Haul-Out!

Just the other day, the staff of the Madeline Island Yacht Club completed the season’s first haul-out of a boat for purely scheduling reasons. The member was simply done for 2023.

Now, inevitably, comes everyone else. Several important notes in that regard: First, haul-outs must of course be preceded by completion of Haul-Out Forms, which are available in the store and on the Home/Landing page on our website or click here https://na2.documents.adobe.com/public/esignWidget?wid=CBFCIBAA3AAABLblqZhCgzaDSXbLeCmFUSihicgXfoqkjKxS_2yJ13AFLbCGxf87FUHSMYFgImCodjgXhF80%2A to fill & submit your Haul Out Form.

Second, the staff is making its annual request that everyone please submit those forms as soon possible, even for people who have many weeks on the water ahead of them. Advance notice significantly helps planning for the complex work of pulling, parking, and prepping boats for the winter.

We Can Help Lahaina Yacht Club

MIYC is a member of the Yachting Club of America, a coalition of clubs from Maine to ….. Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The Lahaina Yacht Club was destroyed in this month’s wildfires that killed more than 100 people. LYC Commodore Dave Schubert posted this on Facebook:

“I write this with pure sorrow. Our beloved Lahaina Yacht Club and Lahaina Town have been devastated. The entire town of Lahaina and our home is gone and now just ash and rubble... I have received many emails from reciprocal clubs across the country offering support and I want to assure that we will strive to rebuild, rebound, and come back better.”

The Maui club — www.lyc.us — is accepting donations at its website for two funds, one for employees’ recovery and one for reconstruction. Please mention the best wishes of MIYC if you make a donation. And maybe add, “pomaika’i,” which in Hawaiian means best of luck.

Infrastructure!

Work on financing the fuel tanks replacement project and other infrastructure work is picking up pace. In July, the Wisconsin DNR chose MIYC as its sole candidate for a $200,000 federal Boating Infrastructure Grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Assuming the DNR’s decision is confirmed this winter, that money will take considerable sting out of the fuel tanks budget.

Also, this month, after several meetings with board members, the club submitted a formal request for favorable financing from economic development officials in Ashland County and the state’s Northwest region, and the Entrepreneur Fund in Duluth.

Since this work in the next few years is expensive — the tanks project alone could cost $600,000 before the club tackles roof, dock, fence, and asphalt repair — the plan is to

diversify the sources of money as much as possible, with the grant, savings (currently about $200,000), low-interest loans, and a healthy cash-flow. The club has also reduced its debt to near zero in anticipation of the long-delayed work ahead. We’ll have further updates in the winter.

Abandoned Stuff Update

After a perhaps too-informal approach to the abandonment of large objects at the end of the season, a new policy is adopted to clean the place up: After all the boats are accounted for and out of the water this fall, the club will take note of any empty or otherwise abandoned boat trailers or cradles, or bicycles, and forthwith donate, sell or dispose of such items. Just so we all know

Let's Cheer before the End of the Year

Please join us for our annual "End the Summer" social gathering:

The Summer Shadows Social
Saturday, September 2, 5:00 PM,
At the Members Lounge

This year we added new patio furniture and wonderful café lights to our outdoor patio area. There will be food, drink, great conversation AND possibly music to make this a memorable gathering.