Manhattan Yacht Club is opening up the “Big Boat Sailing Program” again this summer.
This program has been operating since 2021 on the J/105 Gratitude under the guidance of Rear Commodores Peter Abelman and Gabriel Krochmal. This season, the elegant 36 ft sloop “No Moe” is being added to the program.
The Big Boat Program makes it possible for skippers and their selected crew of members to sail one of these beautiful boats in the harbor for a fraction of the cost of ownership. This is a very limited program. Each boat will be open to just a few skippers. The participating skippers must pass a certification process to demonstrate their skill and responsibility so that these larger boats are operated safely and without damage.
Gratitude – The J/105 Gratitude is a high performance racing machine. She has a large mainsail and a strong jib. Gratitude needs an experienced crew onboard to handle her in winds of 15 knots or more. Plus her mainsail needs to be reefed. So if you wish to sail Gratitude, planning on having several experienced members onboard with you at all times. the joys of Gratitude is that she is fast. You will find her one of the fastest boats in the harbor and you can sail up to and past most other boats. She has a large and well positioned steering wheel and the full crew will be engaged in trimming.
No Moe – Is a cruising boat, sometimes referred to as a Doubloon 36 and was designed by Andy Pitt and built in Thailand. She is a very elegant boat with beautiful teak decks, varnished caps rails, cushions, a mainsail rigged with a Dutchman system plus a self-tacking jib. In other words, this classic sloop is very comfortable. She is also steady, solid and quite heavy. She sails like a dream in any winds above 12 knots. With her underbody shaped like an 8 Meter, she leans over and charges through the water. No Moe is a true gentleman’s and sophisticate’s day sailing yacht and is perfect for sailing with four people. More may be accommodated but the cockpit with it’s cushions is perfect for 4. Because of her weight, you will have to be very careful when docking as she carries a lot of momentum.
If you would like to considered for one of the limited Big Boat Sailing spots, please send an email to commodore@myc.org.
Vision for the Program
Manhattan Yacht Club was established around a “shared-use concept.” By pooling resources, members could access sailing for a fraction of the cost of private boat ownership. We rolled out this concept in 1987, a few decades ahead of the “sharing economy.” Today, the rest of the world has caught up to Manhattan Yacht Club’s early vision.
The initial fleet of the club was J/24s. These are robust, active and fast sailboats which sail and feel incredible. They are the sailing world’s equivalent of a sporty Porsche roadster. The J/24 is the most famous keelboat design of the 20th century and will continue to be the “classic” yacht which all new designs try to unseat.
The Bog Boat Sailing program is a membership add-on which will allow interested skippers more opportunities to sail on bigger yachts. The 12 Meter Program offered by the New York Harbor Sailing Foundation is already a successful model. Many club members are involved in this program and make annual contributions. We are on the only yacht club in the country which supports a 12 Meter in this manner. Where else would you have an opportunity to sail so much on an incredible piece of history like these 12 Meters? Read more about the 12 Meter Program HERE.
The next boats in the Big Boat Sailing Program are the J/105 “Gratitude” and the 36-ft sloop “No Moe.” Gratitude is owned by our club and has been operated for the past several years by Rear Commodores Abelman and Gabriel Krochmal. No Moe is owned by the Foundation and this will be the first year she will be offered to a limited number of members (all revenue from No Moe goes towards supporting her and the Foundation).
Program Costs
The guiding philosophy of this program is that the sailors who use these boats cover the costs of operating these boats. The costs to operate a 36 ft boat like No Moe in NY Harbor are estimated as follows:
| Summer dockage | $7,740 |
| Winter storage | $2,880 |
| Hauling/pressure washing/blocking | $1,500 |
| Insurance | $2,200 |
| Annual bottom painting | $1,000 |
| Annual maintenance costs | $2,500 |
| Annual varnishing costs | $2,000 |
| Estimated refinishing costs from scratches, hitting dock, etc | $3,500 |
| Estimated cost of consumption (new sails every 5 years, new engine every 10 years) | $4,500 |
| Estimated cost of capital based on $50,000 value | $2,500 |
| Estimated Annual Cost of No Moe | $30,320 |
Assuming the No Moe Program has 7 participating skippers and the annual operating costs are $30,320, then the annual cost would be $4,331 per skipper. To get the No Moe program started in 2024, the annual contribution will be discounted to $3,000 per skipper. The contribution will be adjusted in 2025 based on actual operating costs.
For the Gratitude Program, the annual contribution for the skipper has been set at $4,000.
Here are more guidelines for the program:
- This program is open to any skipper member of the club who is approved by the existing program skippers based on a demonstration of skill, knowledge and safety.
- Skippers may form a team of other members to help contribute to the overall cost. For example, if a skipper has a team of 5 total members, they could all contribute $600 for the No Moe Program.
- This program is only for club members. If a skipper wishes to take a non-member sailing, there is a $50 guest fee. Skippers may not use this program to carry “passengers for hire” which means you may not offer to take people sailing for a fee. This program is designed for members only (there are plenty of great members who would join you if you need crew).
- This program is designed to permit a skipper to sail the boat once per week, weather permitting. Each skipper would be allocated one 5-hour sailing window for the season. For example, your spot could be Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm or 3 pm to dusk. You may trade your slot with other skippers at any time. The program is not designed for you to sail as much as possible because this would not work economically. Each sail consumes the value of a boat. A realistic cost over the season for the number of times you sail divided by the contribution should be in the $200 range.
- Skippers will be responsible for any damage they cause to a boat up to $3,000 limit.
- If a boat is damaged or rendered inoperable by a skipper in the program, everyone will work together to solve the issues as quickly as possible, similar to you owning the boat. The contribution cover the “opportunity” to sail in this program on a shared-use basis. If the boat gets damaged, the underlying annual costs do not disappear. We are all in the together and contributions are not refunded if the boat is rendered inoperable for a period of time.
