How young are You?

[Manureva]

I am 34, will be 35 end of june, she is 29, on our 3rd year sailing, cruising and racing( or at least we think we are). I am the president of our local marina, lots of fun, lots of babysitting....haha... been driving rib and power boat for a living before retirement due to a back injuries, sailing is so much more fun then flooring a darn boat to drink beer some place....and so much more peaceful....

 

[Rick D]

An Idea

Good points, Rick. My concern is that our folks are starting to retire from sailing as well. Since I joined it seems there is a steady stream of boats being sold and unfortunately a few folks who have just said they can't sail anymore. They still come to the social events, bless 'em.

Maybe you guys should consider letting your members who sell their boats to offer a 90 day 'trial membership' or something like that in the YC as part of the sale.

 

[Steve Dion]

Mind 27
Body 64

 

[Scott B]

Mind 27
Body 64

Yeah, exactly.....

act like a 16 yr old sometimes.....
think like I'm way beyond my years....
body feels like I'm 80 sometimes....
real people years 52......

 

[Ken Cross]

Never joined a club. They meet on Wednesdays and we are busy on Wednesdays.
Our marina has a few younger folks One couple I know is in the mid 20s. I purchased our boat from a 23 year old (He was living onboard but didn't know how to operate it.).

 

[Ross]

I joined the Air Force in 1957 got out in 1963 haven't joined anything since. Once bitten twice shy.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Membership is a choice.

Contributing is another one.

Glad you're all here.

 

[shawnee_sailor]

Yeah, "doing nothing"...

Oh, I'm 53 like you, for a few more months..

On the other hand, my yacht club, on beautiful Lake Perry, the ages range widely. We have quite a few retired folks. They're just as crazy and fun as us younger folk. In the last few seasons there have been quite a few new members in their 30s, so there are quite a few kids running around on our weekends.

Not to mention the every other weekend theme potluck parties.

I somehow got conned into crewing on one of the member's boat for our keelboat series racing, so this should be interesting...


Besides, I'll bet you and the First Mate are only guilty of 16 = "you're only as old as you act"

Boat's going into the water/slip this weekend, yay!

Bill

Well young folks/couples don't have the bucks (or think they don't) to own a sailboat
They typically don't want to spend a weekend sitting doing nothing with no TV/cell/......gadgets.
We old farts like to sit and do nothing (right they think we are doing "nothing")(I'm not telling anybody)
The first Mate and I are 53 (15 if you use the "you are only as old as you act" thinking)

 

[Piotr]

47 and Admiral is 46. First Officer is 11 and enjoys fishing, but likes to sail as long as we take his (numerous) friends along. Sailing out of Rock Hall on Chesapeake. I've been sailing since I was 12. Bought my first boat for $7000 (used) in 1990 (1989 Capri 18). Sold it 18 month ago for $3000 and bought '86 Macgregor 25. Invested into it more than we paid for it (not counting a brand new outboard). in our marina, there are maybe 2-3 boats with people (and kids) our age and the rest is retired. We like it. No wild parties, no foul language (new boats by invitation only, no transients, but slips are VERY affordable). All of the kids (about 5 total) are learning to sail in small dingies. I think they are beginning to form a gang...

 

[Don12364]

I belong to Warsash Sailing Club here in UK and we have 'Sprats', 'Kippers', and 'Cadets'.
Sprats are from 7 years up. There is always a ready supply of young parents to organise training, seamanship and other events as well as picnics. Many join specifically to get their kids onto our schemes.
The club owns a number of Oppies (Optimist dinghies) and these are well used for racing as well.
As the kids grow up their parents move on to run the next category up - all voluntarily arranged.
Most of the organisers are the children of an older generation of members and it is wonderful to see kids one has clipped round the ear for being cheeky now bringing their offspring into the club.
I believe it is vital for every club's future to have a proper youth development program. It keeps us all young and brings down the average age whilst providing suitable candidates for future flag officers.
Only problem is the kids do tend to get under ones feet!

Me - I'm 77 and now contemplating my exit strategy.

 

[Paul Brinkley]

I'm 67, the Admiral is 64. We bought our (at least 3rd hand) Mac 26S five years ago. Wish we had started 40 years ago. Before the Mac, we had only sailed a canoe (homemade rig) and a small 12' sailboat that I built. Our grown kids and their families enjoy going sailing with us once in a while, but most of the time we are on our own. We mostly daysail with a couple of overnighters each year. Hope to do more longer trips once the Admiral retires. We sail the Albemarle and Pamilico sounds, Kerr Lake, and the Morehead City-Cape Lookout areas of NC. -Paul

 

[zeehag]

man who taught us kids to sail in our youth retired from sailing at age 95, when he died....sailing makes ye young. he wouldnt have died at such a youthful age, had he not used open sprayer with lead arsenate on his apple trees on the farm. his momma made it to 106. she was awesome.