New Member Here - Hello!

My name is Suzanne. I just joined because I really, REALLY love boating, but due to the high cost of staying in a club, I had to cancel. I want to explore other ways of being able to get out on the water, and participate in community. I grew up (at least partly) in Hawaii, and love the water.

My husband used to race in regattas, and his family are all avid sailors. I know how to operate a motor boat and not to get whacked on the head when on a sailboat.

So, I want to learn, figure out a way to get out there, and want to meet other people who love boating too. I live in Magnolia, and am pretty close to the Elliott Bay Marina.

I hope you are all able to enjoy this beautiful summer, despite the current challenges we're all facing.

I belonged to a sailing club in Nanaimo that for $400 - 500 a year gave me access to very well maintained Catalina 27's and 30's. In boating dollars, $400 is like...free! Your area must certainly have something like that. And like my experience in boats at marinas not being used, most members never really used the sailboats, never once did I have to wait for a boat.

Here is the Windworks Club:

WINDWORKS CLUB
MEMBERSHIP IN WINDWORKS GIVES YOU A HOME BASE FOR ALL OF YOUR SAILING AND POWERBOATING EXPERIENCES WITHOUT THE USUAL COSTS OF BOAT OWNERSHIP. IN THE CLUB, YOU CAN LEARN FROM SCRATCH, OR IMPROVE YOUR EXISTING BOATING SKILLS. YOU CAN SAIL AND POWERBOAT AS OFTEN AS YOU WISH AS IF YOU OWNED A BOAT. ENJOY EXCELLENT STAFF SUPPORT AND HIGH-QUALITY VESSELS WHICH ARE ALWAYS AT YOUR SERVICE.
Includes

Up to 40% discount on our charter rates
Discounts US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications
Discounts on Continuing Education
Access to the Windshare charter cost-sharing system
Access to Exclusive Club Flotillas and Events
Access to Continuing Education
Pay-as-you-go Access to Windworks Sail & Powerboat Fleet including Brand New 2019 Catalina 355 and Catalina 315 Cruisers.

Individual
Single Member
$59.00/month

Family
Up to 3 adults (within a family – 18 and over)
$99.00/month

Requires a 12-month commitment and one-time, $295 initiation fee

https://www.windworkssailing.com/

Welcome aboard.

Smorss2011 said:

My name is Suzanne. I just joined because I really, REALLY love boating, but due to the high cost of staying in a club, I had to cancel. I want to explore other ways of being able to get out on the water, and participate in community. I grew up (at least partly) in Hawaii, and love the water.

My husband used to race in regattas, and his family are all avid sailors. I know how to operate a motor boat and not to get whacked on the head when on a sailboat.

So, I want to learn, figure out a way to get out there, and want to meet other people who love boating too. I live in Magnolia, and am pretty close to the Elliott Bay Marina.

I hope you are all able to enjoy this beautiful summer, despite the current challenges we're all facing.

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Wifey B: Were you in some form of shared boating club? Is that what you're referring to as high cost of club?

Welcome aboard. You might join Power Squadron or other local organizations. Even take some classes which will allow meeting other boaters. Trying hard to read between the lines but sounds like you really just want to meet boaters who will take you along?

Grew up partly in Hawaii? Where were the other parts of you at the time. Glad they were able to put you all back together in one place. Sorry, couldn't resist. That's what happens when I'm bored as unfit day for boating due to hurricane messing around our area a bit. Just a little light rain and wind now, otherwise a beautiful 88 degrees. Sure the Hawaiian part of you appreciates that, although in the PNW you're in the 60's. Ooh, freezing cold.

Wish I could be more help but perhaps info on the club you left and more on what you and hubby do and general ages as I'd love to help a new female joining us.

More info on us

I'm 55 and retired, my husband is 57 and is not. We were in a boat club to see if we really would use a boat, and we were out there all the time...until October when the owner decided he wanted to charge a lot more for people using boats with enclosures. Open air boating is awesome, but in Seattle, it's not practical year round. So we parted ways.

In the current climate, I'm not sure about making any big purchases. I'm not here to hitch a ride, we will likely rent when we want to go out. Ultimately, I do want my own boat, however. We are discussing what type of boat that will be, and when we want to commit to it. In the meantime, I want to get to know other people who are into this, and learn from them.

Smorss2011 said:

I'm 55 and retired, my husband is 57 and is not. We were in a boat club to see if we really would use a boat, and we were out there all the time...until October when the owner decided he wanted to charge a lot more for people using boats with enclosures. Open air boating is awesome, but in Seattle, it's not practical year round. So we parted ways.

In the current climate, I'm not sure about making any big purchases. I'm not here to hitch a ride, we will likely rent when we want to go out. Ultimately, I do want my own boat, however. We are discussing what type of boat that will be, and when we want to commit to it. In the meantime, I want to get to know other people who are into this, and learn from them.

Click to expand...

Wifey B: Thanks for the further enlightenment. I'm just a young brat. Not as young as I think I am but still pretending as I'm now an ancient 41 who thinks she's 21. :lol:

If you really want to experience the kind of boating many here do, then sometime (and they don't come cheap) a charter from NW Explorations in Bellingham would be a great way to spend a week.

Meanwhile I'd join boating oriented groups. Find local sailing clubs. Even join a "yacht club" without owning a boat but accessing clubhouse and getting to know members. Maybe find a different boat club to join.

As to what kind of boat and when, unfortunately a lot of that is ultimately guided by money and how much you're willing to spend on both an initial purchase and an annual basis. You've already had just a small taste of the reality of boating not being an inexpensive hobby.

There are a lot of retirees and near retirees here like you. They'll all tell you the sooner the better but easy for them to spend your money. You have to also fit it in to what you see as your future lifestyle. Many "boaters" even here in FL choose not to own and spend two weeks a year in the Virgin Islands chartering. Is Hawaii in your future? Oh I want to go there, hubby's been once returning from business in Australia, but it's my kind of place.

What do you hope to get out of boating? Long trips or a few days at a time? Fast or slow? Just the two of you or bunches of family and friends? Is it destinations or just being on the water? Do you see retirement in the PNW or perhaps elsewhere? These and many more questions will guide you over the journey. Best of luck.

Open air boating is awesome, but in Seattle, it's not practical year round.

Oh you just hit my favourite rant against most boats people purchase and boats that are designed and built in the PNW and BC. Since you have done a fair bit of boating in the off season, you can understand how not fun a sailboat can be in the rain, in the rain, in the rain... in our areas. Why more trawlers, tug designed and express cruisers are built without solid biminis is a mystery to me.

Or its not that much of a mystery, most don't use their boats for 7 months of the year and being the cheap SOB that I am, this is just crazy given the financial drain a boat represents, the more a boat is used the cheaper the "play to dollar ratio."

I don't think hard sides are needed with a hard bimini, soft sides can provide lots of protection in a significant rain. Its nice to roll them up in the sun and experience wide open views of surroundings.

If or when you get a boat, a trend becoming more popular is to get a larger trailerable boat that can be lived in for extended time (assuming you are comfortable is smaller spaces). So you can bomb around in your local area but trailer up to Alaska or Vancouver Island and other areas throughout North America.

Nordic Rangers and Cutwaters are a good example of this philosophy. Here is an article to get you into the spirit of this type of boating. Note: I didn't do this and now am thinking I would probably been better off to do this. I would definitely trailer the boat to Alaska.

https://www.yachtworld.com/research/pocket-trawlers-five-for-value-and-versatility/