Anyone ever joined a boat club?

Stan Major

I'm thinking of joining the Daytona Beach Boat Club. Not sure what to expect. Anyone had good experiences with their local boat club?

journey on · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 4:23 pm Post subject:

Looking at their web site, they seem to be a small yacht club catering to power boaters. Since you have a power boat, this is a good thing. They have a clubhouse, which is a nice place to go, especially if you have your boat in the adjacent marina. Also, you can be with people who enjoy the same types of things you do: fishing, socializing, cruising, just enjoying being with boaters.

We belong to the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club and enjoyed it very much. When we joined, we had a sail boat and their event mostly catered to sail boats, even though there are a lot of power boats. The cruises included both types and were fun. Met a lot of nice people. We moved away, but still retain our membership for reciprocals. This allows us to get free moorage as we visit other yacht club up and down the coast. Years ago, we also joined the San Fernando Valley Yacht Club, a small group of trailer sailboats. We still see some of those people, very enjoyable.

So here's a couple of questions. Are there any boats your size? When we downsized to Journey On, we lost some clout, so make sure that there's boats of your size included in the mix. Trust me, people with 50' boats don't look at C-Dories the way we do, cute or not. How much does it cost? In San Diego, we enjoy the Southwest Yacht Club and wouldn't mind joining, but the price is too steep for us. So we enjoy their hospitality using reciprocals including their visitors dock. The DBBC is cheap, $100 to get in and $100/yr. Do they give you a discount on slip fees?

All in all, I'd heartily recommend it. Visit them a couple of times, go on a cruise with them. Boating clubs are always looking for members, they'll be glad to have you along and you'll find out if you like what they're doing.

Boris

thataway · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 4:32 pm Post subject:

I have belonged to a number of "yacht" an Boat clubs during my life. Probably the one which gave me the most pleasure was a small, in-expensive club, named the "Little Ship Fleet of Long Beach". They were responsible for the popular PHRF handicap system. Initially the only qualification was to own a sailboat smaller than 30 feet (there were not many over 30 feet then)--that was changed down the line--the dues were about what the Daytona Beach Boat Club's were. There were monthly meetings, regular races and regular cruises. The club even produced an America's Cup skipper. I found it more fun and less pretentious that some of the larger clubs I also belonged to thru the years.

Go for it! You can't loose. Take advantage of all of the activities and you will make lifetime friends. In my case, the 4 couples who moved from Long Beach to Pensacola in the 90's were all members of that little club we belonged to--and we have all be sailing together for over 50 years.

AstoriaDave · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 5:04 pm Post subject:

Stan,

Probably where you are this is not a factor, but some clubs have outlier facilities in attractive areas. One good example is the Port Alberni Yacht Club, on Vancouver Island, BC. They have a clubhouse with facilities, kitchen, water, dock space, trail to adjacent island, hot showers, etc. in Robbers Passage, out in Barkley Sound on the west coast of the Island. The outlier provides a public service to non club mariners, as well, mostly the water, short term tieup and trail access, which is in lieu of paying the province lease fees for the site.

Some clubs have reciprocity tieup arrangements with others, saving moorage fees when you cruise.

20dauntless · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 5:14 pm Post subject:

After years of thinking yacht clubs were too snooty for me, I joined Seattle Yacht Club last summer. Their outstations and reciprocal benefits are fantastic. As a young person, it was incredibly cheap to join, and dues are really inexpensive. For older people, it's considerably costlier.

When I show up in the C-Dory I'm always the smallest boat. I often tie up to the dinghy dock. I expected members to be a bit snooty and elitist, but I haven't found that so far.

The outstations are outstanding. Water, power, free dock space, showers, bathrooms, ice, space to walk around...

Foggy · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 6:14 pm Post subject:

It depends on what you are looking for.

More friends?
Parties?
Floatillas?
Maybe races?
Activities?
Paying dues?
Getting "involved"?
A dance partner?

It just depends on

Where
With who
How often
How much
What you are looking for
and why.

Aye.

journey on · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 6:14 pm Post subject:

Bob,

The Little Ships Fleet Yacht Club is still around. Please note that the picture shiws the Catalina emblem.

That's the kind of club to join if you have a small sailboat, and the Daytona BBC is probably the kind of club to join if you have a power boat. I'll bet they even sponsor races on Daytona Beach.

Boris

Sea Angel · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:00 pm Post subject:

Here on the "right coast" our dry storage is not a 'formal' yacht club, but it does have many ammenities that are done elsewhere. I must admit it is called, 'The Marina at Marina Shores'. We do have member free cookouts and seasonal parties. The staff there are extremely customer friendly.

So I suggest that you may not want to discount your options to only 'Yacht Clubs'. Just my 2 cents worth, without any change required.

Art

DuckDogTitus · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 10:01 pm Post subject:

Stan Major · Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 5:55 am Post subject:

I appreciate the input. Next meeting is the middle of November. Seems like the place to start. I too wondered about the "50 foot" yacht folks. Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes.

ghone · Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:49 am Post subject:

They can be good fun places. I don't belong to a club currently but long ago was a Maple Bay member. It's fancy now. One thing to check is how organized they are. They can be run like a corporation with a lot of meetings, officers etc and expect you to volunteer. If you like that stuff it's good. If you go boating to get away from that maybe not so good. Some are stuffy some are laid back. Some guys with 50 footers are awesome, some are snooty. Guys with 150 footers cringe at 50 footers so.... People are people. We've had 90 foot owners look at Kerri On and wish they could "afford" to do it. They "have" to show success. Means big. I would go to a meeting and meet some folks. If it's all tuxedos......? If it's all tee's and flip flops...? What's your style? Can meet some great folks. George.

redbaronace · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 1:38 pm Post subject: Seattle Yacht Club

I looked into the Seattle Yacht Club and found their membership dues to be really high $9000 initiation and $700 per year dues.

We only wanted to join to be able to use their outposts and have access to their reciprocal marina usage(cheap transient moorage) It was not our intent to socialize with, cruise with the SYC members nor use their dining facilities.

Is there any other lesser expensive Puget Sound Boat Club that provides great access to reciprocal moorage to popular areas including Canada, Puget Sound, and San Juans.

bridma · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:13 pm Post subject:

I'm a charter member (1999) of the Comox Valley Yacht club. We have about 110 members give or take a couple every year. It is a blue jeans club and we advertise ourselves as such. I thought it was a bit cliquey when we got started but that has fizzled out. We have a lot of fun, socials, club cruises, etc. Last year I led a 12 boat cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet. This year I am leading a Gulf Islands cruise for less experienced sailors and club newbies in July. Our fees are reasonable. $100 initiation fee and then $235 a couple per year. We have recipricol arrangements with other yacht clubs up and down Vancouver Island. Only got to use a few of these per season and you have got your money back.
My problem is too many burgees. Now with the C-Brat burgee, I have to find another spot for it.

Martin.

Foggy · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:56 pm Post subject:

If you get fed-up with Yacht Club dues, dock fees, mooring
charges, those boat insurance premiums, gas prices, winter
storage (if applicable), weather not cooperating, throwing your
hard earned dollars into that "hole in the water", or wanting
something bigger ("Four footitis"), there's always golf.

But then, have you checked out golf Club memberships, the price
of a new bag/clubs/clothes/accessories and green fees
(at the nice Clubs)?

Aye.

PS: Grandpa used to say "Boating or golf? Take your pick.
You can't really enjoy both."

El and Bill · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:28 pm Post subject:

We belonged to a yacht club for most of our years of boating. The membership came from the entire state -- no clubhouse or facilities -- so virtually no expense -- cost $5.00 a year for membership back then. Had great meetings eating our together at fine buffets on the Vegas strip, and swapping tales, fine lake cruises together (we led a sailing cruise from Lake Mead into the Lower Grand Canyon)... and a beautiful burgee.

As we cruised all three coasts and most of the navigable rivers between, we toted a packet of burgees -- yacht clubs all over reciprocated with our club so we had fine places to tie and comfy lounges to read good books through foul weather, and left a trail of Nevada Yacht Club burgees all over the US and Canada. Folks were generally amazed that Nevada even had a yacht club -- "where do you do your boating?? Thought you guys were in the desert?" Yep -- and the tales we could tell about our Lakes and also about sand sailing our playas with wheels under our "lands sail boat.'