Carefree Boat Club
On a glorious Summer’s morning last week, we packed up a picnic and headed to the Kirkland Marina to try out Carefree Boat Club for the day. As soon as we arrived the staff was there to meet us, presented us with our parking pass and (if it not for this pandemic) I am certain they would have carried all our bags to the boat. Once onboard our pontoon boat (with slide!!!) it was explained to us how to operate the boat. The check in was easy and within minutes we were on our way for a day of adventure and fun.
We promptly headed north up to Kenmore to drop anchor and spend the late morning swimming, snacking and for the bravest on board going down the slide into Lake Washington. As a Mom to two littles ones it was the perfect boat to keep my family happy. There were plenty of places to sit, places to lay, spots to stay out of the sun and the ever important- places to dance. Because when you are five years old there is probably nothing cooler than playing dj onboard a boat in the middle of Lake Washington with your family.
As much time as we have spent on the water we have never been onboard a pontoon boat. And after years of talking about owning a boat of our own, it really does make more sense for our family to go the route of being members of this kind of boating club.
To give a basic summary, CareFree Boat Club members pay a one time joining fee and then monthly dues after that (monthly dues are typically cheaper than monthly moorage alone in Seattle) As a member you are able to get unlimited access to their boats at Fishermen's Terminal (Magnolia), Shilshole (Ballard), Bellevue, Kirkland, Lake Chelan and Bellingham through their online reservation system. After this wonderful experience we are contemplating what it will take to carve out a little extra money each month to spend on a membership to Carefree Boat Club.
I was pleased with how nice and new Carefree Boat Club’s fleet of boats were. And the variety of boats they had on hand were about as diverse as their members. The exciting part of this boat club is you aren’t stuck with one type of boat, depending on who you are spending the day with or the weather you can choose your experience accordingly. There is absolutely no way we would ever have the disposable income to have a variety of boats on hand to match our diverse interests, but with CareFree Boat Club this is possible.
Do you like to zip along the water at high speeds? Do you like to water ski or be towed behind a boat? Do you like to eat a leisurely lunch on the water while chatting with the people you love? Do you like to give your out of town guests a unique and impressive experience cruising along the shores of Lake Washington, Puget Sound or Lake Chelan? If you answered yes to any of these questions then Carefree Boat Club is the club for you!
As a Pacific Northwest Native, there is nothing more spectacular than Summer in Seattle. We eagerly wait for these three picture perfect months of the year to be reminded why we live here the other nine.
With Carefree Boat Club there is no need to be intimidated by boats. You don’t have to be a boating expert or spend years on the water in order to feel safe or have fun on a boat for the day. It is easy to obtain your boating license in a few hours by taking a relatively simple course and then passing an exam. Don’t allow the need for a boating license to prevent you from making memories or having fun with your family on the water.
One of the biggest appeals to boating is everyone no matter their age, fitness level or expertise can take part and enjoy a fun day. Young, old and everyone in between can enjoy their time together with minimal effort. On this particular day, we brought along my parents where one loved repeatedly going down the slide and one loved cuddling with their littlest grandchild. With boating it is really a win-win for everyone involved.
I look forward to joining Carefree Boat Club soon and making these memories on the water a regular thing. I am grateful for the gorgeous place we are fortunate enough to call home and for the endless array of waterways to explore. Carefree Boat Club has six locations in Washington state in addition to an array of other locations throughout the globe.
