Life is Better in the (Boat) Club
Published: Wednesday, December 8, 2021 8:00 am
We recently connected with Tom Armon, owner of Freedom Boat Club of Michiana, to discuss another busy summer in the club.
How was the summer for Freedom Boat Club, Tom?
This summer was terrific! Here in the Midwest, we welcomed hundreds of new members into the Freedom Boat Club family across our 34 Great Lakes locations. We expanded the Freedom Boat Club footprint within the Great Lakes with new locations in the Innisfil (Ontario), Mississauga (Ontario), Port of Rochester (New York), Sandusky (Ohio), South Haven (Michigan), St. Clair Shores (Michigan), Fox Lake (Illinois), Chicago (Illinois), and Milwaukee (Wisconsin). We’ve come along away from the 5 locations we had just 5 years ago.
On a global level, Freedom Boat Club remains the leader in the boat club space with over 295 locations for members to enjoy. This summer we expanded into the United Kingdom, opened our third location in France, and completed an acquisition of Fanautic Club - one of the largest European boat clubs with 23 locations in major coastal cities and tourist centers across Spain. We look forward to welcoming the Fanautic Club locations into the network in 2022 for our members to enjoy.
Our Milwaukee expansion was our first location in the state of Wisconsin, and we also expanded into Iowa with a location on Clear Lake. Those two openings mark our 32nd and 33rd states respectfully where you can find Freedom Boat Club here in the United States.
We’re excited about the future growth of Freedom Boat Club, both here in the Great Lakes and around the world! We continue to grow and offer great boating destinations for our members to enjoy!
So, what do your members do during the winter months?
One of the best parts of being a Freedom Boat Club member is the reciprocal access you are granted as part of membership package. With over 100 locations open year-round, including 70+ in the state of Florida alone, many of our members find opportunities to scratch that boating itch during the winter. Fishing off the coast of San Diego, wakeboarding in Dallas, or cruising the intercoastal of Southwest Florida – the adventures are endless. We encourage many of our prospective club members to join us before the boating season is over here in the Great Lakes so they can get trained and receive access to our reservation system to start making their winter boating excursion plans.
For those not familiar with the boat club model, how does being a member of the club work?
Members pay a one-time entry fee and monthly dues. After joining, every new member will take part in our New Member Orientation (NMO) which includes both on-water and classroom training, taught on a 1:1 basis by a licensed captain. Once the NMO is complete, members can easily reserve a boat in our reservation system, and when it’s time to depart the boat will be ready and waiting. The Club’s dockmasters assist members with departure, and upon their return members simply return the keys, pay for fuel and head on their way. At any time in the membership, members can also request additional free training with our Captains at as part of our training support.
What about people with no prior boating experience?
We welcome members with little or no prior boating experience. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned skipper, our comprehensive training program is designed to help our members feel completely confident at the helm so they can enjoy their time on the water.
Learn more about Freedom Boat Club and their 34 Great Lakes locations by clicking here!
A version of this article appeared in the Buyer's Guide (November/December) 2022 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
