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Old 01-03-2018, 02:32   #1
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Should I join a yacht club

Hi all, my first post so please be gentle.
I am setting up to sail/cruise permanently around the world on my newly acquired Callisto 435. I am a relative newbie to the sailing family so would appreciate some advice. Other than this forum obviously, where will I find the best / most comprehensive information and advise for sailing around our big blue planet. Should i join a sailing club in the UK to enable reciprocal benefits around the world, or would I be better served in joining something like The Cruising Association or both? Thanks for your advice.
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Old 01-03-2018, 03:00   #2
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

Joining things usually costs some money--if it's in your budget, and you want to do it, fine. But the advice you'll get from club members won't be any different than the conflicting, contradictory advice you'll find on the internet or at any marina common room.
Problem with advice is that is comes in all forms, from people with all different levels of experience, and usually with the conviction of religious fervor. I found it so overwhelming in my early days that I just stopped listening to it, went out and sailed, and eventually could parse out the decent advice from the completely imbecile.
What worked for me was to read seafaring stories--not how-to's, and never a youtube video--but just stories of people sailing, and I gleaned a lot of collateral information from them. The data I gleaned enjoying Arthur Ransome, Tristan Jones, Joshua Slocum, CS Forester, Richard Henry Dana jr., etc. was then refined by my own experience--sometimes confirmed, sometimes modified.
So if you're the social type with some spare coin, join a club for the society, but don't take anyone's advice as gospel until you've proved it's veracity for yourself.
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Old 01-03-2018, 03:16   #3
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

Thanks for that Ben. Pockets are only so deep.
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Old 01-03-2018, 03:42   #4
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Personally I see no benefit from joining a Yacht Club outside the 'contacts' for purpose's other than sailing.. most are there for the social status that membership brings..
The Cruising Association on the other hand has a world wide membership and can be beneficial in the long run.
It does have many members who are accomplished sailors.. and I am informed there's a few places round the world where their burgee at your mast will bring a warm welcome.
Most distance sailors I find develop their own style of sailing to suit themselves and their means..
Loadsa Money will trash their boats coz they can..
The Just Managing will sail more conservatively putting longevity of sails and gear ahead of fast crossings to brag about at the bar..
The decision is yours.. and yours alone.
Enjoy the Adventure..
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Old 01-03-2018, 03:55   #5
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

I really enjoyed some yacht clubs and joined when I felt like it, but just for the racing fun and socializing.

Reciprocal rights did come in handy sometimes.
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Old 01-03-2018, 04:07   #6
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, spikeyrp.
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Old 01-03-2018, 04:17   #7
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

If you're going to be just coastal-sailing from one home base for a few years, before heading out on the big adventure, then joining a club might make sense.

If your plan is to head out almost right away, then joining a club probably isn't worth the expense, and they might not want you as a member anyway if you aren't intending to hang around.
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Old 01-03-2018, 05:42   #8
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

Thank you all. I intend leaving my home waters in 2019, cruising the Western Isles of Scotland this year then heading down to the Canary Islands next. I don't think I'll be joining a club but may join the CA.
Thanks again.
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Old 01-03-2018, 05:45   #9
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

I'd never be a member of any club desperate enough to have me as a member!

Seriously, I have no idea if my yacht club really cares about reciprocity, only about if we let you dock here you won't keep us up all night with your wild party or trash our boats if we let you near them. It's more about risk mitigation than "social status". I'm a member of my local club for their convenient marina and I like the folks I race with, certainly not for any social status or reciprocity agreements. For cruising, I've found that the ability to pay for a transient slip trumps any membership in some club. Why not call a marina 200 miles up the coast, or in the Med if you're so adventurous, and ask what it would cost for a slip for a week and how long in advance they'll need a reservation. I'll bet they either have slips for rent, or not, but not ask about reciprocity. I'll also bet if you say you're a member of the hoity-toity yacht club (HTYC), no one asks for a card or referral letter.
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Old 01-03-2018, 06:55   #10
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

Quote:
. Tristan Jones,
You know that Tristan Jones was a liar right?
He made up a lot of the stories he wrote and the rest should be taken with a grain of salt..
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Old 01-03-2018, 08:19   #11
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

He wasn't a liar, just an embellisher "I'm a story teller, not a historian" - Tristan Jones
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Old 01-03-2018, 11:50   #12
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

History books are rarely objective truth either, all depends on POV, whose ox is being gored.
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Old 01-03-2018, 11:54   #13
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

If you are looking at joining a club or association just for the reciprocal benefits, the way to look at that is to find out what you can join, what that costs, and where they offer what benefits. If they can get you reciprocal free overnight docking at 50 fellow clubs...but those are all in the UK and you plan to sail globally? That might not be worth anything.

This is another one of those times when you REALLY need to break out a No.2 pencil and a pad and start tallying up numbers.

I had a friend who did join a club just for the reciprocal benefits, and they actually joined a very much distant club that allowed for non-local members at a very reduced rate. (As opposed to the rates someone actually in the area and using the club facilities would pay.) That's another option to look it, to see if "foreign" or other odd membership categories are allowed. No, I don't recall what club that was, but I suspect you needed to be nominated by existing members in order to apply.
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Old 01-03-2018, 12:24   #14
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

Quote:
Originally Posted by Calif.Ted View Post
He wasn't a liar, just an embellisher "I'm a story teller, not a historian" - Tristan Jones
Whatever, but those who are interested should read this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Wayward-Sailo.../dp/0071440283

It is a biography on Tristan Jones, after reading it I changed my view on him.
Story teller, or rather Bull Sh...er
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Old 01-03-2018, 13:37   #15
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Re: Should I join a yacht club

Look into the benefits of joining the yacht club you are interested in. for instance, we are members of Pensacola YC, which is part of the Florida Council of YCs....this gives us a free night at any member club in Florida. This is typically worth $100-200+ per night we stay to us, and very worthwhile. In addition, the camaraderie, new friendships, expertise of members etc. is priceless!
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