Freedom Boat Club
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Recreation Services: Boat clubs |
| Founded | 1989 in Sarasota, FL |
| Headquarters | 1100 Tamiami Trail S Suite B, Venice, Florida, USA 34285 |
| Slogan | The Boat is Waiting. |
| Website | www.freedomboatclub.com |
Freedom Boat Club (FBC) is a members-only boat club with 85 locations[1] spanning coast to coast in the United States. The company started in Sarasota, Florida and has been in business since 1989.[2] Through franchising, the club has grown to 85 locations and 850 boats and roughly 8,000 members. The company was named as one of Entrepreneur magazine’s top 500 franchises in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009[3]
Freedom Boat Club is based on the concept of a shared asset model, which is similar to fractional ownership. Buying a membership gains access to a fleet of boats that are shared among the members of the club. The fleet consists of a variety of boats such as bow riders, cruisers, deck boats and fishing boats.[4] Members aren’t limited to the same boat – or the same type of boat – each time they go on the water.
On-the-water boat safety classes are offered by Freedom Boat Club to ensure that members are comfortable and safe.[1]
In Northeast Florida, realtors have used Freedom Boat Club to attract home buyers by bundling a membership with property that doesn't already have access to the water.[5]