By: Forrest Chapman
They say the two happiest days of a boat owner are the day they buy it and the day they sell it. That was certainly the case for me two years ago. I bought it with dreams of cruising the Gulf of Mexico, and then happy to finally be rid of a money pit that I hardly had the change to use. Then I discovered a new freedom…Freedom Boat Club.
I joined Freedom Boat Club as an experiment at first, to see if all the benefits that were explained to me were worth the price of membership. But once on board, I found that Freedom Boat Club really worked for my lifestyle and boating needs. I was not only able to take out boats where I live, but now had the option to take out a boat anywhere in the U.S.
After the Miami Boat Show, friends and I spent a week in Marathon Key. We were able to make a reservation with Freedom Boat Club, taking out a boat from the club located in Islamorada for a beautiful day of fishing. The second opportunity came during the past Tampa Boat Show. Our group had some free time, and we were able to get out on the water by taking out a boat from one of the locations near St. Petersburg. And recently, in Biloxi, the weather was so nice, so I contacted the Freedom Boat Club there and had a boat to use for a beautiful ride out in the Gulf.
The variety of boats is also a real benefit. I like to fish, and Freedom offers center console fishing boats to fish both inshore and offshore. If a day at the beach or a relaxing cruise is more your style, then a nice selection of pontoon and deck boats are available. My business partner had family coming to Pensacola, and it sure was nice to be able to take one group out on a large pontoon boat to cruise the beach and then two days later take another group out fishing.
Of course, the Best Part of the whole package, is docking the boat at the end of the day and letting the very courteous and professional staff take care of the cleaning, maintenance, storage and all the other hassle of boat ownership. It sure feels good to take out what feels like “Your Boat”, pay for the gas your used, and then just go home after a beautiful day on the water.
If this sounds like a boating lifestyle that fits your needs, then please call Membership Director: Morris Hines (850) 324-0175, or any of the Freedom Boat Club numbers in the ad on the previous page.