Seven Seas Cruising Association -SSCA

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by PamlicoTraveler

Kind of amazing how some can argue with a sailing group with 10,000 members that costs $55 a year. SSCA doesn't claim to represent all sailors, or be all things good in the sailing world. It's just an organization.... And the members sail. They certainly aren't the bad guys. Geez.

Agree, it's like they are Microsoft, or Apple, or the 1%... I haven't seen so much anger about a club of sailors ever. Seems that anything that costs a dollar is considered bad by many, just like people who have a dollar are considered bad. Seems to me that the real cruisers will become a cult hidden somewhere in the tropics, taking care of their own... hmm, great idea for a book

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Miniyot

I really did not intend to get you feeling testy, I was just looking for answers. The answer that I really do appreciate was the one about an objection to commodore status. That cleared it up for me.

I apologize for getting testy.

I'm glad I could answer your questions. One of the reasons I spend the time engaged in discussions like this is to clear up misconceptions. The other reason as I noted above is for feedback.

sail fast and eat well, dave
Dave Skolnick S/V Auspicious
SSCA President

[AnchorageGuy]

Dave, I would think by now you have also considered that you have spent a fair amount of time defending the organization on just one forum. There are many sailors out there that don't visit CF or most other forums. I do hope in time the organization can recover to it's original status. As I see it, the longer it takes to achieve that status the more the negativity will spread through out the boat community making the process more difficult. Unfortunately just saying we're working on it doesn't give anyone a lot of confidence that the changes will come soon. Just sayin. Chuck

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Agree, it's like they are Microsoft, or Apple, or the 1%... I haven't seen so much anger about a club of sailors ever. Seems that anything that costs a dollar is considered bad by many, just like people who have a dollar are considered bad. Seems to me that the real cruisers will become a cult hidden somewhere in the tropics, taking care of their own... hmm, great idea for a book

I'm not angry.. anything but... I'm just not a 'Clubby' type..
I do however recognize there's an inbuilt need in many folk to 'Belong' to something... else sports teams would be screwed..
Okay I'm a CF Member but its a totally different environment that I've come to regard as a form of bar... wander in... have a waffle then wander off... never the exact same clientèle.. always amusing... often informative.. and the only obligation is Courtesy.. I can live with that..
As a biker I joined no clubs.. regarded it as a form of protectionism..and no way was anyone crapping on my Wranglers..
Sailing... pretty much the same... guess I've never felt the need for organized socialising... impromptu is so much more fun...

I sincerely wish the Club every success..
and if they start a petition for compulsory licences for jet bikes/speedboats towing skiers I'll be happy to sign it...

[Hudson Force]

I just read through all these posts and found pretty much what I expected. Some who are independant and loathe to join a group seem to be derisive of the "club". Some seem to feel that anything with a cost, exclusive or with a majority of an age, sex or ethnicity must be wrong. I have met many SSCA members during my over forty years of cruising. They seem to be just like all the other cruisers with experience,- friendly, helpfull, independant, resourceful, and thrilled by the joy of cruising. Like many others I am not a member and I don't have any interest in the membership, but that choice is not a negative response. I hope the SSCA continues to provide for it's members needs. Who could oppose choices by others to gather, share, educate and enjoy cruising?

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

Dave, I would think by now you have also considered that you have spent a fair amount of time defending the organization on just one forum. There are many sailors out there that don't visit CF or most other forums. I do hope in time the organization can recover to it's original status. As I see it, the longer it takes to achieve that status the more the negativity will spread through out the boat community making the process more difficult. Unfortunately just saying we're working on it doesn't give anyone a lot of confidence that the changes will come soon. Just sayin. Chuck

Hi Chuck.

I like to think my time on this thread is an investment. I appreciate the input, especially from past members.

We are working on a number of things but as you say "we're working on it" isn't very confidence inspiring.

The feedback we get is that Seven Seas U is providing information to people that they care about and value. That's relatively new.

The seminars at last year's Annapolis and Melbourne Gams drew record numbers. Isleboro also continues to grow.

Our network of cruising stations also continues to grow.

We've added to our collection of Clean Wake projects some activities that are connected to academia and may be a particularly good fit for cruisers with kids who may find a project a good fit with homeschooling. The Pacific radiation monitoring and worldwide sea bird count are examples.

We've expanded our vendor relationships and many of those come with discounts for our members.

The Equipment Survey has been updated.

We've completed the first step in our website overhaul by upgrading the Forum and adding some needed behind-the-scenes structure.

Also behind the scenes are some back-office processes to improve e-mail responsiveness, the ship's store, and some accounting processes. Those aren't exciting things but they leave our tiny staff more time to directly support members.

You're right - we can't just talk about what we're working on. We have accomplished a good bit in very recent years.

I/we talk about what we are working on because we can't rest on our laurels. We are putting a lot of energy into the website, SSU, the Equipment Survey, and cruising stations. We are working on new Gams outside the US. We are working on member recruitment and retention.

For members following this thread we could use some help. Just about everything can be done while cruising. We could use some people to help organize Gams. We could use some people with writing skills to take existing website content and reorganize it to our new structure. We could use someone to clean up our discount and benefits material and write a description.

dave
SSCA

[GothVanhellsing]

Originally Posted by PamlicoTraveler

I am curious how many Cruisers Forum participants are members of the Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA). Welcome to the Seven Seas Cruising Association If you aren't a member maybe you should look at it.

I have found it to be a great resource and guide for learning more about cruising and offering support and education as we became more involved in full-time cruising . It is a non-profit run by and for cruisers. In effect, the SSCA helps active cruisers cruise and someday-to-be cruisers start cruising. If this is what you do or want to do, it is one of the real bargains around.

We found the SSCA to be our biggest advocate when we left for Europe in May of last year. Norfolk's Joan Conover, an SSCA Cruising Station Coordinator, and her husband Greg, were longtime cruisers on their boat Growling Tiger. When we arrived they took the SSCA members on the trip leaving from Hampton under their wing, helping in countless ways. They told us who to talk to for needed services, helped us with weather planning, gave advice on how to prepare, gave us rides to various chandleries and acted as mentors while we were preparing for the passage. They basically made us feel like we had friends supporting us in our efforts. And we did!

Part of the SSCA mission is to support cruising and to advocate for cruiser rights. Whether it's lobbying to protect anchoring rights in Florida, or live-aboard rights in Georgia, the SSCA operates as a voice and as an advocate for cruisers. They actively support environmental causes with clean wake initiatives and with an active Cruisers Committee Board help address the "big-picture" issues that many sailors, me included, are to busy to spend much time thinking about.

The SSCA website offers a plethora of educational events and resources including online "webinars." If you want to learn about cruising and sailing, this is a great resource. They also started Seven Seas U,SSU, an online learning site. The Cruising Stations, around 150 around the world, are another key support structure for the SSCA. Hosts can be contacted in advance for information and logistical help in planning a trip, and during your stay for local assistance. Basically, they are supporting the camaraderie that cruising is all about. We plan on using these services as we travel the Med later this year.

By the way, Dave Skolnick, the President of the SSCA, is an active participant on this forum, and has been for a long time - known here of course as "Auspicious." He is a longtime cruiser and racer and has sailed to and from Europe, in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and every where else apparently. It seems as though everybody working for SSCA is or has been an active cruiser, so they know what we are up against.

There are, I think, something like 10,000 members around the world, which makes them big enough to have the impact that a large scale provides. The price to join is something like 50 or 60 bucks a year, and it's definitely something cruisers should at least consider. It can either help you directly or it can advocate for the longterm health of the sport of Cruising - either way, it's worth being a part of it. To me joining SSCA is a no-brainer.

(Disclosure: other than being a member I have no vested interest in the organization.)

I would never join them, one of their active members Russsell Easby-Smith breezed through Oriental and stirred up a hornet's nest saying we should have a time limit in the public harbor Limit Stays In Anchorage, A Way To Welcome More Boats | TownDock.net, Oriental NC Just an FYI their are no derelict boats In the harbor and in this town of about 900 people there is room for about 10 more boats (there would be room for about 30 more if the town didn't let a marina take 2/3 of the harbor anchorage). From what I gather that Smith guy is a fairly Respected member who the SSCA who they have even given awards to. So I question the wisdom of anyone who would give money to a group that claims to be protecting our rights when their own valued members go around starting trouble trying to get busybodies to take away our anchoring rights.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by GothVanhellsing

I would never join them, one of their active members Russsell Easby-Smith breezed through Oriental and stirred up a hornet's nest saying we should have a time limit in the public harbor Limit Stays In Anchorage, A Way To Welcome More Boats | TownDock.net, Oriental NC Just an FYI their are no derelict boats In the harbor and in this town of about 900 people there is room for about 10 more boats (there would be room for about 30 more if the town didn't let a marina take 2/3 of the harbor anchorage). From what I gather that Smith guy is a fairly Respected member who the SSCA who they have even given awards to. So I question the wisdom of anyone who would give money to a group that claims to be protecting our rights when their own valued members go around starting trouble trying to get busybodies to take away our anchoring rights.

An interesting first post. I suspect there might be more motivation than criticism of SSCA, since you are talking about a single member and not the organization itself. We recently visited Oriental and spent some time researching the issue with the anchorage. We posted some of our observations on our blog, The Trawler Beach House: We Really Like Oriental North Carolina . Chuck

[GothVanhellsing]

What a shock you were at the bean, no busybodies there

[s/v 'Faith']

I was in oriental for the last two weeks! I think I saw you on the town dock, sorry we did not get to meet.

The same few boats have been anchored there since November, before I left to head south last time.... I never have had much trouble finding a place to drop the hook though.

I agree it seems kind of silly to speak against the SSCA based on the perceived actions of one member.....

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

I just read through all these posts and found pretty much what I expected. Some who are independant and loathe to join a group seem to be derisive of the "club". Some seem to feel that anything with a cost, exclusive or with a majority of an age, sex or ethnicity must be wrong. I have met many SSCA members during my over forty years of cruising. They seem to be just like all the other cruisers with experience,- friendly, helpfull, independant, resourceful, and thrilled by the joy of cruising. Like many others I am not a member and I don't have any interest in the membership, but that choice is not a negative response. I hope the SSCA continues to provide for it's members needs. Who could oppose choices by others to gather, share, educate and enjoy cruising?

I've been invited to join it several times by one person or another, but I already belong to one sailing club and really don't have time for a second. that's no negative on SSCA. I don't know enough about them to make a judgment.

But I do like belonging to a group of sailors. I can count on most of them in a pinch, and they can count on me. I've learned a lot from them -- including an improved BS indicator, very useful.

[GothVanhellsing]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

I was in oriental for the last two weeks! I think I saw you on the town dock, sorry we did not get to meet.

The same few boats have been anchored there since November, before I left to head south last time.... I never have had much trouble finding a place to drop the hook though.

I agree it seems kind of silly to speak against the SSCA based on the perceived actions of one member.....

Hey I will be the first to say my opinion is just mine. If you enjoy the group, and like being a part of groups like that, then I am happy for you. I am just more of a lone spirit who hates seeing our freedoms vanish, and the only SSCA person I have met stirred up a hornet's nest here.

But only two of those three were there in Nov, The southern cross, and the french (red) boat, the other was on greens creek then.

[AnchorageGuy]

Gothvanhellsing, Would you happen to be one of the boats being discussed at Oriental? That might have relevance in your postings. Chuck

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, GothVanhellsing.

Russell Easby-Smith offered, what seemed to me, a moderate and balanced opinion, on a complex subject.
I wouldn’t characterize his article as “... starting trouble trying to get busybodies to take away our anchoring rights.”

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by GothVanhellsing

I would never join them, one of their active members Russsell Easby-Smith breezed through Oriental and stirred up a hornet's nest saying we should have a time limit in the public harbor Limit Stays In Anchorage, A Way To Welcome More Boats | TownDock.net, Oriental NC Just an FYI their are no derelict boats In the harbor and in this town of about 900 people there is room for about 10 more boats (there would be room for about 30 more if the town didn't let a marina take 2/3 of the harbor anchorage). From what I gather that Smith guy is a fairly Respected member who the SSCA who they have even given awards to. So I question the wisdom of anyone who would give money to a group that claims to be protecting our rights when their own valued members go around starting trouble trying to get busybodies to take away our anchoring rights.

Seems like to me he advocates sensible policy that is in everybody's interest.

Unless they are looking for a long-term free anchorage. Cruisers cruise, which means there needs to be transient space available. The more, the better.