MacGregorSailors.com

I cant believe it! I was just told that my application for the Candle Wood Lake Yacht club was denied because they dont allow hybid power sailors in their charter. My kids and I were really looking forward to joining this year (closest dockage to my house, great sailing lessons and races for the kids, etc. etc.) Totally bummed out at the moment. Need thoughts on how to fight this. They have weekly races and right now I feel like powering my 26x (Nautical Dreamer 50 hp honda) right through the middle of their first big race. This must be MacGregor envey. Any thoughts out there?

Unfortuneatley it sounds like someone prievious to yourself may have abused the 50hp engine.

Sending an angry reply will not solve the problem,only make it worse.

Perhaps a letter asking them very politely to outline their reasons as to why they discriminate against a Macgregor

an agressive responce will not get you very far

If at the end of the day ,the club is full of arrogant people who look down their noses at "entry level sail boats" do you really want to be a member of that club?

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Powering by won't help, and will only hurt obviously.

Sailing by with a good demonstration of your sailing skills and proper etiquette could go a long way toward easing their bias.

After that, if they are still snobby, who needs 'em..

Thats rough - never heard of that one. Even the Herreshoff Museum let me in with my

I think you do need a sponsor inside the club to step up and get you in. I dont know of any yacht club that would deny someone a membership on something like this, save the ones I wouldnt want to join...

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bastonjock said:

Unfortuneatley it sounds like someone prievious to yourself may have abused the 50hp engine.

It may be, but there are some sailors who just don't consider a Mac a sailboat. Their prejudices are just overwhelming, and they can rationalize their actions based on those prejudices.

There is nothing stopping you and other outcasts (say it with pride) from organizing your own races. If you don't know any now, that's OK, maybe next year.

REMEMBER , You don't need them You've got us


Ray

RICH RUYACK,

I just realized that you do not post where you are from. I''m hoping that it's close enough to some of us, so we can arrange a rendezvous wherever it is you are, and give them a show of Mac's.

Ray

Thank you all for your replies! I had my mac at Candle Wood lake in Danbury Conn. last year. ( only got the boat in Aug. 18th and had a ball! lots of Islands and sandbars where you can beach the boat, largest lake in Conn.) I just spole to the membership chairman and told him of my dissapointment, and reiterated that the mac is indeed a sailboat. They hold the position that only traditional sailboats are allowed in the club. So I guess I will try to find a slip somewhere else on the lake for this upcomming season. I have plans to trailer the boat to Lake George end of July (have a campsite and dock reserved) and would like to someday move to the Hudson River or long Island Sound. Anyway thanks for the support! And I want to express what a great web site this is and what a wealth of information it has been for me and family. Hopefully one day soon I will be able to post pic.'s and modifications that I ve made this my first boating season. Thanks Richie

What a bunch of stuffed shirts...Lots of nice places to sail here on the Hudson....

..and all those 'traditional sailboats' will be paying 50 USD a night for a mooring line in Cuttyhunk this summer, while we 'Uglies' will anchor in the shallows for free....

Rich,

I will be up at Lake George (Bolton Landing) the first two weeks in August. If that overlaps with your time at that lake, let me know. We can do some sailing together. I plan on meeting up with "Bermuda Breeze" at that time also.

Where are you staying?


Ray

Sorry to hear that. Sound like a bunch of snobs. Usually clubs want members and the dues so it's a little weird. I get beat pretty bad with my handicap in the club I'm in now and figure they like having someone being cannon fodder for their races. Maybe talk to them again and ask them to define "traditional sailboat," but no point in annoying them with your big motor.

Rich, Cat, and Ray,

Rich no doubt you and your family will be most welcome at Lake George, N.Y.

We will be at Lake George, N.Y. for most of the sailing season, except for a few side trips to Lake Champlain and maybe Cape Cod in September. Please let us know when you will be around and maybe we can do some sailing together and show off our and . This sounds like an unofficial rendezvous

Rich,.
We are sorry to hear about your experience at the Candle Wood Lake Yacht club in Conn. It sounds like one would be kind of carefull frartenizing with that group sailors .

Smooth sailing,

Jim

S/V BOLD VENTURE

Interesting reason. Private clubs have a right to be particular about their membership, but I sure would like to know what a "tradional sailboat" is. Something built in the shops at Port Townsend or Mystic? I imagine something built of wood or steel before 1930, gaff rigged, cottom canvas sails, rope rigging, full keeled, and very heavy. I'll bet there aren't many of those in the club, if any.

Good luck and enjoy the fine sailboat you have purchased with good sense and purpose.

Makes sense to me, I'm used to marina nazis.
In Florida where publicly available slip space continues to decline I've had the experience of unanswered slip requests -after- they find out the boat's a Mac.
Around me, Melbourne Fl, there's a 30 foot minimum on a wet slip too...you pay for 30' regardless what you are.

They always reply with 24 hours to my email and say they need "more info.." before they can say if they have space.

They always in the reply ask "year/brand of boat", for what reason that would be necessary I've no idea.

They always fail to answer after they know what my boat is.

The real pi$$ is the place that does it is a municipal marina, operated by the d*** city government!