What is a boat club?
Why should I join a boat club instead of buying my own boat?
What if I have little or no boating experience?
How do I reserve a boat and how long can I use it?
What kind of boats are available, what condition are they in and what accessories come with them?
Am I guaranteed a boat every time I want one?
Who is included in the membership?
What if I move and no longer need the boat club? May I sell my membership?
What are the costs? How do the costs compare to traditional boat ownership?
How do I sign up?
What is a boat club?
The Carolina Boat Club is a private membership club that provides its members with unlimited use of a fleet of motorized boats, kayaks/canoes and water toys. Similar to a country club membership, you pay a membership fee and have unlimited use of all of our vessels anytime you want to use them. It is essentially "valet boating" - we take care of all of the typical headaches that come with boat ownership such as maintenance, towing, launching and cleaning - all you have to do is show up, get on, have fun and leave all the work to us.
Why should I join a boat club instead of buying my own boat?
At a fraction of the cost of owning a single boat, you will have unlimited use of a wide variety of boats that include power/ski boats, deck boats and pontoons and kayaks/canoes plus recreational accessories such as skis, wake boards and tubes. You will never tow the boat and you will never have to worry about the boat starting once you arrive. Furthermore, you will never have to clean a boat, worry about storage, or deal with annual maintenance. We remove the hassles so that you can spend your time on the water having stress-free fun!
What if I have little or no boating experience?
No problem. We will provide you with a full orientation of each boat, show you how to operate the boat, provide you with boating safety guidelines and stay with you until you are comfortable enough to run solo. All members receive boat orientation by the boat club for boat safety and operations prior to boat use.
How do I reserve a boat and how long can I use it?
Reservations are simple - just give us a call and let us know when you want to be on the water and what lake you want to use it on. We will have the boat waiting on you upon your arrival.
For proper planning we request that reservations be made at least 48 hours in advance. However, we will make every effort to accommodate shorter requests. Members may have up to two open reservations on the books at any given time. Full day and/or 5-hour reservations periods may be utilized during prime season to best acccomodate member requests.
What kind of boats are available, what condition are they in and what accessories come with them?
The Carolina Boat Club is continually expanding its fleet of boats based on membership growth and preferences. Right now we offer access to a luxury Cobalt, 150hp SouthBay Tritoon, deckboats, 115hp Harris Flote Boat pontoons and and kayaks/canoes. Boats are very well maintained, and replaced on a targeted cycle, to maintain our high customer experience expectations.
All boats will be fully equipped by the requirements defined by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (i.e., PFDs, paddle, fire extinguisher, first aid kits, etc.). Other accessories such as water skis, tubes, towing ropes, ladders, and wake boards are available at no extra cost.
Am I guaranteed a boat every time I want one?
Availability is everything for us. Without this we wouldn't have a club. We monitor availability closely and maintain pre-defined ratios for members to boats to ensure delivery against targets. We estimate that we have delivered a 97%+ availability rate over the last five years. 97% is actually better than what you would get if you owned the boat yourself, when you consider scheduled and "unscheduled" service needs!
Who is included in the membership?
Membership is restricted to the individual who signs up including their spouse and dependant children. You must be 21 years of age to reserve and operate the boat. You are more than welcome to bring as many guests as allowed per the rating of the boat. Guests or member's children under the age of 21 are not allowed to use a boat without an adult member on board at all times.
What if I move and no longer need the boat club? May I sell my membership?
All memberships are transferable. At any time during an active membership, the member may sell, give away, or will their membership. There is a $250 transfer fee that covers the cost of administrative changes, boat safety and operational training.
What are the costs? How do the costs compare to traditional boat ownership?
We offer several different membership plans to cater to your particular boating needs. Please call us for more information and pricing. Membership fees are only one-third the cost of owning your own boat!
How do I sign up?
Go to the "Membership Plans" page and call or email us for a membership activation form. Sign up and be out on the lake this weekend!
