MyBoatShares expands its customer base

STUART, Fla. – MyBoatShares, a partnered boat-ownership program, has added five Jacksonville, Fla., boat retailers to its dealer network and expanded its product offerings to boating enthusiasts, it reported in a recent statement.

In Jacksonville, Haskell’s Marine, Jacksonville Yacht Sales and Atlantic Coast Marine will sell MyBoatShares partnerships in 23- to 40-foot center-console and sport fishers, cruisers, pontoons and performance and ski boats. In addition, MyBoatShares will offer clients partnered ownership of boats at Riverbend Marine in St. Augustine and Ocean Outboard Marine in Amelia Island.

“With new boat sales declining over the past three years, due, in part, to a weak economy, boat dealers are looking for new ways to move inventory and improve margins,” said Glenn Enriquez, CEO of MyBoatShares. “Our unique program provides an opportunity for them to network with other dealers, cross-sell a wider assortment of boat brands and models and offer flexible ownership options to a larger pool of potential boat buyers.”

MyBoatShares works through the Internet and marine dealerships to create partnership among two to four like-minded enthusiasts to share the expenses of boat ownership, leaving storage, regular maintenance and repair to the MyBoatShares asset-management program, the company explained. As managers of each boat partnership, MyBoatShares takes care of these items, as well as financing and loan repayment, insurance and managing an online reservation system.

“MyBoatShares provides us with greater flexibility and more opportunities to help prospective buyers walk out of our dealership with a new boat,” said Buddy Haskell, president of Haskell Marine. “It’s a competitive advantage for us and a real benefit to today’s boaters, who are weighed down by the rising costs of boat ownership, including fuel prices and storage.”

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