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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Marina, Yacht Club, or city mooring

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ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/19/2009 : 22:12:30

I'm a newbie with a tight budget in this whole sailboat ownership thing. We will be sailing on Narragansett bay, which is a pretty large body of water. Right now I'm wondering weather to join a friendly, near-by beautiful, old yacht club near Providence (Rhode Island Yacht Club), or a friendly marina 2.5 hours by boat closer to Newport, but also about ten minutes further away, (Nortons). The yacht club is very proper with a daily honoring of the commodore, but there are some other families, a good chef, reciprocal privileges at yacht clubs all over the EC, and club moorings on Prudens and Newport. Nortons Marina is also family friendly, is a bit cheeper at least for the first year and perhaps a little more laid back. Rhode Island Yacht Club is a bit more expensive. Nortons is less expensive but in higher income neighborhood which we enjoy immensely. Nortons is also in walking distance of a Marine Supply store, Doyle Sails and New England Spars and Rigging, not to mention a bar with great, fresh seafood. Though I can do the whole political thing well, I also am a bit of an iconoclast with plans to go out into the Atlantic with my frail vessel. The sailor in me is in some respects an alter ego.

Any of you have experience with yacht clubs versus marinas? I know it's all about relationships, but I also know that it is possible to get into the wrong situation, which can kill the whole thing. A penny for your thoughts in this probably superfluous matter.

97 Catalina 250 TR/ WK
Hull #301
Attleboro, MA

Edited by - on

Ed Cassidy
Captain

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USA
365 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2009 : 22:36:18

Tight budget and Yacht Club. Isn't that akin to jumbo shrimp!

Edited by - on

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2009 : 23:17:33

You've almost answered your own question.

There was a post recently about someone who wanted to go sailing with his friends, who weren't sailors and had a long drive to his lake. He ended up singlehanding too much. Found out his answer was he "needed" sailors around him.

YOUR condition may be the same or completely different.

Make a list of what's important to you:

companionship
camaraderie
drinkin' buddies
ambiance
nearby marine stores
driving distance from hone (like 10 minutes sholdn't make a difference)
access to the open water
slips
similar boats of your size (being in among nothing but huge pricey mega yachts could really dull your first year experience)
fees? - seems to be high on your list, but never mentioned int he choices

Then spend some time in each place. How the heck can we know if you don't?

Apply the SAME thought process you and your family chose to find a house. Hopefully you'll be spending more time at the boat than at home. Those techniques should come in handy.

Edited by - Stu Jackson C34 on 03/19/2009 23:19:14

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2009 : 23:20:44

Whew! There are marinas, and there are Marinas... There are yacht clubs and there are Yacht Clubs... Your call.

When I was moving to Mystic, I and my two grown daughters were looking at some marinas for Passage... We drove into one, and before I could turn off the ignition, one daughter said, "This one is not for you!" I looked around, and it was all big white sportfishermen--not one sailboat mast in sight. I started the car back up and we continued our tour. Sometimes it's obvious--sometimes it's not.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/19/2009 23:24:39

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2009 : 23:40:41

Yacht clubs can be relaxed informal affairs, but many and this one sounds like it may be, can be highly stratified. Since marinas generally have fairly stable populations, socializing and establishing relationships is really similar. The only advantages that I can see are reciprocosity if you need a transient berth in a congested area and being able to say "Why don't we discuss it over lunch at the yacht club.". Seriously, I am happy at both marinas (summer and winter) that I use and there are plenty of regulars for conversation, lunch, and help. If a marina doesn't work out, you haven't blown a membership fee, minimum monthly food/liquor expenditures or feel commited to staying to recoup your costs. From your list of benefits, it sounds like you think Norton's would be a good fit, but you have a little hidden longing for the "yachtiness". I would go for comfort and saving a few bucks, but it's your choice.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2009 : 08:55:41

One good sign for RIYC... Their [url="http://www.riyc.org/"]website splash-page[/url] features a C-30. I also see they have a fleet of Herreshoff S-boats... Now there's a very cool one-design fleet!

BTW, Norton's might be 10 minutes further away from you, but if you can get a slip there (and not at RIYC?), that's worth a lot more than 10 minutes. It's awfully nice to be able to walk onto your boat and use dockside water and power.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/20/2009 09:05:47

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2009 : 09:05:21

A good friend of mine keeps his C-25 (not a Forum participant) at Norton's. He either uses a mooring summers or gets to use a slip for spring and fall for the same price as a mooring.

East Greenwich is a great location for getting out into the center of the Bay, around Patience and Prudence Islands, and is also a nice day sail or overnighter down to Newport. I have sailed out of Norton's with him dozens of times, and it is nice in all seasons.

My friend sails many evenings and weekends, and you would have an immediate sailing compatriote. You would have those facilities you mentioned, but you would have none of the stuff you get in a fancy-schmancy Yahhht Club.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2009 : 10:04:57

Our boat is at a “Sailing Association” which is our way of saying not quite a yacht club. We lease slips from the municipal marina and get a reduced rate since we are a non-profit, and we maintain the harbour for the town. The town still supplies staff and does the “permanent work” like lifting docks, or mending fences. We have 36 slips out of the 55 available in the marina (12 are held as transients).

Although our rates look good on paper, they do not include a number of things that would be included in a bonafide YC. Lift-out, Launch, Crane time, winter storage, a maintenance yard, clubhouse, guest parking, cradle storage, etc. are up to the individual members to arrange.

Once all these costs are added in, it becomes cheaper to be a member of a proper YC than to stay with the Sailing Association at the municipal marina even with the reduced rate. We choose to stay because this marina is only 15 minutes from our house.

Due to changes in the structure of the town, we have received warning that our slip fees may be going up by between 40 – 70% next season (as opposed to the normal 2-5% that we expect) if this happens, we will likely move our boat to a YC and know that the cost of the initiation is well worth it.

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2009 : 11:33:21

At Norton's you do get:
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 a number of things that would be included in a bonafide YC. Lift-out, Launch, Crane time, winter storage, a maintenance yard, guest parking...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
but no clubhouse, swimming pool, kiddie playground, tennis courts, or golf course.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2009 : 12:15:45

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">[i]Originally posted by JohnP ...but no clubhouse, swimming pool, kiddie playground, tennis courts, or golf course.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">...except the [url="http://www.westbayyc.org/"]West Bay YC[/url] (with clubhouse) is right there at the marina.

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2009 : 13:26:16

That's true. You can join the Yacht Club if you want.

Edited by - on

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1773 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2009 : 20:54:00

For what it's worth - one mans opinion. I am a "member" of a condo style yacht club that is not flashy, not big into ceremonies, but is big into social events, has a good mix of power and sail (from old 13' Whaler to 42' sail) and is reasonable in costs. Across the bay is a "real" yacht club who shoots their canon all the time and hold proper regattas. Half a mile away is a marina that i similar to my club but participates in the "formal" yacht clubs regattas. The point is YOU have to determine your budget, and YOU have to determine the environment you are most comfortable in. I like low profile but some like the pageantry. Just follow YOUR gut feeling. If you like a place and can afford it, forget about what they call themselves, get involved and enjoy your boat and sailing and camaraderie!

Edited by - on

ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 19:32:02

Thanks for the input. I think I'm leaning towards RIYC. Year two will only cost me about 720. It's a beautiful facility with lots of history. Nortons is also a great location but we expect that things may get roudy in the summer. Besides the complimentary moorings at cool locations they also have a few Rhodes 18s for my son to learn on. Also we get free use of the dock for repairs or overnighters. We'll try it out and if we don't like it Nortons here we come.

Vern

Edited by - on

John P
Captain

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USA
324 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2009 : 11:25:11

I keep my boat at a "Yacht Club" but it is just a row of docks along a river that accesses the lake. I am the minority here being maybe 1 of the 3 americans, where everybody else is from Quebec (and speak French). I do not care though. the price is right, the protection is good and the place is quiet most of the time. I would the largest boat here is a 40' and the smallest maybe 20'

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