Why join the Yacht Club

The idea of actually joining the yacht club has come up several times lately and it is still a bit strange. I never thought I would be a member of a yacht club, mainly because of the stereotypes associated with it. Basically the same reason I will never own a Porsche (except the old ones).

Since our journey into sailing began, I have come to see the yacht club in a different light. The local yacht club offers many things:
1. The learning opportunities, the first item that I took advantage of, sailing classes!
2. The social aspect is nice.
3. Cheap drinks.
4. Organized racing for day sailors and blue ocean sailors.
5. Yacht club garage sail!
6. Harbor hospitality, a role that was unknown to me until recently.

Yacht clubs are responsible for taking care of visiting boaters and sailors. In other words, boaters from out of town just passing through. They are called "transient boats".

The yacht clubs of Santa Barbara, King's Harbor Redondo Beach, and Catalina will all be invaluable to me when I make the passage to Catalina later this summer. I will enjoy a place to anchor or dock, a clean bathroom, definitely a shower, and of course some advice on the cuisine. Most of this costs money. And herein lies the need to join the local yacht club. It is one of those things that a sailor needs must do to do his part for sailing as a whole.