Justin and Oxana Wolff brought their love of boating to Seattle, and are thrilled to share the joy they get from the experience through their business, Carefree Boat Club. The cost of boat ownership is expensive no matter where you live but this is especially true in the Emerald City, where slips are at a premium. But with Carefree Boats, Justin and Oxana see plenty of opportunity for Seattle boating families to enjoy the water – sailing, fishing, cruising and wakeboarding – just like they and the rest of their own extended family do.
“We met at Justin’s brother’s birthday party in Chicago,” said Oxana, “and spent almost every weekend at the family lake house, on the water. Our entire relationship has revolved around boating in some way.”
Justin grew up on lakes, first in Texas and then in the Midwest, where he and his dad would go fishing or sailing on a Hobie Cat. Later, water sports like wakeboarding and wake surfing quickly became passions. When Justin went to college in Santa Barbara he spent time sailing in the Pacific – and happily earned a few college credits doing what he loved.
After college, Justin worked in accounting but realized it wasn’t for him, and soon became an entrepreneur, running a successful vending business in the Midwest and on the East coast. In 2013, he and Oxana moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. They considered buying a boat but with Oxana pregnant with their daughter, Sasha, the necessary investment in time and money wasn’t a priority. After some research, they discovered Carefree Boats, the perfect solution for their growing family.
“I love cruising and just being outdoors and on the water,” said Oxana, who frequently drove the boat while Justin would wakeboard. Sharing the time with friends and family made it even better. Sasha has grown up on the water and now, at age two, delights in watching the wake behind the boat.
Changing the Seattle Boating Life
Justin and Oxana were members of the club in Charlotte for a few years when they decided that this was what they wanted to do for a living: share their love of boating with others. They investigated the options for launching a business and found that a franchise with Carefree Boats was the perfect solution. They just needed to choose a new city to start out in. It didn’t take long to decide on Seattle, where the combination of fresh and salt water boating opportunities, beautiful scenery and big city life make it an ideal setting for sailing, cruising, fishing and water sports.
The couple and their daughter arrived in Seattle in early January, arguably the least compelling time of year in the Pacific Northwest from a weather perspective. “We love it here,” said Justin. “This is an incredible part of the country and we couldn’t be more excited to help other families enjoy the boating life like we’ve been able to.”
And the family aspect of boating for the Wolff family has indeed come full-circle. Justin’s dad and brother-in-law are also launching Carefree Boat Clubs. “The great thing is that not only is my family involved in the business, too,” Justin said, “but that anyone who is a Carefree Boat member can take out boats in any city where a franchise is located. The ability for my own family to host our Seattle members is a great bonus for us.”