Financials & Maintenance
Absolute transparency. Two-bucket accounting. Zero surprise cash calls.
The Two-Bucket System
The true cost of owning a yacht isn't just the purchase price—it's the ongoing maintenance and the unpredictable emergencies. Traditional co-ownership collapses under the weight of surprise cash calls. We eliminate this with a legally and conceptually separate two-bucket accounting model.
The predictable, fixed annual expenses. Billed proportionally to each owner as a recurring monthly fee.
- Mooring & marina fees
- Platform SaaS fee
- Winterization & haul-out
- Standard engine servicing
- Annual insurance premium
The emergency cash reserve for the unpredictable. Sits in the LLC's bank account, never touched unless needed.
- Insurance deductibles
- Blown sails or running rigging
- Saildrive or engine failures
- Unexpected electronics failures
- Storm or collision damage excess
The Reserve Seed & Personal Wallet
When you purchase your share, you don't just pay for the equity. You also contribute a one-time Reserve Seed of €1,000. With 8 owners, this creates an €8,000 emergency cash buffer sitting in the LLC's bank account on Day 1—before the boat ever leaves the dock.
To ensure your boat is never stranded waiting for funds, all owners maintain a €1,000 balance in their 8kts wallet. If an unexpected repair occurs, your share of the cost is seamlessly covered by your wallet. You will then receive a notification to simply top-up your wallet at your convenience, ensuring the syndicate is always 100% financially secure.
The Warranty Shield (New Builds)
For our factory new-build syndicates (Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon, Beneteau), the shipyard's own warranty acts as the first line of financial defence. Major shipyards provide 3 to 5-year warranties covering the hull and all major systems.
For the first few years of ownership, catastrophic failures—a faulty saildrive, a hull osmosis defect, an electrical system fault—are the shipyard's financial problem, not the owners'. The Sinking Fund is therefore primarily a Year 3+ backstop, giving new-build syndicates exceptional financial predictability in their formative years.
Special Capital Call (Last Resort)
In the rare scenario where a major expense—such as a total engine replacement—exceeds the Sinking Fund balance, the platform can trigger a Special Capital Call. This is a transparent, documented request to all co-owners to contribute their pro-rata share of the shortfall.
Capital Calls are always initiated with full cost documentation, three competing contractor quotes, and a 14-day response window. An owner who declines a Capital Call is subject to the default protections in the SPV operating agreement.
Service Provider Marketplace
8kts is a software company, not a boatyard. Instead of locking you into proprietary, overpriced maintenance contracts, we provide a curated marketplace of vetted local professionals.
Your syndicate connects directly with premium fleet operators, cleaners, and mechanics. The platform tracks service records, manages vendor invoices, and pays them directly from your reserve account, giving you institutional-grade oversight without the manual labor.
Majority Voting Engine
Transparency requires consensus. For large, unbudgeted expenses (like upgrading electronics or relocating the vessel to a new marina), the platform initiates a formal proposal. Owners vote directly through the app, with voting power proportional to their equity share. Once a >50% majority is reached, the action is automatically approved and funded from the appropriate bucket.