Own a Share in a Dutch Barge in France
Enjoy canal boating in France, without the headaches of sole ownership. Join a syndicate with strong management and a well-maintained barge.
Enjoy serenity on canals in the French countryside and benefit from syndicate ownership.
What your share gives you
Annual allotment of time
The share entitles you to two weeks cruising one year followed by three cruising weeks the following year.
Association membership
Voting privileges at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Members’ only website
A private owners’ website, with AGM minutes, financial statements, maintenance logs and cruising reports.
Project Subheading One
What is Shared Ownership?
Donjeux is the property of a group of owners who have come together in the Donjeux Owners’ Association. This is a shared- ownership agreement, which is fundamentally different from time-sharing. In shared-ownership you own an agreed part of the asset, which means that if and when it is sold you get back part of the sale proceeds. In time-sharing you merely get a licence to use the asset for a specified period.
Shared-ownership also means that shareholders are actively involved in the management of the asset. In the Donjeux Owners’ Association they agree at the Annual General Meeting, which is held in late November or early December, who will be the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Engineer for the following year, next year’s budget and resulting owners’ Annual Contribution, what programme of maintenance and improvement to be undertaken and any other relevant matters.
Shared-ownership is therefore an efficient and cost-effective method of enjoying a capital asset at a much lower cost than owning it entirely oneself or of leasing it from a hire company. You can enjoy cruising the French canals economically and in a high standard of comfort.
Project Subheading Two
The Booking System
The booking system, run by the Bookings Secretary, allows the owner of each share to book in advance up to 3 weeks use of the boat each year. Because the season for French leisure canals is from to March to November, owners must alternate years between two and three weeks’ use. Over time, this averages to 2.5 weeks per season.
Owners who are Special Status Shareholders are guaranteed that their weeks always fall during school holidays. Currently there are a maximum of two Special Status Shares and the owners pay a 25% premium on their Annual Contribution to the Barge Fund.
At the beginning of July each year the Bookings Secretary will send out the Booking Chart to owners, in priority order, inviting them to choose their weeks for the following year. When the annual booking process has been completed owners can request additional weeks that may be vacant.