Yacht Club Rant

[mr-canada]

Ok, im not going to name the names etc so this doesnt show up in search results... But want some external opinions.

My yacht club is changing the keys right now. I paid my associate membership just 3 months ago, $1700 in initiation and annual dues. As an associate member, i get no moorage rights, i cant run for the board, vote, or do much of anything other than use th facilities. Because i dont live in the municipality of my yacht club, i cant qualify to be a full member.

I co own a boat with a fellow who is a long time 12 year member. We decided to keep the boat there when i bought in. The board wanted my $2million proof of liability and my associate membership so i could have keys and make use of the facilities, to which i happily obliged as i saw it to be a great way to meet other boaters.

They have a 8 volunteer hour requirement, to which ive suggested a lot of things, ranging from embroidering yacht club swag, improving the on dock net service, even a way to make the club tens of thousands of dollars and the board keeps blowing me off - most specifically the president. This is getting rediculous. The embroidery, which wasnt a priority before i joined, they now have a business that will do it at full dollar, he is happy to continue to pay through the nose for net service that nobody wants because its $50 a month, something i could set up for $10 per device for life with faster and better service. I offered to help with the website but they have some web guy who does that for top dollar too.

Well the latest drama is the new keys. Despite paying my $1700 in full and being up and current, i now cant get my keys or my membership card because... Get this... The member im partnered on the boat is behind on his moorage. That might make sense, if it was my slip. But im not allowed to have a slip as an associate member. The guy im partnered on the boat with could buy me out and boot me out of his slip at any time with no involvement from the club - im not allowed to have a slip. I call the president and give him an earful; he says well if i want to forefeit my membership let him know.

I look through the bylaws and a member gets keys, a card, and a burgee. Im in good standing, so i qualify. But he tells me why would i need keys if i didnt have a boat?

Complicating matters is that the guy im partnered on the boat with is well known to be out of country for the entire winter. He knows this, everyone knows this. He keeps telling me to get this guy to pay the moorage and until then, i have no rights. Infuriates the hell of me... I mean you can cap this guys moorage slip and maybe i need to move the boat... But its like my membership is useless because they hold this guys late payment against me, i cant even access the docks despite paying.

Its not like the bill is big either. Its 450 for moorage and im sure this pattern is normal as hes out of country every winter and he pays every year when he gets back and checks his mail. They could just call his wife who is here and she would pay; but instead they withhold my keys card and burgee and get me to make him pay.

Rant rant. It feels like extortion. He doesnt pay so you are screwed. The bylaws dont say anything oher than that a member paid in good standing gets keys.

I want to chuck this guy in the water next time i see him on the docks. Grrr


Thoughts?

[goboatingnow]

my local yacht club charges 50 quid, so im not sure im in the same league!

as to boat partnerships, there you go!.

Move!.

DAve

[Doodles]

My annual dues are $100, so I'm not in your league either but it sounds like your rant should be directed at your partner. He knows he owes. Have you told him the problems he's creating?

Being out of the country is no excuse. I've paid my dues (Virginia) from Thailand and I've also paid in advance before leaving Virginia. I'll bet the guy is paying his credit card each month so what's his problem?

[Normanby]

Come to Tassie!

I'm a member of the Mersey Yacht Club in Devonport, Tasmania.
Annual full membership: $275
Annual moorage for 28 footer in the marina: $675
Slipping: $150
Per day on the hard: $15

Great people, well stocked bar, free laundry.
Come to lovely Tassie, the teenage mother capital of Australia!

[Blue Stocking]

Pay the moorage anonamously. Sounds like you need the boat more than your partner.

[RabidRabbit]

You need your own boat and a marina slip. Is it news to you that many yacht clubs are full of snotty, pain in the butt people?

[boatman61]

You gets what you pay for in Yacht Clubs mate...
The more you pay the bigger the @$$#oles...

[RabidRabbit]

Thats what I wanted to say. Spot on!! Just like the more exspensive a yacht, the less they know about anchorng

[boatman61]

Got to have worked for one to truely appreciate the 'Hole-i ness'

[Doodles]

I still say if the guy had paid his dues like he was suppose to there would not be a problem. What happened to being responsible and paying what you owe on time, especially when not doing so has a negative effect on your partner? Clubs have rules and they probably knew them going in (at least they should have) ... live by them or get out.

[sailorboy1]

sounds like the mooring fee on YOUR boat hasn't been paid

[carstenb]

yep, you should call your partners wife and have her pay up.

Or else do like I do - own the goddamn pier and then you don't have to pay diddlysquat!

[Mike OReilly]

Sounds like the best answer is for you to pay the amount that is due on your boat. When your partner is back, work it out with him/her.

[denverd0n]

I'm guessing you're not getting the responses that you were hoping for, and I don't want to sound like I'm piling on, but it seems to me that the yacht club wants to prevent you from using the boat. That does not seem unreasonable to me, considering that the payments are not up to date. Like others, I think your problem is with your partner, not with the yacht club.

[Cormorant]

Though I gotta say, once you settle the moorage fee issue, and you get your $1700 worth of pleasure this year at the club, maybe look around for cheaper marinas or clubs elsewhere. This place seems like a high-priced headache. Not the moorage fees so much, but all your attempts at volunteer projects being rebuffed. I guess it all depends on how much you enjoy the company of the membership at large, disregarding the one or two high-placed individuals who make it miserable.