The future of yacht clubs
- Thread starter Phil Herring
- Start date
Hey,
There are many different types of 'yacht clubs' as there are types of sail boats. Like a 'sailboat' it's really difficult to generalize about yacht clubs. There are yacht clubs that are snobby, there are yacht clubs that have no staff where the club members do all the work.
I'm a member of the only yacht club in Mt. Sinai harbor, the Mount Sinai Yacht Club (MSYC). I joined because the club has a dinghy dock where I can leave my dinghy in the water, a clubhouse where I can get a drink or eat a meal, and has winter boat storage. If you are a member, the cost of storage alone makes the dues practically free compared to storing my boat at a private place. MSYC has both powerboats and sailboats, does no yacht racing or other sailing events. They have a few fishing tournaments a year. The club members do most of the work in the club but we do have paid staff for the clubhouse and kitchen. The MSYC is a non profit, so food, drink, storage, etc are all affordable.
As a MSYC member I get reciprocal privileges at other clubs and I have spent a weekend at a few other clubs on the Long Island sound. Some of the clubs do seem a little snobbish, but most are just nice people.
Since I started racing I have been to big regattas at some of the fancier clubs. Those clubs, although very nice, are not for me, and that's fine. There is plenty of variety for everyone.
Regarding the future, it's really hard to say. Around here, boat slips have waiting lists that are years long. Any facility (including yacht clubs) with slips available will be in business forever.
Barry
There are many different types of 'yacht clubs' as there are types of sail boats. Like a 'sailboat' it's really difficult to generalize about yacht clubs. There are yacht clubs that are snobby, there are yacht clubs that have no staff where the club members do all the work.
I'm a member of the only yacht club in Mt. Sinai harbor, the Mount Sinai Yacht Club (MSYC). I joined because the club has a dinghy dock where I can leave my dinghy in the water, a clubhouse where I can get a drink or eat a meal, and has winter boat storage. If you are a member, the cost of storage alone makes the dues practically free compared to storing my boat at a private place. MSYC has both powerboats and sailboats, does no yacht racing or other sailing events. They have a few fishing tournaments a year. The club members do most of the work in the club but we do have paid staff for the clubhouse and kitchen. The MSYC is a non profit, so food, drink, storage, etc are all affordable.
As a MSYC member I get reciprocal privileges at other clubs and I have spent a weekend at a few other clubs on the Long Island sound. Some of the clubs do seem a little snobbish, but most are just nice people.
Since I started racing I have been to big regattas at some of the fancier clubs. Those clubs, although very nice, are not for me, and that's fine. There is plenty of variety for everyone.
Regarding the future, it's really hard to say. Around here, boat slips have waiting lists that are years long. Any facility (including yacht clubs) with slips available will be in business forever.
Barry
We have 6 boats sailing to those rules currently. Not the most active fleet but, they are doing their thing.
That’s a common misperception. While your card may get you a spot on a guest dock at some yacht clubs, it won’t get you into a guest slip or bar at many extremely popular destinations in the Americas or Europe. You may need to know a mamber of the club to invite you as a guest. Unless your club has a formal reciprocity agreement with another club, your request for a guest slip may be politely declined.
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Just an FYI here. Traditional yacht clubs are a type of non-profit, mutual-benefit corporation. Instead of selling shares as in a regular corporation, yacht clubs essentially sell memberships. The price of goods sold to members, including beverages and meals, has nothing do with the club's non-profit status, although a BOD may decide to zero-out the club's income/expenses every fiscal year, which some do. Profit means, or refers to, goods or services sold to non-members. It does not refer to an increasing cash position, year by year of income over expense, selling stuff to its members. In some states, non-profits, including yacht clubs, may be allowed a certain small percentage of sales to derive from non-members b/f it is taxed as PROFIT. This is especially so if it is considered "business-related income", such as money earned by sponsoring a public boater's swap meet, etc., or by charging the public for Boater Education classes or Safety at Sea classes, etc. The situation with "guests" (i.e., non-members) varies from state to state. In some states, or at some clubs, such as in TX and FL, members' guests cannot buy beverage/meals from the Club. The member has to purchase for his/her guests. The situation may be a little different, however, if the Club is hosting a regatta or the "guests" are reciprocals.
KG
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My Card will allow us into Any Club in the World [for all practical purposes]
I assume you mean your credit card....
$$$ talks.
Cheers
dj
I assume you mean your credit card....
$$$ talks.
Cheers
dj
I consider our family to be extraordinarily fortunate to be members of our Bremerton Wa yacht club. We have 191 slips some covered and numerous boat sheds in that total. We are a working club and try to do most of the maintenance ourselves and that keeps our moorage rates more than competitive. We have our own diesel and gas, pumpout station and portable pumpout, railway for hauling boats, shop, picnic shelter, banquet hall, commercial galley ( we host all our social events and the cooking is done by the members), gym, showers, gated parking, youth sailing program, small store, lunch five days a week, small ship's store and a thriving membership. My son and daughter both have sailboats moored within 30' of my boat. A father's dream. Our members are really nice too. We require 16 work hours per year. Since Jan 2015 our membership is 40% new so we are thriving. I see no downside to our future.
Even a credit card won’t get him into a lot of private clubs! At my club, you need to be a guest of a member, or a member of a club with reciprocal privileges to buy a drink or a sandwich. Otherwise, the club would lose its license to sell liquor. It would also affect the clubs tax status.
I think yacht clubs will continue to evolve and change to serve different kinds of member. They will continue to reflect the economy too and technology. Some are virtual and exist only online. At the other end of the continuum, are full service clubs with berths, dining, swimming pools and professional hospitality staff. In the middle are coops with members providing all services at their facilities, community sailing organizations, etc.
I belong to three “virtual” clubs whose members organize events, and one “traditional” club with a physical location with guest berths, a club house, a kitchen and bar with a part time professional staff. Two of the virtual clubs focus on social events. One virtual club them focuses more on racing and multihulls.
The traditional one has more racing and social events than the other three combined. The dining room and bar function like a local pub four nights per week. It runs a lot of beercan and premium racing events, many of which attract non-members. We,provide insurance coverage for racing, marks,committee boats etc, for racing. There is also a core of cruising members who organize a dozen weekend and week-long “ cruise outs” per year. It also has two fleets of dinghies and a junior program for both rcruising and racing. It runs 8:weeks of summer day camps for kids, and has a pool. We also offer “pool only” memberships to locals. It’s a family club.
I belong to three “virtual” clubs whose members organize events, and one “traditional” club with a physical location with guest berths, a club house, a kitchen and bar with a part time professional staff. Two of the virtual clubs focus on social events. One virtual club them focuses more on racing and multihulls.
The traditional one has more racing and social events than the other three combined. The dining room and bar function like a local pub four nights per week. It runs a lot of beercan and premium racing events, many of which attract non-members. We,provide insurance coverage for racing, marks,committee boats etc, for racing. There is also a core of cruising members who organize a dozen weekend and week-long “ cruise outs” per year. It also has two fleets of dinghies and a junior program for both rcruising and racing. It runs 8:weeks of summer day camps for kids, and has a pool. We also offer “pool only” memberships to locals. It’s a family club.
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I said "For all practical purposes"
You would be surprised at reciprocity.
At my yacht club, I can ask for yacht clubs on my points of destination and actually reserve amenities.
At the local "snobby Club" on Sunday after church, many families are dressed up for formal Lunch.
We walked in sailing attire and we were not greeted warmly.
We were escorted to the BAR, after I flashed my yacht club card.
So like most Reservation APPs shown on TV note , my comment is amended to say...
"Certain Restrictions May Apply"
Jim...
My, my I sure upset a few with my statement!I really wonder what this means. Many of these yacht-club folks are international sailing champions; even Olympians. The other week I was visiting the LA Yacht Club and saw this marvelous picture of Humphrey Bogart sailing his schooner Santana here off California. These crude, negative generalities are not what thoughtful discussions are made of. If there is something up the butt here, I wonder if it might not be a part of your own anatomy.
We have quite a few clubs here and one pretty famous sailor Gary Jobson.
The statement I made was from personal experience from more then 50 years of boating.