Wow, still going?

I only came in to shut down the myth that loss of local access is a valid reason to not join US Sailing. You guys did the rest.

I've launched from ramps, some are easy, others don't work. I was just trying to get people to think outside of the box. There are always more options than you realize; it's really not a big deal.

Read Mark's posts again. Take away all the name calling and defensiveness (on all sides) and he makes a lot of valid points here.

I am the MHC Chair. Will I defend US Sailing? Of course, especially on a topic like this. The organization just isn't meant to be doing what you're asking. We can help, but the grunt work is always local.

David, I honestly wish the mountain biking to beach access argument were so simple. You said it yourself; look at how far you can go with $20,000 with biking. They want hundreds of thousands or more to build boat ramp parks, let alone beaches. Waterfront property, even on some little pond, is ridiculously expensive.

Most places would be OK with our cats (very little environmental footprint, etc.), but they would then have to answer to jetskiers and powerboaters or risk being accused of favoritism. So it's easier just to keep everyone out.

Why do I care? I'm actually trying to help you guys by killing these myths.

How do I know what I'm talking about? My Hobie fleet is always looking for new venues. Our officers and members work really hard with local and state authorities to make this happen. We don't use that as a reason to not join HCA or US Sailing. All that would accomplish is wasting time and effort that could be spent doing something more fruitful... Oh the irony...

Mike