TAMPA —The rackominium-dockominium concept is sunk, for now.

That has the Tampa Harbour Yacht Club charting a new course, turning from sales to leases to keep it afloat. The marina on West Tyson Avenue, formerly Bayside Marina, also plans to lease the once popular Rattlefish restaurant to a new operator and reopen it early next year.

Steered by economic currents, the club — one in a network owned by Yacht Clubs of the Americas — recently decided not to close on any of its preliminary sales of wet slips and rackominiums and convert the facility instead.

“We initially had about 90 sales,” said Jon Finstrom, president of YCOA. “Of these, for a variety of reasons, some couldn’t close and some wouldn’t. We made the decision not to close any and switch to rentals. We are still working through some issues with our lender, which has been a very good business partner.”

The New York investment firm iStar Financial gave YCOA, based in Fort Myers, and its founder, Steeven Knight, a $200 million loan to develop the company’s network of private luxury yacht clubs. People who buy dockominiums or rackominiums at any of the marinas in the chain become members and get reciprocal privileges at the various clubs.

Other YCOA marina locations include Key West, Stuart and Naples.

At Tampa Harbour Yacht Club, YCOA has invested about $60 million to buy and upgrade the marina and restaurant, Finstrom said. He declined to identify the new restaurant operator until the lease is finalized. The club has about 70 wet slips, called dockominiums, and dry storage for about 650 boats, called rackominums.

Buying space for a boat at the club as YCOA initially planned was not cheap. Depending on the size and location, rackominiums prices start in the $100,000 range. Wet slips — dockominiums — are priced by the linear foot, with prices ranging from $7,250 to $10,000 per foot.

“Obviously the economy is affecting us,” Finstorm said. “People are reluctant to pay $100,000 or more now with economic conditions.”

Because of the property’s zoning, there will be a club membership agreement included with wet slip and dry storage leases. Altogether, the club will employ about 60 people.

“All of this is evolving as we speak,” Finstrom said. “We’re working to finalize our plans and will be meeting with people who were to be buyers. We’re going to be a full-service facility and offer incentives. We have a new concept modifying the members-only criteria to allow people to use the club without having a boat.”

The concept of buying waterfront access seems to have lost some of its appeal.

Seven Kings Holdings Inc., owner of the Loggerhead Club & Marina brand, has always leased slips and dry storage space. Loggerhead clubs offer reciprocal docking privileges and have club-like amenities.

The company, based in Jupiter, bought Nautico Marina in St. Petersburg several months ago and opened its first Loggerhead Club & Marina on Florida’s West Coast.

Nautico’s business model revolved around boaters purchasing space in a private marina. Loggerhead leases space and opened the marina to the public.

The company evaluated the two business models and determined that buying a slip or dry rack would cost more than leasing space, said Chris Cantwell, marketing director for Seven Kings.

“By the time you pay the mortgage, insurance and fees, the expense is greater than renting a slip,” he said. “Our research showed that sometimes monthly dues are greater than monthly rentals.”

About 65 percent of the 325 dry storage racks have been leased, while leasing of Loggerhead’s wet slips is proceeding slower.

“It’s going well there, considering the economy,” Cantwell said. “It’s a great facility.”