternative to ownership.
How Seasonal Leasing Actually Works
Unlike traditional charters where you're a guest on someone else's boat with their crew for a day or week, seasonal leasing functions as short-term ownership. The programs I structured included a monthly base price plus costs chosen by the lessee—they decided where to dock, who to hire as crew, and how/where/when to operate the vessel.
This isn't fractional ownership or timeshares. It's temporary but complete control over a luxury asset, typically running 3-4 months during peak season. Lessees were required to maintain an approved management program, ensuring professional oversight while giving them the autonomy that ownership provides.
The appeal was immediate: all the benefits of boat ownership without the year-round costs, maintenance headaches, or long-term commitment.
There were scenarios where the customer told me what boat they wanted, and I’d go find it, and where sellers offered their boats and I’d find the lessee. The latter worked much better, and it’s how I would operate in the future. It’s much easier to find demand than supply in this scenario. The one restriction for me—out of personal intrigue—is the types of boats offered. Luxury day boats, flybridge yachts, and your occasional 100+ footers are the target.
Why You’d Lease vs. Frequently Day Charter
The difference between frequent chartering and seasonal leasing is the difference between staying in hotels and having a summer house. Both get you on the water, but only one feels like home.
YOUR STUFF STAYS PUT Forget the ritual of packing and unpacking personal belongings every charter. With a seasonal lease, your preferences, gear, and personal items live aboard all season.
YOUR CREW, YOUR RULES The crew works directly for you, not the charter company. They learn your preferences, your guests' names, and how you like your tequila soda. You’ll build a relationship with professionals who anticipate your needs.
TRUE SPONTANEITY Want to head out Tuesday afternoon because the weather's perfect? Just go. No availability checks, no booking windows, no "sorry, we're booked that day." The boat is yours when you want it, how you want it.
YOUR MARINA, YOUR CHOICE Dock where it makes sense. If that means a dock at your home, even better.
COMFORT THROUGH FAMILIARITY By midseason, you know every switch, every quirk, and every storage hatch. The boat becomes an extension of your summer routine rather than a different experience every time you step aboard.
The Economics of Premium Access
From experience, the boat leasing programs we ran had monthly base rates around $45,000-$75,000 for 50-80 foot day boats, plus operational costs that lessees controlled. A full summer season (June-September) could cost $200,000-$400,000 including crew, fuel, and marina fees.
Compare this to ownership economics:
Purchase: $2-6+ million for equivalent boats
Annual operating costs: $100,000-$750,000 (10-15% of purchase price)
Depreciation: who knows the real number these days
For someone wanting 4 months of premium boat access, leasing at $300,000 total cost competes favorably against $400,000+ in annual ownership expenses—especially when factoring in the flexibility to try different boats or markets. If your idea of boating is something more than the stressful $5,000-10,000 day charter you book 10x a summer, this format might be for you.
Who Actually Wants This?
The clients who chose leasing over ownership fell into predictable categories:
THE EXPERIMENTERS: Successful entrepreneurs or executives testing the boating lifestyle before committing to ownership. They wanted the full experience—crew management, marina relationships, social integration—without the permanent commitment.
THE OPTIMIZERS: Existing boat owners who wanted access to different vessels or markets. A client with a 65-footer in Florida might lease an 80-footer in the Hamptons rather than transport their boat north.
THE SIMPLIFIERS: Individuals who preferred paying a premium for turnkey access over managing the complexities of ownership, even with professional management.
THE TRAVELERS: If you live seasonally between two (or more) markets, yacht ownership may feel inefficient when your boat will sit dormant for a majority of the calendar year.
Demographic research supports this pattern. Knight Frank's 2024 Wealth Report indicates that 68% of newly wealthy individuals (under 45) prefer "asset-light" luxury consumption, while established wealth (over 55) still favors ownership models.
The Broader Market Reality
The luxury access economy has exploded across categories. Inspirato revolutionized vacation home access with $600 million in annual revenue. Turo and traditional car leasing prove consumers will pay premiums for temporary access to premium vehicles. Even private aviation has shifted toward fractional ownership and jet cards over outright purchase.
But boats present unique challenges that leave the cost coefficient higher than asset-light real estate or automative use cases:
Seasonal concentration: High demand seasonal clusters in 3-4 month windows
Geographic limitations: Premium markets are geographically constrained
Operational premiums: Boats require more management than cars or homes
Insurance complications: Marine insurance markets are still unrefined
Current boat sharing platforms like GetMyBoat and Boatsetter focus on daily/weekly rentals, not seasonal programs. The few companies attempting longer-term boat access (like boat clubs) operate more like fractional ownership than true leasing., and their inventory is nowhere near the caliber you and I know and love.
How Does It Scale?
This is the part I hold close to my chest. First, scale is not possible without legal security and liability safeguards. Anyone can give you their boat for a price, but are you protected? You need the framework of a legal contract covering your insurable interests, whether owner or lessee. With security in order, we build an accessible, protected marketplace for buyers and sellers who understand the respect required in such a transaction.
The systems I ran a few summers ago makes seasonal ownership secure and turnkey. The boat is delivered to your “door”, picked up when you’re done (after a throughout post-season inspection is done) and off you go.
While I can execute a flawless “lease” season for you in Montauk, Miami or any other seasonal hotspot, the real question of scale is whether the market demands this service. I think it does, but that’s for you to tell me. With true supply and demand, customers would have optionality, convenience and support, as long as they are aware it comes at a premium.
I don’t doubt the demand—even with premium pricing—especially for those who are hesitant to enter into sole yacht ownership. The real question is “Who and where are my early adopters?”
The Verdict: If The Opportunity Presented Itself, Are You an Owner or a Lessee?
As I identify inventory in hotspot markets, the goal of today’s discussion is a simple one: does the idea of seasonal “ownership” seriously pique your interest?
To be clear, its not a cheaper option in trade for day chartering, it’s the “set it and forget it” convenience of having a boat for an entire season without having to check availability, share access with the masses, process numerous transactions and always bring your things with you. This is a luxury convenience play for those seeking private use of a luxury asset for an entire season with their own crew.
The question isn't whether people will pay a premium for seasonal boat access—they already do. The question is whether you want to take part.
SEASONAL BOAT LEASING GUIDE
Leasing Benefits You If:
You need only 3-5 months of private boat use annually
You live in a market with a short season
You value turnkey access over ownership control
You want to test different boats or markets
Annual lease cost is <50% of ownership expenses
Stick with Ownership If:
You boat year-round across multiple seasons
You prefer complete control over vessel and operations
You have established, experience, relationships and infrastructure
Consider Traditional Charter If:
You boat infrequently or once a week
You prefer variety over consistency
You want zero operational responsibility
The future of luxury boating may well include more access and less ownership—but getting there will require solving problems that go far beyond simply putting boats and lessees together.
Interested in exploring seasonal leasing options? Contact me at Reed@RNMarine.com to discuss the evolving landscape of luxury boat access.
About the Author
Reed Nicol is a licensed yacht broker with experience in all corners of the marine industry. He’s worked as an executive and sales director in yacht manufacturing and distribution, has structured commercial charter operations, and designed and executed notable refits. Read more about Reed’s marine journey, his love of helping 1st time boaters and his entrepreneurial spirit here.
Reed Nicol [Licensed FL Yacht Broker #11926]
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