What are the advantages of a FBC membership?

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of owning a boat is the steep cost of simply buying it. We all know these don’t come cheap! Of course, you could always choose to finance a new one. And if you pay it for over 20 years, your monthly rate can be about as low as $200. The problem is that this is not the largest expense, when you factor in the cost of the spring commissioning, dock fees, maintenance, storage, insurance, Shrink wrap, and winterizing; you have yourself quite a hefty annual fee. Not sure how you feel about this, but I think for most people this is unnecessary.

A boat club membership is the easy and affordable way out of all the over-inflated costs associated with boat ownership. Why should pay for these fees, when you could simply just join a club that is a fraction of the cost?  I estimate that our members spend about half of what the average boat owner does each year.

Here are some of the main advantages of having a boating club membership:

• Leave the maintenance to us and don’t waste any of your time on it. You don’t have to worry about cleaning, polishing, fixing the “wear and tear”! It’s all the club’s responsibility.
• Pay a one-time fee to join and then a monthly fee, as you go, and don’t get tied down in long-term contracts.
• Have not just one, but a full fleet of boats to choose from.
• Have our staff prepare the boat for your arrival and then, when your trip is over, just hand over the keys and be on your way. There a no hassles whatsoever.

Not convinced? Stop in for a tour of our club or visit our website to see the awesome boats you could be crusing on. Our fleet will give you the ability allow you to cruise to the local beaches, head offshore to fish for a big catch, or take a overnight voyage on the Maine coast. And that’s just a few of the possibilities that a Freedom Boat Club membership can offer you.  FBC is truly the best of the boaters lifestyle with none of the hassles of ownership.  The boats are waiting, why are you?

Please fee free to call me at (978) 499-0899 or email me at jgoodridge@freedomboatclub.com for more details.

Exploring the Isles of Shoals

Exploring the Isles of Shoals

“Of all four parts of the world that I have seen not inhabited, could I have but the means to transport a Colony, I would rather live here than anywhere.” These are the words of Captain John Smith, one of the first European explorers of the island, suggesting the richness and the beauty of the coastal landscape. The first people who inhabited the islands made their living from fishing. Most probably the name of the Isles of Shoals originated from the large “shoals” of fish that the early settlers found in the waters around the islands.

The Isle of Shoals is a group of nine small islands bridging the border of the states of New Hampshire and Maine. The group is formed by Appledore Island – the largest, Star Island, Smuttynose and Malaga Islands and other small islands, including White Island. Smuttynose is not populated today.The main attractions of the islands are the old and historic buildings, lighthouses and nature observations. From resort hotels to fishermen cottages, every place on the Isles of Shoals has a wonderful story to tell.

The Islands host one of the most beautiful grand hotels built throughout the 19^th century and early 20^th century, of which the Oceanic Hotel and the Gosport House on Star Island are the greatest. What is impressive about the Oceanic Hotel is its shape: a series of different buildings arranged in a row. In the past, these hotels allowed tourists to escape the large cities’ noise and heat to have a relaxing time on the sea coast. Nowadays the Oceanic Hotel is still standing and is used as a conference center.  The hotel does accept day visitors and will even rent out a few rooms to those looking for a unique experience.

The most prominent attraction on the Appledore Island is an observation tower built in World War II to hold a radar installation, which is no longer functional. At the base of the tower is a marine laboratory since this island is home of Shoals Marine Laboratory. On Smuttynose Island, the Haley House is believed to be one of the oldest structures in the State on Maine.

On the White Island, about 10 miles from the Portsmouth shoreline there is the Isles of Shoals Lighthouse. Despite the fact that this island is not open to public access, views of the lighthouse can be seen from Appledore Island, where travelers are allowed to explore.

Those who do not own their own boat can get a ride from one of the charter boats that run from either Portsmouth or Rye Harbor out around the islands. It's exciting to hear the amazing history of these  places, especially the famous murder mystery that took place in the 1800s on Smuttynose Island, recalled in the story “A Memorable Murder”, by Celia Thaxter.

Most enjoy the trip out of Portsmouth aboard the M/V Thomas Laighton.  Portsmouth Harbor is a unique working port with tugboats, tankers and the nation’s oldest and active naval yard. The landscape reveals the closed castle “the Alcatraz of the East”, the quaint Olde Port waterfront, a famous grand resort hotel, 5 historic forts and 3 lighthouses proudly guiding mariners safely through the waters.

For those of you who are very active, and need to feel adrenaline pumping, I suggest going kayaking. You can rent kayaks from the local kayaking shops or attend organized trips that will offer you a complete tour of the islands, kayak equipment and all you need to spend a lovely day on the sea.  I would not recommend kayaking from the mainland to the Isles of Shoals, it is best to load the kayaks on a boat and grab a mooring in Gosport Harbor.  This will give you a chance to explore a number of the islands. 

It is nice to take advantage of the whole day and start your trip early in the morning. Gear-up at sunrise to enjoy as much as possible the unique scenery. The highlights of the paddling trip are the bird watching and seal sightings activities. The Isles of Shoals is also an important Bird Area inhabited by threatened and endangered species, which you would definitely enjoy to observe.

Our exploration of the islands stops here for now. I hope that my trip guide was useful for those who plan to spend a day out at the Isles of Shoals or those who look for exciting places to visit this year. 

Freedom Boat Club offers our members a variety of boat styles, including kayaks, allowing you to explore new activities and destinations on the local waters.

We just added a Rinker 282 Captiva to the Newburyport fleet

We just picked this boat up in New Jersey the other day and are thrilled to have another Rinker 282 in our fleet. We added one of these to our Portsmouth fleet last season and it was a huge hit with our members. The Rinker 282 offers space, comfort, and speed making it a great multi-purpose boat. Please continue to check back here to see what our next addition will be.

New boat added to Newburyport fleet

As mentioned before, we are in the process of updating our fleet for the 2011 season and we recently acquired a great boat for our Newburyport fleet. We are adding a 28' Rinker Captiva (pictured above), the 28 Captiva is a great all around cruiser, it has seating for 12, a spacious V-berth, an enclosed head, as well as a cockpit galley. While this boat offers all the comforts needed for a long day on the water, it also has enough performance to satisfy the thrill seeker in you. We have the same boat in our Portsmouth fleet and it has been a big hit with our current members. Feel free to stop in this spring to check out the boats and learn more about our hassle free approach to boating.

A busy summer....

Things really picked up around the club this summer and this is the first time I have had a chance to even think about making a post on here. I promised myself I was going to try to get better at this, but I guess we will see in the future....

One piece of info I can pass on at this point is that FBC will be participating in this year's Fall Boat Show in Boston on October 1st-3rd. The show is at the Seaport World Trade Center and you can find more info about the show at bostonfallboatshow.com

New England Boat Show

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.

Fish of a lifetime caught on FBC Newburyport boat

I normally don't beleive many fish tales, but seeing that I have pictures to prove it this time; I figured I would show off what fishing on the Merrimac River has to offer. FBC Newburyport member, Mike Codair and friends, landed the fish of a lifetime last Thursday at Half-tide Rocks, not more than one mile from our club. Mike and his crew were on their way in from a full day of fishing on our 25' Bluefin and had some time to kill before our member meet up at Ten Center, so they decided to anchor up and give it one more shot. That proved to be a great decision, they ended up landing a 46lb moster that has to be one of the largest fish caught this season. Mike has put his time in this year and I am glad to see him get this great catch. Congratulations Mike!