An Open Letter to TONE Members

To our friends and fellow sailors in the Tartan Owners Northeast community,

For many years, TONE has brought Tartan owners together around a shared love of sailing, seamanship, and camaraderie. As TONE prepares to wind down its operations, we want to ensure that this community — and the relationships built within it — continue in a meaningful and supportive way.

We are writing to invite you to join Blue Water Sailing Club (BWSC), a member‑run club based in New England that shares many of the same values that have defined TONE: active sailing programs, social connection, learning, and a genuine sense of belonging.

BWSC offers:

• Regattas, cruises, and raft‑ups throughout the season
• Educational programs and speaker events
• A strong social calendar both on and off the water
• A friendly, inclusive culture that welcomes sailors of all experience levels

Most importantly, TONE funds are being used to significantly reduce the cost of BWSC membership for TONE members, making this an easy, affordable, and frankly hard‑to‑pass‑up opportunity to stay connected and keep sailing together.

Join Us in Person — Spring Luncheon, April 26

We would especially love to meet you at the BWSC Spring Luncheon on April 26, where TONE members are warmly invited to attend, meet BWSC members, and learn more about the club in a relaxed, social setting.

👉 Learn more about BWSC and special TONE member benefits:

https://bluewatersc.org/tone

👉 View details and register for the Spring Luncheon (April 26):

https://bluewatersc.org/luncheon

We see this not as a replacement for TONE, but as a natural next chapter — a way to keep friendships alive, continue sailing traditions, and ensure that Tartan sailors remain an active and visible part of the New England sailing community.

We truly hope you’ll join us.

Fair winds,

The Members of Blue Water Sailing Club

TONE to Dissolve Its Corporation
Club to End Operations in 2026

Tartan Owners Northeast (TONE) plans to dissolve its Massachusetts incorporation and end operations during 2026.  This has been a tough decision for the executive team but we have grappled with a lack of ongoing formal leadership interest for a number of years and we feel that it's time to bring TONE to a considered close.

We have polled the members a number of times over the last few years and although there has been interest expressed in more flexible leadership options, no one was willing to step up and take on the formal roles of President, Vice President, and Secretary as required by our Constitution and Bylaws.  As a Massachusetts corporation and a Federal 501c3 recognized organization we don't have the luxury of creating a more non-specific and flexible system of control.  We have to have people who accept the responsibility of running the club and the associated liability for its actions.

At some point this year, which is yet to be determined, our presence on Club Express (the website you are reading this message on) will cease.  CE charges TONE for our use of their site and back end services on a "per member" basis as well as an annual service fee.  TONE will terminate the CE relationship which will remove our outward facing web presence as well as the membership email communication tools.  We'll be pretty much "out of business."

A service that has been independent of Club Express, and which will not terminate when TONE dissolves, is the Tartanownerslist @ Groups.io listserv presence.  This email based chat room has been paid for annually by TONE but has the capability of continuing with its members paying the annual fee.  People using groups.io have not been required to be TONE members and many are not.  They will have the option to continue its operation by banding together to have someone pay the annual $210.00 fee.

We are making plans to archive the various files related to Tartan boats and the other historical data currently housed in various sections the TONE CE website.  This process is in the very early stages and more information will be distributed before our presence on CE shuts down.

As we complete the various steps that lead to final dissolution we'll keep members informed of the club status.