Laura Shaughnessy is the former managing editor at Dockwalk.
Thanks to two active crewmembers who launched Lost and Found Crew (LAFC) in May, up to 2,022 yachties can now join the exclusive club via NFT. LAFC hosts events, retreats, and getaways that are specifically tailored for crew.
“We want to build a crew of thousands that feels like family and gives yachties a home away from home, beyond their boat."
For the three co-founders, Bosun Louis Forsyth, Deckhand Joshua Oliver, and LAFC’s Creative Director Selena Garrahan, their brand is about uniting crew, which means they don’t think of captains as higher up than a deckhand, etc. “It is something as a brand we feel strongly about that when you become part of our community, we are all equal members in something unique and truly special and there are no ranks or positions, which we feel already in itself will set us apart from the pack,” says Forsyth.
The vision for this yacht crew-focused club is “Make the most of our time as yachties,” and it was started by the three friends “who saw enormous potential to curate the best lifestyle that yachting has to offer,” says Forsyth. “Last summer, when our boat arrived in Barcelona, we knew lots of the boats that were moored in the city but none of the crews! It made us feel like we weren’t seizing the full potential of what yachting has to offer. This got us thinking about how we could connect crewmembers beyond their boats to truly make the most of their time in the industry.” And that’s how Lost and Found Crew came to be.
Lifetime NFT Membership
They were really interested in the world of Non-Fungible Tokens and became fascinated by the idea of applying NFTs to fuel something they loved. NFTs “have received a lot of attention over the last year, but many people still struggle to understand what all the hype is about,” Forsyth says. “Put simply, NFTs are a one-of-a-kind and can’t be replaced with something else. While most people think of digital art when they hear the word NFT, they can really be anything digital (whether that’s drawings, music, limited-edition media, or an access card to a community).”
Like any form of investment, investors believe that the value of their NFT will rise over time. “Some purchase NFTs as a collectible. Much like owning a Picasso painting, you’re in possession of something that is entirely unique. Increasingly, people are purchasing NFTs because of the utility they represent. In other words, it’s not the NFT itself that’s exciting — but what it represents (like access to an exclusive community that will receive members-only perks). That’s how the LAFC is using NFTs: as a vehicle, not the destination,” Forsyth says.
Once yacht crew purchase their NFT, they’re granted a lifetime membership, which gives them exclusive rights to participate in any experiences organized by the LAFC. These experiences include luxury retreats around the world, extreme fitness retreats and transformational wellness retreats, as well as exclusive events and once-in-a-lifetime parties.
NFT holders will receive exclusive access to all 2,021 other members through member-only social channels. As an NFT holder, each member has voting rights to influence future LAFC projects and experiences, giving them real ownership of what the LAFC brand becomes. “Over time, as the project grows and succeeds, so does the value of the investment that each member has made,” Forsyth explains.
4 Reasons to Join
So, why choose NFTs instead of the traditional forms of money? LAFC lists four reasons:
- There is an exclusiveness about NFTs: “The LAFC brand is all about providing exclusive experiences for yacht crew. By definition, there is nothing more exclusive than an NFT when it comes to the access cards. The LAFC NFT is made up of 2,022 NFTs, each of which has a unique serial number on it for the ultimate exclusive factor.”
- You can bring your vision to life faster: “We have big dreams for the yachtie community. NFTs give us the ability to fund and build those dreams in an unprecedented way. The ability to bring thousands of people together around a common goal overnight is something we hadn’t seen before NFTs came about.”
- You can build a brand alongside your audience: “Our aim is for every member of the LAFC to have a voice; to drive this project alongside us and play a key role in influencing the growth and evolution of the LAFC brand. This is one of the truly unique and modern benefits that an NFT brings that other business models don't.”
- When the brand succeeds, everyone succeeds: “What’s fantastic is that NFT holders aren’t just receiving an access card to the club, they’re also making a worthwhile investment. With only 2,022 LAFC NFTs available at drop, there are very limited spots to be purchased. Yet, there are over 5,000 yachts floating around the world. This means that demand could quickly exceed supply. As the project succeeds and gains popularity, the value of each LAFC NFT will inevitably increase. People can choose to hold their lifetime investment, or they can choose to sell it on at whatever price they deem worth it.”
LAFC Villa
“As part of our longer-term vision, we’ll be building the LAFC Villa, a modern, luxury take on the conventional ‘crew house.’ Only LAFC members will have the rights to stay at the LAFC Villa — a home away from home for yachties where they can come to relax, enjoy, and connect with other yacht crew,” he says.
Once yacht crew purchase their NFT, they’re granted a lifetime membership, which gives them exclusive rights to participate in any experiences organized by the LAFC.
“We don’t want to give too much away but one of the most exciting parts of our vision is that we plan on creating the LAFC Villa. Together with our members, we’ll dream up the ultimate home away from home where yacht crew can visit when they leave their vessel — a more inspiring and luxury version of the old crew house. The LAFC Villa will be a place where only LAFC members will have the right to stay. Here yachties will receive the full guest treatment,” Forsyth says, adding “It’s what we do best!”
A Fitting Name
“Many yachties are far away from their homes and families — floating around for months on end without a solid place to call home. We want to build a crew of thousands that feels like family and gives yachties a home away from home, beyond their boat. This is why the Lost and Found Crew felt like a fitting name. It also hints at the fact that yachties are explorers and adventure addicts by nature, evoking that sense of wanderlust that lives inside us,” he says.
“The hardest part of this process so far was pushing our friendship to new levels. Having worked with each other for three years and having lived in the same cabin for one year, we thought we knew everything about each other,” he says. “But working on a project like this definitely got us out of our comfort zone — the stress of working long hours on the boat while building this project on the side and having to learn so much along the way tested the limits of our friendship at times. But at the end of the day, it’s made all of us feel even closer, and taught us so much about perseverance, communication, and leadership. We’re incredibly excited to be on this journey together.”
Follow them on Instagram @lafcnft.