Six radio controlled sailboats on the water in autumn, with the boat sheds, shingled buildings and a tall white tower on the far bank behind them

With MudRatz

Donate a boat

Give us a model boat you no longer sail and we will look after it, keep it rigged, and let young sailors have first use of it. That is most of what this page says.

The MudRatz burgee

MudRatz are part of this

MudRatz are the volunteer youth sailing outfit down the road in Stonington, running since 2013, and they are a 501(c)(3). Almost every boat their kids race was given to them rather than bought.

We are the model boat end of the same idea. A donation to MudRatz can be tagged for kids racing model boats with us, and because MudRatz is the charity, it is tax deductible. Club dues are not, since they buy you a vote and the use of our kit.

A boat

A DragonFlite, an International One Metre, an old Marblehead in a box of parts. If it floats and it is radio controlled, tell us about it.

What happens to it: we maintain it, keep it rigged and ready, and young sailors get first dibs on it every race day. A boat in a garage is worth almost nothing. The same boat here is a whole season for a kid who was never going to buy one, and then a season for the one after them.

Full sized boats too, at rather larger scale. That is how MudRatz built their fleet, and they will tell you honestly whether she fits rather than taking her out of politeness.

Or money

All three go to MudRatz. Put "model sailing" in the note and it reaches us.

Card or PayPal

Any amount. No PayPal account needed.

Venmo

Straight across to @mudratzinc.

Cheque

To MudRatz Inc, PO Box 293, Stonington, CT 06378.

MudRatz Inc is the 501(c)(3) and issues the acknowledgement, so keep that for your records. Many employers match gifts. Nothing here is tax advice.