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| Is There a Yacht Club in Your Future?
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 | | BILL CHEVALIER | | Now I'd challenge anyone to call this pot of chili steaming on the dock during a Tyee Yacht Club cruise either boring, stuffy or snooty. |
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As you brush the last spec of lint off that freshly waxed boat you just acquired, what sort of images float through your mind about the fun you're going to have this summer?
If these mental pictures include forming new friends who, like you, think about boats above all else, or cruising to new places with like-minded souls looking for a good time on the water, or shooting the breeze on the dock with guys like yourself, well maybe we might just have an idea for you. It's called a yacht club. You may have heard yacht clubs are boring, stuffy and just too snooty for your taste. But before you dismiss the idea --please read on.
They range in size from just a few members to upwards of 300. In boat size, you have clubs that cater to outboard boats, some for small sailboats, some for powerboats only and some for larger power and sailboats. You'll find clubs for specific boat brands such as Tollycrafters Northwest and the Grand Banks Yacht Club. Several members of these groups also belong to other yacht clubs. And some, such as my own club, Portland Yacht Club, have members with everything from a 10-foot sailing dinghy, 20-foot racing sailboats, to a grand 72' Herreshoff sailing yacht. Power boats range from 20' inflatables to a 70' trawler, and literally everything in between. And it's something like that for most of the clubs.
"We had just moved to Portland from Maryland, trucking our 28' Sea Ray from the Chesapeake Bay to the Columbia River. Back home, we didn't belong to a club, but had a lot of friends we cruised with. In Portland, we knew very few people so we decided to look at yacht clubs." This is Ruth Parr commenting on yacht club membership. She and her husband, Al, toured the Portland Boat Show in 2008, visiting various club's exhibits. They settled on the club of their choice, which turned out to be Portland Yacht Club.
"We liked everything about belonging to a yacht club--the cruises, the social events and how we made really good friends rather quickly. Let me tell you, the clubs in the West are very different from clubs in the East. We were even able to buy a boathouse that just fits our Sea Ray, just six months after we joined! Al and Ruth are already members of the club's entertainment committee and enjoying every minute.
Moorage is high on the priority list of many prospective yacht club members. Some clubs have their own docks for member boats. Some clubs primarily offer spaces for boat houses. Some have open, uncovered moorage for sail and/or power boats. Some have open moorage for sailboats, and boat houses for power boats. And then, some clubs use nearby commercial marinas. Some offer no moorage at all. Club moorage is generally substantially less expensive moorage than marinas. As a general rule, boat houses, which are floating sheds with a large well inside for the boat, are owned by the boat owner. As you look at yacht clubs, check on their moorage possibilities. In most cases, the club will have a waiting list for moorage.
Yacht clubs traditionally offer a big menu of social activities. As a rule, members are free to pick and choose their own kind of entertainment. The possibilities range from cookouts to ladies dinners, from informal lunch to dinner dances where members gussie up for the Commodore's Ball, or maybe dig out their island duds for a luau. Some clubs have happy hour, most have membership meetings to elect officers and carry on necessary business.
Most clubs have a new commodore each year, with other officers in the "chairs." Major decisions are the province of boards of trustees or directors, and a lot of the club's work is done by volunteer committees who cook meals, make long range plans, make plans for cruises, pound nails…the list goes on and on. Larger clubs have a paid manager and staff. If you aspire to one of the loftier positions, committee work is where you start.
The annual Commodore's Ball at most clubs is where members dress in club uniforms, tuxedos or suits, with the ladies often times in party dresses or long gowns. The Commodore, other officers and the board are installed during traditional ceremonies. Visiting dignitaries from other clubs often visit. Dancing, of course, winds up the evening.
The other time of year when members dress in their blue blazers, white pants or skirts and white shirts and ties, is on Opening Day, always on the first weekend in May. Each club conducts its own ceremonies, flag raising and cannon salute, then members head to their boats for the annual Opening Day Parade. The CRYA conducts the boat parade, organizes review boats and awards plaques for the best showing in several categories.
For many yacht club members, cruising is where it's at. The Columbia River Yachting Association collects cruising plans from each club, then publishes an annual cruising schedule, by club and by destination, so 20 clubs don't all end up at the same place at the same time. The schedule is available as a small booklet, or online at www.crya.us
While some of the clubs have their own outstations, most rely on a long list on the river for weekend cruises. Just peruse the list and imagine an on-the-water party atmosphere at such places as Coon Island (east and west), Reed Island, River Place, Camas/Washougal, Government Island (east and west), Hadley's Landing, St. Helen's City Docks, Sand Island (upper and lower), Commodore's Cove, Astoria's West Basin, Cathlamet, Hood River, Rooster Rock, Beacon Rock, Martin Slough, Sandy Beach, Gilbert River, Ilwaco, Cedar Island, Rainier, Ackerman Island, Salpare Bay, Sandy Island at Goble, and Lois Island.
For longer cruises, some clubs organize cruises to Barkley Sound on Vancouver Island, Roche Harbor in the San Juan Islands or other spots in our fabulous Pacific Northwest cruising grounds.
When club members travel around the country by land, sea or air, their membership often gains them access to yacht clubs with reciprocal agreements with their own club. In some cases, these clubs offer visiting members a night or two of free moorage, as well as an open invitation to join them for food or drink.
If you are trying to learn more about boating, yacht clubs offer many forms of educational opportunities from sessions on first aid and CPR, to what you may encounter at various destinations from Mexico to Alaska. The ever-changing subject of electronics, anchoring and docking are among favorites at area clubs.
Beyond organized educational events, yacht club members probably gain the vast majority of information while just talking with other members. All this can probably be categorized as "boat talk," and it's what we boat guys and gals do all the time. It might get serious when you're talking about vessel upgrades, maintenance and repair. But conversations can run amok from parts and accessories, cleaning tips, how to take care of wood, metal, canvas and fiberglass, solving electrical and plumbing problems. They also share members' ideas on the best boat yards, the best do-it-yourself yards, the best engine mechanics, the best electronics installers, where to find a surveyor are a good marine insurance company.
Dockside and clubhouse talk also is heavy on cruising, either with tales of past adventures or plans for future sojourns. Sailors have their own list of things to talk about, including cruising, races, regattas, sails, rigging and coaxing that last half knot out of their hulls.
One last thing. Virtually all yacht club boats fly the club burgee (pronounced burr-gee) on their bow staffs or off a sailboat's mast. It's a method of recognition, but more importantly, a symbol of pride. You'll find all the club names and their burgees in full color at the crya website: www.crya.us
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