my rant..why are there no young people.

I was truly surprised to read the initial rant. It is hard to believe that in this day and age, as boaters are seemingly being made to jump through hoops just to get a slip that this would happen to anyone. We all have the same dreams and desires regardless of age and gender. The elders should support and encourage growth, not behave as they did.
I am single, a legal liveaboard and I cannot afford to be a club member. However, those of us liveaboards in my marina, we know each and we all get along very well and are supportive of one another. I am sure many could afford to be club members but choose not to. Personally, I plan to stay within my group here and may never join a club.

psneeld said:

The Yacht Club Of Stone Harbor, NJ sent out flyers a couple years back in the winter time looking for new (associate members)....I may not have it exact...but it went something like this...

You paid a much smaller entry fee, were expected to spend 300/mo dining/bar fee and weren't welcome during the summer "season" at all.

While a way to help cover costs..it sure left a bad taste in my mouth when I asked if after a certain amount of time could you be considered for regular membership. The answer was no...you still had to be recommended and go through the whole review process..and your associate membership counted for nothing.

My answer was thanks for the glass of wine...but no thanks....obviously a "classed" society and obvious "use" of people.

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Yacht Clubs? I don't think so when ever a Yacht Club calls me to do a survey for a WiFi system I usually just give them a basic system diagram, instructions and descriptions on what to expect when installing a WiFi system and cut sheets with basic system pricing. There's always someone who is politically connected to the YC that knows everything that seems to know little. It's usually a dead end and I'll only help so much. Then after they purchase from a big box store and it doesn't perform they come back I'll give some basic advice and suggest they contact the company they purchased from and wish them the best.
I'm to independent to be involved with clubs. I make friends or enemies on my own and don't need a club membership to try and make friends...
Bill

Yacht Clubs seem to have three varied focus points.

#1) Social, drinking buddy (primarily a Men's Club)
#2) Racing (all out sailing around the bouys, and taken VERY seriously)
#3) Cruising weekender trips, and social/do stuff versus sit in one place

Some clubs combine nicely, whereas others do not.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of the three groups, but I suspect growing clubs embrace more than one focal point. But then again, that's an outsider viewpoint. I'm not a member of any club.

From my Aphorisms file: "Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member." Groucho Marx.

And for the record, I have no problem with Men's Clubs. Anyone should be free to associate with peers of their own choosing, and if that exclusivity removes me from membership consideration, that's all well and good.

I create my own happiness and contentment.

I belong to a yacht club with about 500 members. Some people get along better than others and there are what some might consider cliques just like everywhere else in life. Like Garbo, some just want to be left alone.

Unfortunately you can find jerks no matter where you go. Sometimes they infect the attitude of everyone around them and I don't blame eseyoung for steering clear. But I would seek out the commodore and tell him or her just what happened and how it affected your decision about the club. You might be surprised to learn that most would treat the issue seriously and who knows the jerk might be the most hated member in the club. If you are not too turned off by the idea of joining a club, my suggestion is walk the docks where you moor and where you cruise and ask boaters who fly a burgee what their club is like.

Let me tell you about my club. Our membership ranges from young to old, with kids and without kids and boats from 17' and up. Some of our members don't make much money, some are retired and on a fixed income and some make more. Some members no longer have boats. We have functions that range from strictly grown-up to family gatherings. We offer 220 moorages in all sizes and charge about 1/3 market rate, so moorage-wise it's a good deal. Our members actively maintain most of the facility and we have some really talented members who can do things like create a professional wi-fi net. Ages in the club sort of ebb and flow over time and at present we seem to be attacting more younger members. Married couples can elect whether one or both want to be a member at no added cost--a couple only gets one vote. We have recently re-structured the money side to make it more attractive to people with less discretionary income. I am not saying there is never any drama--there is almost anywhere you go. But you get to choose the people you associate with in a club just as you do in the rest of your life. There are a lot of really nice people in the club I belong to. Just sayin

Goldenstar38 said:

............. It is hard to believe that in this day and age, as boaters are seemingly being made to jump through hoops just to get a slip ............

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I don't know about where you live, but come to my neck of the woods and you can get all the slips you want. No hoops, just pay the slip rental. Or buy one.

This thread started out supposedly as a rant on why there are no young people in boating or at least boat clubs. The evidence was an altercation between the OP's wife and what he judged to be an older man. Other than the fact that the man was judged to be older, there is no indication that this altercation was about age, he just happened to be older than her.

Until we know what brought on this altercation, it's unfair and inaccurate to generalize or stereotype people based on their age.

rwidman said:

I don't know about where you live...

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His status box to the left of his post shows Marina del Rey. That's in southern CA near LA.

Been watching this thread unfold since OP. I agree with some of what was said - both sides of the coin type of thang... so to say!

I know that if any age man poked (even touched) my wife in any form of anger or aggressiveness my (levelized-per-man’s-condition) physical reaction against that man would be viscously aggressive – fully in "Self"-Defense of my wife. That is if Linda did not knee him into full bend or broken his finger first. NO man touches my wife in anger without immediate retribution from me - PERIOD! I know the op mentioned to be of calm nature... I am NOT, when provoked.

If it were a woman who touched aggressively – well – Linda well takes care of the small stuff!

Regarding Clubs... Not Our Gig!

I would defend my wife too of course, but for Mr. Finger Poker, I don't think I'd ever get the chance. One poke at the slip and all you'd hear next is a big splash. Oops. Should have watched your step there buddy.

Well we just finished our first weekend cruise as new members of the YC we joined. (FYI, we have cruised with them before but not as members)

Some differences between the new club and the old one.....
-Boats participating
old club would have 1 or two. New club had 13 plus two from the old club

-Organization
old club's cruises were OK as far as organization, but nothing special. New club had great meals organized, lots of dock walking plus the cruise was planned around the 152nd Anniversary of a town 40 miles down the Columbia. Lots of fun associated with that.

-Made us feel welcome
old club seldom welcomed new members beyond a round of applause when they joined. I often wondered if the applause was more because of the income from the initiation fees and dues of another member than actually welcoming a new boater. New club-almost everyone there shook our hands, patted us on the back and made us feel like they really were glad we were there.

I could go on, but I will close with saying that the decision to join this new club was long overdue and was one of the smartest boating-related decisions we've made in awhile.

GFC said:

Well we just finished our first weekend cruise as new members of the YC we joined. (FYI, we have cruised with them before but not as members)

Some differences between the new club and the old one.....
-Boats participating
old club would have 1 or two. New club had 13 plus two from the old club

-Organization
old club's cruises were OK as far as organization, but nothing special. New club had great meals organized, lots of dock walking plus the cruise was planned around the 152nd Anniversary of a town 40 miles down the Columbia. Lots of fun associated with that.

-Made us feel welcome
old club seldom welcomed new members beyond a round of applause when they joined. I often wondered if the applause was more because of the income from the initiation fees and dues of another member than actually welcoming a new boater. New club-almost everyone there shook our hands, patted us on the back and made us feel like they really were glad we were there.

I could go on, but I will close with saying that the decision to join this new club was long overdue and was one of the smartest boating-related decisions we've made in awhile.

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GFC,
You cannot go wrong with the group at CIYC..they are the best group of folks at any club we have ever visited..hope to visit
and make burger night later in July.
Hollywood

hollywood8118 said:

GFC,
You cannot go wrong with the group at CIYC..they are the best group of folks at any club we have ever visited..hope to visit
and make burger night later in July.
Hollywood

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There are many good clubs and we've felt lucky to visit them while cruising. Frankly, if all club members were like us, their wouldn't be good clubs. We are out of town most of the time, don't volunteer for any work at the club, don't wish to be on any committees or hold any offices, and much of what the club offers we don't participate in. We are not the club type. We simply pay our way, use a few services and let others run things. Oh and we do not complain about how they run it.

hollywood8118 said:

GFC,
You cannot go wrong with the group at CIYC..they are the best group of folks at any club we have ever visited..hope to visit
and make burger night later in July.
Hollywood

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I agree. We've boated with them for many years because nobody from our old club boats any more. RYC has become a marina full of dock queens and a moorage spots for wakeboard boats.

We have always been welcome to join in their cruises and parties and have always had a good time. Like many CIYC members said this past weekend....
"We always knew you'd join, it was just a matter of when."

I hadn't heard about the burger night yet. When is that planned for? If you come, look me up. I'll PM you with my cell number and info.

BTW, are you going to be cruising your boat up here? I'd like to see it.

Mike aka GFC