The Alternative to the Marina

Boat concierges, clubs, and other creative ways to get out on the water

By Ross Boissoneau | July 8, 2023

Michigan is known as the water wonderland, and indeed northern Michigan is a boater’s paradise. But if you don’t have a house on the water or a slip in a marina—many of which have waiting lists of 10+ years—paradise comes with all the hassles of readying the boat, launching it, parking the trailer…and then taking it out again and hauling it home when your time on the water is done.

That's why some area businesses are stepping up to fill the gap between the DIY approach and the convenience of a marina.

Leelanau Boat Company

That’s right, for a fee, some area marinas and boat shops will get your boat and gear fueled up and ready to go, launch it for you, and pick it up when you’re heading home. Like Leelanau Boat Company.

Founded by longtime marine surveyor and boat expert Adam Prettyman and hospitality veteran Jason Thibodeau, the company provides a variety of rentals, boat and engine repairs and service, and detailing.

It also offers an in-and-out “boat concierge” service so boat owners can store their boats at the Bingham Road location and the company will provide transportation to and from the water.

“Now it’s so hard to get a slip. We meet them with their boat,” says Thibodeau. Boat concierge members must call 24 hours in advance. The service operates six days a week, and boats are launched from the Lake Leelanau Boat Launch.

If you don’t (yet) own your own boat, Leelanau Boat Company’s Boat Club might be the answer. Members pay a one-time enrollment fee and a monthly fee, then can use a rental boat (almost) whenever they want.

The Boat Club came about as a result of the partners noticing how many people wanted to go boating but didn’t live on the water or have ready access to docking. The club enables them to avoid the cost and, as Thibodeau says, the hassles of ownership. “They can spend more time on the water,” adds Prettyman.

The plan covers two captains who share the same address, and members can select from different boats, like the Landau 2021 tritoon and the Landau 2021 pontoon.

“It takes the hassle out of boating,” says Thibodeau.

While the bulk of Leelanau Boat Company’s business is in Lake Leelanau, they can and do service other nearby bodies of water in Leelanau County or Grand Traverse, including West Bay.

Learn more at leelanauboatco.com.

Dewitt Marine

The approach is much the same with the Dewitt Marine Boat Club on Clam River between Clam Lake and Torch Lake. Sales representative Joe Irving says the club is a boon for people who love to boat but don’t want to make the investment. “It’s a great option,” says Irving, calling it particularly appropriate for those who don’t live on the water.

The Dewitt Boat Club offers members access to a fleet of new, premium boats for a one-time fee of $5,000 and then a monthly fee of $300. That’s a hefty layout for sure, but for their money, club members get the use of a Bennington or Sylvan tritoon that’s no more than two years old. Their only other cost is fuel. Compare that to a one-day rental fee—commonly around $500 in these parts—or the purchase, upkeep and transport of a family boat, and it seems pretty reasonable.

Boat Club also means members don’t need to worry about maintenance, storage slip fees, repairs, insurance costs, or winter storage. Boat Club boats are even pet-friendly.

An FAQ section on Dewitt’s website provides additional information. Perhaps the best piece of advice might be the following:

“Can my guests use the club boats without me being there? No, but they will continue to be your friend as long as you are the boat captain!”

Witticisms aside, Irving says the marina needs an hour’s notice, then club members can pick their boat up on Dewitt Marine dock on the Clam River. They can cruise throughout the Chain of Lakes, including Clam River, Clam Lake, and Torch Lake.

Learn more at dewittmarine.com.

Northern Lakes Boat Co.

If you simply want unfettered access to your boat yet want it to be safe and secure, Matt Keiper offers just the program. He established Northern Lakes Boat Co. in Rapid City last year after retiring from the Coast Guard.

His come-and-go service is a DIY program geared toward those who own a boat but who don’t have a home on the water and want to be able to launch it when and where they want. Boat owners can store their boat at his secure 3-acre facility, and they can access it anytime through a gate code. Customers have 24-hour access to their boat, seven days a week, with no need to set things up ahead of time.

“That way, if they want to go on a night cruise or go out at 6am to catch some fish, they can do it,” he says.

Keiper says the service is particularly useful for those who don’t want to store their boat in their yard or driveway or haul it for a long distance to get to Torch Lake, as Northern Lakes Boat Co. is located just two miles from the lake’s southern access point. (Of course, owners can choose to launch their boat in any body of water.)

As Keiper purchased the property and started the business just last August when he retired, he says the business will continue to take shape; he’s not ruling out offering a more complete concierge service in the years to come. He also offers off-season storage and rents out pontoon boats on Torch Lake, Lake Skegemog, Elk Lake, or Clam Lake, which he says is ideal for vacationers who rent a lakeside home for a week or two and want to get out on the water while they’re here with no complications or long-term commitments.

Learn more at nlboatco.com.