Carefree Boat Club Provides Sea Rays for Days... or More

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed)
Mar 9th 2010 at 10:01AM

It wasn't long after acquiring your pass to the executive lunch room that you learned one of the first rules of the plutocrat's personal finance: if it floats or flies, rent it. When it comes to floating, the job has got easier with the Carefree Boat Club, now available in marinas along the East Coast and in Texas.

With the same structure as any of those other clubs that allow you to enjoy the finest without having to actually maintain and deal with it, becoming a member is a matter of an initiation fee and monthly dues. Sign-up money is "usually between $4,000 and $15,000," while the monthly amount ranges from $199 to $499. That gets you a spectrum of access to boats from a 20-foot Grady White fisher in Annapolis, Maryland to a 26-foot ski boat in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to a 39-foot Carver in Clear Lake, Texas.

All boats in the fleets come with radios, GPS, and safety equipment, as well as people who will attend to those ungainly things that boats infer, like "swabbing" and "barnacles." After joining, the club will give you a day of classroom instruction and an hour of on-the-water training with a Coast-Guard-certified trainer. There are 24 locations along the Eastern Seaboard and Texas, so when you're ready to play Admiral Frolic on the Water, you know who to call.

Tags: boat, carefree boat club, yacht