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Join the Club.
<br /> HOW A BOAT 4.0 The boat-club guy, I think
<br /> CLUB WORKS they take a little bit more
<br /> Different boats,different price points,different ownership, kind of like, `This
<br /> rules:No two boat clubs are exactly the same,but
<br /> most do share a fundamental framework by which is my boat because I'm going
<br /> they operate.
<br /> Members are usually required to pay a one-time
<br /> fee to join,then monthly dues,and membership to want to use it again. •t,,
<br /> often requires a one-year(or one season)commit-
<br /> ment.Clubs also often offer different membership Rob Soucy, president, Port Harbor Marine
<br /> packages and sometimes have different levels within
<br /> those packages.
<br /> Maine's Port Harbor Boat Club has two pack-
<br /> ages.The"Family Membership"gives customers
<br /> access to four boats(sizes range from 15-to 28- cially compared to the day-rental business most dealers generate.
<br /> feet and styles include aluminum skiffs,cabin cruis- Customers who rent by the hour are also often different than the typical boat
<br /> ers,ski boats and center console fishing boats),
<br /> seven days a week,at each Port Harbor location- club customer.But some dealers are put off by the idea of boat clubs based on the
<br /> one on the ocean and the other on Sebago Lake- stereotypical view of a rental customer-someone who doesn't know what he or
<br /> the second biggest lake in the state. she is doing and certainly doesn't care what happens to the boat.While in some
<br /> Port Harbor's"Business Membership"is a bit cases that stereotype fits,Soucy says boat club members are usually far more con-
<br /> more expensive-$4,995 compared to the$3,495
<br /> family-package cost-and is for weekday use only. scientious about"their"vessels.
<br /> However,the membership allows for three designat- "The boat-club guy,I think they take a little bit more ownership,kind of like,
<br /> ed captains,making it possible to more easily enter- 'This is my boat because I'm going to want to use it again,"'he says."So they take
<br /> tain clients or reward employees. a little bit more care of it:'
<br /> Port Harbor provides the boats,safety and Luke Kujawa,former president ofCrystal-Pierz Marine,one of the largest boat
<br /> basic navigation equipment as well as the slips,
<br /> then has fishing and watersports packages avail- dealers in the Midwest,agrees."It's way better on the club side than it is on some
<br /> able for rent and fuel,which members are respon- of these guys that are going out and just renting boats for a day with no orienta-
<br /> sible for,also on sale. tion,that just get in and go,"he says.'Almost every club owner I've talked to has
<br /> Another approach is that used by Minnesota's rented boats as well.Unanimously,they say the difference between how a rental
<br /> Your Boat Club,which also has two membership boat comes back and how a club boat comes back is night and day.With club
<br /> packages,both based on how many reservations a
<br /> club member can have in the system at any one boats,people eo le do take ownership.That is their boat' g
<br /> time.The Explorer Membership is the basic package Crystal-Pierz was recently sold to Tracker Marine Group and Kujawa is in the
<br /> and allows customers to have one reservation in the process of launching a new boat club in Minnesota, called "Your Boat Club,"
<br /> system at a time-they can pick any day they would which he hopes will eventually expand throughout the Upper Midwest.
<br /> like and reserve a boat for that day.Once that reser-
<br /> vation is used,they can put another in the system "I really like the boat club concept,"Kujawa says. "There's a certain percent-
<br /> immediately.And members are also allowed unlimit- age of people for whom owing a boat makes sense,but there's an even larger seg-
<br /> ed"spontaneous"boating,so,if they get off work ment of people who aren't boaters because of all the limiting factors and chal-
<br /> early and a boat is available,they can use it.The lenges with owning a boat.This makes a ton of sense for them.It seems like the
<br /> Voyager Membership is more expensive,but allows
<br /> customers to reserve up to three consecutive days in club concept is growing really fast:'
<br /> the system,giving them access to the boat for a Port Harbor certainly thinks so.Because,while its rental operation has done
<br /> long weekend,for example. very well-as has a subsequent internal program created to make boats available
<br /> Along with the two membership packages,Your for employees-the company believed it could take things to the next level by
<br /> Boat Club also has different club levels within those starting a boat club,and that doing so was a"no-brainer."
<br /> packages that designate the different boats mem-
<br /> bers have access to.At the most basic level,a "We said,'We're a boat dealer,we already have the boats,we're already doing
<br /> member can only use a 17-foot runabout or fishing this with our own crew members,now let's put it out there and try it and charge
<br /> boat-although that person can upgrade for a fee. membership,"'Soucy explains."Being a boat dealer and being in tune with what
<br /> Members at higher club levels have access to all the it takes to own and operate a boat certainly helped.Sometimes we would sell a
<br /> boats at the lower levels and those at the top"Pier boat club boat and then we'd have toget one readyto replace it.But that was the
<br /> 3"level can use the club's largest vessels:23-foot p
<br /> pleasure boats,24-foot luxury pontoons or 20-foot advantage of being a boat dealer vs.just a company going out and saying, `I'm
<br /> tournament fiberglass bass or walleye boats. going to start this boat club and I have to go out and buy 10 boats:We already
<br /> Most boat clubs also have a certain ratio of mem- had the inventory,plus we could service them"
<br /> bers to boats.Carefree Boat Club,which has lova The company did not enjoy an economic windfall as a result of the club.In
<br /> tions in six states and the District of Columbia,keeps
<br /> a ratio of 10 customers per boat.Carefree members fact,Port Harbor didn't achieve its goal of enrolling 25 members in the first year
<br /> also have reciprocity between locations,allowing because of delays in rolling the program out,questions about where to market it
<br /> them to use boats at any of the Carefree facilities. and poor weather.But Soucy maintains-as with the company's boat rental pro-
<br /> gram,new locations and product lines-that it generally takes three years before
<br /> 32 BoatingIndustry-MARCH 2010 www.boating-industry.com
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