How Much Does A Carefree Boat Club Membership Cost
The cost to become a member of the Carefree Boat Club will depend on the type of membership you sign up for and at what location. You can become an active member with a one-time initiation fee that will cost from $3,500 to $5,500, followed by monthly dues which would be around $350 per month.
For an even more affordable option, some lower-tiered memberships can be as little as $175 a month. These memberships are the perfect solution for those who only want to use their boat on weekdays and dont need full membership privileges like unlimited boating days or access to all boats in inventory.
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The company says that costs will depend on location, local cost of living, and fleet. They also say that the membership options and availability will also influence the final cost.
A boating magazine once featured a couple from Maryland. The article said the two people paid $315 per month for boat storage, plus fuel costs at one of four different waterways they had access to in that area.
According to someone on RipoffReport, membership to the club costs $3,500 and another monthly fee of $350. One Yelp review from a Washington D.C.-based member claimed that their final cost was just under $2,000 for joining fees plus an additional expenditure of around $385 per month in order to stay active within the club.
How A Boat Club Usually Works
Boat clubs usually involve an up-front enrollment fee and then a monthly charge for continued participation. Membership dues vary from a month-by-month price to a yearly enrollment charge, and rates vary widely. In areas with more water access, fees tend to be lower. In areas with high demand and fewer available waterways, dues can be higher.
Once you pay the fees, you have access to the clubs collection of boats. You can borrow a boatwithout paying extra chargeson a reservation basis at one or multiple locations. Most boat clubs maintain the vessels and oversee regular cleaning, fueling, and other concerns. You just make a reservationor stop inget in a boat, and you can head off into the water.
Boat clubs can often include boating lessons or similar services. Chartered boating excursions may also be part of the club offerings.
Freedom Boat Club Membership Cost
The Freedom Boat Club is a dream for many people who may not have the opportunity or financial freedom of owning their own boat. The club offers an unforgettable boating experience, with many options to choose from and minimal hassle in terms of maintenance costs when compared with buying and owning your own boat.
The Freedom Boat Club not only provides a place for people to rent boats but also offers the opportunity of having fun in an escape from everyday life. The club owners believe that boating should be more than just a nuisance, because it can provide relaxation and help create memories with friends and family members alike.
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Boatsetter Vs Nautical Boat Club
Like many other boat clubs on this list, Nautical Boat Club has an initial one-time membership cost and an ongoing monthly cost. The monthly membership cost may vary depending on the boat and the location. The total for your first year with Nautical Boat Club can range from $4535 to $14,355. Our goal at Boatsetter is to make boating accessible to everyone by not tying our customers to recurring fees. All 4500 of our boats across the country are available for rent, no catches.
What Is The Jacksonville Boat Club
Golfers dont buy golf courses they join the Country Club and share the facilities. Jacksonville Boat Club operates a lot like that. We are a private Boating Club whose members have all the benefits of owning their own boat but none of the hassles and expense of maintenance and repairs that go along with it. They also dont have a boat loan or insurance payments. They dont even pay to store the boats. Without all that aggravation, they also go boating a lot more and are able to experience just the enjoyable part of being on the water with family and friends and none of the aggravations.
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How Much Is A Boat Club Membership
The cost of a boat club membership can vary based on your preferences, needs, and how often you plan to take advantage of your membership. It is almost assured, however, that the costs will be considerably lower in the long term than the cost of buying and maintaining your own boat making a boat club an appealingly affordable option for a wide range of water lovers.
Some of the costs that you will need to factor into the tally of the final price include initiation fees and dues. The costs will also be directly impacted by the size and types of boats you plan to enjoy access to out on the water Jax Boat Club offers a range of options that vary from Stingrays to Rinker Express Yachts. The sizes of the boats determine your membership level for a general estimate, keep in mind that prices typically begin between $3,500.00 to $4,500.00 with monthly dues in the $300.00 to $350.00 range.
You can learn more about membership costs and becoming a member at www.jaxboatclub.com or call the office for membership information at 904.477.9794.
How Long Beforehand Should I Make A Reservation
This is one of the most commonly asked questions about boat membership clubs. Will there be any boats available during the peak season? How far in advance should I book my reservation?
Both Carefree Boat Club and Freedom Boat Club try to stick to set ratios that ensure they have enough boats for all members to comfortably enjoy and experience being on the water. For every ten members, there should be one boat.
This ensures that every member has an opportunity to access their premier selection of boats.
There is a good possibility that you may be able to call your local marina and reserve a boat for the day of your trip. This is particularly true during the off-season when sailing is not quite as popular.
However, you may want to be safe rather than sorry if you know there are specific dates that you would like to use a boat.
At Freedom Boat Club, you can make up to four reservations through their online app up to six months in advance. You can also make reservations up to six months in advance at Carefree Boat Club.
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Boatsetter Vs Carefree Boat Club
Like most boat clubs, Carefree Boat Club has an initial membership fee and an annual fee. These fees vary depending on the location and may even be monthly. According to Godownsize.com, the initial membership cost ranges from $4,000 to $6,000, and a monthly cost ranging from $140 to $300. As you can see, the price of renting a boat can add up quickly. If you have the time to use a boat every month, you might get the full value out of Carefree Boat Club, but it wont be easy. By renting a boat with Boatsetter, you can avoid all initiation and monthly/annual fees! Just pay each time you would like to take out a boat, and you are all set for a fun day out on the water. With over 4500 active boats on our platform across the country, you can find the perfect boat for your needs.
How Much Do Exclusive Boat Clubs Cost
Exclusive boat clubs can cost thousands of dollars per month, as well as a hefty initial fee. Keep in mind that the most expensive boat clubs are typically those located in the most densely populated cities.
When slips come at a premium, you can expect the monthly dues to be more expensive as well.
A boat club that has a more extensive fleet is also likely to charge more per month. In return, you likely have access to much newer models and a wider variety of sailing opportunities.
Exclusive boat clubs must charge more to make up for the fact that they do not have incoming fees from a wider group of members.
However, this does come with some benefit to you.
When you are paying this much for a boat club membership, you are also likely receiving true unlimited access to the fleet.
You can typically place a reservation for any day of the week on any of their available boats with a greater degree of success. In fact, many exclusive boat clubs boast a reservation success rate of ninety percent or higher.
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Advantages & Disadvantages Of Boat Clubs
Lets break down the advantages and disadvantages of a boat club:
Advantages
- Boat clubs provide a wide range of boat types and sizes.
- Boat club prices are far less than buying most new boats, and in many cases different levels of membership are available at different price-points.
- Reservations can be made ahead of time for specific models, or you can grab whatevers available on the spur of the moment.
- Boat club membership comes with a number of perks ranging from boating education to insurance coverage.
- The club takes care of maintenance and tends to keep the fleet in excellent condition.
- Some membership plans include reciprocal rights to go boating at the clubs different locations, so you may be able to utilize your membership from coast to coast.
Disadvantages
- You dont actually own the boats, so you cant customize them.
- A boat youd like to take out on the spur of the moment may have been reserved by someone else on that particular day.
- There may be some restrictions and/or required training for overnight use.
- Although joining a boat club is far less expensive than owning the average boat, its still a substantial expense.
Which Club Has More Locations
One of the major differences between the Freedom and Carefree Boat Clubs is their variety of locations. When you sign up for a membership with either of these boat clubs, you gain access to the fleets at every location.
This can be an excellent way to spend a vacation out on the water in a different locale.
Choosing the boat club with the most locations gives you the ultimate flexibility regarding where you can travel with access to the water.
Freedom Boat Club has been well established for many years and boasts more than 190 different locations. They cover more than thirty states and Canada.
More than 20,000 members have already signed up for their extensive offering.
However, they still manage to boast impressive success rates for the reservation of their ships.
Carefree Boat Club definitely comes in second when it comes to locations. Throughout the United States and Canada, they have just 77 unique locations.
Here are a few more statistics that you might want to consider before deciding to sign up with Carefree:
- 39,000 boat trips
- 3,300 members
- 530 boats
While they may not have the same breadth as Freedom Boat Club, they still have many members across the country who are successfully sailing on their fleet.
Because of their low numbers, they can offer more personalized services, as you can see in the section below.
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Savings Over 5 Years By Being A Gold Member Of The Bartlett Lake Marina Boat Club Vs Ownership: $50385
Bartlett Lake Marina Boat Club is a membership-based boat club that provides its members with everything needed to enjoy a fantastic day of boating in the Arizona sun. Bartlett Lake Marina Boat Club cuts out all hassles of boat ownership for a fraction of the cost of owning and maintaining a boat. In addition, you have access to 14 boats ranging from pontoons to Searay boats.Unlike boat dealerships that require a 5 year contract and a large down payment, we only require a one year contract, small initial payment and no credit check. Our staff can have you on the water, enjoying beautiful Bartlett Lake in a few hours.Bartlett Lake Marina Boat Club enables you, your family and friends to experience the boat culture without the hassles, time and expense associated in boat ownership. Your only responsibility is getting out on the water and participate in the enjoyment of boating.We are offering you a private membership club, providing you with access to a fleet of beautiful, professionally-owned and maintained power boats seven days a week.Why own a boat when you can use the fleet for less than half the cost!Our members enjoy the benefits of their boating time on the water with family, friends, and business partners without the expense and hassle of boat payments, insurance costs, slip fees, maintenance, repairs or storage. What makes Bartlett Lake Marina Boat Club attractive is that we take care of all of these expenses and we take care of you.
How Do I Cancel My Freedom Boat Club Membership
To cancel your membership, all that is required from most of the club locations is receipt of a written notice at least 60-days in advance of your requested cancellation date. Be sure to check with your local club to confirm the specific advance notice requirement, as a few clubs may require longer lead times.
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South Florida Boat Club
The South Florida Boat Club boasts two significant locations, one in the famous Fort Lauderdale area and another in Key Biscayne. Together, these two destinations have been serving the greater Miami area for more than a decade.
They place a great emphasis on maintaining their large fleet and helping it to grow in accordance with the number of members enrolled in their program. Based on the demand from their customers, South Florida Boat Club can offer a wide variety of boats, including center-console boats, bowriders, deck boats, and cruiser models.
Each year, the United States Coast Guard inspects each boat to ensure that it is still seaworthy from the previous season. This gives prospective members more peace of mind about their safety out on the open water.
Another key feature of the South Florida Boat Club is that there are no restrictions on the amount that you can use a boat. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance, but there is no limit to the number of reservations you can make with a full membership. There are no daily charges for taking a boat out on the water. You pay only for the cost of fuel.
Questions Most Frequently Asked About Boat Clubs And Memberships
Freedom Boat Club
Thanks for your inquiry!
We will be sending you all the details about local plans, discounts & local partnerships. In the meantime, check out the local reviews, events and frequently asked questions for your local club.
Where would you like to boat?
So, youre interested in possibly joining a boat club, but youre not really sure what to ask or perhaps how to conduct a thorough analysis of clubs in your market.
Many of our prospective members are either brand new or relatively new to boating, while others are often seasoned boaters who are just learning about the boat club option.
At Freedom Boat Club, we believe our prospective members should be very well educated about boat clubs prior to making a decision to join. With a nationwide 93% retention rate and 20,000+ active members in 31+ U.S. states, Canada, and France, we at Freedom Boat Club believe in full transparency. We also believe it is our business to help customers navigate through this important club review process so they can make the best decision for themselves and their family.
Founded in 1989, Freedom Boat Club is the largest and oldest boat club in North America. Our club managers know the questions prospective members want to know! As a service to help newcomers and experienced boaters alike, we have compiled a series of 31 Questions Most Frequently Asked about Boat Clubs and Memberships.
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How Do You Join A Boat Club
To join a boat club you must pay an initial membership fee and fill out your clubs paperwork. Today, most boat clubs use an online registration and reservation system. Your boat clubs administration will be able to walk you through the steps required to join their club.
Be sure to carefully read the terms of your agreement with the boat club, as these terms often contain important information about how the clubs reservation system works and any restrictions on the use of club boats
Many boat clubs require that new members go through training before taking boats out on the water.
Often, you are given the option between individual and group training. Group training can serve as a way to introduce yourself to fellow boat club members.
See The Differences For Yourself
Many people still find themselves torn between the two boat clubs. Each has its own advantages that might appeal to some people more than others.
If you find that you are still conflicted about which boat club is right for you, it might help you to see the differences for yourself.
Look up the location that is closest to your home and take a trip to see the fleet itself and talk with employees. This can also help you to get the most accurate pricing on a membership that suits your schedule and sailing needs.
Both companies have been well-established for quite some time.
While you can hardly go wrong with either one, this comparison might help you to make a better decision for your vacation, summer sailing plans, and even your wallet.
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