Freedom Boat Club makes cruising local lakes and coastal waters a breeze
For years, we agonized about owning a boat, and in the end, the “why nots” always won. My wife grew up on boats, we’ve spent years around them both in salt- and freshwater settings, and we understand what comes with ownership.
And for most families, ownership means stress.
Then we found Freedom Boat Club (FBC) at Clemson Marina on Lake Hartwell. When we turn the ignition on a Freedom Boat Club boat, the four-stroke outboard fires up every time, and everything on board is shipshape.
Take a fun, easy boating safety course at the marina, and you’re ready to go. The online reservation system is easy to master, and FBC staffers—mostly Clemson students— are always on hand to help get your gear from the car to the boat and back again. Captain Mike Pickett, FBC’s local manager, says many members are former boat owners.
“Most of the positive feedback we get is rooted in the convenience,” Pickett says. “We have a lot of members who have owned a boat before and know the headaches that come with ownership.”
And for a few thousand dollars down and a monthly fee in the $300 to $450 range, you gain access to a fleet of freshwater, inshore, and offshore boats docked at more than 370 marinas in the US, Canada, and Europe, depending on what level of membership you buy.
The expansive Lake Hartwell alone will take years to explore and enjoy fully, but when we go to Destin in August, we’ll anchor a 20-foot Triton at Crab Island.
When we hit Charleston over Labor Day, we’ll cruise the harbor in a 22-foot deck boat on Saturday afternoon, hop on a 23-foot center console, and chase redfish all Sunday afternoon.
We realize we’re not building equity in the boats we use; we can’t say we’re boat owners. And that’s okay, because who really owns a boat? Boats usually own you.
Instead, we’re trading the headaches of ownership for the freedom to enjoy every sun-soaked moment.
Freedom Boat Club South Carolina Locations
With a Freedom Boat Club membership, you can gain access to boats across the Carolinas, the US, and even Canada and Europe.
Clemson Marina
Charleston
- City Marina
- Patriots Point
- Rivers Edge
Hilton Head
- Safe Harbor Skull Creek
- Palmetto Bay
Murrells Inlet
North Myrtle Beach
Pawleys Island
Port Royal
Learn more at freedomboatclub.com.
