Has the web killed the need for class associations?

dylanwinter

dylanwinter

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Buckingham
www.keepturningleft.co.uk
I was wondering if numbers are falling

nearly every bit of advice you would ever need is to be found online

if you wish to meet people with the same boat for a rally then you can fix that on-line as well

The westerly Association has hundreds of members and produces some excellent bits of paper

but does the owner of an 18 foot Nimrod have much in common with a bloke who owns a 40 footer

the Hunter Minstrel and Liberty Association is in rude good health given the small number of owners available

just wondered

are you a lapsed member?

do you still pay the subs and wonder why?

Dylan
 
Quite the opposite actually.

Class associations now have their own websites, their own forums, their own online magazines and their own messaging systems.

I used to publish the Rustler Owners Association magazine.

I have been completely superseded by an excellent website called Rustler Fleet with a private forum and messaging system (with no obtrusive adverts either). All of which is hosted and operated for less money than a Fray Bentos pie dinner.

http://www.rustleryachts.com/owners.php
 
The HR association is very active and has established a Facebook page that worked quite well last year. We also have a very jolly dinner annually and I always look forward to the yearly magazine, mainly to see what a mess they have made of my contributions.

At 34 ft we lie between the smallest (around 29ft) and largest, about 43ft and never have a problem with larger craft. They usually make the best hosts.
 
The Trident 24 owners group has an archaic Yahoo list, a good website with forums, but its the Facebook group that seems to have taken off for advise. It has probably been strengthened by the internet.
 
I recently joined the Nicholson 32 Association, and was seriously surprised. I got a lovely personalised letter to welcome me, a host of wonderfully produced full colour annual magazines that contain loads of stories and tips, and there's even a private Facebook group.
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
Quite the opposite actually.

Class associations now have their own websites, their own forums, their own online magazines and their own messaging systems.

I used to publish the Rustler Owners Association magazine.

I have been completely superseded by an excellent website called Rustler Fleet with a private forum and messaging system (with no obtrusive adverts either). All of which is hosted and operated for less money than a Fray Bentos pie dinner.

http://www.rustleryachts.com/owners.php
Click to expand...

I can absolutely echo E-SB's views from my experience with the Moody Owner's Association. A brilliant organisation and web site worth every penny of the £20 pa it costs for any Moody owner. In fact I think membership now has reached 50% of all the Moody's built!!
 
Can only echo the above... Hurley Owners association is excellent - own website and forum, and also a Yahoo group.... personal;ise welcome letter and a directory of local members I can approach for assistance...

I run the Fantasie 19 Yahoo group, not so much activity but it's more a labour of love than anything else - not enough boats and owners know we exist... :D
 
The trouble with asking web advice about a make of boat is that you cannot always tell who is commenting based on lengthy ownership and who is commenting based on the fact that they saw one in the distance once. Owners' associations are generally based on great experience, and are thus more likely to provide definitive help than a random source. So they are still relevant and should be supported.
 
The Leisure Assoc has pretty good web site full of excellent info. Theres also a forum, but sadly, its a very underused facility. 12 quid a year is worth it just for the info on the site.
They also have a Facetwat page that gets used an awful lot. I don't really do the facetwat thing myself.
 
surprised

no sign of decline then....

I suppose that whenever I visit a yacht specific forum they always seem quiet compared to places such as PBO

you can post a question and wait for a few days for a response where-as here advice comes thick and fast

I am not really a rally sort of chap who would get pleasure from rafting up with 20 identical boats

Dylan
 
I have noticed over the years that a few of the Rival Owners Association (ROA) post on here far more frequently than on the ROA site. The ROA forum is still active and historically it was very active but it's less so these days. Having said that I always get an answer on the ROA with very specific points relating to my query. Most of the ROA members are out sailing though. (-;

So, I would tend to think that there has been a decline in the need for the class associations because of the web if one is only interested in technical discussions. However, class associations are far more than that. For example I obtained a full set of construction drawings for my yacht on joining - so far they are not available on the web.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
dylanwinter said:
no sign of decline then....

I suppose that whenever I visit a yacht specific forum they always seem quiet compared to places such as PBO

you can post a question and wait for a few days for a response where-as here advice comes thick and fast

I am not really a rally sort of chap who would get pleasure from rafting up with 20 identical boats

Dylan
Click to expand...

You are probabaly safe I doubt if 20 or more of those wee boats still exist and are still in regular use let alone all show up on the Humber at the same time.
Of course if you plan a get together for the Western Isles they might come and have time to get there.:)
 
We had good experiences of the Moody one when we had a Moody, and even went to some of their gatherings and won a couple of prizes for photos!

When we bought the Sirius, we made contact with all the other British Sirius owners (about half a dozen of them in all). Now we have a thriving discussion group, and have met for a dinner a couple of times at the Southampton show. It has been useful for all of us, I think. The builder is a member, and he regularly asks us for opinions or help (eg with staffing the Southampton stand, or with his english translations). It is very informal - no organisation, no subscription, no rules - rather like the ECF!
 
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