Seattle’s Center for Boats hosts BOAT TALK the last Sunday of every month at 4:00 p.m. Cruise planning, boats to buy/build, repairs, destinations, cooking on board and occasional swap meets…basically anything boaty. Info? Leebjorklund@hotmail.com
As chair of the waterfront committee for Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival and its direct descendant, known as For Pete's Sake [named for Clearwater's founder and longtime advocate for clean water, Pete Seeger], I make it a point to invite small boats organizations, especially youth groups to participate in the festival. These groups get festival visitors out on the water in kayaks, rowing boats and the occasional canoe or sailboat. Most of the boats are built by the participants. They have the opportunity to meet each other and have a good time together, as well as exchanging ideas.
A hidden agenda is that we are overcoming the public perception of the Hudson as foully polluted.
This year's festival will take place on June 14 at Croton Point Park on the Hudson River and is co-sponsored by Westchester County.
I have just been advised that we have funding for a second day. It is now June 14 and 15. We have camped there for this event every year since its founding.
There are quite few small scale, perhaps lower budget, YCs on Long Island NY.
Narrasketuck YC, Amityville
Babylon YC, Babylon
Bay Shore YC, Bay Shore
Wet Pants YC, Sayville
And many more but these are relatively near me and within 20 miles of each other. We are sailing the Great South Bay which is an excellent body of water for trailerable boats. These can be found on Facebook as well.
We're a group of Micro-Cruising enthusiasts mostly in Ontario and the northern US States. In addition to an active online presence we are also a very active cruising group. Our trips range from weekend outings to week-long adventures and occur about 6 - 12 times a year. Some trips involve camping at night while others are better suited to sleeping on board. We typically explore Georgian Bay, the North Channel, The Thousand Islands and occasionally venture as far as Lake Superior. Our boats are extremely varied, ranging from small rowing dinghies to open sailboats to larger cabin sailboats in the 20+ foot range. We use this forum as well as our Facebook Group to organize trips and discuss all aspects of boat cruising, ranging from trailers to outboards, sailboat designs, maintenance, repairs, tools, anchors, launching points, places to visit, etc.
Traditional Small Craft Association - a nonprofit educational organization working to preserve and continue the living traditions, skills, lore, and legends surrounding working and pleasure watercraft whose origins predate the marine gasoline engine. We encourage the design, construction, and use of these boats, and we embrace the contemporary variants and adaptations of traditional designs. https://tsca.net/
Western Montana Small Boat Association. We're just trying to connect folks primarily in the Flathead Region but we go afield a bit too. Tying to get a TSCA Chapter started as well. www.mtsmallboats.org
U.S. Power Squadrons, dba America's Boating Club, has individual squadrons around the country. My own is in Akron, OH. Membership, organizational, demographic and boating culture issues have been pressuring the organization. It remains to be seen if it survives in its current form.
Thanks to Josh for starting this thread. One Potter Yachter event that might be of interest to West Coast (or wayfaring) trailer sailors is our annual Cruiser Challenge in Monterey Bay, which SCA helped start back in the 1990s. It's a social race weekend with small-, medium- and large-boat categories. Many participants launch a day early in Moss Landing and sail as a group across Monterey Bay (a 13NM passage). In past years this event has attracted boats ranging in size from Guppy 13s to Santana 2023s, and it's open to anything that's seaworthy and arrives to the shore on a trailer. It's free to compete, and moorage fees in Monterey are quite reasonable considering the marina's location within walking distance of Cannery Row, the aquarium, historic presidio, etc. At the after-race dinner winners in each category and boat type will be recognized, and an axle-grease award will go to the visiting skipper who traveled furthest to participate. Race day is Sat., August 2. Participants are welcome to arrive in Moss Landing or Monterey a few days early and explore. Next month we will post details on our website (www.potter-yachters.org). Come join the fun!
Lewis-Clark Sailing Association: Palouse area of SE WA, North Idaho.
We are a group of trailer sailors who live mostly in the Moscow ID/Pullman WA, Lewiston ID/Clarkston WA, and Colfax area. We meet once a month for dinner meetings when the weather is cold and for picnics and sails when it is nice. We also generally have local few-day cruises on local lakes of the Inland Pacific Northwest along with a longer trip to the Salish Sea once a year.
We love meeting other small boat sailors and small boat groups.
Aloha everyone. We have started a Small Boat Sunday once a month at Makani Kai Yacht Club on Kaneohe Bay, Oahu Hi. It's a private club and residence, but it allows small boat enthusiasts in for this event. Our first event a couple of weeks ago was a success. We even played boat tag on the bay! We use a floating ball with streamers that you can throw. The person that is "it" can hit a person or any part of the boat with the ball (sails are the obvious choice), and they are "it." Then, they must chase down another boat and tag with the ball. Good practice for sailboat handling! We had an M-15, an M-17, El Torros and Lasers, a Portland Pudgy, and a Mintow and Cherub on the hard. More boats than sailers! Hopefully, we will have a Scamp and an Eastport Nesting Pram at the next one on April 6th. Let me know if you are on Oahu and would like to bring your small boat over. Or if you happen to be visiting at that time and want to sail. jc@oceanregroup.com.
Not mentioned in this thread, are loose affiliations that are more event-driven, than club-driven. For example, there is an internet bulletin board group called the Trailer Sailor Bulletin Board, whose on-line members are scattered all around the country. Even though it's been around since 1997, does that constitute an actual sailing club? Some annual events in Florida are the Back Water Environmental Escape Rendezvous (B.E.E.R.) Cruise in June, the Cedar Key Small Boat Meet held the first weekend in May and a 4 day raid (also in May) called the Florida 120, consisting of four 30 mile legs each. and the annual MUG race in Jacksonville. Common to all four of those events, are members of TSBB, and WCTSS (West Coast Trailer Sailing Squadron), participating in those events. So it's not so much club affiliation, as shared event commonality, that we should consider promoting.
Seattle’s Center for Boats hosts BOAT TALK the last Sunday of every month at 4:00 p.m. Cruise planning, boats to buy/build, repairs, destinations, cooking on board and occasional swap meets…basically anything boaty. Info? Leebjorklund@hotmail.com
As chair of the waterfront committee for Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival and its direct descendant, known as For Pete's Sake [named for Clearwater's founder and longtime advocate for clean water, Pete Seeger], I make it a point to invite small boats organizations, especially youth groups to participate in the festival. These groups get festival visitors out on the water in kayaks, rowing boats and the occasional canoe or sailboat. Most of the boats are built by the participants. They have the opportunity to meet each other and have a good time together, as well as exchanging ideas.
A hidden agenda is that we are overcoming the public perception of the Hudson as foully polluted.
This year's festival will take place on June 14 at Croton Point Park on the Hudson River and is co-sponsored by Westchester County.
I have just been advised that we have funding for a second day. It is now June 14 and 15. We have camped there for this event every year since its founding.
There are quite few small scale, perhaps lower budget, YCs on Long Island NY.
Narrasketuck YC, Amityville
Babylon YC, Babylon
Bay Shore YC, Bay Shore
Wet Pants YC, Sayville
And many more but these are relatively near me and within 20 miles of each other. We are sailing the Great South Bay which is an excellent body of water for trailerable boats. These can be found on Facebook as well.
The local clubs near me, that I have interacted with, should be familiar to the editors of SCA, but I will list them here anyway:
Pacific Northwest Pocket Yachters (Port Townsend, WA)
Old Anacortes Rowing & Sailing Society
Anacortes Waterfront Alliance (maintains the small boat hoist and storage yard)
Milltown Sailing Association (Everett, WA) modern sailing club with some small boat members
Barefoot Raid, Vancouver Island, BC (more an annual event than a year round club)
Canadian Wayfarer Association
US Wayfarer Association
(Wayfarers put on several rallies with up to 20 boats, cruises, and races)
Dinghy Cruising the Americas (Facebook)
Dinghy Cruising Association with over 3 North American regional groups.
Can-Am Dinghy Cruising Association
We're a group of Micro-Cruising enthusiasts mostly in Ontario and the northern US States. In addition to an active online presence we are also a very active cruising group. Our trips range from weekend outings to week-long adventures and occur about 6 - 12 times a year. Some trips involve camping at night while others are better suited to sleeping on board. We typically explore Georgian Bay, the North Channel, The Thousand Islands and occasionally venture as far as Lake Superior. Our boats are extremely varied, ranging from small rowing dinghies to open sailboats to larger cabin sailboats in the 20+ foot range. We use this forum as well as our Facebook Group to organize trips and discuss all aspects of boat cruising, ranging from trailers to outboards, sailboat designs, maintenance, repairs, tools, anchors, launching points, places to visit, etc.
Also, Subscribe: CanAmDinghyCruisingAssociation+subscribe@groups.io
Facebook group: Can-Am Dinghy Cruising Association
Traditional Small Craft Association - a nonprofit educational organization working to preserve and continue the living traditions, skills, lore, and legends surrounding working and pleasure watercraft whose origins predate the marine gasoline engine. We encourage the design, construction, and use of these boats, and we embrace the contemporary variants and adaptations of traditional designs. https://tsca.net/
I would join a club if they weren't so committed to telling you everything they think is wrong with your boat.
the WEST Coast Trailer Sailor Squadron in FL organizes group sailing of small boats. I believe membership is $25 annually.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wctss/
Western Montana Small Boat Association. We're just trying to connect folks primarily in the Flathead Region but we go afield a bit too. Tying to get a TSCA Chapter started as well. www.mtsmallboats.org
U.S. Power Squadrons, dba America's Boating Club, has individual squadrons around the country. My own is in Akron, OH. Membership, organizational, demographic and boating culture issues have been pressuring the organization. It remains to be seen if it survives in its current form.
Thanks to Josh for starting this thread. One Potter Yachter event that might be of interest to West Coast (or wayfaring) trailer sailors is our annual Cruiser Challenge in Monterey Bay, which SCA helped start back in the 1990s. It's a social race weekend with small-, medium- and large-boat categories. Many participants launch a day early in Moss Landing and sail as a group across Monterey Bay (a 13NM passage). In past years this event has attracted boats ranging in size from Guppy 13s to Santana 2023s, and it's open to anything that's seaworthy and arrives to the shore on a trailer. It's free to compete, and moorage fees in Monterey are quite reasonable considering the marina's location within walking distance of Cannery Row, the aquarium, historic presidio, etc. At the after-race dinner winners in each category and boat type will be recognized, and an axle-grease award will go to the visiting skipper who traveled furthest to participate. Race day is Sat., August 2. Participants are welcome to arrive in Moss Landing or Monterey a few days early and explore. Next month we will post details on our website (www.potter-yachters.org). Come join the fun!
Lewis-Clark Sailing Association: Palouse area of SE WA, North Idaho.
We are a group of trailer sailors who live mostly in the Moscow ID/Pullman WA, Lewiston ID/Clarkston WA, and Colfax area. We meet once a month for dinner meetings when the weather is cold and for picnics and sails when it is nice. We also generally have local few-day cruises on local lakes of the Inland Pacific Northwest along with a longer trip to the Salish Sea once a year.
We love meeting other small boat sailors and small boat groups.
Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lewis.Clark.Sailing.Association
Aloha everyone. We have started a Small Boat Sunday once a month at Makani Kai Yacht Club on Kaneohe Bay, Oahu Hi. It's a private club and residence, but it allows small boat enthusiasts in for this event. Our first event a couple of weeks ago was a success. We even played boat tag on the bay! We use a floating ball with streamers that you can throw. The person that is "it" can hit a person or any part of the boat with the ball (sails are the obvious choice), and they are "it." Then, they must chase down another boat and tag with the ball. Good practice for sailboat handling! We had an M-15, an M-17, El Torros and Lasers, a Portland Pudgy, and a Mintow and Cherub on the hard. More boats than sailers! Hopefully, we will have a Scamp and an Eastport Nesting Pram at the next one on April 6th. Let me know if you are on Oahu and would like to bring your small boat over. Or if you happen to be visiting at that time and want to sail. jc@oceanregroup.com.
Not mentioned in this thread, are loose affiliations that are more event-driven, than club-driven. For example, there is an internet bulletin board group called the Trailer Sailor Bulletin Board, whose on-line members are scattered all around the country. Even though it's been around since 1997, does that constitute an actual sailing club? Some annual events in Florida are the Back Water Environmental Escape Rendezvous (B.E.E.R.) Cruise in June, the Cedar Key Small Boat Meet held the first weekend in May and a 4 day raid (also in May) called the Florida 120, consisting of four 30 mile legs each. and the annual MUG race in Jacksonville. Common to all four of those events, are members of TSBB, and WCTSS (West Coast Trailer Sailing Squadron), participating in those events. So it's not so much club affiliation, as shared event commonality, that we should consider promoting.
That’s a great idea. It will let me know if and where there are groups near me.