Less than welcoming boat clubs

[Bristolfashion]

Not having been there, it is hard to tell, but I wonder if there might have been an opportunity for Bf to just say something like "can I just explain why we've come, and I think you'll understand?"

It was difficult whilst circulating on the incoming current, but we really did do our best. "OK" was clearly not ever going to be an option!

 

[Sandy]

The Royal at Fowey was very welcoming recently. The sum total of bureaucracy was a polite request to sign the visitors book.

One of the good things about the RFYC are the showers are always open.

 

[ylop]

If it is a real problem,

I think there is a problem. I’m not sure how much is malevolent and how much is pure ignorance. I think some of it is probably chancers and some is mooring owners making it hard to understand how or where to pay (I once had a weird phone conversation - no the outboard won’t start so I can’t come ashore to pay, and I’m not sure I want to row in the F6).

whilst I think it is a real problem I don’t think that’s necessarily the issue here, you just met the grumpy guy. Every club has one (some have more than one). If you don’t know who it is - it’s probably you! Often they are part of the reason the club has fewer members (or active members) than it should. The club starts to become their domain. Getting rid of the those sort of members can be really hard, not least because often they are also the person who does a lot of the running of some part of the club.

perhaps the CA (or someone else) could run an "honest cruiser" scheme - you pay a £100 deposit, put a picture of the owners, boat & tender on the website, provide contact details, boat name etc. If a provider thinks they've been "stiffed", first port of call is to contact the boat owner, but, with clear evidence of a "grab & run", the fund pays up. You could have a membership card, membership number & burgee.

I’m not sure there would be a rush of people willing to join, but those who saw this as the solution are almost certainly not the problem. I’m sure there would have been a time when your club burgee, boat name and description would have been enough to get you a tap on the shoulder to remind you that you “seem to have forgotten to pay at neighbouring yacht club, drop them a cheque please”.

This may be overkill, but I'd happily join up if providers felt more confident to give a service/ facilities.

Easier just to take payment in advance - but you need some way to deal with people who don’t pay or overstay.

 

[B27]

I am sure that the RYA have a wee burgee.

I've always had a warm welcome in every club I've visited, even posh ones with Royal in their title, hence I find this thread rather odd.

Well, reciprocal membership 'rights and privileges' can be suspended during Cowes Week for instance.
Some, I think don't give 'visiting rights' to clubs in their own area.
Bigger clubs like the Royals are normally running in a 'business' mode, with paid staff, so extra trade is welcome.
Although, you may find there's a private function or something or it's shut some days of the week.
Small 'sailing clubs' and 'boat clubs' may not be in the business of catering for non-members.
Some have quite limited facilities, June July August, you have to put your own members first as we're awash with tourists, including those coming by boat.

The kind of people who 'expect' or 'feel entitled' to use other clubs are perhaps exactly the people volunteers in small sailing clubs don't want to welcome.

 

[mrming]

Typical YBW overreaction to the OP. He tried to visit a small club for sentimental reasons. Someone was unhelpful. Clubs usually have some oddballs as many have noted. I didn’t spot anyone being “entitled”.

 

[Sandy]

Well, reciprocal membership 'rights and privileges' can be suspended during Cowes Week for instance.

Cowes is the last place you find me during Cowes Week, I do visit the town several times a year.

Some, I think don't give 'visiting rights' to clubs in their own area.

I've yet to find one, perhaps it is my Celtic charm.

Bigger clubs like the Royals are normally running in a 'business' mode, with paid staff, so extra trade is welcome.
Although, you may find there's a private function or something or it's shut some days of the week.

True. The last 'Royal' on the Solent I visited had an event on, we were made very welcome used the showers and passed a few £ over the bar for some well earned beers - and very good it was too - proper ale not that gassy boys larger. Members who were at the function came over and chatted at length after their coffee in the function room.

Small 'sailing clubs' and 'boat clubs' may not be in the business of catering for non-members.
Some have quite limited facilities, June July August, you have to put your own members first as we're awash with tourists, including those coming by boat.

Being currently west country based that's never been my experience - let me find somebody to sign you in, its a licencing requirement, is the most resistance I've had. Again it must be my Celtic charm or faded Musto kit.

The kind of people who 'expect' or 'feel entitled' to use other clubs are perhaps exactly the people volunteers in small sailing clubs don't want to welcome.

I am clearly moving in the wrong circles or the wrong clubs.

 

[johnalison]

I picked up an old "how to sail" book at a jumble - it had a brilliant section on how to look after your blazer, which tie to wear, how to maintain your trousers crease and the proper way to hang the memsahib's dress - all for visits to "the club".

The section on the galley was illustrated with a B&W picture of an attractive young lady in a fetching fair isle jumper & hot pants, cooking a lobster! We have a copy on our galley wall - I live in hope!

I do hope that the attractive young lady in a fetching fair isle jumper comes your way soon.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Yep

Typical YBW overreaction to the OP. He tried to visit a small club for sentimental reasons. Someone was unhelpful. Clubs usually have some oddballs as many have noted. I didn’t spot anyone being “entitled”.

If I post "I had a nice sail today", I expect hate mail, criticism for having the wrong kind of nice sail and, horror of horror, health advice from Viago!

 

[jbweston]

I picked up an old "how to sail" book at a jumble - it had a brilliant section on how to look after your blazer, which tie to wear, how to maintain your trousers crease and the proper way to hang the memsahib's dress - all for visits to "the club".

The section on the galley was illustrated with a B&W picture of an attractive young lady in a fetching fair isle jumper & hot pants, cooking a lobster! We have a copy on our galley wall - I live in hope!

Ties etc. Around my 18th bithday (52 years ago) my father had me measured up at Moss Bros for a reefer jacket (as we called the yachtsmen's double-breasted blue blazer). We supplied the necessary RMYC black buttons (not brass of course - they were for paid crew). I still have it, and it's survived the years in better nick than its owner. A coat and tie were necessary then in the evenings and at any time in the club dining room. But I believe most club members were welcoming and friendly, if expecting more formal dress than nowadays.

Bear in mind back then, my grandfather wouldn't go out in the garden withou a tie - 'in case someone should see me', he said.

A story I heard around the same time was of someone who phoned the RORC in London to buy a new club tie. The person in the office asked him if he wanted silk or polyester. He said he didn't know and which would be best. Answer: the silk one better to use knotted around the waist as a belt, and the polyester better for starting the British Seagull when you'd mislaid the starter cord. So even back then more formal attire was made fun of.

 

[johnalison]

Ties etc. Around my 18th bithday (52 years ago) my father had me measured up at Moss Bros for a reefer jacket (as we called the yachtsmen's double-breasted blue blazer). We supplied the necessary RMYC black buttons (not brass of course - they were for paid crew). I still have it, and it's survived the years in better nick than its owner. A coat and tie were necessary then in the evenings and at any time in the club dining room. But I believe most club members were welcoming and friendly, if expecting more formal dress than nowadays.

Bear in mind back then, my grandfather wouldn't go out in the garden withou a tie - 'in case someone should see me', he said.

A story I heard around the same time was of someone who phoned the RORC in London to buy a new club tie. The person in the office asked him if he wanted silk or polyester. He said he didn't know and which would be best. Answer: the silk one better to use knotted around the waist as a belt, and the polyester better for starting the British Seagull when you'd mislaid the starter cord. So even back then more formal attire was made fun of.

I have a photo I took in 1962 on the Broads of my student friend’s shirt and tie hanging up to dry in the rigging. He had fallen in of course, and we had to keep up standards, naturally.

 

[mjcoon]

Bear in mind back then, my grandfather wouldn't go out in the garden without a tie - 'in case someone should see me', he said.

My father typically wore a sports jacket and tie for gardening...

 

[Sandy]

Yep

If I post "I had a nice sail today", I expect hate mail, criticism for having the wrong kind of nice sail and, horror of horror, health advice from Viago!

Is he still posting?

 

[Keith 66]

So somebody walks onto a club site, You are a member & dont know them from Adam, there are two approaches you can make such as "Scuse me are you a member?" Often this will elicit a negative response from the visitor as you are putting their back up straight away.
Or you can say "Can i help you?" This way you get more info from them far quicker just by being nice to people.

 

[Daydream believer]

So somebody walks onto a club site, You are a member & dont know them from Adam, there are two approaches you can make such as "Scuse me are you a member?" Often this will elicit a negative response from the visitor as you are putting their back up straight away.
Or you can say "Can i help you?" This way you get more info from them far quicker just by being nice to people.

So, " Who the "£$% let you in? is not recommended then?
I will bear that in mind.

 

[Graham376]

We had the two opposites about 20 years ago in Strangford. East Down Y C very anti social, virtually told to bugger off, no visitor moorings. The Down Cruising Club (old lightship) were just the opposite. Invited to moor on pontoon alongside club and a member insisted on taking us around the local area in his van. It seemed the Club bar closed when no-one left standing, IIRC around 3am

 

[Daydream believer]

We had the two opposites about 20 years ago in Strangford. East Down Y C very anti social, virtually told to bugger off, no visitor moorings.

If they do not have visitors moorings, what else can you do. Why should they have them anyway. We do not have them at our club.
.
If you arrive expecting to see visitors moorings - Then I say- "We don't have any"- You now have to go else where. --You cannot say that the club was anti social, because you never got to go inside. So your comment is unfounded, as it is only based on the fact it does not have visitors moorings.
But you, in you unbiased wisdom, embelished the post as being told to b..r off ?
Thanks for the Trustpilot review

 

[Bristolfashion]

We had the two opposites about 20 years ago in Strangford. East Down Y C very anti social, virtually told to bugger off, no visitor moorings. The Down Cruising Club (old lightship) were just the opposite. Invited to moor on pontoon alongside club and a member insisted on taking us around the local area in his van. It seemed the Club bar closed when no-one left standing, IIRC around 3am

Yes, the Down YC were particularly friendly - interesting old lightship club house - and Daft Eddie's pub nearby was good.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Our club has a few moorings. But, as per a PM exchange with a fellow forum member, you’ll wish you were elsewhere if the wind goes NE And you’ll need a tender if the club RIB is on the mooring behind you, as that means the boatman has gone home.

 

[Lucky Duck]

I’d occasionally wondered about those moorings as they don’t seem to suffer the eddy that means the SW going tide starts earlier than further out into the Solent which those right outside Yarmouth do.

(And therefore longer wind against tide lump)

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I’d occasionally wondered about those moorings as they don’t seem to suffer the eddy that means the SW going tide starts earlier than further out into the Solent which those right outside Yarmouth do.

(And therefore longer wind against tide lump)

It’s often lumpy out there. Yes, the tide turns later on the ebb on the outer trot. In acSW wind, the shelter is not too bad. Its the NE you need to watch out for, and surprisingly its not on the flood, ie wind over tide. The ebb is the nasty bit, it gets quite alarming there sometimes.