By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
With the cost of a new Jet Ski hovering around $10,000 to $15,000 these days, some people may think twice before plunking down all of that money for some fun on the water.
Add to that an extra $1,000 to $2,000 to rent a Jet Ski slip, plus the cost of fuel, maintenance and winter storage, and you’re looking at a pretty hefty outlay.
But there is a much less expensive option that gives Jet Ski and boating enthusiasts all of the thrills of being out on the water and none of the headaches of ownership.
In 2019, Carefree Boat Club opened its first franchise at the Cape May County shore in Avalon and is expanding to neighboring Sea Isle City this summer at the Sunset Pier Marina on 86th Street in Townsends Inlet.
The membership cost is nowhere near the expense of buying a boat or Jet Ski. There are no dock fees or insurance costs. No back-breaking cleaning or maintenance, either. Your boat or Jet Ski will be fueled up and ready to go before you even climb on board.
The Sea Isle operation will feature two boats ranging in size from 18 to 21 feet and two Sea-Doo Jet Skis when it opens in early May.
Carefree Boat Club will celebrate its second season in Avalon at the Commodore Bay Marina at 900 Ocean Drive starting Easter weekend. In Avalon, there will be eight boats ranging in size from 22 to 26 feet, including a new twin motor, center console 26-foot Cobia that is good for deep sea fishing.
Business partners Sean McNulty and Adam Fox own the Avalon and Sea Isle franchise. McNulty, 26, serves as director of sales, while the 45-year-old Fox will use his experience as a licensed charter boat captain to oversee the day-to-day operations as general manager.
Their Avalon and Sea Isle locations are part of a growing network that features more than 80 Carefree Boat Club sites in the United States, Canada, the British Virgin Islands and the Philippines. Membership at Avalon and Sea Isle gives boaters access to all U.S. and international Carefree locations.
Both the Avalon and Sea Isle clubs will have some type of reciprocal access to each other. McNulty and Fox are working out final details of the reciprocal membership and expect to announce the prices soon.
Carefree calls itself “the way of the future” for boating and Jet Skiing. “Our mission at Carefree is simple – to provide our members the best experiences and life-long memories that boating at the Jersey shore has to offer, with none of the worries or hassles of owning a boat,” the company’s website says.
The variety of boats will allow members to take fishing trips, enjoy a recreational outing or simply have a relaxing, lazy day out on the bay or ocean.
“The only thing they pay for is the fuel they use,” Fox said. “They don’t have to sit at a fuel dock waiting in a long line. We handle everything for them.”
Members receive safety training to familiarize them with the boats or Jet Skis. Last summer, the company had no safety incidents, McNulty noted.
“We found out that our members love the safety training,” Fox said. “They receive two or three hours of training or more out on the water, showing them our local waterways so they will be familiar with them.”
At Carefree’s Sea Isle location, there is a one-time initiation fee of $3,000 and a $300 per month membership cost for boats only.
For Jet Skis only, the cost is also $3,000 for a one-time initiation fee and monthly membership dues of $300.
The Sea Isle location will also offer the option of a combined boat-Jet Ski membership consisting of a $5,000 one-time initiation fee and $300 in monthly dues.
Avalon’s standard membership includes a one-time initiation fee of $6,900 and $525 in monthly dues. There is also a weekday membership option that includes an initiation fee of $6,900 and $425 in monthly dues.
McNulty pointed out that the Avalon fleet includes $100,000 boats. That figure underscores the dramatic savings Carefree members will enjoy compared to actually going out and buying a boat.
“With membership as little as 1/3 cost of owning a boat, you can cross these expenses off your list: boat purchase, slip fee, insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, towing and winterization,” Carefree’s website says.
Carefree’s diverse fleet of boats means members can go fishing one day, water skiing or tubing the next or just cruise on down to a bayfront restaurant for lunch or drinks with friends, the company points out.
Members will be given a courtesy bag containing some of the essentials for traveling on the water, including emergency contacts, boating regulations, sunscreen, bug spray and a map that shows the local dockside restaurants and other businesses.
In Sea Isle, Carefree has a partnership with the Sunset Pier Marina. Sunset Pier’s iconic bayside restaurant will offer boaters and Jet Ski riders the opportunity to grab a convenient bite to eat before or after a day on the water.
One of McNulty’s first summer jobs as a teenager was working at Sunset Pier as a dishwasher. Now, he is returning as a businessman.
“It’s crazy, it really is,” McNulty said with a laugh of his transition from dishwasher to entrepreneur.
For more information about Carefree Boat Club, visit https://carefreeboats.com/locations/avalon/ or call (609) 388-9009.
Information is also available on Carefree’s Facebook and Instagram pages at https://www.instagram.com/carefreeboatclubofavalon/ or https://www.facebook.com/CarefreeBoatClubofAvalon/?view_public_for=250576662513763
