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Welcome to Anchors Aweigh, a podcast for boaters, by boaters. As owner of Freedom Boat Club Lake George, and the Queen Boat Co marina, I have seen firsthand the power that boating has to bring families and friends together, sharing experiences that will create lifelong memories. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with a boating expert or industry leader, where we cover things like boating tips, tricks, and essential gear; hear great stories from the water; and discuss trends in the industry. If you’re new to boating or have been on the water since before you can remember, our hope is that you will find these conversations enjoyable and informational and you will be inspired to get on the water, stay on the water, and bring other people to the water!

Jan 19, 2017

It was a real treat speaking with John Giglio. John is President and CEO of Freedom Boat Club, the world’s largest and oldest private boating club in the nation now celebrating its 27th anniversary. With 15,000+ members in 115+ locations in the US and Canada and sporting a fleet of more than 1200 boats, Freedom Boat Club offers an attractive alternative to boat ownership and delivers memories that last a lifetime.

John, his wife Lisa and two daughters live in Venice, FL where the corporate headquarters are based. John purchased Freedom Boat Club in 2012, having previously worked for the company for several years in both senior level operations and sales capacities. Freedom Boat Club has doubled its growth since he took the helm. The company has received multiple recognitions both within and outside the marine industry. It has been named to the Entrepreneur’s Magazine “Top 500 Franchisees” for the past five years, as well as being ranked in the Inc. Magazine’s “Top 5000 Fastest Growing Companies.” Boating Industry Magazine named John to its roster of “Top 16 Movers and Shakers” in 2013.

John has a unique perspective on both boating and the boating industry. His experiences as a recreational boater, as the owner of a 450-boat fleet, and as a leader in the evolution of the boating industry all combine to make him an incredible resource and someone I have been able to learn a lot from. In this conversation, we cover things like learning to boat later in life, passing that knowledge onto your children, great places to boat and day trips in FL, industry trends and insight, who he would love to spend a day on the water with, and more. Enjoy!

 

On getting into boating…..I did not grow up boating but my wife did. Our first date was on a friend’s boat where we did some water skiing and our second date was on her waverunner. After those two fun events I was hooked, I knew that the boating lifestyle was something I wanted to be a part of. 

On learning to boat…..When I moved down to the west coast of Florida, my boss at the time had a big 42’ Hatteras. We would go out just about every weekend, either diving, or I got into spearfishing. They also had a few smaller boats so we would take those boats out. Just show up at my boss’s house, hop on one of the little 17’ Whalers, and run around for a little while. That’s where I got my one on one instruction from my wife.

On teaching his daughters to boat…..I have a fleet of over 450 boats and I vowed I was never going to buy a boat personally….but then I had kids! I bought a little 14’ side console to teach them how to operate. I made them take the Florida boating class so we can take them out on the boat and they can drive while I’m sitting right next to them. It’s been great teaching them how to operate a boat and getting them out on the water from a young age.

On favorite family activities…..We do a lot of inshore fishing, knee-boarding, tubing, and skiing. And then just general cruising. Where we are there are lot of waterfront restaurants and little beaches, a little place called Snake Island that we like to go to. It’s great family fun.

On his favorite place to boat…..We have a great area south of Venice called Lemon Bay. You’ve got a mixture of no wake zones, open areas. There’s great fishing. There’s a little place called Ski Alley. And then just further South there is a place called Don Pedro State Park which is a great place to go dock the boat and head down to the beach. We see dolphin, we see manatee, we sometimes see sea turtles. It is the perfect little Florida trip down the west coast.

On fishing offshore…..We take the boats between 20 and 25 miles offshore. There’s great grouper fishing, snapper when they’re in season, and amberjacks. So there’s a great variety and diversity of fish that you can catch offshore. But if the wind is blowing a little bit and the Gulf’s choppy, there’s also great recreating and fishing inshore. It’s just a beautiful area to go boating.

On boating all over the country…..The Carolinas are beautiful, the Great Lakes are beautiful, the West Coast of the US, beautiful. That’s one of the major benefits of this job, when I’m traveling and visiting the locations, I get to go to really really nice places. And every time I go someplace and I’m out on a boat, I think to myself ‘this is the nicest place I’ve been to.’ It goes to show you the lifestyle and how boating affects people because everywhere, regardless of the type of boating or the type of boat you’re on, you’re still on the water and it’s still a phenomenal experience being out there.

On his dream boat…..The more I know about boats, and with some of the boats being built now, I think for my lifestyle, a 23-25 foot center console is a perfect boat. That’s a boat that could stay inshore as well as go offshore. It’s cost effective. You can put a nice 4-stroke engine on the back of that and you’re not killing yourself in fuel.

On essential equipment for beginners…..The best investment anybody can make is some type of PFD (personal flotation device). From a safety standpoint that’s the biggest. From a boating standpoint, a second recommendation is that you pick up a handheld GPS, something that can make sure you get out safely and get back in safely.

On boating innovation…..There are a lot of technological advances now, specifically with marine electronics. The electronics companies have really started focusing on customer experience. Now they have 3D technology, so if you’re out there fishing you can actually get a 3D side scan reading and you can watch fish swimming by your boat. They have a lot of interactive electronics now so that all of the electronics on the boat operate the systems on the boat. You can pull up an app on the phone and you can see how hot the engine is running, you can get speed, diagnostic information. The engine manufacturers as well as the electronics manufacturers and boat manufacturers have really worked well the last few years so that it is as simple as it can possibly be for someone to take a boat out and operate it.

On changes in the industry…..There’s been a huge focus on trying to engage minority boaters. As the population base of the US changes dramatically, the demographics are changing dramatically. They are cultures that didn’t necessarily grow up boating but that is a huge opportunity for our industry. What you are going to see over the next several years, as the baby boomers age out of boating and the industry continues to look for the young people to get engaged in the industry, people are going to focus a lot more on bringing those new markets into the boating industry.

On new market outreach at Freedom Boat Club…..We really solve a lot of the industry’s problems. When you look at those markets, they’re people that are not traditional boaters so the club concept fits very well into their lifestyle, at least to begin getting them engaged in boating. We offer training, we offer a variety of boats, and those are two major hurdles when you’re bringing someone new into the industry. We get them comfortable and hopefully we create lifetime boaters.

On boating attrition (54% of boat buyers in 2005 are no longer boating)…..I can almost guarantee that the majority of those people aren’t boating today because they had a couple of really bad experiences when they started. Boating should be fun. The people on the boat should have a fun time and a safe time. With the training that we offer and with some training the industry is going to be coming out with, hopefully that will solve a big part of the attrition with boat buyers moving out of the industry. If they’re going to make that leap and buy a boat or join a club, we want them here for a long time.

On recommended reading…..I know its state specific but there is a Florida safe boating handbook. I think that from an educational standpoint, get some type of resource that’s going to explain the basics of boating before you get out on the water. The Florida safe boating handbook is something that I give to everybody whether they are considering the club or considering buying a boat.

On spending a day out on the water with anyone (besides his wife and kids)…..I would have to say Bill Belichik. I’m a huge Patriots fan and I think if you’re going to try to get some time with Bill Belichik, it probably needs to be on a boat where there aren’t any distractions. I think he’s a brilliant coach and a brilliant motivator and I’d love to pick his brain for a few hours.

On advice for someone thinking about getting into boating…..Do your research on whether buying a boat, renting boats, or joining a boat club are going to fit your lifestyle. And before you get on a boat, take a classroom class and a hands-on training class to make sure you’re comfortable. If you’re comfortable the first time, you’ll be comfortable beyond that.

We covered much more in our conversation. The hardest part of recording this episode was narrowing down what to talk about given his participation in so many different parts of the boating industry. Leave any questions or comments below!