Boat club in Hampton Roads offers freedom of boating without hassle of ownership
Creagan Berry likes the freedom that Freedom Boat Club of Hampton Roads affords him.
The Ocean View native — who lives in his childhood home overlooking the water — has sailed the deep blue seas with Military Sealift Command and the Elizabeth River as a merchant mariner. Now a mortgage banker and loan officer for Tidewater Mortgage Services, Berry became a club member last April so he could enjoy a boat ride with family, friends and clients and cruise the water at his leisure.
“I grew up on the water, worked on the water and lived on the water, so it was a good fit for me where I could just go and be a part of boat club, hop on and hop off, not have to worry about any maintenance, slip fees or taxes,” Berry said.
Andy Sutter, a retired Navy senior chief and regional club owner, said that’s a huge part of what makes it appealing.
People can enjoy boating without worrying about maintenance, cleaning, repair, insurance and storage.
Started in 1989 in Sarasota, Florida, Freedom Boat Club is the largest marine franchiser in the U.S. with 285 locales throughout the country, Canada and abroad. Members pay a one-time fee ranging from $2,900 to $5,900 and monthly fees of $255 to $385 depending on the plan they choose. In-depth classroom instruction and one-on-one on-water training is also included.
The club has a variety of boats including pontoons, bow riders, deck boats, center and dual consoles docked at the Tidewater Yacht Marina in Portsmouth and Little Creek Marina in Norfolk. There are eight boats in Portsmouth and 11 in Norfolk. Sutter said they plan to open another location in Hampton next year.
The East Beach location opened last spring during the pandemic, but its grand opening celebration was delayed by 15 months.
Sutter, who bought the local franchise in 2018 and holds his captain’s license, said the pandemic has helped to dramatically fuel the business’s growth by 157% in the past year.
“People couldn’t do anything … but they could get out and socially distance on the boats,” he said.
For many families, Sutter said money that would have been spent on vacations was used to join the boat club.
“Boat clubs are blowing up throughout the country,” he said.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@insidebiz.com
