Quartershare Presents the "NetJet" Business Model on the water

LOS ANGELES - Dec. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- Contact: Andrew Kimbel

Quartershare International

Phone 424-253-0554

Director@Quartershare.co (mailto:amkimbel@Quartershare.co)


Does Fractional Yacht Ownership Make As Much Sense As Fractional Jet Ownership?

Quartershare: The Fleet Factor

South Pasadena, CA, December 5, 2014: There are more than 10,000 private luxury yachts over 100' owned by individuals around the world; many of which have price tags exceeding that of a large private jet. The continued ownership expense is usually greater than 10% of the purchase price of the new boat and is incurrred every year of operation. The average boat of this size sits at port for 339 days per year with a salaried crew on board that can range in size from 5 to 12 or more members.

Quartershare International has announced the launching of a large yacht ownership model derived from the finest operators in the fractional jet industry. Andrew Kimbel, President of Quartershare International announced the launching of what he said “is perhaps the most innovative true ownership program ever to be introduced”.

Kimbel uniuquely is both a former commercial and corporate jet pilot and the Director of Operations in multi-location yacht dealership, brokerage and management firm.  Teaming up with business partner Joanne Galloway, they designed this program with a group of professionals within the aviation and maritime industries.The mission was to make an impact on what they saw as flawed business models for yacht ownership that exhibits tremendous inefficiency of utilization compared to the investment. They adopted the finest applicable features of the aviation fractional ownership model and applied them to the yachting industry.

Kimbel and Galloway saw an opportunity where owners could actually enjoy the experience of large luxury yacht ownership and the lifestyle it presents working with a much more attractive financial model rather than as a perpetual significant financial loss. The Quartershare program operation is based upon a growing fleet of identical name brand 130’ Motor Yachts of which each owner will have a minimum of a 25% interest in one boat. The owners are then able to utilize the fleet of boats that will be based in a variety of desirable cruising locations at no additional expense. Kimbel explained that each owner can in addition to their own boat, use any other vessel within the fleet at least 10 weeks per calendar year. This is more than the statistical average of owner occupied time on board a privately owned yacht of this size. The 40-week operational calendar allows for 12 weeks of scheduled maintenance, seasonal repositioning, yacht charter and rest for each vessel during the year. “Our yacht operations crews oversee maintenance and yacht detailing so they remain in showroom condition,” says Galloway

Like the aviation industry, safety is engrained in Quartershare’s corporate culture, from employing an experienced Director of Yacht Operations and hiring only the most experience crews that must undergo extensive initial training and annual recurrency. Quartershare provides a very unique career opportunity for yacht crews as they will be able to upgrade to larger vessels as the fleet expands. In addition, Quartershare utilizes airline type stringent predictive preventive calendar based maintenance schedules and real-time monitoring as to the location of each yacht, as well as the monitoring of major systems on each vessel from a central communications office via satellite. “We will not compromise on safety,” says Kimbel. “It’s important on a private jet, but just as important on a sea going vessel.

Quartershare offers a turnkey ownership experience by maintaining the yachts, overseeing crew who like their aviation counterparts are on a rotating schedule, and providing a red-carpet concierge service for owners and yacht charter clients.

The matching fleet of boats permits owners to schedule via a Internet reservations system that will allow them to see where the yachts are located and book their time on board accordingly from one day to one year in advance. “This also allows owners to schedule beyond their share of ownership or charter out weeks they might not use,” adds Galloway. We offer a 24/7 concierge service that will handle just about anything owners desire, whether it’s booking a last-minute cruise, a weekend getaway, selecting menu items that will be prepared by our gourmet chefs or getting tickets to a show. Our goal is to provide a hassle-free experience with none of the headaches normally encountered with boat ownership at significantly less expense.”

The operations model has been in design and market testing since 2009. Quartershare expects to have initial boats placed at Shelter Island in San Diego, Fort Lauderdale Florida, Hawaii and several ports in the Caribbean. The East Coast boats will be placed in New England during the summer months and offer passage and stays onboard to owners while making various stops such as a Golf outing in Myrtle Beach and cruises up the Hudson during transit.

Additional operational bases will later be established throughout the world. “There is really nothing like us in the marine industry,” says Kimbel. We have created the foundation for the most advanced yacht operations center and an entirely new means of yacht ownership, one that benefits the owners in every possible way.”

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