How Many are in Yacht Clubs, vs. Marinas?

[Nacho Boat]

For me, it's neither. I enjoy trailering my boat wherever I want to explore......plus my boating costs are less.:thumbsup:

 

[RiverGalsMan]

I belong to a yacht club. Based on my limited experience, yacht clubs tend to be cheaper than comparable marinas. Chesapeake Yacht Club, where I stay, is a not for profit corporation. There's no owner making money off of you. Slips, meals, fuel, etc. all cost me what it costs the club. I love it. IMO, the only better deal out there is a condominium marina where you own your slip, but those are rarer that straight yacht clubs.

 

[Bill Gillespie]

It depends on location. In the Cal Bay Area joining a yacht club is expensive. The Delta Yacht Club in The San Joaquin river is $2500 for initiation and $300 per month. The St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco is $22,000 and $500 per month. Neither provides a slip. We joined the Northern Cal Sea Ray Club and it is a good compromise. We stay at a great marina, Willowberm, with everything but a pool.

Bill

 

[Hampton]

I voted Marina - but there is a restaurant/bar - it's on a military base. I love it.
I have a $1million dollar view, am pretty well protected, and on floating docks.
It's pretty quiet.

 

[AKBASSKING]

What is a Yacht club???? Are you required to drink from a glass with your little finger sticking out?

Marina has bottled beer...No glass required!:smt038

Does a City harbor count? I am hoping to be here some day. City of Whittier Alaska Harbor where the wait list 5-8 years long.

 

[Captain Allen]

Yacht Club here. Great bunch of guys, nothing fancy, no employees at the club, we run it ourselves so the dues are cheap. But the waiting list for membership is long, 64 on the list with an average annual turnover of about 4 or 5.

 

[Dennis P]

It's the Marina for me...about a mile from my Home. Freshwater and covered...good docks and good friends helping each other. Just a lock away from the Sound...

 

[tdschafer]

Hey Tony, i belong to a town marina here on Long Island. it is about half the price of the local private marinas, has 24 hour security, a bay beachfront town park with new playground equip for the kids and several eateries within walking distance. and it is almost always a social event when i go to the boat as most of the people are very friendly here. Definitely staying!!! Todd

 

[Hampton]

For me, it's neither. I enjoy trailering my boat wherever I want to explore......plus my boating costs are less.:thumbsup:

I disagree with lower boating costs. I spend several hours a week on the boat at the dock, just chillaxin' and watching sunsets. I use it as a luxury condo when I'm working really odd hours. These bring my costs/hour waaaaayyyyy down. Total costs are higher than yours, but not cost/hour.

 

[mwph]

I have to agree with John. We spend much more time in the slip than we do out on the water. When we are ready to go out..........4 minutes !

 

[rhodyboater]

Aside from getting my question answered (thank you) I'm getting an interesting account of what people seem to think of yacht clubs.
I only know the personality of mine and I can tell you it is not snooty at all.
It's definitely a workingman's club with low drink prices, a pool table, great bar and a 40 foot long deck overlooking the bay. Pub menu available every day, nice buffet once a week during the season. Populated by an even mix of sailors and powerboaters. Shuttle service for moorings of course, about 100 slips, so not too far to walk.
Only problem is it's landlocked with scarce parking, no fuel station, no launch, no storage (at least we have a pump out station) and it's in the upper part of the bay, which isn't the best quality water.
The marinas have everything we don't have and are located further south in cleaner water. But from what I can tell by your responses, the marina people are just as friendly...maybe more so...so I'll be thinking my choices over carefully.

 

[Hampton]

Get another slip down South on a trial basis while you keep the one you have. May be a worthwhile investment to see which one suits you best.

 

[endless seas]

Yacht club,but less issues in a marina.

 

[Vance]

I think it is a good idea for people without a boat or a yacht to join a boat club as you can use the boats that are there in the club for a minimal fee. You will even have to pay a monthly membership fee to the club. This may seem better for some people as you have to spend a lot more more on the maintenance of a boat if you have one.

 

[Capt Bob F]

Yacht club,but less issues in a marina.

I agree 100%. Have been in both, and prefer the Marina. I'm sure it all depends on your Yacht Club.....Some of them become very political.:smt013

 

[ChuckW]

Aside from getting my question answered (thank you) I'm getting an interesting account of what people seem to think of yacht clubs.
I only know the personality of mine and I can tell you it is not snooty at all.
It's definitely a workingman's club with low drink prices, a pool table, great bar and a 40 foot long deck overlooking the bay. Pub menu available every day, nice buffet once a week during the season. Populated by an even mix of sailors and powerboaters. Shuttle service for moorings of course, about 100 slips, so not too far to walk.
Only problem is it's landlocked with scarce parking, no fuel station, no launch, no storage (at least we have a pump out station) and it's in the upper part of the bay, which isn't the best quality water.
The marinas have everything we don't have and are located further south in cleaner water. But from what I can tell by your responses, the marina people are just as friendly...maybe more so...so I'll be thinking my choices over carefully.

Get a transient slip for a week at one of the marinas down there and "feel" the crowd out... just a thought...

 

[Rich]

I am a member of a marina. I probably would enjoy more interaction with fellow boaters, but there are a few nice people near my slip. We have a pool, a store for supplies, a grill "shed" and a first class maintenance staff. All in all, i'm happy, but would like spending more time with people who share the same interests....
Rich

 

[Ka1oxd]

Never belonged to a club, but my buddy had. HE left the club and came to my marina. The marina is what I call a blue collar marina. Most of the people work on their boats, chat with one another, help each other, and yes, sometimes it can take hours to get that 100' to the boat.

 

[timemachine]

Westerly Yacht Club for me. Club is ran almost entirely by the members. We have a first class marina with cement docks, cable, and 50 amp service. Largest boats are 50 footers.

 

[320Bob]

First marina had a yacht club that you automatically became a member of with clubhouse and outdoor grill facilities. However the marina was poorly maintained, no fuel dock and the folks on my dock camped out in lawn chairs and drank all day rairly going out on their boats. Not our cup of tea.

Second marina was quite nice with a yacht club that was separate from the marina with a club house. Membership was a few hundred dollars I believe and they did have some social functions. Problem with the marina was it was essentially a "Carver Country Club" where if you didn't have a larger boat you were not "worthy." Staff were extremely nice but tenants were not.

Current new marina is separate from the yacht club which we joined for $150 to meet new people. They have no clubhouse but sponsor several social events covered by the dues and have some boating activities. Marina has concrete lined dock pools with a paver walk surround with stone picnic tables, floating docks with 101 slips. Most folks have their own grills, lawn furniture and some have covered gazebos. There is a swimming pool for which requires a $300 membership and there is a restaurant, fuel dock, maintenance shop and dock store.

The only true yacht club I am aware of on the Illinois River near Chicago is in Ottawa that has its own marina but is about 45 miles further down the river from us which is why we didn't even consider it.