Laser sailing in LA / SM area. Review of YC and UCLA MAC

T

tkjazzer

Member
Hello,

I have already read the 2007 and 2008 posts on this topic; unfortunately, I can no longer reply to them.
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=9156
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=7465

I own 2 Lasers, but they are both in Michigan. I am working on getting them in LA or just buying another boat in LA. I don't know where I can store it though - live in an apartment in SM.

I am US Sailing Small Boat Level 1 instructor and have US Sailing Basic Keelboat certification. Sailed for 1 year in college before quitting to do more research (besides I was a walk-on, every other skipper was recruited and I got shafted in to being a crew more than half of the time (@ 180 lbs)).

My family owns a J22 which I have skippered in local races, and have taught sailing for a total of 5 summers in Northern Michigan. I've crewed on big boats in various levels of competition. Now I am a very busy professional in the LA area -- working way too much-- 80 hrs/wk with maybe 1 day off a week.

I want to find a place to sail, a place to take friends sailing, a place to race lasers, and a place to meet other sailors, make connections to some other sailing families, meet people that have boats (both big and small), etc.

Yes, I am currently single. (Match.com just doesn't have many women who sail... age range "mature 23" to 33)

I have many questions/ comments:

1) I called the UCLA MAC - http://marinaaquaticcenter.org/
In general - I was extremely disappointed with the person I got on the phone. Never have I heard someone at a sailing site be so pessimistic // Debbie-downer. "read the website" "this probably isn't the place for you" - type of attitude.
She said my certifications mean nothing. I still have to take at least two 8 hour courses to be allowed to sail Vanguard 15s or Lasers. Then she said, if I don't sail at least 1 time every 6 months, I would lose that certification, and have to be re-evaluated by the dock master. Overall, she should get a lesson in public relations. I think I will still bite my tongue and look in to the classes... but I predict I will bored out of my mind taking a learn to sail course that I could teach myself just to get access to the boats.

Please give me a review of your experiences at UCLA MAC.

2) I know nothing about the yacht clubs in the area. A quick search finds:

California Yacht Club - no mention on their website about lasers or small boats, but it looks like they have boat racks for 150 dinghies. I'd like a "review" of this yacht club from anyone with experience there. What will my summer-town repriprocity get from the club. Could I store a Laser in their dinghy racks? How much does membership cost? Do they have a Laser fleet? How big is it? Describe the atmosphere at their club. What kind of people go there? Any single ladies?

Los Angeles Yacht Club - same review request as above.

Del Rey Yacht Club - same questions / review request as above.

Santa Monica Windjammers Yacht Club

South Coast Corinthian Yacht Club

Pacific Mariners Yacht Club

Marina Venice Yacht Club

Redondo Beach Yacht Club

King Harbor Yacht Club

Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club

Hermosa Beach Yacht Club

Port Royal Yacht Club

Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club

Shoreline Yacht Club

Pacific Sailing & Yachting Club

Harborlight Yacht Club

Marina Sailing Long Beach

Long Beach Yacht Club

Seal Beach Yacht Club

Alamitos Bay Yacht Club - I've seen a guy post on many forums from this area's fleet, and I believe they even have a Laser fleet website... ? http://www.fleetracing.net/index.cfm?fleet_id=15

I couldn't find on their website where to store lasers, etc.

Long Beach Sailing

Huntington Harbour Yacht Club

Long Beach Sailing

SeaGate Yacht Club

Ventura Yacht Club

costa mesa?

dana point?


Overall,
I'm very dissapointed in the greater Los Angeles area for not having a true community boating center. Who wishes LA were more like Boston?

Thanks for your help in my exploration of the world of sailing in Los Angeles. Should I start looking a job in San Francisco?
 
Is there no way to edit posts on the new forum? I want to edit the above post (take out the tacky part of being single which is no longer the case)

Also want to add a bit I heard about Cabrillo Yacht club and the satellite images of some yacht clubs I've checked out to inspect what kind of small boat sailing they have @ those facilities.

I also wanted to add an addendum / edit my post about a positive reply relating to UCLA MAC

EDIT: Apparently, since the forum was updated, you can no longer edit old posts - just new ones
 
I was an instructor at UCLA for over 6 years and also USSA certified. It's been about 8 years since I was there so whatever I say could be long done..maybe Steve S., who is on this forum and was our fearless leader at the time, can add a bit.

You needed to demonstrate proficiency in the boats themselves as well as the local boating rules in order to get a rec card for rentals. However you could simply set up an appointment for that, not be required to take a class. There are different levels depending upon what boat you wanted and whether you wanted to sail outside the breakwater.

At that time, it was a great place to sail and hang out. As instructors, we got to use various boats, kayaks, etc. Classes were fun to teach. I had a couple of female med students one session that did their capsize drills in bikinis and totally messed up our guy sailors! Lots of sailors would come down to take boats out and play and I felt there was a good bit of friendship around the boat house.

I'm sorry to hear that you had a poor experience with whoever answered the phone. That was pretty lousy and discouraging. I would suggest you take a drive over there and drop in one day to get a better feel for the place. And with a Laser fleet sitting there in the racks, it's an easy setup and sail. As it happened, I moved 30 miles north of the city a decade ago. Had I not done so, I probably wouldn't have bought another Laser when I sold my cat...just would have continued at the MAC.
 
Maybe a bit more.....I think the clubs in the Marina are pretty expensive but have racks. CYC used to do mid-week races. MDR has mast up storage at the ramps for roughly $100 per month.

I sail mostly out of Ventura Harbor. There is a very active Laser fleet there racing on Fridays. Way too high level for me, even for fun races...I'm way too intimidated to hang with guys who do Nationals! I just wanna play......

South Bay/Long Beach has some active fleets but no information on their wearabouts.
 
I'm a relatively new member of the UCLA Mac and have been very happy there. Yes, it is kind of a pain in the a** to have to walk through their courses as a reasonably experienced sailor (in my case) -- the plus side of this, however, is that it limits the demand on boats. I can now walk in any time there's good weather, and the only time I've ever been unable to rent a laser on that basis was when a class was using all the boats. On the occasion, a) i could have called ahead, and b) one of the instructors let me borrow a teaching boat anyway, so I got some water time.

I think it's the best deal around - $90 a quarter for unlimited sailing, great location, friendly people. The laser fleet is a bit "basic", but there are a couple of slightly more tweaked out boats you can use after the level 3 course.

As a previous commenter noted, you can probably get the teaching staff to walk you through the approvals and might want to take one class (maybe they'd let you into an advanced class?) as a courtesy -- this is a volunteer staffed and university owned facility you know -- and to learn the local rules of the road (which are not particularly complicated).

As for laser/dingy storage at other facilities, i'm pretty sure I saw some lasers in a standup rack at Cal yacht club when i was there for a (land) event one time. I'm also told that the Santa Monica / Windjammers have some convenient dinghy storage options with some kind of drop-in rack arrangement. I'm also told that they're relatively cheap and low-key. http://www.smwyc.org/. I haven't checked this out personally, though, and would love it if you'd report back here on what you learn on this and other options.
 
UCLA Mac

Heh, I know who you got on the phone there, not surprised.

However, the MAC offers very inexpensive access to Lasers. Ask for SEO or checkout, that way you don't need to take all the classes. They seem mainly concerned that you know how to handle their boats so you don't damage them or mess up the rigging. They have a written manual that will give you most necessary information. You must earn a qualification in order to be allowed to take the boats out on Santa Monica bay and you will need to take the class for that.

The drawbacks are that boats are only available (depending on season) m-f 6-9 am when there is no wind and then thu-fri afternoons and sat-sun. To go out on the bay you need to be accompanied by another sailor who has the SM bay qualification.

I frequently work weekends and I guess am a bit of a loner...so I decided to get my own boat. There is no inexpensive way to store it, so I trailer it from my house. Launching at Marina Del Rey is cheap but not as convenient as from a Yacht club.

I bought the boat from a guy at the ABYC in Long Beach. This seems to be the club to join if you are into racing or live nearby. The joining fee and monthly dues soon add up to more than my boat costs though so I'm holding off on that.
 
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