Anchored in Family
Freedom Boat Club Lake Murray Owner Anthony Viola’s love of the water started very young. The Long Island native, at eleven years old, would spend his mornings with his brothers on his eighteen-foot garvey boat clamming before heading back to shore and hopping a bus for school. “I fell in love with boating, and never looked back,” he said.
Viola, who would go on to compete in fishing tournaments and driving race boats, didn’t always make a living out on the water. He studied business administration and entered the automobile sales industry. “I started as a salesman and worked my way up to Executive General Manager of a large dealership,” he explained.
Six years ago, Viola, who had been living in South Carolina for twenty-two years, retired from the car business. However, instead of spending his retirement just fishing on boats, he turned back to the days of clamming with his brothers, and the three of them went into the boating business. The Viola Brothers pooled their resources and purchased a full-blown marina in Pennsylvania. The marina boasts 250 wet slips and a rental business with thirty-seven boats.
Although some might share a cautionary tale about going into business with family, for Viola, it is not the case. “We each have our own lane, whatever benefits the group benefits us individually. We’ve all grown together,” he said.
Before getting into the boat club business, the partners did their homework. “Freedom was the oldest and, in our opinion, the best club out there, because it is an actual franchise, not just a license where there are few rules.” He points out that with over 450 world-wide locations, Freedom has inspections, standards, and rules on everything from the age of boats to required member training.
The Brothers also looked at the infrastructure of Freedom. Viola noted that Freedom focuses on the success of its owners, and it is not afraid to put resources behind it. Brunswick, who are the backing part of the club, has “poured technology” into the back end of the business, and the front end, for that matter, according to Viola, and that makes a difference. He said that the company dropped $10 million on a mobile app that shows what boats are available, includes pictures, and can be geo-tagged if you are looking around for a specific experience.
He also proudly pointed out that although it is a “franchise,” the clubs are locally and family- owned and operated. “Corporate muscle with a small business heart,” he said.
Viola, obviously, is a big believer in the boat club model versus owning a boat for many reasons. The first is the cost. According to Viola, storage for a boat can be $3000-$4000 a year, insurance around $1000, property tax $1500+, with maintenance potentially $4000-$5000 a year. “That could mean $13,000 a year BEFORE you factor in a boat payment. Membership at Freedom Boat Club is around $5000 annually.
The other reasons Freedom makes sense, Viola said, all the boats are three years or newer, you can boat as much as you want, there is no struggle with loading it on a trailer, so you can avoid the bickering that anyone who has boated can tell you happens. He also pointed out that you can try all kinds of boating, from a lazy pontoon day to speed boating, to fishing with a center console. At Freedom, they even gas the boat up for you.
After four years of working at the brother-owned marina and their boat club, often commuting from the Palmetto State to the Keystone State, Viola decided to get back to the place that has become his home, and bring the family boating passion with him.
Viola reached out to Freedom Boat Club and found that there was an opportunity on Lake Murray for expansion and given the fact that he was familiar with the operation and family mindset, he jumped into Lake Murray with both feet. With only two years on the lake, he has two locations and thirteen boats, all while keeping the family vibe.
“My son, Sam,” he said, “is the Operations Manager, my daughter, Ellie, oversees the Leesville location, and my wife, Karah, is involved.” It doesn’t just stop with the Violas, however, his Membership Executive’s niece, and a set of twins also are part of the Lake Murray operation. He also said that the focus is member-led. “Every member has my cell, Sam’s cell, and my wife’s cell. If there is an issue, we don’t hide behind a manager. It’s my family that will correct it. You know who to call, and you know who cares.”
The family is also dialed into the Midlands Community. Viola said that after his wife survived cancer, they started an annual breast cancer boat parade and rally on the lake. “Last year, we raised about $13,000 for families going through breast cancer in the area. Not for research – money directly to the families,” he said.
Viola believes that owning a boat can be great, however, for many families, the math, time, and stress don’t add up. “Freedom Boat Club was built by a family that lives on the water, for families that want to be out on the water. The Freedom model means you get the boat you want, it is cleaned, gassed, and ready to get you on the water.”
“Somewhere between the wake, the tubing, the smiles, and the quiet moments when the lake turns to glass at sunset, you remember why you fell in love with it in the first place,” he said. “I see other people’s faces when they get on the water for the first time or re-find it. They change. The water does that.”
If you want to see if Freedom Boat Club is a fit for your family, they offer walk-throughs and trial days. After all, the best way to understand the water is to get on it.
Freedom Boat Club
Martins Landing Marina
850 Marina Village Way
Prosperity, SC 29127
Freedom Boat Club
South Shore Marina
3050 Hwy 378
Leesville, SC 29070
(803) 310-5233
anthonyviola@freedomboatclub.com