By Chris Campbell
Contributing Writer
5/6/08

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“I’ve got to repaint the whole bottom, do the white (section of the boat) every second year and undo the winterization,” he says.
Many members looking to get their boats in have been deterred from meeting their goals by weather conditions.
“It’s been a wet spring—a terrible spring to work on boats,” says Carlson.
Member Brian Haynes is in no hurry to get his boat up and running.
“My boat probably won’t go in until early July,” says Haynes, adding that he usually gets out only a few times a year anyway.
A trip down to the club reveals people of all different professions congregating to work on their boats and equally eager to have some down time with one another. Haynes says that the member community is a pretty diverse group, including judges, policemen, carpenters, plumbers and even state senators.
Local residents, as well as many residents from surrounding communities, say that Milton is a good place to store their boats. Carlson says that the location is full of hardworking people.
“It’s a working man’s club. You put in your time,” says Haynes.
The community is full of amiable members, many of whom are willing to throw down whatever it is they are working on to help one another or even just to shoot the breeze.
“We all help each other out. We’re all good friends,” says Carlson.
Hidden deep inland along the Neponset River, Milton Yacht Club houses over 35 boats and has roughly 130 members. The location is great weather-wise because it is protected from the elements of nature.
Some people enjoy the location for the fishing as well.
“A lot of people like it down here. You catch stripe bass here,” says Paul Finneran, who lives across the river from the club.
Sadly, a multitude of “For Sale” signs dot the yacht club landscape. And with gas prices at $4 a gallon, the cost to fuel a boat is a major consideration for potential buyers. Diesel fuel (used mainly for larger boats) is striking $5 a gallon, leaving many boaters with no choice but to sell their crafts.
Member Paul Finneran says that it now costs roughly $750 dollars to fill his boat with fuel, but that it only lasts about a day.
“Everything about it gives you heart failure,” says Finneran.
Haynes notices a trend in the ratio of members to boats.
“There are 130 members and about 35 boats. That proves that the majority of members have a brain. They are smart to stay away from boats,” says Haynes.
Many members are finding themselves cutting back on their leisurely boating time to save money.
“I go on mostly short tips because the cost to fuel a boat has gotten very high. I used to go to Maine every summer, and I went to Florida for seven winters,” says Carlson.
However, despite the high fuel prices, many members find that their love of boating outweighs their financial concerns.
“I grew up with it. My family always had boats, my family loves it,” says Carlson.