About SUS
Our Mission
Singles Under Sail, Inc.
(SUS) is a non-profit organization of single people founded in 1987 and incorporated in
1990. Our mission is to bring together single people with an
interest in sailing, boating and related activities, and to provide
opportunities to share those activities .
Who We Are
We are adult single people who
like and appreciate the joys of sailing and boating. Although most
of us are primarily interested in sailing, power boat skippers and their crew
are also welcome to join and participate in club activities. We are
serious about safe boating and as a condition of continuing membership in SUS we
complete a US Coast Guard Auxiliary or US Sail and Power Squadron Safe Boating course, or
the equivalent.
As Skippers, we are boat
owners who enjoy sharing both our love of sailing and our boats with crew who
either know a lot about sailing already or who are eager and able to learn.
As crew we have a range of
experience and skills, but we are serious about being "crew." We don't go along
for the ride. We actively participate in the sails we take. We also take
advantage of the educational opportunities SUS and its skippers provide.
Where and When We Meet
We meet year round for
program meetings at the
Sons of
Italy in Norwalk and the Ponus Yacht Club in Stamford. From January through November we meet on the third (3rd)
Thursday of the month for excellent speaker programs. In addition, from
April through October we meet on the first (1st ) Thursday of the
month for a social meeting, usually at the Sons of Italy or Ponus, but sometimes
elsewhere, like the Coast Guard Auxillary Base at Calf Pasture, for educational (and fun)
activities related to sailing along with opportunities for getting to know each
other better. In December we celebrate with a holiday party in place of a
meeting.
What We Do On the Water
Each year SUS Skippers plan
an exciting season of wonderful sailing activities. Only the wind and the
weather need to cooperate!!! These include week-end "SailAway" raft ups to
favorite spots on Long Island Sound shores, day sails in local waters and
educational day/evening sails with a variety of skills to be shared and
experiences gained. Weather and water temperature permitting, many of us like to
be in the water at the end of a sailing day too. An annual Club Cruise to a
variety of New England destinations is also on the schedule.
Some of our Skippers like to
cruise, some like to race and others enjoy both. Crew experiences vary depending
on your skill, ability and adventurousness.
What We Do Off the Water
In addition to our
monthly/semi-monthly meetings, there are several planned club social activities
or "special events" each year. Our annual "Cast-Off" party occurs in the Spring and there is a "Change of Season" party in the Fall. Our annual Holiday
Party in December is always a favorite with dinner, dancing and the special
camaraderie and friendships made throughout the sailing season celebrated in a
more formal setting. There are usually some additional house parties, St.
Patrick's Day and Halloween often among them.
On the less than formal side,
we work together with many of our Skippers to get the boats ready to sail in
the Spring and help to "put the boats to bed" in the Fall. The tasks can
range from sanding bottoms (boat bottoms, of course) to painting, varnishing,
scrubbing, polishing, rigging lines, etc., etc., This is an important part of
the SUS experience. An opportunity to get to know other SUS members while
helping a Skipper with all of the chores associated with putting a boat into the
water or taking one out at the end of the season. Skippers are very
appreciative!
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