“Reciprocals” are not about grade school math!
As we all are getting ready for our summer cruises, now is a good time to remember about one of the fun and valuable benefits of membership in SBYC: reciprocal yacht clubs. Page nine of the 2018 club roster and our reciprocals web page (https://shilsholebayyachtclub.org/reciprocal) provide a list of all of the yacht clubs with which SBYC has a reciprocal relationship. These clubs offer services to SBYC members when we visit those clubs. One key service is the opportunity to get moorage at the clubs when you visit them, typically at a free or significantly reduced rate, although some restrictions may apply. Many clubs offer limited amounts of reciprocal moorage space on a first-come first serve basis, so you’ll want to check their web sites or the centralized site for Yachting Destinations (yachtdestinations.org) for the specific conditions, limitations, and instructions about how to get access (e.g., most require that you fly your burgee while staying at their facility.)
Here are my top 3 favorite reciprocal clubs:
1) Totem Yacht Club in Tacoma – Not much to look at, but walking distance from the Glass Museum, Art Museum and a number of worthy restaurants accessed via stairs to S. 11th bridge.
2) Silva Bay Yacht Club, Gabriola Island – A handy jumping off point for crossing the Strait of Georgia and for timing your passage through Gabriola Pass. It may only have 40’ of dock space available, but takes reservations. Decent facilities.
3) Vancouver Rowing Club, Coal Harbor, Vancouver, BC – An amazing location at the southern edge of Stanley Park and walking distance from a large variety of businesses along the waterfront. Historic clubhouse building with bar and great views of the Vancouver skyline. And they take reservations!
We have a total of 40 reciprocal clubs to use from the Deep Bay YC in Bowser, BC to the Olympia YC, so make your plans to take advantage of this benefit and maybe meet some nice folks in the process. Email our reciprocal manager (reciprocal@shilshole-bayyc.org) for the login information for Yachting Destinations so you can see the map with our reciprocals highlighted by little yellow flags. Happy summer cruising!