StPetersburgBusinessNews.com | Marine Business Analysis | September 13, 2026
Quick Answer
Freedom Boat Club operates three St. Petersburg locations, at the Harborage Marina downtown, at Loggerhead Marina near the Skyway, and a 14th Avenue site, as part of a 31-location Tampa Bay territory that Brunswick Corporation bought from its founding franchisee in 2022 and now runs directly. Members can fish from the center consoles, and pontoons and bowriders can be reserved for tubing and watersports where a ski pole is fitted, but every boat must be back at the dock by sunset and stays within a set radius of the club. Over five years a full St. Pete membership costs roughly $30,000 to $35,000 all-in versus $90,000 to $140,000 for owning a comparable 22-foot center console kept in a local marina. Buying only makes financial sense for St. Pete boaters with a dock behind the house, offshore grouper ambitions, or 80-plus boating days a year.
Three Clubs, One Membership
St. Petersburg is unusual in having three Freedom locations inside city limits, each opening onto different water:
Freedom Boat Club St. Petersburg Locations
| Club | Water Access | Dock Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Harborage Marina (downtown, Salt Creek) | Tampa Bay, downtown waterfront, Weedon Island | 727-249-3726 |
| Skyway – Loggerhead Marina (south St. Pete) | Lower Tampa Bay, Skyway, Egmont Key, Fort De Soto | 727-418-0726 |
| 14th Avenue | Tampa Bay side | Via Member Experience Center |
A St. Pete membership includes unlimited use at all 31 Tampa Bay territory locations, which adds Gulfport, Tierra Verde, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Apollo Beach, Little Harbor, downtown Tampa’s Harbour Island and Lake Tarpon, plus reciprocal use at 450-plus Freedom clubs worldwide. Most plans include a second captain from the same household, and a Family & Friends plan lets up to four people share one membership.
The St. Pete Fleet
The Skyway location runs a fishing-oriented lineup: multiple 22-foot Bayliner Trophy center consoles with 150 hp Mercury outboards, model years 2025 and 2026, and a 21-foot Sea Pro center console with T-top, rod holders, livewell, fish boxes, GPS and washdown. Across the Tampa Bay territory the fleet also includes 23-foot Harris tritoons with 150 hp, 20-foot deck boats, and smaller bay and freshwater boats such as an 18-foot Lund on Lake Tarpon. Fleet size in the territory runs well into the hundreds; the founding franchisee had 40 boats across four locations in 2012 and the operation grew to 30 locations by the time Brunswick bought it.
Can You Fish on a Club Boat?
Yes, on the boats rigged for it. The Trophy 22 and Sea Pro center consoles at Skyway carry livewells, rod holders, fish boxes and washdowns, and members regularly work the Skyway pilings, Fort De Soto flats and the artificial reefs off Pinellas for snook, redfish, trout, Spanish mackerel and grouper. Two rules matter. First, the Trophy 22s are classified by the club as bowriders even though they are center consoles, which affects which plan can book them. Second, running outside the passes into the Gulf, even one mile off Egmont, requires the member to hold the club’s Open Water endorsement and weather permitting; the club’s captains provide the training at no charge. Pontoons are marked no-fishing at some locations and are not permitted offshore. Members bring their own tackle and bait; fish cleaning happens at the marina, not aboard.
Can You Water-Ski or Tube?
Partly. Freedom does not run dedicated wake or ski boats in St. Petersburg, and the fleet listings flag many boats, including the Trophy center consoles and several tritoons, as “No Ski Pole.” Boats that do carry a ski pole, typically deck boats and some pontoons, can pull a tube or a kneeboard in the calm water behind Weedon Island, inside Boca Ciega Bay or on Lake Tarpon. Serious slalom skiers and wakeboarders will find the 150 hp pontoon underpowered and should either book the Palm Harbor or Lake Tarpon boats, where watersports are the point, or own. Members supply their own tow ropes, tubes and vests beyond the standard PFDs.
Where St. Pete Members Actually Go
The three St. Pete docks put the best day-trip water in Tampa Bay within a short run:
- Beer Can Island (Pine Key). The uninhabited spoil island off Apollo Beach is Tampa Bay’s sandbar party spot; from the Harborage it is a straight shot across the bay, popular for a Saturday anchor-and-swim.
- Egmont Key. The state park and 1858 lighthouse at the mouth of the bay is reachable only by boat; the Skyway club promotes it as a signature run, with Fort De Soto’s beaches and Bunces Pass on the way.
- Shell Key and Pass-a-Grille. Sandbar wading and shelling on the Gulf side, accessed by boat from Tierra Verde.
- Weedon Island Preserve. Mangrove tunnels and calm water minutes north of downtown, ideal for a first outing or a tube pull.
- Lunch by boat. Boaters tie up at the St. Pete Pier day docks for Doc Ford’s or Teak, at The Getaway on the Gandy waterfront, at Billy’s Stone Crab in Tierra Verde, at Sea Hags in Madeira Beach and at Island Way Grill in Clearwater. Confirm docking availability and draft with the restaurant on busy weekends.
Trip planning has two hard limits. Club rules historically required boats to be secured at a dock from sunset to sunrise, so overnights at anchor are out, and kept boats within a set distance of the nearest Tampa Bay club, roughly 10 miles under prior published rules, with Anna Maria and Bradenton beyond that limit unless the dockmaster signs off. Confirm current range policy with the club before planning a Longboat Key run.
The Economics for a St. Pete Household
Tampa Bay initiation fees at boat clubs generally run from about $600 at small local operators to $7,500 at the top of the market, and Freedom sits toward the upper end; Florida Freedom memberships typically total $6,000 to $8,000 a year. Reservation windows are limited to a handful of open bookings at a time, which caps how many days a working member can realistically bank. The ownership comparison below uses a 22-foot center console similar to the club’s Trophy, bought used for about $55,000.
Five-Year Cost: St. Pete Club vs. Owning a 22′ Center Console
| Cost Item | Freedom (Full Plan) | Own (Marina Kept) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry (initiation / purchase + 7% tax) | $5,500 | $58,850 |
| Dues / loan interest, 5 yrs | $27,000 | $9,000 |
| Storage (dry stack, 5 yrs) | Included | $30,000–$42,000 |
| Insurance, 5 yrs | Included | $4,000–$6,000 |
| Maintenance, 5 yrs | Included | $15,000–$25,000 |
| Resale value at year 5 | $0 | ($30,000–$35,000) |
| Net 5-year cost | $32,500 | $91,000–$106,000 |
FAN composite estimate; fuel excluded from both columns. Pinellas County sales tax is 7 percent. Owner storage assumes $500–$700/month dry stack in St. Petersburg.
At 40 boating days a year the club costs about $160 a day and ownership about $450 to $530 a day. An owner needs roughly 120 days a year, or free storage at home, to reach parity.
Ownership and Local Management
Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay was founded by Glenn and Leah Bergoffen, who bought the territory rights in 2007 and opened the first clubs in 2012, growing the operation into the largest franchise in the Freedom network. In May 2022 Brunswick’s Freedom Boat Club acquired the franchise outright, including all 30 locations and expansion rights, creating a corporate-owned territory that runs from Crystal River to Marco Island when combined with the adjacent Southwest Florida clubs. The St. Pete locations are therefore run by Freedom corporate, headquartered in Venice under network president Cecil Cohn, with local dock managers at each marina and a regional Member Experience Center handling sales and reservations. For prospective members, the practical contact is the dock phone at the Harborage or Loggerhead listed above, or freedomboatclub.com’s Tampa Bay pages.
St. Pete Profiles: Who Should Buy
The Snell Isle or Shore Acres homeowner with a dock. With a lift in the backyard canal and Tampa Bay a few minutes out, storage is free and the boat is available at 6 a.m. on a whim. Ownership carry falls to $8,000 to $12,000 a year, cheaper than a full club plan on a per-day basis for anyone boating twice a week.
The Tierra Verde offshore angler. Gag and red grouper, kingfish and the 60-mile runs to the Middle Grounds require a 25- to 30-foot boat with twin outboards, a bigger fuel load and the freedom to leave in the dark and come home after sunset. That trip is outside the club’s boat sizes, range and daylight rules.
The cruiser. Anchoring overnight at Egmont, running to Anna Maria or Sarasota for the weekend, or making a Keys trip in season all require a boat you own.
The competitive skier or wake surfer. Nothing in the St. Pete fleet is built for it.
St. Pete Profiles: Who Should Join
The downtown condo resident. Along Beach Drive and Central Avenue thousands of residents live a 10-minute walk from the Harborage with no way to store a boat. The club replaces a $600-plus monthly slip and every chore that comes with it.
The Pinellas family with two working parents. Twenty to thirty boating days a year is typical, and the club delivers those days for a fraction of ownership with a captain on call for training the teenagers.
The Gulfport or Kenwood snowbird. Five months of use, twelve months of storage and a hurricane season away is the worst possible ownership profile. The club, with a hold option for the off-season, matches cost to presence.
The inshore angler who wants variety. A Trophy for the Skyway one weekend, a tritoon for a Beer Can Island Sunday the next, a deck boat for tubing at Weedon Island: three boats, one dues payment.
The first-time boater. Tampa Bay is shallow, tide-driven and busy. Unlimited captain training and a fleet that someone else maintains is the safest and cheapest way to find out whether boating is a lifestyle or a phase.
Brian’s Take
By Brian French, Publisher, Florida Authority Network
The most interesting business fact about Freedom Boat Club in St. Petersburg is that Brunswick chose to own it. When a franchisor buys back its largest franchise, it is telling you the unit economics are strong enough that it would rather keep the margin than collect the royalty. Tampa Bay, with roughly 100,000 registered boats and a growing downtown condo population that cannot store one, is the ideal market for a shared-asset model: high demand, expensive storage, year-round season.
For the individual boater the question is utilization against fixed cost. A $55,000 center console in a St. Pete dry stack burns $18,000 to $22,000 a year whether it leaves the rack or not. Unless you have a dock at home or you are running offshore, that fixed cost is very hard to justify below 100 days a year, and most people who think they will boat 100 days a year boat 30. My advice for a St. Pete household: join at the Harborage for two seasons, learn the bay on the club’s boats and the club’s captains, and count your actual days. If the number is big and the trips are getting longer than the rules allow, you have earned the right to buy. If not, you saved yourself the depreciation on a boat you would have sold anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the Freedom Boat Club locations in St. Petersburg?
Three: the Harborage Marina downtown on Salt Creek, Loggerhead Marina near the Skyway in south St. Pete, and a 14th Avenue location. A St. Pete membership also includes the other Tampa Bay territory clubs.
Can I fish from a Freedom Boat Club boat in St. Pete?
Yes. The 22-foot Trophy and 21-foot Sea Pro center consoles at the Skyway club are rigged with livewells, rod holders and fish boxes. Pontoons are restricted from fishing at some locations, and Gulf runs require the club’s Open Water endorsement.
Can I water-ski or tube?
Only on boats fitted with a ski pole, generally deck boats and certain pontoons. Most center consoles and several tritoons are listed “No Ski Pole.” There are no dedicated ski or wake boats in the St. Pete fleet.
Can I take a club boat to Beer Can Island or Egmont Key?
Yes. Both are within normal range from the St. Pete clubs and are among the most popular member destinations. Boats must return to the dock before sunset.
Can I anchor overnight or run to Anna Maria?
No overnights; boats are secured at a dock from sunset to sunrise. Anna Maria and Bradenton have fallen outside the club’s standard range rules and require dockmaster authorization.
Who owns and manages Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay?
Brunswick Corporation’s Freedom Boat Club acquired the territory from founding franchisees Glenn and Leah Bergoffen in May 2022 and operates it as a corporate territory from its Venice headquarters, with local dock managers at each St. Pete marina.
How much does a St. Pete Freedom membership cost?
Florida Freedom memberships typically total $6,000 to $8,000 a year including a one-time initiation fee in the $5,000 range; exact St. Pete plan pricing and promotions come from the local club.
Sources and Further Reading
- Freedom Boat Club, “St. Petersburg Skyway Loggerhead Marina” location, fleet and destination page – freedomboatclub.com/franchises/another-day-in-paradise-boat-club-llc/st-petersburg-skyway
- Freedom Boat Club, “St. Petersburg Harborage Marina” and “St. Petersburg – 14th Ave.” location pages, and “Boat Club FAQ” – freedomboatclub.com
- Brunswick Corporation, “Freedom Boat Club Acquires Tampa Bay Franchise Operation – the Largest Territory in the Freedom Network,” May 10, 2022 – brunswick.com
- Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay, “Rules & Regulations” (May 2019 edition, range, hours and hold policies) – yourboatinglife.com
- BoatingLessons.com, “Best Boat Clubs in Tampa,” September 2025 – boatinglessons.com/boat-clubs-in-tampa
