There are many reasons to be a member of the ECA. Those reasons range from comradery to boat value. Whether you are a DIY project lover, day sailor with the grandkids, hardcore racer, or just interested in seeing this lovely boat exist for another 60 years the ECA has something for everyone.
Let’s talk value first. They say the two happiest days in a sailor’s life are when they buy a boat and when they sell a boat. This sounds like a simple truth. But often the selling of a boat is much harder that the buying of a boat. How much is your boat worth? How does it compare to other boats in the market? How can you reach potential buyers? How long will it take to sell my boat? The ECA can offer answers to many of these questions. And we offer a service at no cost to boat owners to list their boats for sale on the ECA website. Just contact your local Fleet Captain or Regional Commander to get started.
The Ensign Class also supports our own boat builder and parts retailer. Ensign Spars is currently building new Classic Ensign’s that sell around $60,000 dollars and offer rehabilitation packages to make your old boat look new for just $15,000 dollars. In addition, Ensign Spars maintains an inventory of Ensign specific parts that includes everything from masts to drain plugs. No other class of sail boat offers so much support to their boat owners.
If you are new to owning an Ensign or, if you are a third generation Ensign owner, the ECA website contains lots of information for you. There are “how to” instructions for repairs, tuning guides, tips and tricks developed by the best ensign sailors in the world as well as product reviews, fleet locations, and contact information for your local and regional supports. News and events are also posted on the website. For anyone that owns or sails on an Ensign the website is wealth of information.
Leadership with a vested interest in the boat. The ECA’s leadership consists of a board of directors lead by our Commodore, Regional Commanders, and local Fleet Captains. Every one of our class leaders owns an Ensign and loves to talk about them. Leadership is easy to reach by phone, email or text. And every one of them is committed to the class. The Ensign is a nationally represented class with strong grass roots local leadership.
Here’s the kicker. Joining is also free. For new boat owners we offer a full year membership at absolutely no cost. After the first year membership is just $25.00 dollars a year. So you get all benefits of belonging to a great class of sailboat at a bargain price. Just another way the Ensign delivers value to her owners.
In more bulleted form:
The Ensign Class Association:
- Maintains an Active Website for its members which includes:
- Classified Ads
- Ensign Stories
- Member Discussion Forums
- For Sale Boat Listings
- Premier Articles on:
- Repair and Maintenance
- Tips
- Tuning
- Sail Trim
- Cruising
- Rigging
- Product Reviews
- How-To's
- Publishes Three Newsletters each year
- Publishes an Annual Yearbook
- Helps make sure boat parts are available that meet Ensign Class specifications
- Licenses a Builder to make new Ensigns and Ensign Specific Parts
- Owns the Hull and Deck Molds
- Promotes the Sport of Sailing
- Supports Youth Sailing through the Youth Sponsorship Program
- Has a Ship's Store with burgees and other items available for purchase
- Certifies new fleets
- Maintains Regional Fleet Assignments
- Helps Support, Organize, and Promote Regional and National Regattas and Cruising Rallies
- Maintains a uniform set of Class Rules to support one design racing
- Maintains a database and history of the Ensign Class, membership and fleets
- Owns the trademark for the Class symbol
- Helps retain the value of your investment.