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Post by Geoffrey on Oct 28, 2014 19:39:11 GMT
I am a new hire starting in December, and plan to join the Half Moon Yacht Association. I understand that owning a boat is required, and would like to find out which class of boats does the most racing so I can plan accordingly (sunfish, lasers, catamarans, etc). Thanks!
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Post by vpainter on Nov 7, 2014 23:20:55 GMT
I sent an email to a friend who is a member of the yacht club and sails and races. I will let you know what he says.
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Post by vpainter on Nov 9, 2014 7:33:09 GMT
Here is the answer for the Dhahran Yacht Club:
The Sunfish and Catamaran Fleets are the most active. Sunfish are entry level boats – great for beginners and families – largest most frequent racing schedule – family fun with minimal rules. Catamarans come in all sizes 14 to 18 feet and are faster. If you are an experienced sailor and like technical sailing & rules then the Laser Fleet needs new blood. Boats are rare so I recommend you import a brand new boat – it must have factory papers – not used!
– Sunfish Admiral (retired)
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Uman
Senior Member
Posts: 161
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Post by Uman on Nov 9, 2014 16:08:22 GMT
Geoffrey,
If you are interested in a half share of a brand new Hobie 16 pm me I can help.
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Post by AlaskaKat on Apr 5, 2015 9:26:11 GMT
I am a new hire starting in June, and plan to join the Half Moon Yacht Association. Is it possible to get a copy of all the rules and regulations? I would like to ship a boat and need some info. Would a 50 foot sail boat be too large? If you file a float plan will the Coast Guard allow multi day sails in Saudi coastal waters?
Thanks,
AlaskaKat
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Uman
Senior Member
Posts: 161
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Post by Uman on May 6, 2015 14:49:35 GMT
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derekg
Senior Member
Posts: 107
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Post by derekg on May 6, 2015 16:19:42 GMT
AlaskaKat,
Shipping boats here is expensive and requires a fair amount of paperwork. You would not be able to start any documentation until you are here and have your iqama (residence permit). There are several fleets at HMYA and a 50ft sailboat would be in the offshore fleet, which has space at this time. You would likely be disappointed bringing a boat that large here since our sailing is generally limited to Half Moon Bay which has some very shallow areas which can present challenges for deeper keels; most boats are much smaller with the offshore fleet generally not exceeding 30ft.
If you want to sail outside of the bay or a night you would need to file a sail plan with the Saudi Coast Guard, which must be approved prior to sailing. This process is complex and you would be expected to adhere very closely to the sail plan, with multi-day plans presenting potentially significant challenges; some areas are restricted and sailing at night would present problems. One outside of Half Moon Bay, there are some channel markers present, but these are generally for larger ocean going vessels such as tankers; in the channels these boats have right of way at all times. Sailing in the Arabian Gulf presents specific challenges and it is not recommended, particularly in the Coastal waters of Saudi Arabia. It is possible to have a boat in Bahrain, Qatar or UAE but these all raise the issue of travel time and slip/maintenance fees.
The organization rules are not complex and we are governed by company policy, which helps ensure compliance with government rules and expectations. These rules can be provided once you arrive here, but the most important one is that you must own a seaworthy boat belonging to one of the fleets before membership can be granted, and you must be a central area employee housed in the Dhahran/al-Khobar/Dammam area with residential camp privileges (GC11+). It is important to note that not all fleets have space and some have waiting lists; some boats can be partnered with more than one owner, but these are generally high hull value boats. You can find current information at hmya.wildapricot.org which is our current site, until we migrate this site to a new domain.
I hope this provides you some answers; if you have any additional questions, please contact me via PM and I will do my best to provide answers.
DerekG
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