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I'm a big fan of NYC and have been a member for... err.. 7 years?  Maybe more.  It has amazing facilities and has more services for your dollar than any other club than I could find.  It's not the least expensive; Your fees go to supporting extensive programs, full service restaurant and great location downtown.

As a boat owner, I chose to go with EYC.  I did so because I don't use many of the incredible services that NYC offers and therefore didn't get as much bang for my buck.  Also, I slept at NYC on the Contessa a couple weeks ago... the party boats and planes didn't lead to a quiet Saturday night.

EYC on the other hand is much simpler.  They have a BBQ every Friday night and the bar is open in the evenings.  But there's no full service restaurant, extensive race programs etc.  They do have junior sail program and a couple race nights, but not in the same quantity/variety as NYC.  On the plus side, it is extremely quiet and much nicer to enter/exit the harbour.  The wind protection in the harbour is much better as well, and you don't have to deal with the busy western gap.  The down side is that you are 4.5NM from Toronto Island, so sailing around it is a full day adventure, not a 2 hour affair.

Tea cup adventures keep a little life in me.

The marina, which I didn't visit, is much farther from town...  the west docks of DYC are right on the main strip of town.  Easy access to all the shops but then you have to put up with the drunks, the cars and the bar noise.

Thanks for the heads up on Fifty Point.  So far, I've heard good things about it.  I think we'll still try to get there this summer once I get the engine thing resolved.  Hopefully it's nothing more than a broken impeller.

Simon, I'd be happy to look over the boat with you.
I'm fairly new to boating as well, but I spent 3 years looking for a Contessa and have poked all over them recently so I will add the insight that I picked up over my journey.

I have some time on my hands so let me know.

Hi Deb,
I was very nervous with my winter lay-up because it was my first time winterizing / de-winterizing the boat and the yard where I kept her insisted that we leave our masts up (which is also new to me).  I didn't come up with a good tarping method (due to the mast being up and boom off) so she was uncovered and sealed all winter.  I worried all winter...

Much ado about nothing.
-  Thanks to you, I was able to remove the plug in the bilge and she was dry in the spring.
-  I winterized my engine without antifreeze (following the engine manual instructions) which was risky.  But she started up first turn. I have a new trust in that engine.
Thankfully no damage other than some dirt, bird poo and peeling Cetol.  We got away without mildew, but we had slight mold - far less than when we first bought the boat; I think moving some air through the boat is an excellent idea.

I did lose a battery.  I stored them warm & dry in my spare room and charged them both every little while.  But one would not keep/hold a charge.  Time for a new one.

I did rip out my gauges and send them in for repair... gah.  They were so old that replacement parts weren't available and not compatible with the new system.  I've now spent a bit of money to buy new depth transducer, new electronics and all that... I only managed to save the windex.  I'll find out how well they work as soon as I get them mounted.  Looks like I'll be living without depth info again this year.

cPaul, I had a fuel problem last summer and had to replace a bunch of hoses.  It turns out that some previous owner had replaced hoses and nipples with a mish-mash of mixed sizes and the result was that I, too, had to replace them with hoses that weren't the right size since I was mid-trip and a bit stranded.

I'm curious to know what the stock size is for the fuel supply hoses.
1) Fuel tank -> filter
2) Filter -> pump

If you know of any other original hose sizes, I'd like to jot them down for future reference.

FWIW, I bought hoses at a Princess Auto ... I told them it was for a diesel, they sold me "fuel hoses", but I found out later they were not appropriate for diesel.  *ugh*  I had to replace them all a second time.

Hi Peter,

I have #312 and a 7.5' inflatable dinghy... Which is interesting when you think about the less than 7.5" cockpit in which you need to inflate it while at anchor!  HA!  We have a 4hp Mariner engine that is in fantastic condition, mostly because it sees very little usage.

Here's what we found...
1.  There is not enough room on the fore deck to store it while inflated if you are using a deck sweeper 155% genoa.  Beyond that, it is too much effort to haul and launch it from the foredeck.
2.  The 4hp engine is plenty powerful, but too heavy for what it is worth.  It is awkward to mount on our traveller beam and the weight is too far after for good balance.  It is a nuisance to launch and retrieve each evening and carrying 2-stroke mixed gas on our diesel boat is nothing but hassle.  I hate having gas onboard and will be selling it to whomever wants a good, clean, almost-new engine as soon as I can.  It did come in handy for some longer haul's and exploration... I much prefer to keep it simple and row but might buy a Torqueedo for those longer treks.
3.  Inflating a 7.5' dinghy in the cockpit takes a thought out, practiced approach.  It can be done extremely quickly by my wife and I in the cockpit, all while keeping control of our dog... it took us a few attempts to get the steps down, but works well.
4.  Large waves on Lake Erie were hitting our quarter and 'floated' our Life Buoy off it's hook on the stern quarter of our boat!  I can't imagine what would have happened if we had a dinghy or kayak hanging back there.  I'd keep whatever I can inboard and downlow.  For all but the extremely short trips, our dinghy lives uninflated down below... often it starts on the port berth, but ends up on the cabin floor, or if the wife complains it goes up in the v-berth, but I don't like the weight that far forward.
5.  A 7.5' dinghy is about as small as I would want to go if you are a cruising couple with dog and expect to get groceries and run-about.  If you want smaller, go to a kayak system, either small or inflatable and (as above) keep it inboard of the lifelines.

Hope that helps.
J.

I just returned from Day 2.

We spent 6 hours there on Sunday and went back again today - I could still use more but won't pay a third admission.  The massive crowd didn't materialize this year and the vendors were saying it has been a slow start.

I did speak to the North Sails rep and he was telling me an excited Contessa owner had just stopped in before me... Apparently whoever it is is planning to do the Lake Ontario 300?  Terrific!  I'd love to hear how that goes (or be involved) if they happen to be on this forum.

There's the usual selection of nice boats, fewer yacht club booths than I remember in the past, the usual retailers (Genco, West Marine, Fogh, Mason's, Binnacle and The Rigging Shoppppe), and lots of other vendors.  I didn't see any show-stopper deals but I did have to tear myself away from buying a Rocna anchor that was on sale.  And... I took a look at the Raymarine Tacktick system and... well... I now want one.  Wireless AND a remote handset - ooohhh, the toys.  Radio World almost got me to spend some money as well.  Best deal I found was the $20 Sperry flip-flops.  Both Lee Sails and North Sails reps told me that I'd save more money if I didn't buy at the show but waited for August instead... I have a feeling that was across the board.

The only thing I picked up from the boat budget list was a new Life Ring/Buoy - no fun toys.  After parking and admission... well... no cost savings at all.  Good thing I love looking at boats!  :-)

edit: fixed spelling mistake.

I'll be there.

WagJag has a 2-for-1 coupon right now that is valid for January 16, 17 or 18th (mid-week only, sorry) so I will be there on one of those days.  I could be convinced to go a second time (wife permitting).