|
Hartley18, suggest you approach some of the clubs around Melbourne and find out how you apply for a pen. At my club they have a waitlist for pens, however you have to be a current member (which means forking out $ for joining fees, annual fees, etc). The current wait here is about 2-3 years. When you are on the waitlist you sometimes get preferrential treatment for temporary pens, ie if someones boat is on the hard for major maintenance, off sailing for 3-4 months, etc. I have also seen some clubs give preference to pens for yachts that are actively racing.
Alternatively some boats are sold with the rights to a pen (ie either owned or there is a long term lease arrangement). If you get something offered like this make sure you have it specified in writing specific for the pen. I previously had a "gentleman's agreement" for a pen, which was'nt worth s#%*.
Alternatively why not get a bigger trailer sailer that you can initially keep on the hard and apply for a pen at the same time. I use to race with a guy at Royal Brighton YC who has a Seaway 25 which he kept in a pen, plus he had a trailer so we could do the Marley Pt overnight race and other trailerable events. He eventually sold it and brought a larger boat, which fitted into the pen he already had.
Good luck!
|