The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club (PYC) is a small private yacht club based in the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York. The club is one of the earliest yachting institutions in America and founded in 1892. The club is located on the eastern shore in the heart of the Hudson Valley, on a part of the Hudson River about halfway between New York City and Albany. It shares a close proximity to the Hyde Park historic sites and the town of Rhinebeck. Its officers include a Commodore, Vice-Commodore, Rear-Commodore, Measurer, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club was founded on 1892 by a small group of working sailors and yachtsmen.
It now has approximately one-hundred twenty "active" (boat owning) and "social" (non-boat owning) members.
During the early years of the club's history, rowing played an important role fostering interest and membership. This led to the negotiations securing the first race of the "University Eights" (Intercollegiate Regatta) in June 1895. In addition to racing, yachting, and rowing, iceboating was popular with club members as well. The club field had as many as seven ice yachts, generally storing four in the boat house.
Traditionally the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club has been a "working club," where members take part in maintaining the club facilities and grounds. Participation hours include activities such as the "all hands on deck" docks in and docks out as well as working on the annual events hosted at the club. Members may choose the committee with which they wish to be affiliated (i.e., docks, membership, house, grounds, moorings, entertainment, etc.)
Clubhouses
Original 1892 Clubhouse.
In 1892, the club's first clubhouse was established in a modest, building in Poughkeepsie, New York, on what is now the water front of lower Main Street in Poughkeepsie. The club leased a dock known as the "Sand Dock" from the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad company at a rate of $25 per year. The first clubhouse was built by May of the following year. The location was on the site of the old Revolutionary Ship Yard (or Continental Shipyard) at Ship Yard Point, now known as Fox's Point in Poughkeepsie. The first club house was a wooden structure twenty by twenty feet, and two stories high. With money in short supply, unusual fund raising methods were employed. For example, in 1897, the veranda in front of the house was added using the proceeds of the "Autumn Carnival". The club has always been a "working man's club" and today aims to uphold the humble tradition.
In 1905, the club's second clubhouse was erected at a new location. The club largely had an untroubled history until the Fall of 1904 when the club had to move due to a land deal. After a great deal of effort and negotiation, a deal was made just south of the present Mid-Hudson Bridge, at the end of Union Street.
In 1974, the club's third clubhouse was built. Due to frustration with the Poughkeepsie Urban Renewal project, and the lack of land for winter storage and launching, the club moved location to its present location in Staatsburg, New York.
The current clubhouse is a two-storied building offering an unobstructed panoramic view of the Hudson River from its East shore location. Although the name (“Poughkeepsie”) comes from the club's origins in the late 19th century (founded in 1892), it is now located in Staatsburg New York, on historic Route U.S. 9. Nearby attractions include the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hyde Park Home, FDR Library and Museum, the Eleanor Roosevelt Home, the Vanderbilt Estate and grounds (including hiking trails), the Ogden Mills Estate, Norrie State Park, and the Culinary Institute of America.
Commodores
Year(s)
Commodore
Year(s)
Commodore
1892–1894
Powell Hobert
1962–1963
Frank Koff
1895
Edward Laufersweiler
1964
William E Murphy, Jr.
1896
James E. Birdsall
1965
James Creighton
1897–1899
William H. Frank
1966
George A. Beutel
1900
Herman Von der Linden
1967
Dr. George T. C. Way
1901
William H. Frank
1968
Richard C. Smith
1902–1903
Frank E. Daubert
1969
Einar D. Reves
1904–1905
Javy Ackert
1970–1971
David A. Harrand
1906
George P. Bogardus
1972–1974
Harold E. Krom
1907–1914
William H. Frank
1975–1976
James C. Clapp
1915–1916
Albert Traver
1977
Wilbur M. Rouse, Jr.
1917
Henry S. White
1978–1979
Robert K. Brown, Sr.
1918–1919
George Saltford
1980–1981
Frank R. Vinciguerra
1920–1922
Albert Traver
1982–1983
Richard E. Martineau
1923
Robert J. Pascoe
1984–1985
Edward A. Feldweg
1924–1929
Alpheus Wright
1986–1987
Cornelius S. Krajewski
1930
Alfred Heyer
1988–1989
Duff M. Neely
1931–1933
Keene Richards
1990–1991
Kenneth A. Sautter
1934
Howard M. Sherwood
1992–1993
Claus Uhl
1935–1937
Philip Mylod
1994–1995
Wiliam F. Washburn
1938–1939
Louis J. Hall
1996–1997
Harold L. Placke
1940
Keene Richards
1998–1999
William J. Spencer
1941–1942
Joseph Davis
2000–2001
Gerald Movall
1943
Dr. Howard P. Carpenter
2002–2003
Clark Henderson
1944
Einar B. Petersen
2004–2005
Mark V. Still
1945
Louis J. Hall
2006–2007
Leathem Mehaffey
1946
Keene Richards
2008–2009
William Fitchett
1947
Clifford F. Andrews
2010–2011
Frank Desiano
1948
Duncan Jago
2012-2013
Mark Jaggi
1949
Carl Fritz
2014-2015
Allen White
1950–1951
Clifford F. Andrews
2016-2017
Morgan (Greg) Smith
1952
Keene Richards
2018-2019
Mark VanDemark
1953
Stanley V. Post
2020-2021
Rudy Colich
1954–1955
Ralph B. DeLano, Jr.
1956–1957
Stanley V. Post
1958
Thomas A. Moawood
1959
Arthur W. Southwick
1960
Allan C. Miller
1961
James E. Carroll, Jr.
Gallery
Club Burgee
PYC North Dock
Sunset
Aerial photo from the 2000s
Foggy Morning 2011
Sunset 2011
Notes
References
Minute Books for the years 1892 - 1975 located at the Local History Room of the Adriance Memorial Library, Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY
The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club, Copyright 1992, Arthur E. Scott
Club Burgee
PYC North Dock
Sunset
Aerial photo from the 2000s
Foggy Morning 2011
Sunset 2011
