FREEDOM BOAT CLUB, LOCH LOMOND
All the fun of boating, none of the fuss
David Milloy
Boating is great fun. It enables you to travel to and visit places that can otherwise be difficult to reach; it offers different views and perspectives of familiar places; it can be escapist (taking some time away from the stresses of everyday life is definitely a good thing), practical, adventurous, fun, and sociable – there are many possibilities and the choice is yours.
On the other hand, it can be an expensive pastime. For starters, there’s the cost of buying a boat (and, if you plan to transport it to and from the water rather than mooring it somewhere, a trailer). Berthing your boat at a marina or boatyard can cost a pretty penny too, the amount depending on your boat’s length and the location of the boatyard. And if you’ve bought a used boat and/or trailer then you’ll no doubt need to dip into your wallet to pay for the cost of fixing any faults and generally bringing it up to the desired condition.
Keeping your boat and – if you have one – trailer maintained is a must; your boat’s engine and gearbox will need to be serviced regularly, your trailer’s brakes and wheel bearings will need to be replaced every so often (more frequently if it’s used to launch and recover your boat in salt water), electrical components will need attention from time to time, trim and upholstery will degrade due to the effects of time and use, and even the cost of essential bits and pieces, such as lifejackets, all mounts up. And you’ll also want to make sure that your boat is properly insured.
Owning a boat doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be available to use whenever you want it. Mechanical issues have an unpleasant habit of cropping up in even the best maintained boats, which is when boat owners discover that good marine engineers are neither cheap to employ nor generally available at the drop of a hat. The new boat owner will soon also discover that prefacing something with the word ‘boat’ has the same effect as doing likewise with the word ‘wedding’ when it comes to the price of things.
Oh, and one more thing, boats are like cars in that they tend to drop in value over time.
Like we said, boating is great fun but it isn’t cheap.
So what’s the alternative? Well, Freedom Boat Club offers a range of packages that offer the joy of boating without the expense and stresses (just what was that noise from the engine?) of owning your own boat.
Owned by Brunswick Corporation, whose brands include the likes of Sea Ray, Bayliner, Quicksilver, and Zodiac boats, as well as Mercury and Mercruiser marine engines and Simrad electronics, Freedom Boat Club has 420 branches worldwide, each offering members access to a fleet of modern, well maintained and fully equipped boats. And one of those branches just happens to be at Loch Lomond, within easy range of Ayrshire.
Opened in 2022 and run by a team headed by Mike and Ashlee Lally, Freedom Boat Club Loch Lomond initially operated from Ardlui on the northern part of the loch. In 2024, however, it moved to new premises at Bandry Bay, near Luss, bringing it closer to both Ayrshire and Glasgow.
FBC operates on a subscription basis, whereby members pay a one-off joining fee and a monthly subscription. A variety of membership packages are available, and depending on which one is chosen it is possible for up to three people to share a single membership, thus making it even more financially attractive.
Safety on the water is one of FBC’s paramount concerns, so anyone wishing to take out an FBC membership must first possess a Royal Yacht Association Level 2 Powerboat Certificate. Frankly, the Level 2 Powerboat course is something that anyone thinking of buying or operating a powerboat should take. No prior boating experience is required in order to take the two-day course, which is a fun, interesting, and highly interactive experience which instills useful (to the extent of being potentially live-saving) skills and knowledge. Additional training, provided free of charge, is then given to new members by FBC Loch Lomond’s specialist trainer to ensure that their time on the water is safe as well as fun. Moreover, it’s not just new members who benefit from this free training – all FBC Loch Lomond members have unlimited free access to it.
Although FBC’s only Scottish location is, for now, at Loch Lomond, members also have access to boats at other FBC branches worldwide. So, for example, an FBC member holidaying on Mallorca would be able to have access to a boat from one of the four FBC sites on the island.
At present, FBC Loch Lomond has three modern (all FBC boats are under 3 years old), attractive boats available to members: Sea Ray 230 and 210 bowriders (the cockpits of which can be fully enclosed, thus enabling them to be used in all weathers) and a Zodiac RIB which is also used for training. These are supplied on a ‘ready to go’ basis – cleaned, fuelled-up and, if desired, loaded with the member’s choice of watersport equipment.
FBC members pay only for the fuel they use on each trip. There’s no berthing or maintenance fees, no insurance premiums, and no depreciation or unexpected bills to worry about. All FBC members need do is make a booking, make their way to Bandry Bay, and enjoy a fun day on the water. And whilst only FBC members are permitted to drive the boats, they’re free to take their families, friends and colleagues out on the water with them – all of FBC Loch Lomond’s boats can accommodate between 10 and 12 people.
Loch Lomond is a magical place with stunning scenery that’s even more special when viewed from the water. At 23 miles long, it has lots of places to visit (FBC will show you how to beach your boat correctly, so your feet don’t even need to get wet if you fancy setting foot on one of the loch’s lovely islands), and cafés, bars, and restaurants with jetties at which you can moor when visiting them. FBC members and their guests also have use of a clubhouse at Bandry Bay, where they can have a coffee and shoot the breeze with other members.
Full details of the packages available, the benefits offered by each package, and the costs involved can be obtained from FBC Loch Lomond.
Freedom Boat Club, Bandry Bay, Alexandria, G83 8NU
07772 994982
mike@fbclomond.co.uk
www.facebook.com/Freedomlochlomond
www.instagram.com/fbclomond
