re: Partnering with friend(s) on a camp/boat

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I owned 1/4 of a 26 foot Mako center console with twin 250's on a bracket from 1996 - 2010. It was in dry storage at a marina in Stuart Florida. The other 3 owners consisted of 2 old friends of mine and an old friend of one of those 2. We never really had any issues. All of us worked hard not to...we all lived in Athens and Atlanta and 2 of the 4 us may have used the boat 10 times without one of the other 2 of us present...I used it more than anyone because I was self-employed and could get away about any time I wanted. I did most of the maintenance myself and I don't remember anyone ever squabbling over spending money on the boat on their own...if it needed something one of us just took care of it. We had a "maintenance" fund but I had restored the boat from the keel up myself so it was kind of my baby and as such I did almost all of the maintenance myself and out of my pocket...had we had to repower or something like that it would have been split 4 ways but luckily it never needed it...2 stroke OMCs were easy to fix and about bullet proof. We each had our own tackle and the boat had some tackle (almost all of the "boat's tackle" was mine originally). We had a storage unit about a mile from the marina where we stored tackle with the boat tackle staying on the boat. I had a truck parked at the storage unit and we all used it while in town. Most of the time I was partners in the boat I could fly from Atlanta to Ft Lauderdale for less than $100 round trip and most of the time the marina would pick me up at the airport and take me to the truck. There were times when I would have to pay one of the deck hands in the area (LOADS of them in the area) to pick me up but the Marina was pretty reliable about it....I could call them on Thursday and tell them I would be in Ft Lauderdale at 8 AM Friday and the boat would be in the water, iced down and full of gas by the time I made it to the storage unit and to the Marina. It worked out great. We were lucky though and we worked really hard to make sure it worked because we all had heard the horror stories and were committed to having as little drama as possible. Had any one of the 4 of us not been willing to do what was necessary to get along I am certain it would've been a NIGHTMARE.

We allowed family and friends to use the boat while we were present. During especially good times of the year (sailfish bite off Stuart November - March is world class) we each had a seat on the boat if it was in the water....so we all knew that there may be 4 of us at anytime which is pretty tight on a 26 foot boat. Guests were allowed during these times with the understanding that if one of the owners wanted to go there was practical space for 4 people. It never became a problem because none of us lived in the area and getting there was an issue....had we lived in the area this would have not worked as well most likely. We planned accordingly even then. Most of the time when one of the other 3 planned to come something happened and they couldn't make it...I almost never cancelled LOL.

The key is to make certain that the other people involved are open and willing to do what is necessary to avoid drama...not easy to find amongst men. It can work but it is a razor thin margin of error that any single person can ruin for everyone.

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You should sell boats for a living.

I'm ready to invest in the official OB Yellowfin right now. We can store it in Venice.