Archive for the ‘Boat Clubs’ Category

Daytona Beach Gets its 2nd Boat Club

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that “Boat clubs gain in popularity; 2nd in are opens.” Lisa Kane, who opened a boat club in the Daytona Beach area with her husband said, “”The past two years we have been spent doing a lot of research on the boat club business which is taking off across the country. What I found was that boat clubs are becoming very popular in this economic environment because members are able to enjoy an affordable way of boating.”

To start their boat club, the Kanes bought three different boats: a ski boat, a pontoon boat and a fishing boats. All of the boats they bought are between 18 feet and 24 feet.

Most boat clubs ask that members pay an initial fee to join and then pay dues each month. In some cases there are different membership levels that come with more privileges when people pay higher dues.

A boat club can be an attractive option if you are already a boat owner but want to use a different kind of boat. A woman who bought a membership in the club that the Kanes started did so because she felt that her family’s small fishing boat would not have enough room to entertain visitors from out of town.

 

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Boat Clubs Help You Connect with Other Boat Owners

When you buy a boat, you join a club, in a way. You are part of a huge population that has decided to purchase a personal vehicle to enjoy waterways, and to engage in water sports, as well as fishing.  While it is true that buying a boat makes you an automatic part of this group, you may want to consider joining a local or national association of boaters as well.

Affiliate groups can offer you discounts on boating-related products and expenses like insurance. They may also offer opportunities to socialize and resources to provide information and help when you need it. It is true that you are likely to meet fellow boaters while you are out and about, a membership in an association can offer additional benefits. You need connections at various levels—people who use the same local waterways and marinas that you do, people who use waterways in the larger region and then it is also good to find ways to connect with other boaters on a national or international level too. And this isn’t just so you can get help or discounts; you may find one day that you are just the resource that someone else needs.

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Boating Provides Carefree Break for Special Needs Kids

Big-hearted boaters across America sponsor programs designed to give struggling children and their families a carefree break from every day stress. In some communities children’s hospital charities partner with local boat clubs to sponsor boating days for cancer patients and their families.  In other areas, marina communities take special needs children and adults on lake or river excursions.

Boating days, sailing lessons, fishing derbies — the list of charitable activities that use boating as their hook is long and filled with dedicated boaters happy to share their love of boating. There’s something about being out on the water with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair that allows challenged children and their families to drift away from their troubles — at least for a day.

Boating days do more than provide a needed break for these children and their families. Boaters encourage children to help with boat activities from steering the boat to raising the sails. The outings provide a confidence boost as children sample new skills.  

The Heart of Sailing Foundation of Greater Houston takes more than 1,000 special needs children sailing every year. Director Dave McCabe told chron.com in an online interview:

“The idea is to treat these kids as normal kids, to get them fully engaged on the boat. It’s not intended to be just a ride. We ask them to do whatever they can do to the best of their ability.”

And therein lays the joy of these outings. No worries; just boating!

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Welcoming Non-Boat Owners Expands Boat Club Membership

The Queen City Boat Club in Mooresville, North Carolina is making it possible for folks who haven’t bought a boat yet to enjoy cruising the blue waters of beautiful Lake Norman. Taking a page from a practice that is common in Florida and other water wonderlands, the North Carolina boat club allows non-boat owners to join its membership and make use of several boats owned and maintained by the club. Sounds like a great way to try out the boating lifestyle before you buy a boat online.

Better than renting a boat, boat club membership affords non-boat owners all the social perks of boat ownership, full use of the boat club’s lakeside facilities, the ability to find out more about the boating lifestyle from boat owners, and regular access to beautifully maintained boats. For many people who love the water, fear of the maintenance commitment keeps them from taking the plunge and buying their own boat. Using the boat club’s boats and facilities allows them to talk to boat owners and observe for themselves both the responsibilities and joys of boat ownership. After a taste of boating life, many non-owner members decide to purchase their own boat.    

Keeping a few communal boats and offering boat club memberships to non-owners is a great way to encourage interest in the boating lifestyle and build boat club  membership. It’s an idea that has been catching on and spreading from sunny Florida to the shores of lakes and rivers across the country.

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