Freedom Boat Club

What Freedom Boat Club does

Freedom Boat Club, founded in 1989 in Sarasota, Florida, is the world's oldest and largest members-only boat club. The company was acquired by Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) in May 2019 and now operates more than 450 franchised and corporate-owned locations across 35 U.S. states, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates, serving over 90,000 active members. Memberships provide access to a diverse, location-specific fleet of premium boats — pontoons, deck boats, center consoles, wake boats, bowriders, skiffs, and tritoons — with maintenance, cleaning, storage, insurance, and repairs fully handled by the club and unlimited on-water training by US Coast Guard-credentialed captains included throughout the membership lifetime.

The core technology is a proprietary reservation platform accessible via web, dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications, and an internal member dashboard, enabling self-service booking up to six months in advance and reciprocal access to 400+ participating locations worldwide. The primary commercial offer consists of two subscription plans — a Weekday Plan and an unlimited Freedom Boating Plan — both structured as recurring monthly memberships with a one-time initiation fee. The business operates a hybrid corporate/franchise model: Scott Ward oversees 100+ corporate-owned clubs as VP/GM; Barry Slade leads franchise development internationally; and franchisees (e.g., Mark Bent and Kelvin Markham in Tasmania, Serafin Canton in Almeria, Scott Williamson in New Zealand) operate under licensing agreements with the corporate parent providing brand, fleet procurement, training, and reservation technology. Adjacent revenue streams include ongoing franchise royalties and usage-based fuel charges.

Freedom Boat Club monetizes the membership base through initiation fees, monthly/annual subscription dues, franchise fees and royalties, and fuel charges. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer acquisition (website, mobile app, phone, membership sales executives) with franchise-led geographic expansion and corporate franchising of territories (most recently the April 2026 acquisition of the Greater Boston & Cape Cod franchise's 21 locations from founders Matt Carrick and Matt O'Connor). The BoatClass education program extends to 30+ locations and is open to the public, functioning as both a safety credential and a top-of-funnel acquisition channel. Multiple safety awards from the Sea Tow Foundation and 10 consecutive years ranked No. 1 Boat Club on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 underscore brand strength.

Name

Freedom Boat Club

Legal name

Freedom Boat Club, LLC

Website

https://freedomboatclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Freedom Boat Club is a subscription-based membership boat club operating 450+ franchised and corporate-owned locations across 35 U.S. states and six countries, providing 90,000+ members with reservation-based access to a diverse fleet of premium boats plus training, maintenance, and reciprocal travel access worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boat Club Membership Services

NAICS

Marinas (71393), Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters) (THAJAJAB)

Keywords

• Boat club membership
• Recreational boating access
• Shared boat fleet services
• Boat franchise network
• Boating training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Venice

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Initiation Fees: One-time initiation fee paid by new members upon joining. Fee amount varies by location and membership type.
2. Monthly/Annual Membership Dues: Recurring membership fees charged on a monthly or annual basis depending on plan selected. Includes access to home club fleet and reciprocal locations where applicable.
3. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Franchisees pay initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties for the right to operate Freedom Boat Club locations under the brand, accessing the company's systems, fleet support, and global network.
4. Fuel Charges: Members pay for fuel consumed during their boating trips. The boats are provided fueled and ready; members return them with fuel used charged separately.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Freedom Boat Club sells membership subscriptions that grant individuals and families access to a maintained fleet of boats at 450+ locations worldwide. Members pay a one-time initiation fee plus recurring monthly or annual dues in exchange for unlimited access to a diverse fleet (pontoons, deck boats, center consoles, wake boats, bowriders), reciprocal use of boats at participating locations globally, and unlimited on-water training with certified captains. The company also licenses its brand and operating system to franchisees who run individual club locations.

Product overview

Freedom Boat Club is the world's largest boat club (established 1989, acquired by Brunswick Corporation in 2019), operating over 450 locations across 35 U.S. states, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. The company offers membership-based access to a diverse fleet of premium boats through two primary plans: the Weekday Plan (weekday access with 4 active reservations) and the Freedom Boating Plan (unlimited access any day). Core services include comprehensive boat maintenance, insurance, cleaning, storage, and unlimited training by certified captains. The club provides reciprocal access to 400+ global locations under its membership model, supported by a proprietary mobile app and reservation system. BoatClass, an affiliated on-water education program, extends training services to the public at 30+ locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freedom Boat Club Weekday Membership Plan Subscription membership that gives members weekday access to a diverse fleet of boats across 400+ prime global locations, with up to 4 active reservations at a time and coverage for 2 captains per household.
• Freedom Boat Club Freedom Boating Membership Plan Premium subscription membership providing unlimited access to the diverse boat fleet any day of the week, with weekday and weekend reciprocal access to 400+ prime global locations.
• BoatClass On-Water Boating Education Program Hands-on on-water boating education program developed in partnership with Brunswick Corporation, led by certified U.S. Coast Guard captains and equivalent credentialed instructors, covering boat operation, docking, navigation, and safety. Available at 30+ Freedom Boat Club locations and open to members and the public.
• Diverse Boat Fleet Access Location-specific fleet of premium, professionally maintained boats — including pontoons, deck boats, center consoles, wake boats, bowriders, skiffs, and tritoons — that each club cleans, fuels, insures, stores, and maintains for member use.
• Freedom Boat Club Mobile Reservation App Proprietary iOS and Android mobile application that lets members browse locations, view fleet availability, and reserve boats up to six months in advance, plus manage their account.
• Reciprocal Boat Access Program Membership benefit that lets eligible members reserve and use boats at 400+ participating Freedom Boat Club locations worldwide under their existing membership, spanning North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 640,000+ boating trips logged in 2025, setting a new global record with 5%+ year-over-year growth
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Matt CarrickcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Co-founder of Freedom Boat Club of Greater Boston & Cape Cod franchise operations, which was acquired by Freedom Boat Club. Retains club locations in New Jersey and remains involved in Ohio and Pittsburgh club ownership. Transaction included 21 locations and a 7,200 sq ft Maintenance Operations Center and Dealership.
• Matt O'ConnorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Co-founder of Freedom Boat Club of Greater Boston & Cape Cod franchise operations, acquired by Freedom Boat Club. Retains club ownership in New Jersey and involvement in Ohio and Pittsburgh markets.
• BoatClasscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImmersive on-water boating education program created in partnership between Freedom Boat Club and Brunswick Corporation. Operates at 30+ FBC locations, led by USCG-certified captains. Open to both members and public. Multiple Sea Tow Foundation Safety Awards recipient.
• NASBLA (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreedom Boat Club partners with NASBLA to support safety initiatives and improve training programs. NASBLA works to develop standardized boating policies and education across U.S. states.
• National Safe Boating Council (NSBC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreedom Boat Club partners with NSBC as part of its commitment to safe boating practices. NSBC leads national safety campaigns including National Safe Boating Week.
• Sea Tow FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreedom Boat Club and BoatClass programs have earned multiple Safety Awards from the Sea Tow Foundation, including Community Boating and Education Program award (2025) and Social Media Influencer awards (consecutive years).
• Brunswick CorporationcoreOthersFreedom Boat Club was acquired by Brunswick Corporation in May 2019. Brunswick is a leading manufacturer of marine engines and boats (Mercury Marine, Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Bayliner, Lund). The acquisition expanded Freedom to more than 2.5x its original size.
• Kelvin MarkhamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-owner and operator of Freedom Boat Club Tasmania franchise (opening 2026). Long-time Hobart resident and lifelong boater with extensive tourism and marine recreation experience.
• Mark BentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-owner and operator of Freedom Boat Club Tasmania franchise (opening 2026). Long-time Hobart resident and lifelong boater bringing local business expertise to the operation.
• Serafin CantoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranchise owner leading Freedom Boat Club Almería operations including Almerimar and Aguadulce locations in Spain. Manages growing presence along the Costa de Almería.
• TouronminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMadrid franchise partnership expanding Freedom Boat Club into Spain's capital region with two new locations at San Juan Lake and Entrepeñas Lake, with plans for additional expansion.
• Scott WilliamsoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOwner of Freedom Boat Club New Zealand operations, overseeing locations in Auckland, Christchurch, and newly launched Queenstown. Represents company in Asia-Pacific expansion.
• David KurczewskicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGeneral Manager of Freedom Boat Club Asia-Pacific region, overseeing operations in Australia and New Zealand including Tasmania launch and existing locations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carefree Boat Club: Carefree Boat Club is one of the largest direct competitors to Freedom Boat Club, operating a similar membership-based boat club model with multiple U.S. locations offering members access to a fleet of boats without ownership responsibilities. The two companies compete directly for the same recreational boating membership customer.
• SailTime: SailTime operates a fractional sailing and boat membership model, offering members guaranteed access to a fleet of sailing and powerboats across multiple locations. While more sailing-focused, it competes with Freedom Boat Club for the same subscription-based, no-ownership boating customer.
• Freedom Yacht Club: Freedom Yacht Club is a smaller membership-based private yacht club operating in select U.S. coastal markets. While much smaller than Freedom Boat Club, it competes in the same niche — subscription-based access to a private fleet — and appeals to a comparable affluent recreational boating customer.
• Navigators Boating Club: Navigators Boating Club is a smaller subscription-based boat club operating in select U.S. coastal markets, providing members access to a fleet of boats without ownership responsibilities. It is a direct competitor to Freedom Boat Club at the local market level for the recreational boating membership customer.

Broad incumbents

• Brunswick Corporation: Brunswick Corporation is Freedom Boat Club's parent company and also a leading global manufacturer of recreational boats and marine engines (Mercury Marine, Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Bayliner, Lund). Brunswick's broader portfolio includes adjacent recreational marine products and OEM relationships that overlap with FBC's fleet supply chain.
• MarineMax: MarineMax is the largest recreational boat and yacht retailer in the U.S., also operating a boat rental and charter business through brands like MarineMax Vacations and Fraser Yachts. It competes in adjacent marine lifestyle services and overlaps with FBC for affluent recreational boating customers.

Emerging players

• Boatsetter: Boatsetter is a peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace that connects boat owners with renters for short-term charters across the U.S. and internationally. While a different business model (per-trip rental vs. subscription), it competes for the same casual boating customer who might otherwise join a boat club.
• GetMyBoat: GetMyBoat is the world's largest peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace, offering access to powerboats, sailboats, yachts, and watercraft across more than 180 countries. Like Boatsetter, it competes for occasional recreational boaters who may consider alternatives to a traditional boat club membership.
• Sailo: Sailo is an online peer-to-peer marketplace for sailing yacht and boat charters across popular coastal destinations. While a per-trip charter platform rather than a subscription club, it overlaps with FBC's value proposition of providing recreational boating access without ownership.

Regional players

• Yachtico: Yachtico is a European yacht and boat charter booking platform operating primarily across European waters, including the Mediterranean. It is comparable to FBC for the European vacation boating customer and overlaps with FBC's reciprocal access locations in Spain, France, and Denmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/freedomboatclub
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FreedomBoatClubNA
• Facebookfacebook.com/freedomboatclubna
• Instagraminstagram.com/freedomboatclubworldwide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Freedom Boat Club