Iowa Sailing Club
Iowa Sailing Club Fleet Policy
Purpose: Provide guidelines for the Iowa Sailing Club (ISC) in the area of boat acquisitions, fleet management, and boat sales.
Note: Some terms are defined specially for use within this policy. When a term is defined, it shall be in boldface/italic print. References made to terms defined in this policy, or to sections of this policy shall be italicized.
Table of Contents
- I. Fleet Definitions, Individual Fleet Requirements,
and Fleet Prioritization
- 1. Flying Junior (FJ) Fleet
- 2. Laser Fleet
- 3. Daysailer Fleet (same priority as Windsurfer Fleet)
- 3. Windsurfer Fleet (same priority as Daysailer Fleet)
- 5. Donated Fleet
- 6. Variety Fleet
- II. Boat Acquisition, Boat-Fleet Classification, and Boat Sales
- III. Action by Fleet Captain
I. Fleet Definitions, Individual Fleet Requirements, and Fleet Prioritization
Note: The fleets are listed in order of priority.
1. Flying Junior (FJ) Fleet
Requirements:
- 1. The ISC shall hold at least 14 FJ's.
- 2. The ISC shall maintain an FJ Rotation Policy [purchase and sell 2 FJ's every 2 years; set aside funds to meet this goal].
2. Laser Fleet
Requirements:
- 1. The ISC shall hold at least 10 Lasers.
- 2. The ISC shall maintain a Laser Rotation Policy [purchase and sell 2 Lasers every 2 years, concurrent with the FJ Rotation Policy FJ purchases].
3. Daysailer Fleet (same priority as Windsurfer Fleet)
Definition:
A Daysailer boat is any boat which comfortably carries at least 4 people and is rated as a Light-Weather boat [as a guideline, it is simple to rig, simple to hand launch and recover, and simple to sail and right after capsize].
Requirements:
- 1. The ISC shall hold at least 2 Daysailers .
3. Windsurfer Fleet (same priority as Daysailer Fleet)
Requirements:
- 1. The ISC shall hold at least 8 Windsurfers.
5. Donated Fleet
Definition:
A Donated boat is any boat which has been donated to the ISC and has not been classified as belonging to another fleet. A donated boat (not necessarily in the Donated Fleet) reaches its age of ascension when it has completed its second year with the ISC.
Requirements:
- 1. A boat which has been donated to the ISC (even if it has been classified as belonging to another fleet) shall be kept until its age of ascension . This protects the donor's tax deduction and allows members the opportunity to sail the donated boat.
- 2. The ISC shall treat each boat in the Donated Fleet as a deferred cash donation. Each boat in the Donated Fleet which has reached its age of ascension shall be for sale on each anniversary of its age of ascension, unless sufficient interest is shown in that boat for that year (see section II. Boat Acquisition, Boat-Fleet Classification, and Boat Sales; C. Sales ).
- 3. There is no minimum number required.
6. Variety Fleet
Definition:
A Variety boat is any boat which has been deemed by the ISC as necessary to maintaining a variety of sailable boats [e.g., catamaran, spinnaker boat, iceboat].
Requirements:
- 1. There is no minimum number required.
II. Boat Acquisition, Boat-Fleet Classification, and Boat Sales
A. Acquisition
1. Boat Replacement Fund
- a. The ISC shall maintain a Boat Replacement Fund [money set aside annually for the express purpose of purchasing additional or replacement boats on a regular basis], in accordance with the Constitution of the ISC.
2. Methods of Stocking the Fleets
- a. FJ's and Lasers acquired according to the FJ Rotation Policy or Laser Rotation Policy should be bought new or in very good used condition.
- b. When a decision has been made to acquire a boat other than an FJ or a Laser, it should be acquired first through solicitation of donations. If donation solicitation is not feasible, the boat should be bought used. If buying used is not feasible, the boat should be bought new.
- c. Donations of sailable boats should be actively solicited, preferably boats with trailers.
B. Classification
A donated boat can be reclassified into one of the other fleets if so desired by the club.
C. Sales
1. Motions
a.) To sell (all boats)
- 1. A motion may be made at a regular business meeting to sell a boat in any fleet.
- 2. No motion is necessary to sell an FJ that is being sold as part of the FJ Rotation Policy or a Laser that is being sold as part of the Laser Rotation Policy . No motion is necessary to sell a donated boat on an anniversary of its age of ascension .
- 3. For a boat-sale motion to pass, the club shall comply with all relevant parts of section I. Fleet Definitions, Individual Fleet Requirements, and Fleet Prioritization , regarding the boat in question.
- 4. For a boat-sale motion to pass, club members shall be notified according to section II. Boat Acquisition, Boat-Fleet Classification, and Boat Sales; C. Sales; 2. Club Notification of this policy.
- 5. For a boat-sale motion to pass, it shall pass by a majority vote at a regular business meeting.
b.) To keep (Donated boats)
- 1. When a donated boat reaches an anniversary of its age of ascension , it shall be for sale, unless sufficient interest is shown in that boat.
- 2. A motion may be made at a regular business meeting to keep any boat in the donated fleet for another year.
- 3. For a donated boat to be sold, the club shall comply with all relevant parts of section I. Fleet Definitions, Individual Fleet Requirements, and Fleet Prioritization .
- 4. For a donated boat to be sold, club members shall be notified according to section II. Boat Acquisition, Boat-Fleet Classification, and Boat Sales; C. Sales; 2. Club Notification of this policy.
- 5. For a boat-keep motion to pass, it shall pass by a majority vote at a regular business meeting.
2. Club Notification
a.) Before decision to sell
When a motion has been made to initiate a boat sale for a boat in any fleet, but before the motion is passed, or when a donated boat reaches an anniversary of its age of ascension , written notice similar to one of the following shall be distributed to members:
1.) To sell (all boats)
The club shall vote at the [date of meeting] meeting on a motion to sell
the following boat(s):
boat #1 [price] [trailer]
boat #2 [price] [trailer]
etc...
If the motion passes to sell the above boat(s), members shall have
priority over all other buyers for 14 days after the postmark of this
notice.
2.) To keep (Donated boats)
Unless sufficient interest is shown at the [date of meeting] meeting,
the following boat(s) shall be sold in the coming year:
boat #1 [price] [trailer]
boat #2 [price] [trailer]
etc...
If sufficient interest is not shown in the above boat(s), members shall
have priority over all other buyers for 14 days after the postmark of
this notice.
b.) After decision to sell
When the motion has been passed to sell a boat in any fleet, or when a donated boat has reached an anniversary of its age of ascension , and sufficient interest in that boat has not been shown (see section II. Boat Acquisition, Boat-Fleet Classification, and Boat Sales; C. Sales; 2. Club Notification; a. Before decision to sell ):
1.) Regular Business Meetings
The sale shall be announced at two consecutive regular business meetings during Old Business.
2.) Boathouse
The sale notification shall be posted at the boathouse when the sale is to be made during the regular sailing season.
3. Priority Buying, Price Setting, Advertising Methods
a.) Priority buying
- 1.) Members shall have priority in the purchase of all boats during the member priority period [the 14 days beginning on the postmark date of the notice announcing the proposed boat sale].
- 2.) If more than 1 member makes an offer on a cash basis during the member priority period , a closed bid shall be held, with bids deposited with the Commodore, and the sale shall go to the highest bidder. If the bids are of the same cash amount, the sale shall be offered to the member who first deposited a bid with the Commodore.
- 3.) If more than 1 person makes an offer on a cash basis after the member priority period , a closed bid shall be held, with bids deposited with the Commodore, and the sale shall go to the highest bidder. If the bids are of the same cash amount, the sale shall be offered to the person who first deposited a bid with the Commodore.
b.) Price Setting
- 1.) The Fleet Captain shall research and recommend to the club a price range with a solid floor and an expandable ceiling. The price range shall be ratified at a regular business meeting.
- 2.) The Fleet Captain should suggest a selling price range based on the following list of criteria, which is neither exclusive nor exhaustive: club needs, market value, replacement cost, marketability of the boat,book value of the boat (blue book in Iowa City Public Library Reference section), condition of the boat
- 3.) The Commodore, in consultation with the Fleet Captain, shall negotiate the sale price with any minor equipment changes or substitutions.
- 4.) Acceptance of any reasonable offer, in lieu of the advertised price, shall be at the discretion of the Commodore.
c.) Advertising Methods
- 1.) The notice in section II. Boat Acquisition, Boat-Fleet Classification, and Boat Sales; C. Sales; 2. Club Notification; a. Before decision to sell shall serve as advertisement of boats' sales to members.
- 2.) Advertising the sale in media other than the club notice mentioned in 1 above shall be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the sale, marketability, and the number of potential buyers, as determined by the Fleet Captain.
- 3.) Advertisements may be placed in local media (e.g., Daily Iowan, Press Citizen, The Gazette, The Des Moines Register). Advertisements may also be placed in non-local media (e.g., neighboring states' newspapers and "Scow Slants").
- 4.) As a last resort, boats may be taken to auction.
III. Action by Fleet Captain
A. The fleet captain shall:
- 1. take an inventory of all boats several weeks prior to boathouse closing.
- 2. give a "State of the Fleet" address, in both the Scuttlebutt and at a regular business meeting, outlining the condition of each fleet.
- 3. establish repair/maintenance goals for the coming year.
- 4. research boat prices and recommend a price range (for a boat to be sold) with a solid floor and an expandable ceiling. This research should be based on the following criteria (which is neither exclusive nor exhaustive): club needs, market value, replacement value, marketability of the boat, book value of the boat, condition of the boat
B. The fleet captain is encouraged to:
- 1. sample club sentiment regarding each fleet.
- 2. consider the financial situation of the ISC when dealing with boat acquisition, classification, and boat sales.
- 3. consider boats which may be "nickel and diming the club to death," and their impact on the financial health of the ISC.
- 4. plan ahead.