With summer coming to an end and the winter season just around the corner, many boaters are beginning to prepare their boats for storage. Taking a few simple steps to preserve your boat during the off-season can save you tons in the long run. Progressive, a leading boat insurer, offers these slip-proof tips for winterizing your boat:
By Mike Baron
U.S Coast Guard, Boating Safety Division
Boat owners and operators should know the federal and state requirements for visual distress signals (VDS) and how to use signaling devices in an emergency.
The Green Bay Yacht Club (GBYC), located at the mouth of the Fox River, was first incorporated in 1872, making it one of the oldest on the Great Lakes. Today the organization boasts more than 200 members and has an attractive clubhouse with full bar and kitchen facilities. The harbor offers 83 slips, a 25-ton travelift, gas dock and pump out with seasonal and transient docks and winter storage available.
By Joseph S. Gulotti
I was an energetic eleven-year-old, and I could sing every Beatles song from memory. My favorite song was “Help!,” which I played over and over on my four-track tape player. That year Richard Nixon finally won the presidency after two failed efforts and inherited a raging Vietnam. Jimi Hendrix played a psychedelic version of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Woodstock Festival that summer, and rioting and discontent gripped many American cities.
Located in Northpoint Marina in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, just south of the Wisconsin-Illinois state line, the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club (WHYC) is perfectly positioned between Milwaukee and Chicago. The club was founded in 1995, and a new clubhouse with a commanding view of Lake Michigan was built in 2000.
During the summer season, Winthrop Harbor Yacht club offers a variety of activities, from boating educational seminars to free Sunday breakfasts. Professional bar service and outstanding catering are also available during the summer.
The Memphis Yacht Club (MYC) was founded in 1906 as the Memphis Canoe Club. Since then, it has grown to have more than 100 members, some of whom are sons of the founding members. The club is a small affair with no restaurant or bar, but members make up for it with warm Southern hospitality and the club’s close proximity to the Memphis downtown.
From its austere beginning on the banks of the Huron River in 1955, the Huron Yacht Club (HYC) has emerged as one of the premier clubs in the western basin of Lake Erie. Offering a full-service restaurant and bar, HYC has been the place to be for members and transient boaters alike with club activities designed for both boaters and non-boaters.
Located at the mouth of the lower Niagara River in Youngstown, New York, and not far from the Welland Canal, the Youngstown Yacht Club is a popular destination for cruising yachtsmen. Though primarily a sailing club, a growing number of power boaters have joined of late. Since its founding in 1931, the club has had an active membership of cruisers and racers.
