Survey Results 2002

1. You are a:
   

   40% (14)	New member (joined last sailing season)
   34% (12)	Member of 2-6 years
   26% (9)	Member of more than 6 years
   0%	Former member
   0%	Non-member

   
   
2. You came out to the club:
   

   0%	Never
   23% (8)	Occasionally
   77% (27)	Frequently

   
   
3. Your affiliation with the University of Michign (check all that apply) is:
   

   26% (9)	None
   0%	Undergraduate student
   11% (4)	Graduate student
   9% (3)	Faculty
   37% (13)	Staff
   37% (13)	Alumni

   
   
4. Please rate the importance of the following boats to your experience of the club: (Scale: 1 to 5, with 1 being lowest and 5 being highest.)
   

   	1	2	3	4	5
   JY15s	0%	0%	0%	26% (9)	74% (26)
   Lasers	3% (1)	9% (3)	17% (6)	29% (10)	40% (14)
   470s	11% (4)	23% (8)	23% (8)	23% (8)	17% (6)
   Sailboards	23% (8)	17% (6)	20% (7)	20% (7)	17% (6)
   CL16 (family boat)	11% (4)	20% (7)	29% (10)	23% (8)	14% (5)
   Iceboat	43% (15)	20% (7)	17% (6)	11% (4)	6% (2)

   
   
5. Please rate your satisfaction with the following core activities of the club: (Scale: 1 to 5, with 1 being lowest and 5 being highest.)
   

   	1	2	3	4	5
   Saturday morning instruction	0%	6% (2)	9% (3)	40% (14)	43% (15)
   Sunday racing	0%	3% (1)	20% (7)	34% (12)	37% (13)
   Thursday meetings	0%	3% (1)	20% (7)	37% (13)	31% (11)
   Ride coordination (out to the club)	0%	6% (2)	37% (13)	20% (7)	17% (6)

   
   
6. How can we improve these activities?
   
   • More variety in the method of teaching on Sat am. This will improve learning. It will also increase variety for instructors thus improving instructor turn out.
   • I'd like to see a series of coordinated lectures about a given topic. For example,"Marine weather parts 1 through 4"
   • Ride coordination was very good this past year, but it seems to me that we could make it even easier for visitors, and make sure people are informed and feel welcome to take rides.
   • I think these days a lot of people are putting in a lot of effort to make the club experience a good one and they should be supported by the club members. Sometimes though, I hear critical comments, especially from a few older senior members which I feel are inappropriate, especially since for many years the club was essentially abandoned by them. Perhaps the one improvement to ride coordination I can think of is that some members may bike/run out to the club and possibly would like a ride back into town. Maybe we just need a board at the club for people to put their names on for this or perhaps this can be arranged informally. The one safety issue we may want to pursue more aggressively is the boat traffic which continues to pile up in the bay immediately to the west of the club. My thoughts are we will probably take this more seriously when a drunken jet skier runs over somebody's kid there.
   • Games days are fun and we need to use them to enable people to practice sailing skills. Racing is for hard core members only which puts a lot of people off trying it.
   • I would like to see more instruction above the beginner level and better (more consistent) training of the instructors.
   • Standardize lesson times so that everyone gets a chance to sail.
   • 1. The Vice Commodore's position is more important than the Commodore's. This person makes or breaks the educational program which is the heart of the UMSC mission. Have the Vice Commodore or their designee at every Saturday morning boat school.
     2. The Commodore should not fill in unless NO ONE is available. His job is to be an organizational leader and facilitator plus recruiting and motivating volunteer program leaders.
     3. Keep the sailing program content and tests on a higher level otherwise we may end up being a recreational sailboat rental and bumper-boat/sailboard club.
     4. Have two or three Sailing Instructor sessions to review curriculum, teaching strategies, and peer group discussions of experiences and new ideas.
     5. Utilize senior instructors to help keep the standards high by peer coaching and re-instruction if needed.
     6. Do not take volunteers for granted. Thank them each and every day for contributing. Keep them motivated and appreciated. Without volunteer instructors this club is dead.
     7. Reinstate the Sailboard/Windsurfing rating. Modify the old rating if needed to meet the current informal approach to teaching the sport.
     8. Establish an Iceboat rating so that we are consistent in all areas of sailing related instruction. This will also foster a further continuum as the UMSC being an educational/recreational/social organization.
     9. Post a listing of all current paid members by rating category so that members can know who is available for that area of content, i.e., Examining Skipper, Skipper, Helm, Crew, Sailboard/Windsurfing, and Iceboat. Update it weekly to include new Crews. Helm-key is facility-related and not separate in its own right.
     10. Provide UMSC Instructor t-shirts (50/50 split cost between club and member) for Helm and Skipper rated members. This may also help motivate Crew rated members to move up.
     11. Create Mentoring Program for members seeking the higher ratings: a buddy who can help and motivate the sailor.
   • The instruction was very good in my novice opinion, as you managed to get me sailing without drowning in short order, far more than I expected. Sunday racing is a lot of fun, but I must admit, more instruction on the rules would help, as I'm still not exactly sure of what I am doing on the course. This is something I look forward to in the coming month and a bit.
   • Frequent surveys.
   • I think I would have learned more about sailing if I had the same instructor every time I came for Saturday morning classes. It was like starting over with each lesson and I learned how to do something differently each time which was confusing and frustrating for everyone involved.
   • Should have training for instructors. There should be more consistency between instructors.
   
   
7. Please rate the importance of the following sailing activities to your experience of the club: (Scale: 1 to 5, with 1 being lowest and 5 being highest.)
   

   	1	2	3	4	5
   Night sailing	6% (2)	0%	31% (11)	26% (9)	31% (11)
   On-the-water sailing game days	17% (6)	6% (2)	23% (8)	23% (8)	26% (9)
   Sailing frisbee	14% (5)	11% (4)	17% (6)	26% (9)	26% (9)
   Sailing-related trips (i.e. tall ships or boat shows)	11% (4)	23% (8)	23% (8)	29% (10)	9% (3)
   Winter meetings on sailing-related topics	14% (5)	14% (5)	23% (8)	34% (12)	9% (3)

   
   
8. Please rate the importance of the following social activities to your experience of the club: (Scale: 1 to 5, with 1 being lowest and 5 being highest.)
   

   	1	2	3	4	5
   Potlucks/picnics at the club	0%	3% (1)	17% (6)	31% (11)	43% (15)
   Parties at off-site locations	17% (6)	29% (10)	29% (10)	11% (4)	9% (3)
   Camping at the club	17% (6)	9% (3)	26% (9)	23% (8)	20% (7)
   Winter activities outside of sailing (i.e. hiking, tennis, skiing, trips)	17% (6)	9% (3)	40% (14)	20% (7)	9% (3)

   
   
9. Would you like to see any of the following items at the club?

   	Yes	No
   Instructor training sessions	86% (30)	9% (3)
   Instructor manual	69% (24)	26% (9)
   More club merchandise such as t-shirts, hats etc.	57% (20)	37% (13)

   
   
10. What other sorts of activities or instruction would you find helpful or enjoyable?
    
    • Training instructors in different methods of teaching.
    • I would like to have the opportunity for sailing instructors to participate in US Sailing or ASA teaching programs and get Instructional Certification. This level of teaching is not required for casual Saturday mornings, but some would like to have this certified ability to teach sailing.
    • Kids day. Perhaps an Opti or two.
    • I think that its great we are trying to put on more on the water clinics, especially for racing etc. A lot of our instruction is geared towards the ratings, which for some reasons (perhaps the most important, safety) we need. In the past though, I have heard some criticism that the club is too much into its ratings system. In this respect, we may want to toss out the ones we don't need, for example the sailboard rating. I dont believe any of the regular sailboard instructors, with the exception of perhaps Kevin, has one and I would hate to see bureaucracy get in the way of a thriving program.
    • I wish we could have some instruction on the big lakes on boats larger than a dingy. Perhaps this is not possible due to liability issues but perhaps we could associate ourselves with other sailing clubs (ASI or Portage Lake etc) to expose people to all aspects of sailing.
    • Create a program whereby a rated member can sign up to attend shore school and on the water classes for large sailboats (keelboats on the Great Lakes). Various members have large sailboats and this could be furthering the development in large sailboats/racing. Any additional expenses would be separate from the club to cover sailboat operating costs, etc.
    • A more organized shore-side instruction to coincide with sailing instruction on Saturdays so as to keep everyone busy until a boat is ready.
    • Challenge Ohio St. or Wisconsin to an Ultimate Frisbee game.
    • I really get a kick of out sharing my enthusiasm for sailing by introducing new folks to sailing. The sailing games day and other events are a blast. Campfires and night sailing are great too.
    • More intermediate sailing lessons.
    • More advanced instruction for people who are pursuing their helm or skipper rating.
    
    
11. Please rate your satisfaction with the following facilities of the club: (Scale: 1 to 5, with 1 being lowest and 5 being highest.)
    

    	1	2	3	4	5
    Bathrooms	0%	0%	0%	57% (20)	43% (15)
    Parking	0%	0%	9% (3)	46% (16)	46% (16)
    Lawn/grounds	0%	0%	3% (1)	43% (15)	54% (19)
    Seating (i.e. chairs, benches, picnic tables)	0%	6% (2)	34% (12)	29% (10)	31% (11)
    Storage for personal gear	6% (2)	9% (3)	43% (15)	29% (10)	14% (5)

    
    
12. Would you choose to have your contact information (telephone # or email address - your choice) made available as part of a club roster on the web, with appropriate protection to ensure only club members can access?
    

    Yes	No
    69% (24)	31% (11)

    
    
13. Would you choose to have your contact information (telephone number or email address - your choice) made available as part of a club roster, on paper, to be handed out only to club members?
    

    Yes	No
    69% (24)	31% (11)

    
    
14. Should the club purchase a catamaran (a type of boat with two hulls as opposed to the other boats at the club which are monohulls) for member use?
    

    Yes	No
    83% (29)	11% (4)

    
    
15. Would you support replacing one of the four lasers at the club, with a catamaran?
    

    Yes	No
    74% (26)	23% (8)

    
    
16. Should we consider replacing the aging laser fleet with another type of boat at all?
    

    Yes	No
    46% (16)	40% (14)

    
    
17. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. That act alone tells us of your dedication to the club. Are there any other issues that you would like the board to discuss?
    • How about Thursday evening races during the summer?
    • This has been discussed before, but I think we should bring the sailboard rating back. Maybe this will be easier once sailboard instruction becomes more regular.
    • 1. Lasers are very important for single-hand sailing skills and are perfect for sailing conditions on Baseline Lake. Therefore the board should ensure that the Laser fleet is NOT replaced with any other dinghy class. Maybe a couple newer lasers would help in phasing out the older lasers.
      2. Catamarans would be great to teach sailors on how to handle multi-hull boats, especially how to jibe and tack. But, not at the cost of replacing the Lasers.
    • For what it is worth, here are my thoughts on the laser fleet and boats at the club. First of all, there is no doubt that the laser is a good boat, but once lasers became an Olympic class, I feel the boat became very much overpriced and indeed, since they are a one person boat we would spend a lot of money for a small minority (by the way, I am speaking as one of the small minority) who would use them. Most of the serious laser sailors at the club have their own boat. Also, when we bought the JY15s they were very much a compromise boat. They have done what we intended them to do, but the location of the jib blocks so far forward and the lack of a traveler makes them difficult to single hand. The slippery deck surface makes it inevitable that we will be recovering single handers from the crash boat on windy days. In additional, I have never seen anyone who weighs less than 150 lbs right a capsized JY15 at the club by themselves, have you? (By the way, I am speaking as a person who did not capsize at all last year and can right a JY15 by themselves if necessary). This being the case, my thoughts are that a boat like a Hobie 16 might be a good replacement for the laser fleet. Yes, it has two sails and it's a wet boat, but it's easy to sail single handed. Also, if need be, you can put two people on them. In addition, cat sailing is very much an important and fun aspect of small boat sailing which would expand our club members' sailing skill set. In this regard, I think the addition of the CL16 boat was a great idea and the boat has a lot of support at the club. Last year, I saw this boat out a lot and I expect the same this year.
    • I enjoy using the lasers because you can go out in high winds without the worries of not being able to right the boat after a capsize. I think more people would use the lasers if they were exposed to them during instruction.
    • 1. What is the status of the Gazebo project? I thought we were going to get membership input into this decision.
      2. In regards to Lasers, we may want to be searching for used Lasers to save money as their usage is variable.
      3. Creating a UMSC website donation of sailboats program would provide a venue for us to accept Lasers and 470s, 505s etc. Other sailing clubs have been asking for sailboats for years, why not the UMSC.
      4. Create a REAL UMSC Development program. We have been too provincial for the last 60+ years in letting the dues cover all the costs of the UMSC operation. Even though we can NOT accept donations that are tax deductible, we can still seek funds from previous members and sailing alumni. Start small, but DO START something. All of the money that we have NOT had donated over 60+ years might have purchased a significant part of the new fleet of sailboats.
      5. It appears that the Executive Board posts the information from their meetings at the club and we have to wait from November to April to find out what has transpired. I would ask that this information be posted on the website and emailed monthly to members.
      6. If the Gazebo project is to be discussed in the near future, please send a separate email asking members for comments on pertinent points BEFORE a decision is made.
      7. A business will have a Board of Directors who make the decisions with or without input from the people involved whereas a volunteer organization will have an Executive Board that will seek as much information and as often as needed to facilitate the NEEDS OF THE MEMBERS.
    • You're already aware of the issue, but the rescue boats were sounding pretty ill last fall.
    • Whether or not you replace the lasers with another type of boat doesn't matter. Just make sure you have boats that can be manned by a single person.
    • I am generally open-minded on a catamaran purchase. I would like to have an open meeting on the subject to hear more pros/cons on the idea from club members to better understand the ramifications of such a purchase. Please do not use the answers to yes/no questions to do anything more than generally gauge interest.
    • 1. Question 16 is confusing, I do believe we need to replace the Lasers but not necessarily with another type of boat so I answered no. Also I would like to be a part of the team to look at replacement boats for the Lasers this summer.
      2. I believe that sailing should be remembered as the primary activity of the club. Other activities are fine but do not add to my enjoyment of the club. I worry about too many activities diluting the participation of members or only reaching out to a few in a special social group or clique.
    • A point re: types of boats. I think the club benefits from having a relatively large fleet of the same boat, in terms of maintenance ease, consistency of sailing experience, and (of course) to facilitate racing. I don't so much care what it is as I do that there are plenty of them. I think it makes sense to have others (cool to have an iceboat & party boat, for example), but I think the focus should be on the main fleet, not building diversity of the fleet.
      A point re: facilities and social programs: the common ground of the membership is that we come there to sail. I feel that the focus needs to be on sailing. There's nothing wrong with providing the space, physically and otherwise, for social activities, but I personally feel this shouldn't draw away from the focus on sailing.