As is obvious to anyone who has recently clicked on the Madeline island Yacht Club’s webcam https://www.miyc.net/madeline-island-yacht-club-webcam, all the marina’s resident boats are out of the water and shrink-wrapped or in some way covered for the winter. Even better news, the crew this year avoided one of those rogue autumnal sleet storms that make haul-out a frigid chore. 

The webcam these days is the kind of scene that inspired poet Guillermo Veloso to write: 

Winter boats are shrink-wrapped ghosts haunting the docks as they await the sea

How did the season go? In a word: Busy. The marina was beyond full, with a complete membership and hundreds of visiting transient vessels. We made budget. Retail sales at the repainted, redesigned and restocked Ships Store were up. The new lighted patio outside the members lounge opened up next to the marina’s bright new sign.

New members are still coming. Evan Erickson Jr., Peter and Marie Lehman, and Leon Steinberg and Sarah Kaplan have joined the club & eight families are on the waiting list.

The staff is currently completing its annual end-of-season clean up and getting ready for winter projects. Anyone with work on their boat that could be completed by the shop before spring, please contact Nick Colberg so he can add it to his schedule. 

The board, meanwhile, is finalizing the new budget and preparing for several years of overdue infrastructure work. The new fuel tanks are the big challenge, of course. Engineering and budgets are the focus of the winter’s work on the tanks. The significant questions include: Can the new tanks remain close to the main building or must they be moved across the road to the boat yard? How many kinds of fuel will the club sell? Can the club secure low-interest financing to supplement savings, cashflow, and a federal grant?

Once those questions have answers, the club will focus on unaddressed roofing work, a replacement for the collapsed boat yard fence, repairs to squishy asphalt around the launch ramp, general dock repairs, dodgy electrical issues on B-Dock, outdoor lighting, and on. All those vital projects, plus inflation’s impact the club’s costs, led to the 15 percent increase in slip fees for the 2024 season.

The 2024 Season Indeed!

Everyone should have a slip agreement for the new season. The club moved the sign-and-return date up this year to December 15, but actual payment is still due by March 1. To minimize processing fees, the club requests payment by check or ACH. Credit or debit cards are of course accepted, but they will be subject to a 3.5 percent fee. Any questions or concerns, contact Elena by emailing accounting@miyc.net.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!