Freedom Boat Club - Portsmouth

Just 4 weeks left and the boats will be in the water.

2011-03-30T08:53:00.001-07:00

We are just weeks away from the start of our 2011 season. While the cold weather is sticking around a little longer than I would like, I am optimistic that we will have another great summer and will have great boating days well in to October just like last year. Please give us a call if you think 2011 is your year to get out on the water with Freedom Boat Club.

2011 New England Boat Show runs 2/26 - 3/6

2011-02-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

The Freedom Boat Club has signed on to participate in the 55th annual New England Boat Show being held at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center starting on Saturday, February 26th and running through Sunday, March 6th. All 10 of the MA and NH clubs will be represented and have staff on hand to answer any questions you may have about our hassle-free approach to boating.

Please visit www.newenglandboatshow.com for more information/directions to the show. I hope to see you there!

A few more reasons why FBC is better than ownership

2010-03-04T12:39:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share the above photos from the last storm we had here in MA/NH. These are a few of the jobs we got assigned to with our marine towing and salvage business (TowBoat/US). All in all I know of over 12 boats that were knocked over and another few that sunk. The smaller powerboat survived without much damage but the unfortunate owners of the other boats have a number of repairs to make and one will most likely have to junk the boat. Ahh, the pleasures of boat ownership. This is just one of the headaches you can avoid when you join the Freedom Boat Club.

New England Boat Show

2010-02-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

We are just one week away from opening day of the New England Boat Show which runs from February 20th-28th at the Boston Convention & Exposition Center. A number of the other shows from around the country have seen a large increase in turnout for their events from te past few years so we look forward to another great show. This is the point when the wheels start turning in the New England maritime industry and the countdown to the boating season begins. All 13 locations of the Freedom Boat Club from New England will be represented at the show this year so if you attend the show, please stop by and say hello. We will be in booth #2338.

Freedom Boat Club to sponsor an evening with The Wailers

2009-10-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Freedom Boat Club is proud to announce that they have signed on to sponsor an evening with reggae legends The Wailers at the Portsmouth Music Hall as part of their Intimately Yours concert series at 7:30pm on February 3rd, 2010. What better way to beat those winter blues and get ourselves back in the boating mindset than bring those warm reggae vibes to us.

About The Wailers

Bob Marley transformed reggae music from a regional Jamaican phenomenon into a sound and style that captured the attention of the world. Today, The Wailers consist of seven members who recorded and/or toured with Bob Marley and the Wailers. The Wailers live show consists of Bob Marley and the Wailers songs such as: "Buffalo Soldier," "Lively up Yourself," "Is This Love," "One Love," "I Shot the Sheriff," "Satisfy My Soul," "Trench Town Rock," "Get Up Stand Up," "Jamming," "Who the Cap Fit," "Exodus," "Roots Rock Reggae," "Kinky Reggae," "War," "Redemption Song," "Stir it Up," "No Woman No Cry," and "Could You Be Loved" as well as new original Wailers songs.

The Portsmouth Music Hall is one of the great treasures of the Seacoast and I encourage you to try to make it to the event as it should be a great evening and you may never catch a performance by these greats in such an intimate setting again.

You can find more information about the event at themusichall.org and The Wailers at wailers.com.

Freedom Boat Club is moving to the Newburyport waterfront

2009-02-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

While this really does not apply to FBC Portsmouth, I thought it was a worthwhile post to make. Starting on March 15th, 2009 FBC Newburyport will be operating out of Hilton's Marina (pictured above) on the Newburyport Waterfront . Hilton's Marina is located between Michael's Harborside and The Black Cow Restaurant which is just a short stroll from the activities of downtown. Hilton's is the ideal location for our club and we are very excited about this move. We are now able to offer our members restrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a coffee shop and a number of great restaurants, all within steps of our fleet. Just think how nice it would be to take a day trip out to the Isles of Shoals, return to the marina to freshen up, dine within feet of the marina, then overnight on one of our cabin cruisers, just to wake up the next morning to do it all over again. And since members of the Freedom Boat Club - Portsmouth receive unlimited use in Newburyport as well, this is all just another day in a FBC member's paradise....please call us at (978) 499-0899 to find out how you can get in on the fun.

The Boat is Waiting! Why are you?

Freedom Boat Club celebrates 20th year in business

2009-02-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

“How do we make boating simple and hassle free?” was a question posed by the founders of Freedom Boat Club (FBC) twenty years ago. With this question a unique idea was born. A membership club for boating enthusiasts that reduces their cost of boating, provides expert training, eliminates the physical strains such as maintenance or cleaning, allows access to a fleet of boats for any excursion, and ultimately creates more opportunities for time on the water. Since its inception, FBC has grown to forty-five locations throughout the United States due to the concept’s popularity.

This simple idea has proven to have timeless benefits as well. Amidst the credit crunch, environmental concerns, and fuel consumption awareness, FBC has been able to expand and increase its membership base. Since FBC is a membership club based on monthly dues, no long-term financing or credit is required. This has proven useful as home equity and the stock market has declined. The idea is also an inherently “green” or environmentally friendly form of boating. By members sharing a fleet of boats, they are using less shoreline for dockage and putting fewer hulls into landfills long-term. Lastly, by scaling the size of a boat to their needs for the day, members ultimately use less fuel. Imagine being able to adjust the size of your car each trip based on the number of passengers!

Staying true to its roots after twenty years, FBC wants to make the joy of boating available to all who are interested. If you are new to boating and lack training, an avid fisherman looking for more time on the water, a busy young professional or family trying to fit it all in, or a retiree tired of the strains of boating, FBC welcomes you to learn more about what the club can do for you. Visit www.freedomboatclub.com or call Jake Goodridge at (978) 499-0899 for more details.

2009 Boat Shows

2008-12-25T07:04:00.000-08:00

The Freedom Boat Club will be exhibitor's at both the Rockingham Fishing & Hunting Exhibition and the 2009 New England Boat Show this winter. We will have boats from our fleet on display at each show as well as our 20th Anniversary special pricing available. This pricing will only be available through the end of February so try to make it to one of these shows or contact us directly to take advantage of this offer.

The Rockingham Expo is being held on January 10th-11th at the Rockingham Park Racetrack in Salem, NH (across the street from the Mall at Rockingham Park). We will have our Sailfish 2360 on display for the fishing enthusiasts and our crew will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. You can find more information about this show at www.rockinghamexpo.com

The New England Boat Show will run from February 14th-22nd at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. We will be in booth #3300 this year and will have two boats from our fleet on display. This is truly an event that the boating enthusiast will not want to miss! The New England Boat Show also has over 350 exhibits of marine accessories for your boating needs. You can visit www.naexpo.com/boatshow for more information about this show.

These are two great shows and we hope to see you there.

Article on FBC in the Portsmouth Herald

2008-09-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

This was an article that was written about our club earlier this summer. I wanted to post it here for those who missed it.

Rocking the Boat
New business changes Seacoast pasttime

By Adam Leech

aleech@seacoastonline.com

June 23, 2008 6:00 AM

PORTSMOUTH — The Port City's working waterfront is working a little differently on Sagamore Avenue.

Sea lovers who love to boat but hate the hassle of maintenance, can't afford mooring fees or can't find a marina slip now have another option. For a $5,900 entry fee and $299 per month, Freedom Boat Club offers unlimited use of its boats in Portsmouth and Newburyport, Mass., and four visits at 42 other locations in the United States.

After finding success with the franchise in Newburyport, Mike Goodridge and his son, Jake, opened the 44th Freedom Boat Club at 955 Sagamore Ave. — formerly the Sagamore Creek General Store & Lobster Pound — two weeks ago.

"We had no intention of being here this quick and open, but when this piece of property became available, we couldn't resist," said Mike.

Members must get their safe-boating certificate and complete six hours of training. Then all they have to do is call the club, tell it when they need a vessel, and the boat is ready to go whenever they want.

Because the Goodridges own the Newburyport club, Portsmouth members get full use of that fleet as well. The membership also comes with four visits per location in other clubs in Michigan and on the East Coast, from New Hampshire south. One could spend a year going from location to location, paying only the monthly fee.

"It's a concept that's growing very rapidly," said Mike. "I think it's catching on now because the cost of boating and maintenance is getting to the point where people are saying, 'I can't be bothered.' This is a practical, affordable way to go boating — especially in an area like this with a limited amount of marinas and moorings."

So far there are five members in Portsmouth, most of whom signed up prior to the club opening or even before the new pier was installed. There are 20 members in Newburyport, which has been open for a little over a year.

All the vessels are top of the line, and members have the option of taking out the cruiser boat or the center console fishing boats. For some people, Mike said, the convenience just works.

"For people who own boats, it's very hard for them to go for a two-hour ride because of all the time it takes to put the canvas down, open up the boat, go ride, come back, wash down, clean it up," said Mike. "We do all that, so their actual time boating is boating. ... The headache is gone."