History

September 30, 1889

Six weeks before Washington became the 42nd state, a group of 26 sail and power boaters met under the leadership of Linus A. Post, the club's first Commodore, with the expressed desire of organizing a yachting club.

June 24, 1890

Formal announcement of the Articles of Association and Bylaws was made. These provided for a Board of seven Managers to conduct club affairs. Seventy-five dollars was set as the initiation fee and annual dues were to be twenty-five dollars.

August 23, 1890

With grand ceremony the new clubhouse at Manzanita Beach, off Maury Island, was dedicated. $500.00 was spent on the celebration which culminated with fireworks, on which one member had spent $150.00. The membership of 54 had invested $3,500.00 in the clubhouse, grounds and pier. At a later date $1,700.00 was spent on a launch for the use of members as they went back and forth to Tacoma.

1893

Disaster struck with the economic panic and the new club was almost wiped out. At the October 16th Annual Meeting, eight resignations were submitted. Because of the liability of each member for the club debts, the resignations were not accepted.

September 6, 1894

Theodore Hosmer, Commodore from 1893 through 1899, acting under instruction of the Superior Court, purchased all of the Clubs real estate from a receiver for $700.00. It was agreed to give Commodore Hosmer, "a quit claim deed conveying to him all of the rights, title, interest and claim of the Tacoma Yacht Club and its' real estate."

1895 - 1899

No change was shown in the roster of Club Officers. Actually, at this point in time an interest in such a luxury as yachting might have been frowned upon.

1900

From time to time renewed interest in a boating club surfaced. An account of the second yacht club race for the 1900 season revealed that yachts would sail a triangular course off the clubhouse on the Old Town Wharf at the foot of McCarver Street. This new course would benefit spectators who could view the entire race from the waterfront and the bluffs above.

1908

A group of yachtsmen, all of whom were cognizant of the unhappy days of individual liability, met in the offices of Tacoma architects, Lundberg & Potter, in order to discuss reorganization.

December 17, 1908

Incorporation was completed with the signatures of: C.R. Claghorn, C.A. Foss, S.S. Auss, C.F.W. Lundberg, H.T. Engoe, C.E. Hogberb (who had been active in yachting circles in Chicago), M.P. Potter, F.A. Smith and Roy Freeland.

1909

Sites from Brown's Point to Day Island were researched in the pursuit of a new setting for the organization's activities. Labor Day brought the grand opening of the new clubhouse on filled land opposite the Commercial Dock. The building was designed by Captain Lundberg. Nearby, about 30 sail and power boats were anchored.

World War I Period

Search for a new location was undertaken as a result of the end of the lease on the club's land. Finding nothing available nearer to downtown, an agreement was made with the Metropolitan Park District, and the clubhouse was moved by scow to Pt. Defiance where the ferry landing is now located. During the stormy Winter that followed a number of boats were lost. Boat owners then moved their watercraft to spots which provided better shelter.

1919

Listing 112 members and a fleet of 53 boats, the first Tacoma Yacht Club Yearbook was published this year. A site which offered greater protection and which was also under the supervision of the Metropolitan Park District, was next chosen. This was located under the high bank near the Smelter. The former office of the Seaborn shipyard was purchased and moved to this spot. This building, which was remodeled and constantly improved, provided a home that Tacoma Yacht Club members enjoyed for many years. At the outset the boaters were forced to park their cars in Ruston and negotiate the path from the top of the hill to the clubhouse and then to the slag pile, carrying their boating gear and food supplies.

1920s

The junior Yacht Club was very active during this period and contributed to several Club projects. They spent $100.00 of their funds for the sanding and refinishing of the dance floor. Another $100.00 was contributed to the Senior Club's fund for a new road. For many, a lifelong devotion to yachting resulted from the interest kindled through participation in the Junior Club.

1922

Automobiles were coming into their own and drawing Tacomans away from water recreation as they followed the roads to the many scenic spots offered by the Northwest. The number of boats moored in the basin dropped drastically.

1934

A new road was built along the bulkhead under the ferry landing. Remodeling of the clubhouse under the supervision of Silas Nelson was undertaken. The first area completed was the lounge and game room followed by the dance floor and galley remodeling in 1936.

1937

A group of wives asked the Board of Directors for permission to form a women's organization. After approval was granted by the Board, the entire membership of the men's club voted upon the request and granted its approval.

September, 1937

SHIPMATES were organized, bringing together the wives, sisters and daughters of TYC Members. This was the first auxiliary of this type on the Pacific Coast and it immediately went to work unselfishly and enthusiastically in the interests of its parent organization. Mrs. Henrietta Mairs was the first president followed by Mrs. Blanche Worthington , whose support and counsel proved to be a continuing asset and inspiration to the women's group. During the second year of its existence it furnished eighteen card tables and 72 folding chairs for the clubhouse.

1937 - 1940s

Officers of the Tacoma Yacht Club and of Shipmates were installed at joint affairs and trophy awards were made on the same night. Activities of a social nature as well as hard work, painting, carpentry, electrical and dock work, all combined in building close friendships among the skippers and their families. P/C Bert Bradley owned an apartment house on Broadway and on occasion, when special parties were to be held, he would load furniture from his business place on a truck for loan to the Yacht Club.

1938

Tacoma provided the largest representation for the International Power Boat Races between Bremerton and Nanaimo. Crews from more than twenty boats bearing the TYC burgee were among those entertained in Nanaimo. This same year TYC hosted an Interclub Regatta with twelve boating clubs sharing the gala activities. The entire waterfront of Dockton was illuminated with thousands of electric light bulbs in combination with several high-powered spotlights.

1941

Dwight Rowland donated property for an outstation on Wollochet Bay and the Club purchased an additional one-hundred-twenty-five feet. This acquisition made the Club the first in the Northwest to own such a rendezvous. Picnic grounds were cleared, floats and docks built. Rudy Dehler presented a large brick fireplace for the pleasure of the members.

1945

Names of fifty members who were serving in the armed forces were posted. Many members who remained at home served in the Coast Guard.

1947

Shipmates observed a new tradition with the inauguration of Anniversary Dinners. Through these years parents as well as children anticipated with great pleasure the annual Christmas parties where Santa Claus (P/C Frank Walters) appeared, appropriately crawling out of the fireplace for his annual visit. Another eagerly awaited event was the appearance each your of the Children's Christmas Choir in its red robes.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1950

A blizzard which lasted for the entire weekend struck. Members worked day and night in shifts battling winds and high tides in order to save their boats. Despite their efforts, several boats and some boathouses sank.

1951

A Shipmates race was added to the racing schedule in the form of the Commodore's Race with the Commodore setting the course and determining the winner.

1952

As a result of dredging, the basin could now handle seventy additional boats, making a total of two-hundred-twenty. The roster of members listed four-hundred-thirty-six. A blizzard during a sailboat race made the finding of Toliva Shoals Buoy seem like a scavenger hunt. A new major event was added this year in the form of a Daffodil Marine Regatta.

1953

Carlyle Muehler was the first recipient of the new "Man of the Year Award" for unselfish service to the Tacoma Yacht Club. One of his projects during this year was that of gathering together all of the Past Commodores pictures and organizing them in sequence in one continuous frame. He also served as Chairman of Daffodil Weekend.

April 15-17, 1955

Sea Cadets met and assisted in berthing the cruisers as they arrived for the fourth annual Marine Daffodil Festival.

1958

The Tacoma Yacht club celebrated its Fiftieth Anniversary and the burning of the mortgage on the Clubhouse. Govnor Teats on Stormy weather won five races in over forty-five mph winds.

1961

Power Boaters desirous of emphasizing the skipper's skill, decided that the individual who, through his racing competition, amassed the greatest number of points during a season, would be named "Skipper of the Year". An additional purpose of granting this award was to increase member participation in Predicted Log Racing.

1963

Club improvements continued with a membership of 400 and 300 boats moored in the basin. Des Sessinghaus and Marc Anderson planned and supervised the construction of a retaining wall to stop erosion of land near the water. As a result of the combined efforts of Ken Dulac, Leon Kleiner, William Ostruske and Bud Mecklenberg, the flagpole was constructed and erected. Annual Steak Frys at Wollochet concluded with dancing on the plywood covered dock to organ melodies emanating from the deck of the Evert Landon yacht.

1965

There was talk of changing the location of the clubhouse. Work parties at Wollochet improved moorage space and facilities.

February 6, 1967

Tabling of a resolution which would have provided funds with which the new clubhouse project could have gone forward dimmed the hopes of those who favored such a project. The opinion was voiced that the Tacoma Yacht Club had an obligation to increase its moorage facilities to the fullest possible extent in order to accommodate the greatest number of boaters.

June, 1968

A proposal to build a new clubhouse on the slag pile was defeated.

November 11, 1968

Commodore David Ludwig appointed a committee of fifteen under the chairmanship of P/C Arnold Doersam to look into the club's future and determine whether the old building should be remodeled or whether means should be found to finance a new facility. Following the report of this committee, the club members voted to build a new clubhouse on the breakwater.

January 25, 1971

The first shovelful of dirt was turned on the site of the new clubhouse with completion expected in September. One-hundred-eighty Bond Purchasers helped make this project possible.

October 1971

Moving day had arrived and the new $350,000 quarters on the end of the breakwater was ready for occupancy. This large tack came into its final phases during the two terms of P/C David Ludwig. It was financed, bid and contracted during the term of P/C Dave Nielsen and inaugurated during the term of P/C Jim Lundberg. Continuing growth and the loyal support of the membership played a great role in the ultimate success of the project.

1972

Two-hundred-five sailboaters and guests attended the Annual Awards Banquet at which Des Sessinghaur was honored for his outstanding service as Measurer.

1973-1978

Growth and change continued. The Jib Crane was completed. Old wooden docks were replaced by concrete walkways supported by Styrofoam. Guest moorage has been provided near the clubhouse. A raffle provided funds to blacktop the parking lot. The expertise of P/C Ken Warter has been of great value in these improvements to our basin and our grounds.

1979-1980

Major improvements in the moorage floats and dock at our Wollochet Bay outstation were accomplished as the result of generous donations from Andrew Nelson, Archie Matthew, Joe Martinac and P/C Francis Shearer.