Freedom Boat Club Overview
The monthly fee will entitle a member to unlimited boating at their home port location and four outings a year at any of the 80+ locations throughout the world. A member may have up to four active reservations at a time and can book as far out as six months in advance.
Freedom Boat Club boats range from 16 to 24 feet, including flats, skiffs, deck boats, pontoons, bow rides, sailboats, and kayaks, with almost all boats younger than three years old. All options will vary from location to location.
The club will clean, maintain, store and do all of the prep work on its fleet so you dont have to.
The membership will also include a two-hour training class to learn how to operate the various boats in the fleet.
According to members, a two million dollar insurance policy along with a $2,500 deductible is included as well, but this may vary from location to location.
Aside from the boats, clubs will hold a dock party at least once a month, offering a member the opportunity to meet other members of the club.
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The first thing you should do before searching for rental homes is decide on an ideal budget. Consider how much of your income goes towards bills and what you have left over at the end of each month. Also, remember that when first moving in, you will need to account for at least a deposit and first months rent.
A Sound Future Investment
Youll never hear anyone say this about a buying a boat, but investing in Carefree Boat Club is truly a sound investment. As the club grows, the more its value increases. When you join at your local lake, you will also enjoy membership privileges at any of the clubs 50+ other locations. So theres a big benefit in choosing a club that has branches at locations to which youd like to visit. One trend we are seeing more and more of is club members planning their vacations around other boat club locations. Simply click on one of the pricing guide download links, and we will send you our detailed guide to Carefree Boat Club Cost.
Are you a member of carefree boat club? Let us know what your experience has been like in the comments.
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How Do Boat Clubs Work
Boat clubs allow members to access a boat from their fleet after paying a monthly fee. A member can reserve a boat for a specific day and time and the club will ensure they have that boat for their boating needs. The club takes care of boats maintenance and insurance, and they also teach members how to boat.
If you do not have the money to buy and maintain a boat, boat club memberships allow you inexpensive access to a boat. This comes in handy for new boaters who are not sure whether boating is the right hobby for them. Before you buy a boat that you may only use a few times every year, try joining a boat club.
If you are new to boating, the boat club offers training to start you off with boating. There are several other perks that may come with a boat club membership, including slides and skis among other water toys.
You do not have to boat alone when you can join other boaters at the club and make new friends. The gatherings can be a great place to learn more about boating and make a few new friends.
How many boats do you have access to? If you join a small boat club serving a community by the lake, you will have access to only a few boats. However, if you join an Oceanside club serving tourists and larger communities, you will have access to several boats.
The Freedom Boat Club is one of the oldest boat clubs, and they have a variety of boats, including cruisers, bow riders, deck boats, and fishing boats. Such a club doesnt restrict the boat you take out each time.
Do I Need To Carry Insurance
Do you have to pay additional fees for insurance with a membership through Carefree Boat Club or Freedom Boat Club? You may be worried about the potential cost of adding insurance to an already pricey membership fee.
Fortunately, you do not have to worry about adding this security policy to your monthly fee.
Carefree Boat Club maintains insurance that will cover all of the boats in their fleet, as well as third-party liability. However, you will be responsible for covering the deductible on this insurance policy if you cause damage to the boat.
Freedom Boat Club also boasts an impressive insurance policy that would be equal to the coverage you would have if you had purchased a boat.
You are listed as a permissive operator under the physical damage policy and protected by a $1,000,000 watercraft liability policy.
This additional protection offers you some security from third-party claims made while you are operating one of the boats from the fleet. Participating in watersports like tubing or wakeboarding may increase your chances of third-party claims, so this can help to put your mind at ease.
You can rest easy knowing that you have some protection from major damages and accidents when you sign up under either of these major boat clubs.
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How To Cancel A Freedom Boat Club Membership
Every Freedom Boat Club can set its own rules and policies to some extent. Typically, your contract is for a year, and the membership will automatically renew unless you notify the club in time.
Most clubs follow the general guideline by requiring a written, 60-day notice of cancellation before the end of the membership term. Check with your boat club to ensure the rule is the same. Some local clubs require a 90-day notice, while others only need to know 30 days in advance.
Contact them by phone to let them know youre canceling the membership and that youve sent the letter. As long as you notify your club within the required time frame, your membership will end at the end of your contract.
How Boat Clubs Work
Dont think of this option as a boat rental club, nor as a boat share club, nor as a peer-to-peer service. Renting, sharing, and peer-to-peer are each a bit different. In this case, the way it works is the boat club itself owns and maintains a fleet of various types and sizes of boats. You pay a membership fee and monthly dues to join the club. Then the entire fleet is available to youcruisers, bowriders, fishing boats, sailboats, and more.
You can choose a center console and catch some dinner one day and then take the kids out on a watersports boat for some wakeboarding the next, so the experience is really an entire family boat club experience no matter what sort of boating one family member or another likes the most. Plus, most boat clubs maintain some form of reservation service or website so you can choose whichever boat youd like to use on a specific day, ahead of time.
Find out more about other alternatives to boat ownership, includingâ¦
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Does Freedom Boat Club Have Sailboats And How Much Can You Use The Boats
Freedom Boat Club started in 1989, making it one of the oldest operating boat clubs in the U.S. It started in Sarasota, Florida, and then grew all over the U.S. and later in Canada and France. Today, you can access FBC in more than 210 locations.
The club has at least 2,400 boats and more than 20,000 members. Although they do not have sailboats, they offer bow riders, cruisers, fishing boats, and . Most boats are between 12 and 25 feet. You do not have to limit yourself to the same boat as you can pick any boat you like as long as you are a member.
The boat fuel is not part of the fee you pay. Before you reserve a boat, you need to consider how much fuel it will consume in the duration you will have it out in the waters.
Some clubs offers special plans that may limit when you access the boats. Some of these plans include:
Weekday-only plan
Unlimited usage
Friends and family usage plan
You will have unlimited access to the boats during the time that the boats are accessible to you. For instance, if you pick a weekend-only plan, the boat will be available to you on weekends for unlimited usage.
New Jersey Boating Made Simple
New Jersey is a place of adventure when it comes to boating. There are 127 miles of coastline and hundreds of miles of bay-shore. Beyond that, there are inland lakes and tributaries. Most of the states counties, 17 out of 21, border saltwater.
The state makes it pretty easy to get boater safety education, certifications and meet other requirements.
You can obtain a boating license through an online course and there is a wealth of educational courses available online that meet New Jersey state requirements. The states boating laws are also online, as well as applications to waive certain boating restrictions and to hold a marine event.
If you become a boating club member, the club will have all this information for you as well. Most, if not all, hold safety courses and assist in getting a boating license. They host boating events and do all the applications for those events, so you have little to do in preparation other than show up and register.
Boat clubs are a great way to enjoy the sport without all the responsibility of owning a boat. It saves people money and time because everything is there.
There are at least six in New Jersey to look at when considering possible boat clubs.
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Do I Have To Cancel My Freedom Boat Club Membership If I Move
No, you dont have to cancel your membership if you move too far away from your local boat club. Youll probably be able to find another Freedom Boat Club near your new home. You can usually transfer your current membership to the new club without issues.
Contact your local club to ask about their requirements, and contact the club near your new location to make sure the transfer goes smoothly. Typically, youll need to inform them in writing within their specified time frame, usually 60 days, as you would when canceling a membership.
Since most moves dont happen on the spur of the moment, you should have no problem with the advance notice. If youre moving without much lead time, you may have to pay for an additional month or two before the transfer date.
If you cant find a club close to your new home, your only option is to cancel the membership as outlined above.
Let’s Run A Quick Cost Analysis Looking At Our Flagship
Boat Ownership:
Loan terms: 20% down with a 5% loan over 10 years.
Downpayment: $14,000
Downpayment for Port & Starboard Plan = $5,900.
Monthly = $199
When you add in maintenance, repairs, storage, and insurance…
You’ll save over $22k over 3 years & $55k+ over 10 years with no repair surprises. More than that, we’ll keep you in new boats all 10 years as each year we renew 1/3 of the fleet!
You’ll find, as thousands of others have found in the Tampa area, Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay is the best value for the dollar.
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How Many Boats Do Boat Club Members Get Access To
The amount and variety of boats a boat club member will receive access to depends on a variety of factors. For example, a smaller boat club serving a lakeside community will have a different fleet than an oceanside boat club. Keep in mind that youll have more options in a boat club that serves a larger community, such as a popular tourist destination.
One thing to keep in mind with boat clubs is that members must reserve their boat time beforehand. During peak times, such as weekends or major holidays like the Fourth of July, there may be limited availability for the most popular boats.
However, the vast majority of boat clubs dont have a limit on how often you can rent a boat. Boat club members can often reserve specific boat months out in advance in order to celebrate special events, enjoy a relaxing vacation on the water, or spend time with family coming in from out of town.
Because each boat club operates differently, you should research the fleet size, reservation system, and holiday availability of each boat club youre considering joining.
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What If I Need Some Education
New boaters may be a little hesitant to sign up for a membership, even if they feel like the water is calling to them.
It can be extremely nerve-wracking to try to learn everything necessary to sail successfully and safely.
While some of the smaller clubs offer little more than a short video, both Carefree Boat Club and Freedom Boat Club offer more extensive education.
Freedom Boat Club is proud to offer unlimited one-on-one training with the United States Coast Guard licensed captains. You will learn everything in a classroom setting before transferring to an actual boat on the water.
Class topics include:
- Advanced courses
If you need a refresher, you are free to sign up for an additional session.
It may take you more than one or two brief lessons to feel completely competent and confident in the open water, so be patient with yourself.
Similarly, Carefree Boat Club also offers training. You will receive a training manual, one classroom session, and a hands-on class with the dockmaster.
Members learn Carefree Boat Club processes, general navigation, docking, and safety protocols.
Most of the topics covered in these classes will be equivalent to those taught at Freedom Boat Club.
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Why Does Monthly Membership Plans Vary
The reasons are the same to vary the monthly membershipplans with pricing and options. Thats why some clubs are located in some warmclimate zones offer unlimited year-long boating.
Also, they entail operations, staffing, maintenance, andongoing service for the whole year. These all require extra money and all ofthese make your boating experience more expensive.
But, there is some seasonal boat business operating clubsdue to the rough weather conditions out there. When it comes to the off-seasonmonths of the business, you should pay the monthly fee to store, maintain, andwinterizing the boat.
You might be worried to pay for the offseason. No worry, youcan choose membership with pre-selected months. Many boat clubs come with theoffer of 3 and 6-month based seasonal membership. It could be a great optionfor you if youre looking for reducing the monthly cost.
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Cost Comparison: Save With Freedom
Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay offers a whole DIFFERENT way to access the boating life. Rather than tie up a lot of money in a single boat that depreciates faster than a car, why not join the Club, share the costs, have access to a variety of boats, eliminate the need for a trailer and save thousands? Moreover, we’ll do the negatives of boating for you while you enjoy the positives along with valet service on the docks. What’s not to love?!
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Benefits Of Freedom Boat Club Membership
One of the biggest benefits of belonging to a boat club versus owning a boat is the amount of money youll save. Boat ownership is expensive, and boats are also notoriously time-consuming and costly to maintain.
With a Freedom Boat Club membership, you get access to maintained and insured boats at a fraction of the cost of owning one. Whats more, you dont have to worry about upkeep, storage, transportation, or any of the annoying minutiae that usually accompany boating on your own.
A boat club membership is also a great way to make friends with common interests. If you love boating and would like to connect with others who love it, too, then Freedom Boat Club is the easiest way to get plugged into a vast boating community.
With hundreds of locations and thirty years worth of boating experience, the Freedom Boat Club community offers a local carefree boat club in your vicinity regardless of where you live.
Special Events And Social Gatherings
In essence, Freedom Boat Club is a social club. It is a great venue to have fun and meet interesting people who share your love for boats.
Some clubs host events every monthsome host seasonal events such as during prime boating months. Suffice to say that the weather condition is a big factor when conducting events. Clubs located in areas that have hot weather conditions conduct social events more often than others.
Freedom Boat Club also has a national partnership with West Marine. Thats why FBC sometimes, or most of the time, conducts fishing seminars in local West Marine stores. There are also times when they conduct other specialty programs for members.
Again, how much does the Freedom Boat Club membership cost? The Freedom membership cost differs depending on the area and membership plan you will get. A one-time entry fee costs around $5 000. Meanwhile, a membership plan may cost around $349 a month.
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So How Much Does Carefree Boat Club Cost
Well break down an easy way to guesstimate this cost, as well as compare it to the cost of ownership. Here are the kinds of upfront and monthly prices / fees to expect. While we cant answer that in exact terms , we can give you the information you need to get a good idea of cost, and how it differs from area to area. Carefree Boat Club Cost can be calculated as twice the fee of dockage. Or stated another way, about half of the cost of a boat club is just the dockage fee you would have on a boat that you own. Another way to estimate the cost is to figure 1/3 the cost of owning a boat.
We cant answer in exact numbers because each boat club and location have differing rates. Some clubs are located in up-scale, high-profile marinas and some are tucked away in less expensive locations. The costs associated with boating in those areas will follow the local cost of living, just as other expenses would. Your best bet is to check with a local carefree boat club representative for a tour and a detailed quote.
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