The Seafolk — a boat exchange club for owners

The Seafolk is a members' club where boat owners exchange time aboard each other's boats — a day on yours for a day on anyone's. No money changes hands between members and nothing is rented. Think home exchange, for boats.

If you are looking to swap boats with other owners, join a boat sharing club, or find a sailboat or yacht exchange instead of chartering, The Seafolk connects owners so everyone sails more, without renting. We are forming the founding fleet in US waters, and the club runs in 7 languages.

How it works

1. Join the club (founding member €90/year; general membership €180/year).
2. List your boat with photos and available dates — opening availability earns you credits, called Knots.
3. Spend your Knots to request time aboard another member's boat. The owner accepts or declines.

What's inside

• A fleet of members' boats to exchange, on reciprocity.
• A directory of professional skippers you can hire by the trip.
• A directory of local partners — cleaning, transfers, provisioning, marinas.
• A boating licence checker covering 42 flags: tells you whether your credential covers a given boat or cruising area.

Frequently asked questions

How does a boat exchange work?

You list your boat with available dates and earn credits (Knots). You spend those credits to request time aboard other members' boats, and the owner accepts or declines. You share your boat, and in return you get to sail others.

How is this different from chartering or renting a boat?

It is not a rental and not a charter: no member pays another member to use their boat. It is a reciprocal exchange between owners, balanced by an internal credit so the give and take stays fair.

Do I need a boating licence?

It depends on the boat and where you sail. In the US there is no federal recreational operator's licence, though most states require a boating safety education card. The Seafolk includes a licence checker covering 42 flags that tells you what applies to a specific boat and cruising area.

Who is it for?

Boat owners who use their boat a few weeks a year and would rather it earned them time on other people's boats than sit on its lines. If you don't own a boat, this club isn't for you yet.

En español — club de intercambio de barcos

The Seafolk es un club de intercambio de barcos entre miembros: comparte tu barco y, a cambio, navega el de otros socios. No es alquiler, es reciprocidad — nadie paga a otro socio por usar su barco. Si buscas compartir barco, intercambiar tu velero o yate o un club de propietarios de barcos, la web está disponible en español y en otros 6 idiomas.

Guías

• Qué es el intercambio de barcos y cómo funciona
• Intercambio de barcos vs. alquiler
• Boat exchange: share your boat (English)
• Share your boat with other owners (English)

Más información en theseafolk.com · Instagram @jointheseafolk.