We’re excited to welcome Dan Haggerty as the new majority owner of Carefree Charlotte! He has stepped into overseeing the day-to-day operations of the club while Marc and Oana enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Dan has been a Carefree member for the past 11 years, and he couldn’t be more excited to officially join the team. With a genuine passion for boating, this next chapter is truly a dream come true for him.
Events
On March 14th, we’ll be set up at the Baxter Village Spring Fling & St. Patrick’s Parade from 2:00–6:00 PM! The event will feature local vendors, food and beverages, live entertainment, games, and plenty of fun for all ages. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade starts at 5:00 PM!
Member Housekeeping
We appreciate everyone who took the time to participate in our member survey we sent out a few weeks ago. With over 90 responses, we’re carefully reviewing each one and using your feedback to make our operations even better for you, our members.
Construction is currently underway at Harbortowne Marina; they are building a new ship store! To ensure the safety of both our team and our members, we’ll be launching boats from McLean Marina, just around the corner. This is a temporary change and will remain in place only until construction is complete.
New gates have been installed on the Kingspoint Marina docks. They should be open during operating hours, but if you experience any issues, please contact the dock phone for assistance.We currently have boats available for purchase! Selling our older boats allows us to bring newer boats into the fleet even sooner. If you know someone in the market for a professionally maintained, pre-owned boat, please have them call 704-965-3183 or email [email protected]. As a thank-you, you’ll receive one free month of dues for every successful referral.
We’re also gauging interest in a ladies-focused boater safety class covering what to do if something happens to the captain. The class would be taught by Mindy Harbin, a 100-ton USCG Captain with a passion for creating more confident, knowledgeable, and safer boaters. The class would cost approximately $20 to $50 per person. Please let us know your interest here.
Other News
We want to be fully transparent about how we track fuel charges, so you can feel confident and at ease.
- Each of our boats is equipped with a fuel flow meter. When a boat is checked out, our dock staff records the meter reading and takes a photo to document the starting fuel usage for the outing. When the boat returns, the staff records the meter reading again and takes another photo.
- The difference between the check-out and check-in readings reflects the amount of fuel used during your trip. This process creates a clear before-and-after record, complete with photos, for every outing.
- Afterward, our office manager, Carolyn, reviews fuel usage reports for every boat, every day. She carefully cross-checks the fuel usage entered in ResNet against the photos taken at check-out and check-in to ensure accuracy.
- In addition, we use Boatfix tracking to confirm that fuel usage aligns with the boat’s activity, including distance traveled and speed. For example, activities like watersports naturally consume more fuel than cruising.
This multi-step process allows us to ensure fuel charges are accurate, fair, and consistently verified!
If you find yourself with a little extra time this winter, it’s the perfect chance to complete your NC or SC Boaters Safety Course.
You’ll need this certificate to book reciprocal reservations!
- Choose the course for the state you live in — both are accepted on Lake Wylie.
- NC Course: boatus.org/northcarolina
- SC Course: boatus.org/southcarolina
The online course takes about 4–8 hours, and you can pause and return anytime. It’s free unless you’d like to order a laminated card for your wallet.