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freedom boat club?
Prices of new boats are beyond insane, and my retirement isn’t around the corner just yet
CT has a half dozen locations of the freedom boat club. Membership is a one time fee of $5k, then $425 a month. for that you can reserve boats whenever they are free. they have several 24 foot center consoles, dual consoles and pontoon boats. i gather it can be competitive to get a reservation on weekends in july and august, but lots of availability in june, september and october when i’d want to use them anyway anyone have experience? i was also told the monthly fee stays flat for two years and cannot increase by more than 5% a year. |
Since I have a boat never looked into this......and it probably wouldn't be my first choice in a way to go.
But you are right.....new boat prices are insane. So this may have advantages. Like trailering to different places. I know the next port from me Scituate MA has a club with maybe 16 boat or so?? Is that 425/month 12 months a year or just during the NE boating season? |
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i have 2-3 close friends i fish with all the time, if i were to do this, each of them would give me $150 every time they came with me. i do 7-10 charter trips a year, some i split with friends, some i pay the whole nut as it’s just me and my kids. so regardless there’s a big cash outlay each year. i’m hoping that when i look seriously to buy there has been some kind of correction in prices! i’ve always loved your boat. |
Sounds like wearing another persons underpants.
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that kind of money
an they control the hours & if an when you can go .. :nopics: |
Sounds like socialism to me.
:hidin: Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device |
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425 a month is basically My payment for 15 years and I pay during the winter also
the only advantage of the freedom boat club I see is you can take out whatever style you want on a given day center console dual console or different lengths .. no maintenance and you can uses boats from any Club in the USA and you just pay for gas unless they changed their pricing ? the down side is you are restricted by weather and hour restrictions but if that's not a deal breaker honestly the price sounds worse than it is. Too bad they don't have a try it to see if you like introduction price before you need to pony up the 5k |
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Yep - all this ^ ^ ^ |
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one of the marinas where they have boats, a seasonal skip for a 24 foot center console would be 230 a month. I don’t think 425 a month. is unreasonable, if like you said you can live with the restrictions. if the boat is due back at 1pm and the fish start blitzing at 1259 pm, that would be torture. |
Marinas in my area you are gonna pay 6-7k a season for a slip
The biggest thing would be the time schedule. Can you leave at 0430 for a morning tide?? Or if you leave at 1500 can you be back at 2100. You’re always looking at your watch when you have to be back. Wondering if you pay the 5k one time. Then another 5k a year. If you did buy a boat or for some reason you couldn’t use this can you suspend the yearly dues for a year or 2 and then get back in the 425 a month. Hummmm And availability. I you want to go twice a week just how big is the demand. Price wise compared to buying and maintenance etc it is probably not bad. Mainly I think you’d be fishing with your boys and friends. How good are the boats geared for that. Fish finder chart plotter rod holders etc. Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device |
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increase over time. Lack of flexibility a drawback, but an obvious necessity for the club to work. boats geared ok, rod holders, standard live well, gps, fishfinder. No side scan, no trolling motor with spot lock. |
Time you want to pick up and time you have to be back are a problem, time you want to fish changes with the seasons and tides.
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but I know that technically, it isnt YOUR boat. |
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I just don,t like the too many if,s
one example .ya get up early . drive down to the marina & they tell you , its too foggy or beause of the fog you can going go as far as ^&&*( just don,t like the idea of the one thing I like almost as much as puss y an I,m going to be told when were an how long Nope I,ll keep til I can no longer get to or on it & my commercial license will sell it for me .or best case I die and the license is in ,y will :wid: |
Trailer one, show the boys how to maintain it, drive it, navigate it, the fish will come… IMO
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No way I could ever come up with that kind of money....and I would have never enjoyed boat ownership......only way was to build one myself.....no payments and very economical to run and maintain. Trailering and launching is no problem for me.
Having to deal with busy boat ramps is the only downside. |
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My dad moved/retired to Florida a few years ago and had plans of buying a boat once there for both fishing and pleasure cruising. A lifelong boater, he wasn't really sure what type of boat would be best for him down there as he wasn't familiar with the fisheries, etc., so he joined Freedom Boat Club. His plan was to test out a bunch of different styles and makes throughout the first year and buy based off his experiences. Here is is at least 3 years later and he likes the process so much that he has yet to buy and just keeps on using their boats each week. Every time we speak he has nothing but good things to say about the service, and he is always sending me pictures of the 'new boat' he is testing. I can put you in touch with him if you'd like to talk more and get better details on the pros and cons that he has experienced if you'd like.
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I really gun it passing the knubble on the way out....if it's all clear....full throttle. Have you ever tried the back Chanel see guys flying through there sometimes |
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My big question is availability. if it’s the middle of september and the bass are biting and on thursday i look to make a reservation for saturday, what’s the likelihood a boat is available. that’s my big hang up. i also have a bunch of charter trips planned and paid for, for this year. so i’ll probably wait until next year. |
Most Marinas in my view are just floating Camp grounds 90% of boats leave the slip once all season . .I’ll stick to trailering
But if I wasn’t a hard core boat fisherman and just a boat rafter. Or did a lot swimming or Diving and waterskiing the Boat club would be a serious contender |
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I think your biggest determinant now is to decide how much you are going to use the boat and how much family, work, etc. will get in the way. I think most people think they are going to use their boat x times and their est. is off (as it is/was with my little boat). Maybe do it for 1 - 2 years and see how what you learned out of the process. Did you go out x times per week, did you enjoy a certain boat/style (cuddy, CC, etc), etc.
After that 1 - 2 years you can make a decision - what will you have lost over that period? It will cost you the amount of the membership/dues but I bet it won't be much more than the amount of depreciation/expenses if you actually bought a boat. |
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Ask any boat owner you know to calculate their entire seasons expenses , and divide it by how many times they use it. I am a big "cost per use" type of thinker... The purchase price of a boat is just the beginning.... SO many expenses along the way.
It very well may be the way to go , but its a different answer for each individual based on schedule, free time, etc. Also, Every boat I have ever been on has its own little "quirks" I couldn't imagine just jumping on a boat for the first time and being comfortable... but maybe its because I've mainly only ever been on older boats. |
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Also I've been doing between 7-12 charter trips per year. This could replace most of those. Work and family will get in the way plenty! If it wasn't for work and family I'd be justified in getting a 25 foot Contender! But you're being very logical about it I think... |
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