Legendary Yacht Club sails into the future

Boating is a luxury, Legendary CEO Peter Bos says, but it’s a luxury that usually requires lots of work.

“Boating can be a bit of a second job, sometimes,” Bos told The Log. “Cleaning it out, washing it ... We’re trying to make boating totally pleasurable, with the service level of a high-end country club.”

Country clubs have catered to golfers’ needs for years, Bos said; now Legendary Yacht Club on Choctawhatchee Bay, which will hold its grand opening this month, and do the same for boaters.

“There’s someone parking your car, someone stocking your cooler, the boat is washed and taken care of top to bottom,” Bos said. “It turns the whole experience into a pleasure experience.”

Sales Director Joni Johnson said the clubhouse has just been completed, although presales of slips and memberships began almost two years ago.

Bos said the Yacht Club has generated $6 million in sales in the past six months: “It’s the one bright spot in the market.”

Bos said that among the benefits for members are access to food, drinks and fuel for their boat, not to mention services such as cleaning — all provided at cost. Anyone who uses their boat frequently, Bos said, will see enough in savings to cover the cost of owning a slip.

“It just enables them to have that extra something to come back to after a day of boating,” Johnson said, “to share with their friends, to share with their family ... People can step on and step off the boat (knowing) it is completely loaded and hassle-free. It’s the future of luxury boating and it all starts here at Legendary Yacht Club.”

“Anyone who has the ‘water bug’ is a potential customer,” the Web site says, “which includes most everyone who visits or lives along the Emerald Coast. Obviously, for a boat owner, or someone who is interested in buying a boat, this product is a perfect match for them.”

The site says that some owners don’t own a boat because they’re either future owners laying the groundwork before they buy or investors. Club owners can lease slips without using membership rights, and lessees also have access to the club amenities for the term of their lease.

The site adds that during the past 17 years, Florida has increased the number of wet and dry docking slips by 300, but boater registrations have increased by 365,000.

The amenities for Yacht Club members include a private swimming pool, locker rooms, a shelter for boats during storms and the Club’s view of the bay.

“You can stop when the boat’s brought in and jump in the freshwater pool, have a drink poolside, meet your friend or someone out by the club and enjoy the facility,” Bos said. “We are in a God-given area where boating is spectacular and people come here to look at the water, but often they realize getting on the water is three times as good. Boating is growing, the number of people at Crab Island and Billy Bowlegs grows and grows and grows.”

GRAND OPENING
Legendary Yacht Club is located at 4603 Legendary Marina Drive. The club will hold its grand opening May 30 from 6 to 9 p.m., with food and beverages provided by Rutherfords 465. For more information visit legendaryyachtclub.com