Changing focus - Sailboat partnerships, sharing or crew?

[Ted Hoppe]

I am considering many boating options in my life. I have held on to the current sweet one design boat for nearly 7 years. she is the last of her class and is a bit of an orphan in the local racing scene. I have many interests, do much traveling, have the pull of daily activities of an 11 year old son who like sailing well enough but has other developing interests as well and an ambivalent but supportive wife who goes out with me twice a year.

so heres the thing ... I am finding myself considering other options... I could sell what i already have for a blow out price, buy and possibly develop a partnership on a decent boat that has an active keel boat racing class for the San Francisco bay. As I get older and mellowed, I like a good race as well as doing the upkeep and haul out as mental therapy. I am a frugal bastard often but am really fair. I am lucky enough to live in an area that has relatively low dock fees and good bay access.

I miss the sporting side and want to mixed it on a boat that has good class support and open international acceptance. Or I could just become crew for another and help out when I can. In this scenario, I am no longer master of the boat or most likely would not have the ability to single hand her on early knock off from work or mid summer afternoons.

What solutions have worked for you? would you find an non-equity partnership as good as holding half? thoughts and experiences of just being crew for a while?

[Yeadon]

If you go 50/50 on a boat with someone else, just make sure you don't mind spending time around their wife or partner.

[Capt Zatarra]

50/50 sounds good on paper, but like a divorce both parties want the boat/kid on the holidays and weekends, you should have a written agreement for each holiday. Capt.Z.

[CalebD]

I have had a partner in my Tartan 27' for 10 years now. It does not hurt that we know each other from college and that we've both found that we enjoy the fairly relaxed PHRF racing we do every week, in season. That said, sharing a boat with another person (50/50) is not all fun and games; there was only one time I was about ready to turn my back on our arrangement due to differences in our personalities. I have become resigned to the fact that my boat partner may have had part or all of his sense of humor surgically removed. We still enjoy sailing together and sharing the maintenance work. This brings up an important point. Our skill sets overlap but it is the skills that we each excel at that the other does not that make us a better partnership. Our partnership is not perfect but it has worked well enough and kept the cost down for each of us.

My advice is to do as much crewing for races as you can and meet as many boat owners as you can. Not everyone wants a boat partner and many would probably never consider it. They certainly would not consider it if they did not know you well, or at all.
Another option would be to find someone who is interested in the idea amongst the people you have crewed with who do not already own a boat. If you could find an appropriate partner you could buy the boat of your own (collective) choice.

Another boat partnership I know of that consists of 4 partners does divide up the available sailing season by week. For them it is a necessary evil; for us we are more laissez faire and often sail together. I just have to laugh at my own jokes alone!