Clubs in decline

[byron]

A few certain clubs are thriving but many of the smaller ones are in decline. Why? What is it they aren't offering members? Twenty years ago a small rally here was 14 or so boats, a big one 20-30 boats. Now most clubs generally raise around 8 boats so what's gone boss-eyed?
A rally gives a purpose to a weekend, fun, games, quizzes and other entertainments. A chance to meet up with other members and have a good natter, swap experiences maybe trade surplus equipment.
I am aware that financial circumstances stop youngsters boating (new blood) and the BSS sent many boaters to the coast but where have the rest gone? I would be very interested in peoples comments and possibly remedies.

 

[oldgit]

A few certain clubs are thriving but many of the smaller ones are in decline. Why? What is it they aren't offering members? Twenty years ago a small rally here was 14 or so boats, a big one 20-30 boats. Now most clubs generally raise around 8 boats so what's gone boss-eyed?
A rally gives a purpose to a weekend, fun, games, quizzes and other entertainments. A chance to meet up with other members and have a good natter, swap experiences maybe trade surplus equipment.
I am aware that financial circumstances stop youngsters boating (new blood) and the BSS sent many boaters to the coast but where have the rest gone? I would be very interested in peoples comments and possibly remedies.

Vital to actively recruit new people.The vast majority of most clubs members will be of a certain vintage,who joined club when fuel was 10p a gallon and you could probably afford a boat and a roof over your head.
A look round any clubroom will reveal a sea of shiney pates or silver haired old sea dogs,most of whom will be retired.The only youngsters disturbing the peace will be children or more likely grandchildren who have popped in for a free feed ....courtesy of grandad or grandma.Clubs need to privide both a social and boating side to the club.
Some like a drink and a dance some like the boating,a sucessful club provides both.People will drift towards any club which has something constantly "going on"
We are quite lucky in RCC that many of the local fishermen are club members and tend to be a bit younger than most.
Clubs can no longer rely on an orderly line of would be applicants on a long waiting list.
Clubs have got to get out out there and recruit,preferably getting many of them onto the committee before they know what has hit them and giving the old guard a kick up the bum in the process.

 

[Fantasie 19]

I'm a miserable sod, and the thought of a whole weekend of "fun, games, quizzes and other entertainments" is what puts me off...

 

[oldgit]

I'm a miserable sod.

You would get on very well in our club.

Another problem could be that most new boaters would be starting off with smaller more modest boats and perhaps are a bit intimidated by a club full of apparently wealthy people with vast gin palaces all wandering about in blazers with badges
However all clubs will have a selection of boiler suited trouble makers who would not be seen dead in a blazer or tie but are active members of club and will be lurking around somewhere,usually propping up the bar.These are nomally the folk who do the actual work around the club as opposed to the ones eating biscuits and falling asleep at committee meetings.

 

[hembuck]

You would get on very well in our club.

Another problem could be that most new boaters would be starting off with smaller more modest boats and perhaps are a bit intimidated by a club full of apparently wealthy people with vast gin palaces all wandering about in blazers with badges
However all clubs will have a selection of boiler suited trouble makers who would not be seen dead in a blazer or tie but are active members of club and will be lurking around somewhere,usually propping up the bar.These are nomally the folk who do the actual work around the club as opposed to the ones eating biscuits and falling asleep at committee meetings.

That is exactly how I felt with my little Freeman... its hard enough to get the Gin Palace folk to say good morning now, let alone when they see what I roll up in ;-)
But I have been conversing with some rather nice folk on here and my membership proposal forms are complete and will be handed over at the next jolly. Learning from more experienced boaters and sharing the whole relaxing experience is exactly what I am looking forward too.. BBQ anyone?

 

[dash300]

I'm a miserable sod, and the thought of a whole weekend of "fun, games, quizzes and other entertainments" is what puts me off...

I think I might be one as well for the same reason. I tend towards the bar propping boiler suited description of OG. However without a few Admirals swanning around it would spoil my
dreamy view of a British Boat Club.
Still never say never, after 30 years on the river I might be tempted.

 

[No Regrets]

Clubs are certainly suffering, and many businesses are too, through no fault of their own though!

The issues are many-fold though.

Firstly, Boat clubs are losing members to the undertaker, and the dead clubs are those who didn't recognise this, and failed to adapt to the needs of the modern boat owner (Note, not 'Boater')

Secondly, many boat clubs are without a doubt elitist, and scare off the really decent folk who own a small cruiser, not necessarily deliberately, but simply because of old fashioned ideals.

Ultimately, all the Thames clubs are going to have to change, or die. This is not negotiable, as even the largest best attended Clubs are packed full of wealthy old things who are going to die sooner or later.

For the record, Bray welcome anybody with a Cruiser, whether it's a 17' Shetland or 45' Broom. Those with smaller boats will earn respect simply by attending cruises, and will be nurtured hopefully to a committee or Flag officer position. Your status is dictated by your willingness and ability rather than your wealth or good looks! while nobody wants screaming kids or howling Dogs at Club events, we reckon this is worth entertaining as the future payback is generations of Cadets we can nurture, who eventually turn into Skippers and really fun people to have around, while the Dogs all learn how to behave anyway!

For next year, the reasonably decent traditions of 'Fitting out cruise...Spring Marathon cruise...BBQ's...Sailpasts...and Laying up cruise's are going to be spiced up with Twilight cruises, Tender excursions and some other fun events to relieve the tedium of simply cruising up and down the Thames! We are going to be discussing preferential rates for Families at the next committee meeting, and the magazine is helping to bolster the clubs income, and hence quality of cruises.

The next BBQ will even have welcome shots in addition to the Commodores welcome drinks, now you can't knock that!!

However, there are, and have to be some rules and regs, so all members are asked to behave in a polite and friendly fashion with regard to the Club, not to bring the Club into disrepute, and to encourage a high quality of boat use, which would include the good old traditions of displaying ensigns and burgees correctly, dressing up appropriately on those rare but pertinent occasions, and keeping everything shipshape. This may upset some people, but hey, maybe we BOTH need to compromise...

Bray are also proud of owning the least used Clubhouse on the Thames! We have far too much fun on our boats for that.

 

[boatone]

….to relieve the tedium of simply cruising up and down the Thames!……

Go wash your mouth out, Sir …..

Bray are also proud of owning the least used Clubhouse on the Thames! We have far too much fun on our boats for that.

I think that accolade rightly belongs to Oxford Ditch !

 

[No Regrets]

Go wash your mouth out, Sir …..



I think that accolade rightly belongs to Oxford Ditch !

Before my Bray days, I was frankly a little bored. Now I have loads of friends and contacts to wave at! I stand by my statement! Even if it includes you...

Oxford who?

 

[dash300]

Clubs are certainly suffering, and many businesses are too, through no fault of their own though!

The issues are many-fold though.

Firstly, Boat clubs are losing members to the undertaker, and the dead clubs are those who didn't recognise this, and failed to adapt to the needs of the modern boat owner (Note, not 'Boater')

Secondly, many boat clubs are without a doubt elitist, and scare off the really decent folk who own a small cruiser, not necessarily deliberately, but simply because of old fashioned ideals.

Ultimately, all the Thames clubs are going to have to change, or die. This is not negotiable, as even the largest best attended Clubs are packed full of wealthy old things who are going to die sooner or later.

For the record, Bray welcome anybody with a Cruiser, whether it's a 17' Shetland or 45' Broom. Those with smaller boats will earn respect simply by attending cruises, and will be nurtured hopefully to a committee or Flag officer position. Your status is dictated by your willingness and ability rather than your wealth or good looks! while nobody wants screaming kids or howling Dogs at Club events, we reckon this is worth entertaining as the future payback is generations of Cadets we can nurture, who eventually turn into Skippers and really fun people to have around, while the Dogs all learn how to behave anyway!

For next year, the reasonably decent traditions of 'Fitting out cruise...Spring Marathon cruise...BBQ's...Sailpasts...and Laying up cruise's are going to be spiced up with Twilight cruises, Tender excursions and some other fun events to relieve the tedium of simply cruising up and down the Thames! We are going to be discussing preferential rates for Families at the next committee meeting, and the magazine is helping to bolster the clubs income, and hence quality of cruises.

The next BBQ will even have welcome shots in addition to the Commodores welcome drinks, now you can't knock that!!

However, there are, and have to be some rules and regs, so all members are asked to behave in a polite and friendly fashion with regard to the Club, not to bring the Club into disrepute, and to encourage a high quality of boat use, which would include the good old traditions of displaying ensigns and burgees correctly, dressing up appropriately on those rare but pertinent occasions, and keeping everything shipshape. This may upset some people, but hey, maybe we BOTH need to compromise...

Bray are also proud of owning the least used Clubhouse on the Thames! We have far too much fun on our boats for that.

Nice reply and summary. However I find myself in the Groucho Marks quandary ' I refuse to join any club which would have me as a member '

 

[oldgit]

Joining any group of people in group activities involves a bit of give and take,be it a club or heaven forbid a .....interweb forum.Frequently joining a club allows you to offer your particular talent and show the rest of the group just how it should be done.
If you feel you have ever garnered anything from this forum,even a telling off,you could well benefit from getting involved with a local club.
Forget all the dressing up it could result in a whole new bunch of friends taking the micky when you cock up big time.

 

[534l4rk]

Perhaps the advances in the design of boats, the increase in their size and increased engine capacity over the years plus the availability of reliable navigational aids has been an influence. Some of us remember decoking our car and motorbike engines on a regular basis. In those days people often joined clubs not just for the social side but to learn from others about boating and boat maintenance. Tidal runs including coastal and cross channel trips were enjoyed by boaters in company. This was the way to put into practice route planning, taking bearings, chart plotting, working the tides and anchoring. The smaller boats were mostly slow displacement vessels which most of todays boaters would consider totally unsuitable to venture beyond Teddington.

Although RYA courses are taken by many boaters it appears to me that there are also a lot of boaters today who rely on their chart plotters to take them from one marina to another and see no need to learn from more experienced club boaters. The reality is that club rallies and boat handling competitions do enable participants to improve their skills. However, I accept that these events are now less popular possibly due to fear that participants’ boats might be damaged giving insurance problems.

 

[gravygraham]

Sounds to me like these organisations need to get their message out there to the peeps in marinas and slipways - get themselves some membership or recruitment officers or secretaries or whatever the nomenclature is. I confess I like the idea of belonging to a boating community (other than here of course!) but other than a coffee I once drank alone in Ramsgate Yacht Club, I've never set foot in, or met any members of any boat clubs.

I reckon there's a good number of peeps like I who would join and have much to offer but are either a little shy, or are put off by the perceived image of a membership interview by a stuffy old moustache wearing duffer, trussed up in his tie and blazer.

 

[oldgit]

Sounds to me like these organisations need to get their message out there to the peeps in marinas and slipways - get themselves some membership or recruitment officers or secretaries or whatever the nomenclature is. I confess I like the idea of belonging to a boating community (other than here of course!) but other than a coffee I once drank alone in Ramsgate Yacht Club, I've never set foot in, or met any members of any boat clubs.

I reckon there's a good number of peeps like I who would join and have much to offer but are either a little shy, or are put off by the perceived image of a membership interview by a stuffy old moustache wearing duffer, trussed up in his tie and blazer.

While in The Royal Temple at Ramsgate this weekend for a crab salad and a beer ,spotted only one chap wearing a blazer.My impression was he would have loved to start a conversation with just about anybody prepared to chat with him.Every other person in the club was dressed either in what boaty clobber they had just arrived in or were dressed in very casual manner indeed.

 

[gravygraham]

While in The Royal Temple at Ramsgate this weekend for a crab salad and a beer ,spotted only one chap wearing a blazer.My impression was he would have loved to start a conversation with just about anybody prepared to chat with him.Every other person in the club was dressed either in what boaty clobber they had just arrived in or were dressed in very casual manner indeed.

I think the point I was trying to make Fred is that if clubs are in decline perhaps it's time for them to get proactive and think creativeley to secure some new blood.

It's true Ramsgate is a funny old place but their yacht club seems a substantial pad yet I never once in the six years I berthed there conversed with anyone in the marina who mentioned anything to do with the club. As an outsider I guessed their membership register was bursting at the seams. Either that or my eyes are too close together (I do live quite near Sheppey!).

 

[oldgit]

"It's true Ramsgate is a funny old place ...... I never once in the six years I berthed there conversed with anyone in the marina who mentioned anything to do with the club."

A short tale..are we sitting comfortably ?

OG....on the phone.
Hello Ramsgate ,I want to come and see you over weekend and want to check you will have some space for me.Long way to come if no room.

Ramsgate ..Er not sure if we have space ...very very busy.
OG.OK Fine...will take a chance mebbe you can squeeze me in.

OG makes a second phone call to a club member already in Ramsgate Harbour.

OG.Hello club member....May not be coming round due to doubts about getting me in,bit crowded apparently.
Club member already there....Bo*****ks,can see 10 spaces from where I am sitting and have no intention of getting up and looking further away cos know there are loads more.

OG.See you soon.

 

[gravygraham]

Yup, deffo sounds like Ramsgate marina management!

 

[DogsBody]

Go wash your mouth out, Sir …..

<snip>
Bray are also proud of owning the least used Clubhouse on the Thames! We have far too much fun on our boats for that.

I think that accolade rightly belongs to Oxford Ditch !

Someone from Oxford Ditch please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe No Regrets was right, as Oxford Ditch do not actually have a club house (and to my knowledge never have had), not that it seems to have adversely affected them over the years.

Getting back on topic...It is evident that the competitive element that was around in previous years seems to have gone out of current boater's minds. Many of the old club rallies were built around boat handling competitions in one form or another and I think its fair to say most / all clubs are now struggling to find people interested in boat handling competitions.

I also think the internet and the ease of communicating with friends old and new has affected things. Whereas once upon a time people would rely on a club rally to bring everyone together, thanks to a nominated organiser (largely by posting out invites / calendars), now its much easier to just post a message on a forum or facebook and have an add hoc party of friends meet with barely any notice.

Then there is always the perceived formalness of a club aka blazer and tie brigade that puts many off, it certainly was an issue when we were first considering joining a boating club, not being overly keen on formal events.

There is certainly still a place for clubs nowadays, though it is a balancing act between keeping the old traditions / formalities and making it easy enough for more casual boaters to feel welcome to join. There is a lot of benefit, be it knowledge and assistance of more experienced skippers when you want to go tidal at one end, down to simply having a pool of potential friends gathered together in one easy meeting place at the other.

The issue is always convincing someone to take that first step and come along to a club event, once they've done that its all down to the club involved to make them feel welcome, so that they want to come again.

 

[Richard Shead]

Fraid it's also an age thing .... Whilst I get clubs I am afraid as a thirty something it would take something very very specials indeed to join a club.

Praps blame the scars of being dragged there as a kid or add to the fact that boating as a whole is in decline and there is a whole lot more activity to fill ones ltd leisure time and you have a the makings of real decline.

Not just Thames clubs even those that offer much more such as accommodation decent restaurants and a pleasant bar and view would need to offer a whole lot more to tempt the younger generation.

I am very fortunate to have been invited to many of the worlds most elite and down to earth clubs and the only one that would get my hard earned is .... Antigua Yacht Club.

Perhaps the Island Sailing Club but maybe in 20 years time I may investigate a Thames a club.

Well that's my view.

 

[Fantasie 19]

Fraid it's also an age thing .... Whilst I get clubs I am afraid as a thirty something it would take something very very specials indeed to join a club.

Praps blame the scars of being dragged there as a kid or add to the fact that boating as a whole is in decline and there is a whole lot more activity to fill ones ltd leisure time and you have a the makings of real decline.

Not just Thames clubs even those that offer much more such as accommodation decent restaurants and a pleasant bar and view would need to offer a whole lot more to tempt the younger generation.

I am very fortunate to have been invited to many of the worlds most elite and down to earth clubs and the only one that would get my hard earned is .... Antigua Yacht Club.

Perhaps the Island Sailing Club but maybe in 20 years time I may investigate a Thames a club.

Well that's my view.

Pretty fair summary.... to be honest the only reason I joined my club was for the cheap moorings.... having joined, they're a nice bunch of people and I'm more than happy to do my volunteer sessions, but if it wasn't for the mooring I doubt I'd still be a member...