06/16/2026
2026 Welcome Letter from the Commodore
Ahoy, Swan’s Sailors!
The 2026 summer sailing season is upon us, and the Swan’s Island Yacht Club is excited to see you on the water and back on shore! Thanks to you, we had a great 2025 season of growth in membership, participation in lessons, leadership transition, and financial stabilization. This year, we’re continuing to expand what the SIYC offers to members and our wonderful island community.
Community Activities
- As always, our primary mission is to provide Free Sailing Lessons for kids on Swan's Island. This year, Iver is continuing to lead our Junior Sailing program on Wednesdays for children ages 8-13. Sign-up via Google Calendar (more details below). Last season we had record attendance, and we expect this year to be just as empowering and exciting for these young sailors.
- The Adult Sailing program, led by Ethan Rhile, will primarily happen 1-3pm on Sundays in July and August (except for our 3 Regatta Sundays). All adults and teens aged 14+ are welcome, regardless of skill level. You can also RSVP via Google Calendar for these weekly events. We’ll hop on our Mercury and Bullseye fleets to learn basic sailing and racing principles in both Burnt Coat Harbor and Mackerel Cove.
- Our three Regattas (aka, sailboat races) will be held every other week throughout the season (7/26, 8/9, and 8/23). We encourage any members with their own sailboat to skipper, and other adult members can join one of the Club’s Bullseyes or crew on a private boat.
- Back on shore, we’ll of course be hosting our classic social gatherings throughout the season at the SIYC Clubhouse at Trafton’s Wharf. As always, please bring a potluck dish to share, BYOB, and BYOC (cups, china, cutlery). More details will be found on Facebook and the Calendar.
New Initiatives
- This year, we’re launching a new way to sign up for lessons and RSVP to events: the SIYC Google Calendar. Here you’ll find all the details and easily RSVP via a link in the description of each event. (link in comments)
- We’d also love for members to share their photos and other happenings directly on our Facebook Group! We just launched the site last year, and it’s been a great place to learn what’s going on with the club and share our own experiences throughout the season. Feel free to join, post directly on the feed, and interact with each other even when we’re not in person. (link in comments)
- Last year we had 11% growth in membership, and we’re eager to continue that trend! One of our goals is to attract a more diverse range of recreational boaters to the club, such as anyone with motorboats and self-powered vessels (kayaks! paddleboards! classic rowboats!). The SIYC is here to welcome and encourage everyone to get out on the water, regardless of speed or style ;)
SIYC Membership
In 2026, the SIYC is continuing to offer the same benefits to our Members based on incremental donation tiers:
Mackerel
>$100 donation
SIYC household membership
Junior and adult sailing lessons
Invitation to all parties and events
Tuna
>$500 donation
All Mackerel benefits
Reserved access to Bullseye and Mercury fleets
Whale
>$1,000 donation
All Mackerel + Tuna benefits
Invitation to the Commodore’s Cruise™
Use of SIYC moorings (as available)
Whether you’re renewing your membership or if this is your first season, please fill out this membership form: https://forms.gle/ye5b1XHCsGxhxAM7A You'll also find details on how to submit your annual, tax-deductible donation (including cash, check, Venmo, charitable trust, or bank transfer).
Volunteer Opportunities
- We are looking for new volunteers to help Iver and Kieran with the Junior Sailing program. If you can row, kayak, or teach basic sailing principles, we’d love to have you join in the fun!
- It takes a lot of work to maintain our Fleets, launch the boats, and haul them all back in at the end of the season. We currently have a small group of folks who come out for this glamorous work, and we invite you to join them! Please look up the calendar invites for Work Parties (starting this weekend!) and sign up where you can. These are great opportunities to learn about the mechanics of sailboats, a critical part of learning how to sail.
- This season, we’d like to organize our Clubhouse at Trafton’s Wharf. This can be a place to not only store our sailing gear, but to hang out and socialize. If you’d like to help, please reach out!
- Many more opportunities to help will arise throughout the season, so keep a lookout. And even if you can’t help in person, your donations keep our shared organization afloat (as you’ll see in the next section).
Financial Report
- We are very happy to announce the amazingly successful launch of the SIYC Endowment! We set a goal last season of raising $200,000, and we’ve already received contributions in hand of over $155,000! This endowment creates a recurring income stream that enables us to maintain our infrastructure, sailing fleets, and community services such as sailing lessons. Thank you to John Conley and John Bryan for leading this initiative, and to all the generous early donors who have invested in the long-term sustainability of the SIYC. We are continuing to raise funding for the endowment, so please reach out to John Conley at [email protected] if you have any questions or want to contribute.
- The SIYC’s annual budget is currently $28,000, which is used to maintain our floats, ramp, fleets of sailboats and dinghies, insurance, rent, and operations. The majority of this budget is covered by annual donations from our membership. While earned interest from our new endowment will certainly help (in 2026, we estimate $4,000 in proceeds), that means we still need to raise at least $24,000 from members via tax-deductible contributions and other donations. Again, donation details can be found on the membership form https://forms.gle/ye5b1XHCsGxhxAM7A
Current Leadership
- I am honored to continue serving in my second year as the Commodore of the SIYC.
- John Conley is pulling double duty as Treasurer and Vice Commodore.
- Kieran Morris continues his essential work as Secretary, and is assisting Iver with the Junior Sailing program.
- Iver Lofving returns to lead our core Junior Sailing program on Wednesdays.
- Ethan Rhile is our new Fleet Captain and directs our Adult Sailing program.
- Rebecca Arbogast will once again serve as Race Committee Chair to keep our regattas safe, competitive, and fun.
- Chan Chao and Jennie Cohan are helping with our digital communications to keep you and the public in the loop.
- Amanda Ruane is stepping into a new role as Membership and Social Chair, to help organize our member outreach and community events throughout the season.
- Additionally, Commodore Emeriti John Bryan and John Good, as well as Ben Tongue, continue to participate on the board and in other crucial supporting roles.
Additional News
- We have the honor this year of hosting some notable visiting yacht clubs, including the Eastern Yacht Club (7/16), the Corinthian Yacht Club (8/4), and the New York Yacht Club (8/6). As we did last year with other cruising clubs, we are offering the use of our modest facilities (moorings, dock, and picnic areas) while humbly asking for donations (either via PayPal or in the SIYC donation box at the dock).
- We are also continuing to make our 4 SIYC Burnt Coat Harbor moorings available for short-term rental ($40/day, $200/week). Last year, we had them inspected and serviced, and each is capable of supporting vessels up to 50ft in length.
Thank you again for supporting this wonderful non-profit organization, and for helping to bring educational and recreational opportunities to kids and adults alike. Swan’s Island is truly a unique place, and the SIYC has become a fixture of local social life and proof of what happens when we join together toward a shared goal. Please reach out if you have any questions, and we’ll see you soon!
Cheers,
Mike Butera
Commodore, SIYC
P.S. Here's that membership form link again:
https://forms.gle/ye5b1XHCsGxhxAM7A
