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Sharing eases cost of boating

The increasing cost of owning and operating a car is sending many people to car share services. The same goes for boats.
Freedom Boat Club
Sandy Purdon, of Freedom Boat Club at the Reed Point Marina in Port Moody, on the bow of his 21' Ranger tug he says is one of the most popular craft in his boat share fleet.

The increasing cost of owning and operating a car is sending many people to car share services.

The same goes for boats.

And the owners of the Freedom Boat Club boat share service that operates at Port Moody’s Reed Point Marina say business has been picking up in the two years since they became the company’s first Canadian franchise.

Sandy and Jamie Purdon said they’ve increased their fleet from just a few boats to an anticipated 16 by the end of this summer.

Just like a car share service, the club’s 100 or so local members pay a monthly fee that gives them unlimited access year round to its boats. They can also book boats at the club’s dozens of other locations across the United States, one in Halifax, N.S., and, now, Europe.

As well, members receive full nautical training along with some guiding to local attractions and hideaways they can access on their seafaring adventures.

And while the monthly dues of $399 might seem prohibitive, Sandy Purdon said it pales in comparison to the costs of owning a boat, which include moorage fees, fuel, maintenance, insurance and depreciation.

“We take away all the crappy things about boating,” he said.

In fact, expense may be one of the reasons boat sales have flatlined or declined in Canada in recent years. Power boat sales increased .3% in 2016, but that was after a 5.4% decline in 2015, according to statistics compiled by the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

Purdon said the cost of boating has put it out of reach for many people, especially in Metro Vancouver, where housing eats up so much income.

Purdon said club members run the gamut from doctors and realtors to even some students. Keeping boating affordable to be able to attract young people is key to the industry’s health, he said.

“The cost to be on the water is so expensive,” he said.

Boat sharing also allows mariners to try all kinds of different craft. The Purdons have everything from stand-up paddleboards to Campion speed boats to a 21-foot Ranger tug in their fleet, and each boat is replaced every three years.

“Some people will find their favourite but some people like the option to change,” Jamie Purdon said. “This opens up other adventures.”