What Are The Main Reasons People Join A Boat Club
Some of the reasons people join boat clubs include:
- Boat club owners take care of maintenance
- Many boat clubs offer boat training
- Access to a variety of different boats
- Many boat clubs have social club gatherings and parties
- Boat clubs handle insurance and liability
- Access to boating expertise and on the water training
One of the main reasons that people join boat clubs is because the initial fee and recurring monthly fees are less expensive than buying a boat outright. The cost of a new boat is much higher than the fees charged by a boat club.
Another reason to join boat clubs is that many of the larger companies have locations across the nation and internationally. Often, your membership will allow you to use these locations at no extra charge. This can save you both time and money by allowing you to skip the boat rental on your next vacation.
Boat clubs also bring together like-minded people with a love for being out on the water. They can be a great way to make friends with fellow boaters and enjoy club activities together.
Can You Split A Boat Club Membership
Maybe you like the idea of boating, but you know that you dont have very much time to dedicate to this hobby right now. Sometimes, people find that they simply arent going to maximize the full usage of their membership.
This is why many begin to wonder if they should just split the membership costs with a friend or family member who also enjoys boating! Some clubs do not allow this, but some do.
Carefree Boat Club, one of the largest in the country, allows you to share a membership with someone else.
In this type of situation, you can split the fee fifty-fifty with your friend or family member!
This includes the initiation fee, monthly membership fee, and the online reservation system fee.
Each person included in the membership has equal access to make reservations throughout the year. They will have their unique log-in credentials that grant access to four rotating shared reservations.
However, all members can manage these reservations. You should make sure to keep the lines of communication open when it comes to making reservations for a weekend on the water.
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How Do I Join Freedom Boat Club
Joining a boat club is as simple as providing your details and then paying for the one-time fee and the monthly membership fee. If you travel a lot, you need a boat club with boats in different places around the country so that you can use your membership to the fullest.
Freedom Boat Club requires you to choose your location, give your name, and then continue to pay a one-time payment and a monthly membership fee. The one-time payment varies based on several factors and so does the monthly payment.
How much is Freedom Boat Club a month? The Freedom Boat Club one-time payment is about $5,000 . From there, you will pay a monthly fee of between $300 and $700.
It may sound like you are paying a lot to be a member, but this is more than 60% cheaper than owning your boat. Once you pay that amount, you never have to deal with boat storage, wrapping, maintenance, and towing.
The entry fee varies based on the market situation. The entry fee is also different in different locations as the market varies from one market to the next. If the boats are in a popular boating destination, you may have to pay a higher entry fee.
The boat club pays higher marina charges, including slip fees and office space than they would in other locations. If you live in a large metropolitan market, be ready to pay a higher fee.
Once you pay the needed fees, you will have unlimited access to a boat. You can book as many times as you need. However, you have to reserve a boat in time.
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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.
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.
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What About Boat Safety Rules
New to boating? It may feel overwhelming to consider all of the safety rules you must learn before you can be released onto the open water. Boating safety is one aspect of sailing that you can never overlook or underestimate. Should an emergency come up, you will be glad that you knew just what to do!
Fortunately, many of the most popular boat clubs offer some form of training for new skippers.For most of these locations, safety training is a mandatory part of your membership. You will not be permitted to reserve a boat until you have completed the necessary safety training.
Some clubs have members of the United States Coast Guard on hand to train their members and do official walk-throughs of their boats.
Freedom Boat Club offers both classroom training and on-the-water classes to get you up to speed quickly. Their courses cover basic safety and operation of the different types of boats included in their fleet.
Carefree Boat Club offers similar training. You start by reading their training manual and follow-up with a hands-on class that covers the same concepts.
Both clubs give you numerous opportunities to ask questions and see the demonstrations in person before being asked to perform them on your own. If you finish both training sessions and still feel like you need more assistance, dont be hesitant to ask for more help.
Every boat club would instead take the time to teach you how to sail safely rather than risk injury to you or the boat.
Can You Share Your Boat Club Membership
Some boat clubs do allow you to split the initial membership with a family member or friend for a shared membership plan. This can be a good way to cut the costs involved with joining a boat club.
Check with your boat clubs administration to see if this option is available at your club.
While most boat clubs wont allow you to share your membership directly, they will allow you to bring family and friends aboard whenever you reserve a boat.
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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.
Freedom Boat Club: Getting Out On The Water This Summer
One of the boats from Freedom Boat Club.
Freedom Boat Club
Summer in the U.S. usually synonymous with boating, but this summer, boat sales are off the charts and availability is scarce. According to the Brunswick Corporation, the company that owns Mercury, Boston Whaler, Lund, Bayliner, Sea Ray, Lowe Boats, among other well-known brands, you can credit the pandemic for driving more people into boating in the past 18 months.
Last summer when COVID hit, demand for boats went through the roof, said Lee Gordon, a Vice President at Brunswick, noting that boating rose in popularity because it was an activity where people could safely social distance with their family and recreate at the same time. Buying a boat is tough right now as demand far outweighs what is in the market. We are currently selling boats into 2023.
A family on a Freedom Boat Club boat.
Freedom Boat Club.
Well, if you cant buy a boat, the next best thing is to rent one. If you cant do that, then consider joining a club. Carefree Boat Club, Nautical Boat Club, 321 Boat Club and Suntex are among the players in this field, but the largest one happens to be Freedom Boat Club, which Brunswick bought in 2019.
Boarding a Freedom Boat Club pontoon.
Freedom Boat Club
Once youre a member, you simply reserve the boat, get the keys and head out on the water. At days end, you turn in the keys. Thats it. Boating usage is unlimited at your home club.
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How Much Does A Freedom Boat Membership Cost
According to trustedinformer.com, a Freedom Boat Club membership has an entry fee around $5,349 and monthly dues of around $349 per month. Again, this may vary by location and fleet.
The draw to boat clubs like Freedom Boat Club is its low cost of entry in comparison to purchasing a similar boat which can cost $35,000 to well over $100,000+.
Interested in learning more about memberships and current specials? Call Karen from Freedom Boat Club today at 843-882-4233.
Are Boat Clubs Worth It
Are boat clubs worth it? Or is buying a boat better? These are some of the common queries of a newbie in the boating world.
Some experienced boaters claim there is nothing better than holding a boat club membership. While others think it is just a waste of money. So which group is right?
If you are a confused rookie, too, worry not. In this article, you will discover some details on boat clubs, along with the pros and cons of joining them. Read on!
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Free Or Unlimited : 1 Training
Freedom Boat Club offers free or unlimited training for its members. This training is conducted by the licensed captains of the U.S. Coast Guard. Through this training, FBC exhibits its commitment to the boating safety of its members.
As a Freedom Boat Club member, you will not be able to go boating unless you have attended the training. Before the one-on-one training, a captain will orient you about your states boating regulations in a classroom setup. The captain will also discuss FBC guidelines, rules, and regulations.
Then, they will provide you with hands-on training and orientation. The coverage includes the following:
- Open-water navigation strategies,
- Close-quarter navigation techniques, and
- Docking maneuvers when it comes to on-water training.
Dont expect the training and orientation to be a short one. It is an extensive and comprehensive training session. Freedom Boat Club designed it in such a way that members will not only learn about how to be safe while boating. But members will also learn how to be confident boaters.
Freedom Boat Club Training is unlimited. In case you need a refresher session, it is possible. If you are looking for advanced boating sessions, FBC conducts these too. You can inquire through FBC membership executives about this.
What Is Freedom Boat Club
Freedom Boat Club is the largest membership boat club with over 30 years of experience. With over 250+ locations, members will enjoy reciprocal access in the U.S Canada and France. One of the perks to joining a boat club like Freedom vs. ownership is the club takes care of the maintenance, cleaning, insurance and storage.
Freedom Boat Clubs fleets vary by location but generally include bowriders pontoons, offshore/inshore fishing boats deck boats and wake boats.
Finally, besides having your pick of boats that fit your needs for the day Freedom offers 1-on-1 training by licensed captains and includes insurance coverage of liability for hull and machinery.
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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.
Can You Share A Freedom Boat Club Membership
There is one challenge that comes with a boat club membership you may not have the time to maximize the usage of your membership. If you do not have the time to go boating for months on end, you better cancel your membership as Freedom Boat Club does not allow sharing.
You can split your membership fifty-fifty with another member if you join Carefree Boat Club. Here, you will pay the entry fee in half, the monthly fee, and the reservation plan. Once you are a member of a shared plan, you will have equal access to boat reservations as the other member.
Any of the members of shared membership can manage reservations, and they need to be in communication to make reservations easy. You should request whether the Freedom Boat Club in your area allows you to split your membership as some may allow splitting to some extent.
Once you are a member, you are allowed to bring family and friends as you see fit. If you no longer need your membership, some boat clubs allow you to sell the membership while others only accept cancellation.
For Freedom Boat Club memberships, you cannot sell the membership to any other person. You can transfer it to a new town anywhere in the U.S., Canada, or France, but you cannot sell. To cancel the membership, you need to give Freedom Boat Club a sixty-day written notice.
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Renting Vs Boat Club Member
Boat clubs are very different from rental organizations, though the two often get confused. Rental facilities dont offer the extra services of a club, they often have a very limited number of boats in just one or two different sizes and styles, and are commonly found only in tourist destinations. Rather than having a fleet of well-maintained, relatively new boats to choose from, youre likely to encounter a limited choice of boats that have been used hard and put away wet, when you opt to rent.
There are also sailing clubsbe sure to read The Benefits of Joining a Sailing Club or Organization to learn more.
What Does The One
Your local membership executive can review this in detail, but, in a nutshell, when you join Freedom Boat Club, you receive the following benefits:
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