Sailtime’s base in Austin, Texas hopes to attract sailors looking for regular access to local waters, without the hassles of ownership.

Hurricane Wilma splintered your hull. The condo crush absorbed your marina. Maintenance chores are putting blisters on your blisters. Whatever the reason, suppose you find yourself in the market for regular or semi-regular access to a keel boat in your local area with overnight cruising amenities—one that can be had without the full financial commitment of ownership What are your alternatives?

To answer this question, Practical Sailor compared the economics of chartering, chartering through membership in a sailing school or for-profit club, community access sailing clubs, and timesharing. For this comparison, we put ourselves in the shoes of a sailor in the San Francisco Bay Area who is seeking to take…