The SeaFolk boat exchange club, born from an intuition of Ignacio López, allows the owners of boats to travel around the world by exchanging time on board with a point system. Without money passes, but with a lot of passion and shared competence, the project is based on a key principle: pure sharing, similar to what happens in the real estate sector with platforms such as HomeExchange or ThirdHome. The idea arises from a common problem among shipowners: to pay a boat that is used a few weeks a year and, when you want to sail in distant seas, to spend thousands of euros in a charter, leaving your own boat moored in the port of home.
An alternative model to the charter tradition
The SeaFolk system is based on a simple but revolutionary idea: members do not exchange money, but virtual points called “Knots”, which can be redeemed to sail on board other boats. Those who make their boat available earn Knots, which can then use to explore other destinations. This approach eliminates the risk of slipping into the so-called “maskcharter”, where you pay high costs without getting a really different service. The relationship between the members is fundamental: you do not rent a boat to a stranger, but you lend to another shipowner who knows what it means to have one.
Sharing is not just an idea, but a shared ethics. The project is based on a principle of mutual respect for boats, which is hardly found in standard commercial rental. The goal is to create an exclusive community, a club reserved for shipowners, where passion and competence are shared without economic barriers.
The bureaucracy and nautical licences
International navigation often entails a judiciary of bureaucratic rules and cables, starting from the validity of the command titles. To solve this problem, The SeaFolk has developed an internal nautical license verification tool, crossing 123 titles with the regulations of 42 flags. The goal is to ensure that members can navigate safely, avoiding bad surprises or legal problems. The Italian driver's license is not always recognized in all countries. For the Italian driver's license within 12 miles, the official award arrives in 9 flags out of 42, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland. In other 22 it is accepted in fact or with conditions, while in 11 there is no published norm. The IC (International Certificate of Competence), for comparison, is officially recognized in 28 flags.
Ignacio López points out that a common equivocal is to think that it accounts for the nationality of the boat. In reality, the flag of the boat counts: an Italian on a boat with a Spanish or Croatian flag must look at the norm of that flag, not the Italian one. To avoid problems, The SeaFolk performs bureaucratic checks upstream, before members come into contact. In addition, to ensure maximum safety, exchanges take place with the shipowner on board or with the help of a professional skipper.
The project continues to evolve, responding to the needs of the people of sailors: to cushion fixed-management costs, to explore new navigation basins and to be able to count on local reference figures for serenity exits. One of the latest innovations is about compromise: members who share the property of a boat can now share and manage together the same mountain of Knots. The development plan includes the expansion for strategic bases, starting from the Mediterranean basin, integrated with a network of side services designed to offer the same comfort of the charter, but with the spirit of the club. The SeaFolk brings with it an important message of environmental sustainability. Better use the boats that already exist, instead of putting in water new ones for the charter. A shared ethics that enhances the existing fleet, reduces the ecological footprint and returns to the sea its most authentic value: sharing among sailors.
- The SeaFolk boat exchange club allows owners to travel around the world without spending money.
- The system is based on a point system called “Knots”, which can be redeemed to sail on board other boats.
- The bureaucratic checks are carried out upstream to ensure the safety and legality of trade.
- The project promotes