Clemons Boats has added the Carefree Boat Club to further complement its full-service marine operation located in Sandusky, Ohio.
“The Carefree Boat Club is a way for us to be a one-stop shop for any level of boating interest,” said Clemons Boats General Manager Jason Clemons. “Since the economic downturn we’ve seen a growing market for the club concept. Some people want to enjoy boating, but they have less time and interest in boat ownership responsibilities. For many of these people, it’s not a money issue as much as a time issue.”
A family business now in its fourth generation, Clemons Boats was founded in 1966. The company sells Cobalt, Bennington, Sea Hunt and Boston Whaler boats, and also provides rentals, dockage, winter storage, parts and service at its 10 acre facility on Sandusky Bay.
Clemons added that boat clubs have been a growing topic of discussion within its Dealer 20 Group. He considered opening an independent boat club, however many in the 20 Group recommended partnering with the Carefree Boat Club.
“Everyone in the group suggested it would be best if we partnered with Carefree Boat Clubs, saying we would benefit from their best practices rather than trying to create the club from scratch. Some also had experience with Carefree Clubs, saying they would be a good fit for our higher quality boats. Adding the reciprocity element, where our members can use boats at the Carefree Clubs, was one more benefit that made sense for us,” said Clemons.
The club will open with all-new or like-new boats in the fleet, which includes a Cobalt 220 with 260 horsepower, Bennington 24SSL triple tube with 150 horsepower and Boston Whaler 220 Outrage with 250 horespower. More boats will be added as the membership grows.
The company displayed the club at the recent Cleveland Boat Show and left very pleased, with 30 solid leads for the club and 40 for boat buyers.
Carefree Boat Club president and CEO Doug Zimmerman, said, “The Clemons family has a long heritage of providing extraordinary boating experiences for their customers. Now boating enthusiasts can experience the Clemons tradition of superior service without having to purchase a boat. Their fantastic location at the mouth of Sandusky Bay facilitates protected-water boating on windy days, yet is only a 10-minute cruise to Lake Erie and within 45 minutes of 50 waterfront restaurants. We are very pleased to add them to our growing network of Carefree Boat Clubs.”
Carefree Boat Club started in 2002 and has grown to 36 locations in 11 states plus Toronto, Canada. For more information go to www.carefreeboats.com.
