Will Tome, the base owner of PowerTime Charleston, offers a refreshing perspective on the world of boating. This article peeks behind the curtain of fractional boating memberships, a concept enticing to both seasoned boat owners and those new to the waters. Through PowerTime, Will and his team share an accessible pathway to the cruising lifestyle to boaters, free from the traditional burdens of boat ownership. It's a compelling read for anyone curious about the inner workings of fractional boat clubs, offering a glimpse into a community where dreams of the sea can come to a quick reality!
Haul and launch. A new coat of bottom paint, freshly polished fuel tanks, plus a new lithium-powered air conditioning installation. Not to mention replacing expired flares, re-charging fire extinguishers, and hey…where did all my lifejackets go? That’s not even half a page of the checklists to get the boat ready for a season of cruising. For many, this is part of the ritual of boating. A yearly right of passage to waterways they’ll cruise this year, the marinas they’ll visit, and the anchorages they’ll find. As Kenneth Grahame writes, “there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
As romantic as we want to make spring commissioning sound, it’s a chore. Rather than a right of passage, it feels more like a barrier. A barrier that leaves some boats in the yard for another year, wasting away both its own and its owner's potential and dreams. However, for members at the PowerTime based in Charleston, SC, spring commissioning looks a little different because these boaters have discovered a new way to go cruising without all the hassle and cost of traditional boat ownership.
A sister to the popular fractional boating brand, SailTime, PowerTime provides access to small to midsized yachts without the burdens of traditional boat ownership. This makes cruising realistic for many people looking to move to bigger boats or people tired of maintaining their boat more than using it. Unlike other rental, charter, or boat clubs, a limited number of members are guaranteed time on their specific boat each month. Members feel a sense of ownership with their boat, therefore use it and care for it as such. Some members even own boats in the PowerTime fleet which provides them ample time to use their boat with a revenue stream to help reduce their overall cost of boating.
In Charleston, we are lucky to have a long cruising season and some of the most picturesque sections of the Intracoastal Waterway right in our backyard. With destinations like the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge and Hilton Head Island just a short cruise away, it's easy to see why PowerTime is more than just a boat club—it's a gateway to fulfilling cruising dreams! To the north is Georgetown, with its historic waterfront district that hosts the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show every fall. Heading south from Charleston Harbor, destinations like Edisto, Beaufort, and Savannah are easily within reach. A new member to PowerTime Charleston has already booked their 3-night stay on Dockwa at Shelter Cover Marina for this summer!
Not everyone can afford, be it time, money, or otherwise, what it may take to fulfill our wildest cruising dreams…at least maybe not right now. For me, it’s a long-range cruiser like a Flemming. It’s crossing oceans and living aboard. If you’re like me, you don’t want to wait for that someday to hopefully come— and a week or two bareboat charter vacation doesn’t quite fill your cup, although it might drain the bank account. That’s why fractional membership is such a great fit. You don’t have to settle for less boat, you don’t have to wait for that one day moment. You get to experience that dream every month all season long.
If you’re hesitant about what cruising is going to take, give fractional boating a try. Our members are both newer boaters looking for adventure and seasoned boaters who don’t want to hang it up just on account of the chore of it all. Some owners have aspirations to one day take their boat on the Great Loop or to the Bahamas. Others want an option that doesn’t need to be trailered or is a better fit for the family than their fishing rig. This may be the best way you’ve found to go boating yet. Don’t let another season pass with an empty logbook.
Follow along with Powertime Charleston on social media: