Are you Happy in your Yacht Club????

[aquaholic]

Have been thinking about Yacht Clubs and the benefits and disbenefits of being a member.

Obviously if you use the club for moorings etc you may be biased but if you moor your boat somewhere other than the club is it really worthwhile being a member?

I get a little frustrated with the politics and insular groups that can be found in most clubs and often wonder each year if it’s still worthwhile.

However it’s always a treat to attend the Rallies and race every now and then.

Just wondered what the consensus is on the forum.

 

[onesea]

When I grew up I was a member of a couple of clubs, they where always worth while. I did allot of racing and cruising the friends I made are friends for life. We all helped I joined in, I have very good memories.

I moved 5 hours drive away and was not using any of the facilities for sailing and very little socially, after several years of little use and increasing membership fees I sent a resignation letter. It had offer of help if members where ever in my new home waters etc, I was saddened that after 20 years of membership I did not received a response, I never went back.

I had already joined a club in my new area, initially as a social thing to start me sailing, got a few sails but could not give the commitment they wanted. After a couple of years I got my own boat, the only reason I am a member 10 years later because of the facilities (I do not need to be a member for a mooring). Their is a neighboring club, that appears more social but it does not have the boating facilities I would use.

In 10 years, I have entered my own boat in 3 events. One (a causal type race/ cruise) I was not allowed to enter as I did not have a sail number. I entered a cruising log (a fun one was subsequently printed in the owners association magazine, so was not that bad), it got returned and was not even noted as being entered.

There is not one event I would do with my 6 year old daughter in the sailing calendar. The cruise to the beach for fun BBQ for children? Rounders on the beach? When I see kids learning to sail they are normally being taught (allot of kids) or trained (a handful) to race not just sailing for fun (that''s what I did most of the time).

I would love to get my daughter sailing making friends in the club, but to be honest I will pay for her to do a course elsewhere, where they have fun!

I have not attended one social and have only been invited in for a beer by 2 people (one of them this summer)...

I have taken several friends to the club when they have crewed for me, unless they have been OAP's none have wanted to stay for a second drink or return...

Happy with my club?
For the facilities Yes they suit me,
For the social and events forget it,

 

[Poignard]

Are you Happy in your Yacht Club????

Yes I am. And very grateful to those members who give up their time to organise events and keep the various facilities working.

 

[Coaster]

I wonder what proportion of Forum members also belong to yacht clubs?

We've never had anything to do with one.

Perhaps yacht club membership is more common in certain parts of the country?

 

[Seajet]

Clubs will always have petty politics, it's a function of human interaction, and I just think ' there are those who sail, and those who would like to control those who sail '.

My club is pretty good in this respect, as we're all volunteers - no paid staff - people put a lot more in, be it working on moorings, painting in the clubhouse, serving in the galley ( rota ) or just plain helping each other out.

One event sums it all up very nicely for me;

A members' boat had been sunk on her half tide mooring by a mistakenly laid concrete sinker.

Without any ' disaster plan ' to refer to, key members just arrived as if by magic in the clubhouse before the next flood tide, and formed an unofficial salvage / recovery team.

Only one person out of a dozen raised dissent, saying we should leave alone in case of liability; he was met with silence, then the Commodore said " The way I see it, a club boat is in trouble; we help ! "

Best speech I ever heard.

 

[ProDave]

I wonder how many will be put off by the title "yacht club"?

I belong to a sailing club. I ticked the very happy box. But it's a sailing club that caters for all types of sailing from dinghy's to cruisers, and in fact has more dinghy members than it does cruiser members.

But the point is, it's a very good and very friendly club so I voted accordingly, even if strictly speaking it's not a yacht club.

To emphasise the point, I am going to be away on the clubs crane out date. when I raised this the reply was "we are a club, we will crane your boat out in your absence"

 

[alant]

Have been thinking about Yacht Clubs and the benefits and disbenefits of being a member.

Obviously if you use the club for moorings etc you may be biased but if you moor your boat somewhere other than the club is it really worthwhile being a member?

I get a little frustrated with the politics and insular groups that can be found in most clubs and often wonder each year if it’s still worthwhile.

However it’s always a treat to attend the Rallies and race every now and then.

Just wondered what the consensus is on the forum.

My major grouse, is car parking. We have a sticker system (£2pa), to identify members, but get frustrated when going sailing mid-week, only to find the carpark full & many cars without membership stickers, clubhouse full of wrinklies having a coffee morning!
Sailing clubs are primarily for people who go sailing. If they want to hold a social go elsewhere.

 

[Seajet]

We're lucky in having a reasonable amount of space, so while the members can get past the keyfob operated barrier to park, there is space for a good dozen visitors' cars before that.

ProDave,

I just took it for granted ' yacht club ' also meant ' sailing club ', which mine is too.

Also caters for lots of dinghies of various types, in the winter most of the dinghies clear off and the cruisers are brought ashore in their place by the clubs' own mobile hoist, also operated by volunteer members.

I once joined another ' sailing club ' as well, so as to get a deep water mooring for the fin keeler I had at the time; now that club was pretty ghastly, snobby and unfriendly with nowhere near the facilities they made out to have, I did not renew membership but found a different mooring run by a boatyard - an expensive exercise where I was on my own, no chums around so any help I required meant putting hand deep in pocket, a bit lonely too, no-one to chat with.

 

[Tranona]

I wonder how many will be put off by the title "yacht club"?

I belong to a sailing club. I ticked the very happy box. But it's a sailing club that caters for all types of sailing from dinghy's to cruisers, and in fact has more dinghy members than it does cruiser members.

But the point is, it's a very good and very friendly club so I voted accordingly, even if strictly speaking it's not a yacht club.

To emphasise the point, I am going to be away on the clubs crane out date. when I raised this the reply was "we are a club, we will crane your boat out in your absence"

You have a good point there. Yacht Club is a catchall term that covers a huge range of different kinds of organisations that reflect the variety of different ways of enjoying the pastime. People tend to pick the kind of club that reflect their own interests, so not surprising that the majority express satisfaction - even though they may still have niggles about particular aspects. Size can be important. Big clubs can provide a variety of facilities and therefore attract a wide variety of members, as well as justify have professional management. However, this does not suit some people who prefer the more hands on volunteer run club. It is quite possible to have a club with a balance of both with the sailing/racing side run by volunteers and the facilities run by paid employees, but this often means a larger scale operation than some people like.

 

[DJE]

When I see kids learning to sail they are normally being taught (allot of kids) or trained (a handful) to race not just sailing for fun (that''s what I did most of the time).

I sympathise with you on that one. Our club seems to be obsessed with RYA courses and racing for the kids. I keep trying to promote dinghy and cruiser daysails in company but such things are not covered by the RYA syllabus and the rest of the committee seem to be obsessed with potential liability so I never get anywhere.

The other problem is that as soon as the kids gain a reasonable amount of competence they get labelled "Assistant Instructor" and roped into helping with even more training courses when they should be out sailing for fun.

Fortunately for our cadets a few of the teenagers are very good at organising events suitable for kids but these are all onshore as the sailing programme is packed with racing and training courses.

 

[Woodlouse]

I'm a member of a yacht club and also a cruising club. The first is for the facilities, the second for social events and impromptu drinks when you meet another club boat when cruising.

 

[Seajet]

DJE, good point.

Our club has a pretty good junior section, with Optimists and Feva's the juniors can sign out and borrow - with safety boats etc in attendance.

The club, like most, was always oriented towards ' racing or nothing ' for dinghies, which I always found galling as I always cruised where I want even in high performance dinghies.

However as sailing activity in general and dinghy sailing in particular has suffered a slump in recent years - neighbouring clubs finding the same - the club has embarked upon a ' development programme ' to stimulate more activity and sustain / increase membership.

This involves greatly increased dinghy cruising, with trips in company accompanied by a decent sized traditional rescue boat carrying stores and camping gear, which sounds great to me.

The clubs in the area have also got together to host events for each other, this includes gig rowing clubs and any outfit which might offer FUN - which strikes me as a long overlooked aspect to dinghy sailing nation wide, not everyone wants to go around in circles consulting rules like a nautical lawyer.

 

[Koeketiene]

Clubs will always have petty politics, it's a function of human interaction, and I just think ' there are those who sail, and those who would like to control those who sail '.

I've been a member of two (relatively small) YC.
Petty politics was a MAJOR issue in both.
No longer a member of either and very unlikely to join another YC.

Life's too short & I'd rather go sailing.

 

[Nina Lucia]

Yacht Club

We are members of two - Greenwich YC and Porchester SC, they are both great places !
If you are around come and check for yourself, they are both very welcoming to new members!

 

[maby]

You probably should have had an option of "No longer a member".

We were members of a South East yacht club for several years, but didn't renew last year. We originally joined for access to the moorings and engineering facilities, but subsequently moved the boat to the marina just a couple of miles away. We remained members for a couple of years and did enjoy the social aspect but eventually I did the sums and calculated that every pint I had drunk in the club bar had effectively cost me over £40. Looking at it like that, I simply could not justify the annual fee and we dropped out. We still socialise with the same group, but sit in the cockpit of our boat drinking beer bought from the local supermarket at a pound or so per pint.

It is a shame and I would like to remain a member, but not at that price. I did suggest to the committee that they should introduce a "social only" class of membership with a fee of something like £50 per year, but they didn't seem to like the idea. I suspect that they came to the conclusion that too many people would switch to that if it were available and they would lose money rather than gaining it through retaining other members.

 

[Robin]

We are still members, albeit overseas members at a much reduced rate, of our YC (Parkstone) in Poole despite now living in the USA and no we are not intending joining a US YC as they seem more like expensive country clubs or resort hotels, the local one here seems to offer little more than a fancy restaurant with valet parking for your car ( few arrive by boat).

 

[Daydream believer]

As a member my existing sailing club for 49 years I can understand the negative comments about petty politics.They really iritate me, but you have to ride over those. Similarly you should not get the hump because of comments by one or two "activists".

I was visiting a club where a group of about 10 were having an impromptue meeting & one lady was most adamant that she would not be renewing her membership because of the attitude & comments of a single member. I think she should re think because it is her who ends up loosing out.

Every club has it "bar creep" poncing drinks of any one silly enough to put their hand in their pocket, or the **** who insists things should be done his way, or the bloke who will not pay his subs for months on end, or the bloke who ignores any rules except those that suit him or the idiot who messes about so much it puts others behind, or the bloke who leaves his cruiser on the club hard in the way of the dingies & does not launch it for weeks after launch date. Or the bloke who promises to turn up but always late or not at all.
funny thing is that when it inconveniences them they can always be on time . I am sure you all know the bloke/s

New members need to really work at becoming a member & not just wander in to the club un noticed now & again, say nothing & wander off lost.
Not everybody can do that though & because of that clubs loose too many members
But people have to interact in any club & in most cases it is not the "club" at fault

I tend to barge in so find it easy & it helps that family have all become heavily involved in our club.

I go off sailing on my own for several weeks at a time & really miss the people & getting to know what has been going on when I am away.
I would really miss not being a member.

I do enjoy visiting other clubs (such as at Lowestoft, The Crouch YC, Blackwater SC & Temple @ Ramsgate as well as The RNSYC in Ostend) even the small club in "Grim" Grimsby had members who invited me into their group when they knew I was on my own. They are not unusual.
There is nearly always someone to talk to & make me welcome if I make the effort myself.
I enjoy sailing club life

 

[l'escargot]

It's important to join a club that is suited to your needs and one that you can become involved in (or not) to the level that you want. We were members of one club and involved in the politics etc, SWMBO was even a flag officer, it ruined our enjoyment of it. We left and joined another club nearby that gives us a lot of what we want, has a good bar and restaurant and we stay on the edge. Also belong to two others, one related to a past occupation where I am fairly well up in seniority if I should ever want a small cheap mooring and recently joined another newly formed club that looks promising in terms of socialising, informal activities and discounted local facilities. It is also nice to be able to access other club facilities when away from home.

 

[ricky_s]

I am in the process of joining Chichester yacht club so will let you know.....

 

[Allan]

There is an interesting situation in Cardiff Bay. Two clubs, both excellent, one is posher than the other. The posher one employs people to run the office and bar etc. The other club is 100% run by members. Both have politics going on, they have similar facilities. Really a case of yer-pays-yer-money...... The odd member moves from one to the other.
I made my choice some years ago and would still make the same choice today (see my signature).
Allan