One boat. Three ways in.
The difference isn't the catamaran. It's how you own it.
Same water, same boat. What changes is the structure underneath, and which one fits your situation.
Three ways in. One of them is probably yours.
I.
Guarantee · For the Lifestyle buyer
Guaranteed Income.
The operator pays you a fixed return, often quoted around 8% of the yacht's value per year, paid monthly, across roughly five to six years, whether the boat charters well or not. You hold title from day one. The operator absorbs the operating costs and carries the performance risk. Personal use comes through a points allocation.
It's the most predictable of the three, and the lowest-friction. You're receiving income rather than running an operation, which keeps it simple but also leaves most tax positioning off the table. If what you want is time on remarkable water with the income as a welcome offset rather than the reason you bought, this is usually the fit.
II.
Performance · For the Investor buyer
Revenue Share.
You take a percentage of gross charter revenue, commonly 70% in the stronger programs, with operating costs drawn from your share and distributions paid quarterly. You carry the performance variability, and in exchange you sit closest to actually operating a business.
This is the model where U.S. tax positioning can come into play, if the activity clears the relevant tests, and it rarely does so by accident. It rewards the buyer who brings an accountant in early, can live with charter income that moves around, and wants a yield asset with a genuine tax angle rather than a guaranteed cheque.
III.
Partnership · For the Retirement buyer
Forward-Sale Partnership.
You pay a fraction of retail upfront, often 45% to 60%, and take no income during the term. The operator holds title for roughly six years, then transfers the boat to you at no further cost. Built for the buyer whose endgame is a paid-for vessel and time on the water along the way, rather than current yield or a tax position.
It's the patient option. Nothing comes back to you during the term, but you exit owning the boat outright, free of the fleet, having paid well below full retail to get there.
Which one is yours?
The right program depends on your situation, not the brochure.
A thirty-minute conversation is usually enough to tell which of these three even deserves your attention. No pitch. We talk through your objective, your timeline, and the questions worth asking before anything is signed.