DEEP RIVER, Conn. — "Think of it like Zip Cars.”
That's according to Dick Cromwell, the owner of the Freedom Boat Club, a boat share business that, he says, has bloomed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Cromwell runs the Freedom Boat Club out of seven marinas in Connecticut, giving members the chance to get out on the water without having to own a boat. “You come down, take a boat and have fun,” Cromwell said, “then (when you’re done) you hand us the keys and walk away.”
Cromwell typically offers boats in the 22 to 24-foot range and members can take advantage of the service across the country. Cromwell added that due to the desire for so many to socially distance and find an escape, he has seen steady growth. “We were one of the few things that people could do that was Covid safe,” he said.
Members pay a $3,900-dollar one-time initiation fee, and then about $400 dollars a month for the luxury of using a boat when they want. “There’s none of the headaches of maintenance plus it’s less money than owning a boat,” said Cromwell.
Bart Crossman, the lead salesman for the Freedom Boat Club said, “you can get out on the water it’s a whole different world.” Cromwell, who runs the Freedom Boat Club franchise in both Connecticut and Rhode Island added, “it’s going to be a very busy year out on the water but it’s going to be fun.”
To find out more about the Freedom Boat Club click www.freedomboatclub.com
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