Ahoy!
It’s obvious that since you are visiting this site, and reading this article you have a passion for boating. Maybe you are an old salt with many years of experience at the helm. Maybe you are just starting out and testing the waters so to speak. More likely you are somewhere in between and like to spend your spare time reading about boating and planning your next adventure or day trip with the family. Here in the Pacific Northwest we are blessed with some of the best cruising and boating opportunities anywhere in the world. In fact there is so much to do and see, it can be a bit overwhelming to plan and execute without some help.
Websites like this are here to help and offer guidance to boaters that want to gain that invaluable “local knowledge”. We are glad to help with any information that we can provide to make your trips fun and most importantly, safe. However try as we might, we can’t provide all the information that you may need or want. No single website or single person likely can. Sure I can tell you how to perform maintenance on your Westerbeke genset, or how to navigate a tricky entrance to a harbor, but there is no feedback, no personal expression. The Internet is a great tool, but there is much that is lacking that the Web will never be to supply. Sure you can sit down with a beer at you computer, and chat with another person that is enjoying a beer at their computer, but it’s not the same as talking and enjoying a beer together.
We are social animals. We need that interaction to thrive and grow. No matter what your passion, be it boats, cars, sewing, cooking, books, whatever, there are others that are just as passionate about it as you are.
So what happens when these people get together? They form a club. By definition a club is “association for pursuing common interest”, which is exactly what we all do, separately, or individually.
A number of years ago after getting back into boating from a “boating break” my wife suggested that we look at joining a yacht club. Honestly, my first reaction was one of reluctance. I wasn’t sure I was the yacht club type. Of course I really had no idea what the yacht club type was, but for some reason I thought it wasn’t me. She reminded me of the car clubs, and motorcycle clubs I’ve been part of in the past, how much fun I had and how her and I had met as a result of being involved along with others that had the same interests.
Yacht clubs exist for all the same reasons any other club exists. If you are a boater, you already have the reason. Of course owning a boat is not necessarily a requirement, there are obviously more advantages to enjoy if you are a boat owner.
Like any other activity, boating has clubs of all different sizes offering different opportunities. Maybe you are looking for a club that has many nearby social gatherings and cruises, or a club with outstations in the far northern cruising grounds our region has a yacht club to suit your needs.
Even if you can’t make all or any of the club hosted events, there are so many other advantages to belonging to a yacht club.
Let’s start with reciprocal moorage. If your club has reciprocity transient moorage with other clubs, you can stay a night at the other club dock for almost free! Most charge a very nominal fee for electricity. If you use this through out the season, it could pay for your membership dues.
Clubs can also offer club facilities like clubhouse use, dock use, tool and or equipment use.
Yacht clubs also perform a much needed service to the boating community in general by giving a voice to issues that are facing everyone. Issues that have an impact on boating and water use that effect us all both in time and money. Most clubs are affiliated with RBAW (Recreational Boating Association of Washington, www.rbaw.org), which is an association that represents boaters in Olympia.
Another huge benefit of being a yacht club member is community. When there is a large gathering of like minded people who have either experienced it, are experiencing it, or want to experience it, whatever “it” is, the knowledge both local and general about boating and boats is incredible and at your disposal.
You will never cruise alone, unless you want to. You’ll never be without a crew, unless you want to. Each doing a little bit so everyone can enjoy it all.
Community extends beyond just the club members. Clubs are often associated with the local community and have strong ties to the local merchants and businesses.
If you enjoy Sucia Island, you can thank a yacht club. In 1960 a group of yacht clubs bought a big chunk of the islands from developers and donated it to the state, to be turned into a state park. It’s considered the crown jewel of the state marine parks.
Boating is a fun activity, and with everything there is an associated cost. Yacht club membership has probably the best return on your boating dollar then anything else related to boating. If you take advantage of the perks such as discounts on repairs, and maintenance, fuel, etc and the use of club facilities, it’s a bargain.
Even if you only use reciprocity, it’s still a bargain or if you use it a lot, it could cover the cost of your membership. If you don’t use any perks, but just enjoy the club cruises and social activities, it’s perhaps the best deal in boating today!
To find a local club to you or your cruising area try www.Yachtingdestionations.org, which has an excellent list of clubs throughout the region and into British Columbia. Attend an event or two with different clubs. Find the one that works for you and make the best boating decision you can make and join up. I did, and it’s really turned out to be the best experience I could imagine. I’ve made some great friends and had the best time boating of my life.