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In this series, Nicky shares her valuable insight and experiences about Boating, Yachting,the Boating Lifestyle and working in the Boating Industry. With a personal goal to engage more people in the industry and see more women behind the helm, in her intro you’ll get to know and love the Boat Princess as we do. She interviews interesting and entertaining guests from all aspects of the boating industry from superyachts to marinas, from entrepreneurs to CEO’s, all with fascinating stories, plus some incredible high achieving women in boating like Kay Cottee the first woman to perform a single handed, non-stop and unassisted circulation of the world and Lisa Blair the record holder for Antarctica’s circumnavigation.
We are excited to welcome Nicky Vaux to the Podcast world. Introducing Nicky might take a while to scan through her many achievements, accolades and acknowledgements.
You can follow Nicky and live vicariously through her instagram
@theboatprincess or see her website www.theboatprincess.com for details on how to collaborate your brand with her, be interviewed on the podcast, have her video or review a boat for you or join her at one of her amazing events.
Nicky is a Partner of Empire Marinas Group, owners of Empire Marina Bobbin Head, Sydney’s most awarded marina and Empire Marina Lake Macquarie, Lake Macquarie’s largest marina.
She is a multiple boat owner, Partner in 3 Freedom boat clubs, former board member of the MIA and believes the more people we have out on the water boating the happier the world will be. She loves connecting people that can help each other in business or enhance their lifestyle with the right brands and holding events to bring people together in a safe and positive environment to help each other rise. Her love is educating others on all things boating and boats, and helping others into the industry and lifestyle she loves. A rising tide lifts all boats.
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
Ok, so I will admit, as an Aussie that grew up in the UK that is constantly chasing the sunshine for my boating, Scotland would not be the first place I would think of to go boating. But then I tried it. And what a glorious boating experience it was.
You see, my dear friend Ashlee and her husband Mike own a Freedom Boat Club on Loch Lomond in Scotland and on a recent trip to the other side of the world we decided to add their location to our itinerary of boating industry visits and we discovered what an amazing place it was. Loch Lomond has some 35 places to stop off and enjoy something to drink or eat or an activity to participate in so it in fact lends itself beautifully to the Freedom Boat Club model.
So what is Freedom Boat Club and why did Ashlee and Mike decide to open one?
Freedom Boat Club is now a division of Brunswick since they acquired the brand in 2019.
It makes perfect sense for a boat manufacturer to acquire a Boat Club Franchise brand after all it secures boat sales of their boats but also is a way that curious people that would like to get into boating but literally have no idea how to do so, are brought into boating experiences in the easiest and most risk averse way and may well at some point convert to owners.
The model includes boats that are new or almost new, training, check in and checkout procedures each use and a joining fee and monthly fee rather than an outright boat purchase or having to have a boat sitting on the driveway and fighting for usage rights at the Boat Ramp with other boat owners.
Ashlee clearly got into it, and you will hear this in her voice, because she believed more people should be boating and that indeed SHE should be doing MORE boating. Having a club like this literally forces you to:
Go boating taking prospective clients out and in events
Spend time getting boats ready and taking care of them
Mixing with people that love boating
And as a mum – it exposes her kids to not only the world of boating but the world of running your own business.
So I hope you enjoy my chat with Ashlee.
She will reveal some of the challenges of mixing motherhood and business and her strategies for handling that (this is not their only business) and what boating really is like in this stunning part of the world.
We are Freedom Boat Club Owners in Australia too at our fabulous Empire Marina locations at Empire Marina Bobbin Head and Empire Marina Lake Macquarie and in Pittwater too – so if you live in Sydney, Northern Beaches, Central Coast, Sydney's North Shore, Lake Macquarie or Newcastle and would like to dip your toes into boating or maybe you’ve sold your boat and wish you hadn’t or you’ve got a busy family life and would still like to boat but don’t have time to even think about the boat let alone care for it, then get in touch.
Links below
Nicky
X
Our Bobbin Head Sydney and Pittwater Freedom Boat Clubs:
https://www.empiremarinas.com.au/freedom-boat-club
Our Lake Macquarie Boat Club:
https://empiremarinalakemacquarie.com.au/freedom-boat-club/
Ashlee and Mike's Freedom Boat Club on Loch Lomond, Scotland
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