Search for "yacht membership" and you'll find five different products using the same words. Some give you a small boat to drive yourself. Some give you a share of a sailboat. Some sell you part-ownership of a yacht. One kind gives you a crewed yacht with everything included. And a traditional yacht club usually gives you no boat at all.
This guide compares the main yacht membership programs available in San Diego and Southern California. For each one, it covers what you actually get, how it prices, and who it suits.
The five types at a glance
| Program type | Example in SoCal | What you get | Who drives | How it prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boat club | Freedom Boat Club, Carefree Boat Club | Shared fleet of 20–30 ft powerboats | You | Initiation + monthly dues + fuel |
| Fractional sailing | SailTime San Diego | Guaranteed sail times on one new sailboat, shared with a few members | You | Monthly membership by boat and usage level |
| Fractional ownership | SeaNet (Newport Beach) | A share in a yacht, with scheduled use | You or a hired captain | Purchase a share + running costs |
| Crewed yacht membership | Artizia Yachts (San Diego, 2027) | Hours on one crewed 68 ft yacht, all-inclusive | Professional crew | Initiation + monthly dues, hours included |
| Traditional yacht club | San Diego Yacht Club, Balboa Yacht Club | Clubhouse, racing, social calendar, reciprocity | You, on your own boat | Initiation + annual dues; you supply the boat |
1. Boat clubs: Freedom and Carefree
What it is: a club that owns a fleet of smaller boats and lets members book them, like a gym for boats.
- In SoCal: Freedom Boat Club runs several San Diego locations, including Mission Bay and San Diego Bay. Carefree Boat Club operates at Point Loma, Pier 32 in National City, Coronado Cays and Newport Beach.
- Pricing: a one-time initiation fee plus monthly dues, with fuel paid per trip. Neither club publishes San Diego prices online, and both quote after a tour.
- Boats: sport boats, center consoles and pontoons, typically 20–30 ft. Carefree San Diego says it holds its member-to-boat ratio to 8 to 1 or better.
- Best for: confident boaters who want frequent, flexible outings on a modest budget.
- Watch for: you captain every trip, and the boats are day boats rather than yachts.
2. Fractional sailing: SailTime
What it is: you become one of a small group of members sharing a specific new sailboat, with a guaranteed number of "sail times" each month.
- In SoCal: SailTime runs bases in San Diego and Newport Beach. Its San Diego fleet is new Beneteau sailboats.
- Structure: memberships are annual. Tiers guarantee a minimum number of sail times a month (Lite, Classic and Premier), and each boat is capped at a small number of members.
- Pricing: SailTime sets prices by base, boat and usage tier, and quotes them on request.
- Best for: sailors who want a newer, larger boat than they'd buy, with guaranteed time.
- Watch for: it's sail-only in most fleets, and you need to be a competent skipper (training is offered).
3. Fractional ownership: SeaNet and similar
What it is: you buy a share of an actual yacht alongside a few other owners, and a management company runs scheduling and upkeep.
- In SoCal: SeaNet operates fractional ownership programs in Newport Beach.
- Pricing: the purchase price of your share, plus your share of running costs. You also carry the ownership risk and depreciation on your share.
- Best for: buyers who want to own a share of a yacht without buying the whole boat.
- Watch for: a larger up-front commitment, resale depends on the market, and running costs aren't fixed. We go deeper in SeaNet vs. Artizia: Fractional or Membership?.
4. Crewed yacht membership: Artizia Yachts
What it is: a small, capped group of members shares one large yacht, and a professional captain and crew run every trip.
- In SoCal: Artizia Yachts is launching in San Diego for the 2027 season on a 68-foot Galeon 640 Fly. Members will board in Point Loma.
- Pricing (published):
| Tier | Initiation | Monthly | Hours / year | Booking window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | $15,000 | $1,000 | 8 | 4 months |
| VIP | $30,000 | $4,000 | 32 | 6 months |
| Executive | $100,000 | $7,000 | 80 | 12 months |
- What's included: captain, crew, bartender, catered food, drinks and fuel. There's no fuel bill or gratuity line.
- Cap: 18 members per yacht, all founding seats currently open.
- Best for: people who host family, clients or celebrations, and want a large yacht without driving, provisioning or owning.
- Watch for: fewer hours than a boat club, at a higher price per hour, because each hour includes a 68-foot yacht, a crew and the catering.
Elsewhere in the US, Barton & Gray Mariners Club runs a similar crewed membership. Crown & Caliber reported its pricing as a $24,500 initiation fee plus quarterly dues of $9,875–$29,625.
5. Traditional yacht clubs
What it is: a private club built around a clubhouse, racing, cruising events and reciprocal privileges at other clubs.
- In SoCal: San Diego Yacht Club, Southwestern Yacht Club, Coronado Yacht Club, Balboa Yacht Club and others.
- Pricing: initiation plus annual dues. Many clubs don't publish fees, and some require sponsorship or a waitlist.
- Best for: owners who want community, racing and a clubhouse.
- Watch for: membership usually doesn't include a boat. You bring your own.
How to choose
Start with two questions:
- Do you want to drive the boat? If yes, look at a boat club (powerboats) or SailTime (sail). If no, you want a crewed membership or a captain on a fractional share.
- Do you want a day boat or a yacht? A 25-foot club boat and a 68-foot flybridge yacht are different experiences. They suit different groups and occasions, and they cost very different amounts.
Then compare on cost per hour you'll actually use, not monthly dues. Count what's included: fuel, crew, food and drinks, and your own time captaining and cleaning up. For the all-in numbers side by side, read Yacht Ownership vs. Fractional vs. Charter vs. Boat Club vs. Membership: The Real Math.
Related reading
- Luxury Boat Club vs. Yacht Membership in San Diego
- What 30 Days a Year on a Yacht Actually Costs
- Why We Capped Membership at 18
Last reviewed November 2026. Third-party programs change their terms and most don't publish prices, so confirm current details with each provider. Artizia's current terms are on the membership page.
Join the Artizia interest list for first access to open boat days before the 2027 launch.
