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The true story of Quartzsite, Arizona, the tiny, desert town from 'Nomadland' that's much quirkier in real life

• Warning: Spoilers ahead for Academy Award best picture "Nomadland."
• The tiny desert town of Quartzsite, Arizona, is one of the main locations featured in "Nomadland."
• Quartzsite is a real-life RVers' stomping ground that attracts 2 million visitors each year.
• Director Chloe Zhao called Quartzsite " one of the wildest towns " she's been to.
• From the purported largest RV gathering in the world to a man known as the naked bookseller, here is the real-life story of Quartzsite.

Quartzsite, Arizona, is one of the main filming locations for Academy Award best picture "Nomadland" and a real-life nomads' stomping ground.

Based on a 2017 book by Jessica Bruder , the film follows the journey of Fern, a 61-year-old woman who turns to van life after she loses everything in the wake of the 2008 recession.

While Fern is a fictional character played by actress Frances McDormand, the places she visits, and many of the people she meets, exist in real life.

The tiny town is located in the Sonoran Desert 129 miles west of Phoenix with a permanent population of roughly 3,700 people.

Zhao called Quartzsite, Arizona, a main filming location for the film, "one of the wildest towns" she's ever been to in a recent interview with Conde Nast Traveler.

It's "the place that nomads gather once a year — you really want to see what it's like. It's special," Zhao said.

Each year, Quartzsite attracts an estimated 2 million visitors. It's particularly popular with van dwellers, who flock to its trade shows, 70-plus RV parks, and federal campgrounds during the winter months.

In an article for camping website The Dyrt, nomadic couple David Hutchison and Shari Galiardi call Quartzsite "a shrine to modern transportation."

"Every kind of mobile home and driver is welcome and celebrated in some corner of this open-air cathedral," they wrote.

Traveler Thomas Farley describes Quartzsite as both a "town and a meeting place."

"In winter it is a gathering of the clan for recreational vehicle snowbirds, flea market enthusiasts, ham radio operators, off-road motorists, geo-cachers, and rockhounds," he wrote in a 2017 article for Rock & Gem magazine.

Source: The Town of Quartzsite

In "Nomadland," Fern decides to make the pilgrimage to Quartzsite to join her friend Linda May at a real-life event called Rubber Tramp Rendevous, also known as RTR.

The RTR is an annual gathering of nomads run by Bob Wells, a van dweller since 1995 and founder of the blog Cheap RV Living, who plays himself in the film. The event is free to attend and takes place over two weeks in January.

Source: Homes on Wheels Alliance

The goal of RTR is to provide van dwellers with essential survival skills and a sense of community. Seminars cover topics like how to go to the bathroom while on the road and how to stealth park.

"I love this lifestyle," one RTR instuctor says in the film as she teaches attendees how to defecate into a bucket. "It is a lifestyle of freedom and beauty, and connection to the Earth. Yet there is a trade‐off. You gotta learn how to take care of your own shit.

This year, seminars were virtual . 

The inaugural RTR in 2010 started with 45 people and has grown over the years, according to the New York Times. In 2018, an estimated 3,000 nomads attended.

"The RTR is full of kindred spirits, like a non-blood family," Jessica Bruder, author of "Nomadland," told the New York Times in 2018. "People there feel heard and understood and valuable. There can be a sense of isolation out there in the world. When they get to the RTR, it melts away."

While in Quartzsite attending RTR, Fern heads to the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show, an annual event that bills itself as the largest RV gathering in the world.

The event is over 40 years old and takes place from mid to late January. In 2021, it featured 400-plus exhibitors selling products catered to nomads and those who live outdoor lifestyles.

Source: Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show

One night, Fern goes line dancing at the Quartzsite Yacht Club, a real-life, boat-themed motel made up of a bar, restaurant, and hotel rooms housed in mobile homes.

"It doesn't get delighfully quirkier" than the Quartzsite Yacht Club, one Yelp reviewer wrote . "Even in Quartzsite, which is about the quirkiest place south of bizarre."

The Quartzsite Yacht Club is one of two lodging accomodations in town. Each motel room has a ship name like SS Minnow, and karaoke was a frequent occurence before the pandemic.

The motel is temporarily closed, with plans to reopen in October .

At the conclusion of RTR, Fern watches attendees place a large cardboard van cutout into a fire. This tradition, among others, led the New York Times to dub the event the real 'Burning Man' in 2018.

Source: The New York Times

Fern decides to stay in Quartzsite after RTR, finding work at a gem and mineral show.

Quartzsite is known as a rock collectors' heaven and hosts multiple gem shows and swap-meets throughout January and February. The town even made its slogan "the rock capital of the world."

Quartzsite was home to 39 mines in its heyday, Thomas Farley wrote in a 2017 article for Rock & Gem magazine. By the mid 1960s, many had been shut down, and rockhounders came calling, he said.

Source: Desert USA , Town of Quartzsite

Fern also attends a piano performance performed by famous Quartzsite resident Paul Winer. Winer, who passed away in 2019, was the owner of Reader's Oasis Books, and was known as the "naked bookseller" for walking around mostly nude.

Quartzsite is "a tiny town by most standards, but most decidedly colorful," Russ and Tiña De Maris  wrote  in a post on RVtravel.com. "A big share of that color was courtesy of Paul Winer, the (in)famous 'Naked Bookseller.'"

"The attire on his scrawny frame usually consisted of a single strategically placed sock covering his naughty bits, maybe a straw hat, a necklace and sandals," M.V. Moorhead  recalled  in a tribute to Winer published in Phoenix Magazine.

Before Winer passed,  a sign outside Reader's Oasis Books  read "Public Notice - Store-owner wears only a 'thong' ... in other words - nudist on premises." 

When he wasn't selling books and  posing for photos with visitors , Winer performed as " boogie woogie pianist " under the name Sweet Pie. 

Winer is survived by his wife Joanne, who now runs Reader's Oasis.

Throughout Fern's time in Quartzsite, caravans of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) can be seen in the background. OHVs are a common sight in Quartzsite since it is the gateway to the Arizona Peace Trail, a 675-mile network of OHV trails.

Over 1,000 miles of designated OHV trails surround Quartzsite, and visitors can access trails from almost any road in town, Shanana Rain Golden-Bear, president of the Quartzite Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, told Insider.

"Quartzsite is like an island, but instead of being surrounded by water, we are totally surrounded by [Bureau of Land Management] lands," Golden-Bear said.

Source: Quartzsite Tourism

Quartzside hosts an annual parade every January for OHvs called the Hi Jolly Daze Parade. Motorcyclists and classic car owners join in, and some participants build parade floats.

Source: Hi Jolly Daze Parade

The parade honors a Syrian camel trainer nicknamed "Hi Jolly" who came to the US in 1856 at the request of the government to help transport freight and people across the desert. He died in Quartzsite, and residents erected a tomb in his memory.

Source: Roadside America

In recent years, Quartzsite's chamber of commerce and tourism has found sponsors to pay for at least one camel and handler to walk in the parade, chamber president Shanana Rain Golden-Bear told Insider.

Fern eventually leaves Quartzsite to travel to various RV sites across the US in "Nomadland," but returns to the desert town the following winter, like many real-life nomads do year after year.

• Main content

Quirky Quartzsite, Arizona: What You Need to Know

A Guide to Visiting "The Rock Capital of the World"

Pass through the small hamlet of Quartzsite, Arizona, in the summer, and you may think nothing happens in this flat desert town. But come winter, the entire area bustles with activity—and not just from tumbleweeds.

During the two months, RVers come by the thousands to camp (called "boondocking" here) in the temperate if fairly primitive desert conditions. Yet, there's another reason people descend in droves during the winter: a love of geology.

Quartzsite, with its unusual concentration of collectible gems, minerals, and precious metals, has been a rock hound's paradise since the 1960s. It swells in population each winter thanks to more than 1 million visitors, most of whom converge on the small town in a wave of RVs during January and February. The Desert USA website explains the draw:

“Eight major gem and mineral shows as well as vendors of raw and handcrafted merchandise peddle their wares to snowbirds, collectors and enthusiasts.”

Located in the Sonoran Desert of western Arizona, Quartzsite sits just 18 miles east of the Colorado River on Interstate 10. The 125-mile trip takes about two hours from Phoenix; the town is also easy to reach from Los Angeles in under five hours by car.

The annual show season runs from October through April, though the main events take place in January and February. If you like gems and minerals, hit the sales during the big “rock hound” events when you can find collectible geodes, crystals, and even fossilized bones from around the globe. Antique hunters score at the swap meets, and you can find unusual handmade items and one-of-a-kind jewelry at the nearly constant craft shows. Add in a mix of classic car shows, chili cook-offs, and  RV shows and sales , and Crazy Quartzsite keeps your social calendar full.

Check the  Quartzsite calendar  so you can come during the events that most interest you. Grab a copy of  The Desert Star  newspaper when you get to town for more up-to-date news and ads.

How does a town in the Sonoran Desert, hundreds of miles from the nearest body of water, gain the largest yacht-club membership in the world? Back in the 1970s, Al Madden opened the Quartzsite Yacht Club Restaurant Bar & Grill and started selling memberships as a joke. By 2010, more than 10,000 people representing every state and numerous countries around the world had become card-carrying members of the Quartzsite Yacht Club.

What to Expect

Be prepared for traffic during the height of the season; I-10 frequently gets backed up in January and February.

It’s dusty out there in the desert, and most shopping takes place outdoors in makeshift tents along rows of RVs. The wind can pick up or a rainstorm can move in suddenly, so be prepared with a jacket, sturdy outdoor clothes, and walking shoes. 

If you're not prepared to bed down in an RV, a handful of chain hotels operate in Quartzsite. You can also stay on the west side of Phoenix and venture into Quartzsite as a day trip.

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• Quartzsite, Arizona /

Quartzsite Yacht Club Restaurant Bar

You can order perfectly cooked cod , fish & chips and coleslaw . At this bar, guests can order good beer or delicious liqueur . Check out great ice tea .

Select between indoor and outdoor seating. Many visitors point out that employees are friendly at this place. Modern decor lets the guests relax. Based on the users' feedback on Google, Quartzsite Yacht Club Restaurant Bar deserved 4.2.

Best in the city This award is based on the analysis of multiple factors, including reviews, ratings, and user engagement trends on Restaurant Guru.

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Restaurant features in Quartzsite

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Quartzsite Yacht Club

I become a member of the Quartzsite Yacht Club — “Welcome Aboard – long time, no sea!” -the motto of the Quartzsite Yacht Club I joined a yacht club. I joined a yacht club in the middle of the Sonoran desert. There is no water, no sea access, no rivers in sight of this yacht [...]

I become a member of the Quartzsite Yacht Club —

“Welcome Aboard – long time, no sea!” -the motto of the Quartzsite Yacht Club

I joined a yacht club. I joined a yacht club in the middle of the Sonoran desert.

There is no water, no sea access, no rivers in sight of this yacht club, nor are there any boats — unless, of course, you count the ones that are being flatbedded behind rigs driving down the interstate running deliveries to the seaside ports of Los Angeles and San Diego hundreds of miles away.

——————— Phoenix, Arizona, Southwest USA, North America Tuesday, September 29, 2009 Wade’s Travel Gear | All Travelogue Entries ———————

Yes, it is true, the Quartzsite Yacht Club does not have any access to the sea — it never has and it never will unless California falls into the ocean and the Pacific rears up to meet its new coast line in Arizona — but these cold facts seemed to have done little to deter its founder, Al Madden, from founding a yacht club in the desert.

The fact that Quartzsite is as dry as a mouth full of saltine crackers  may even have encouraged the founding of the yacht club:

Americans possess nothing if not a love for a good twist of over obvious irony — and a yacht club in the middle of the Arizona desert is appropriately ironic.

As you dust the grit of the desert off of your blue jeans and take one last breathe of air that cooks you from the inside out, you approach the Quartzsite Yacht Club, which sits right on the main thoroughfare of town. You may even caste one last glance out across a wide expanse of bare naked desert earth before you walk up to its door. The mere thought of water here is a mirage of the mind, and to even dream about the open sea seems ludicrous: you are in the land where fire combines with earth, and the water element seems to be a facade reserved for far away lands.

But as you reach for the handle you see a replica of ship’s helm hanging above the door — and you realize that you are about to enter a yacht club. Inside, the walls are covered in sea going paraphernalia — paintings of storms at sea, oars, shipping flags, stuffed marine animals, models of ships, ships in bottles, nautical charts, and a big galley bell hangs over the thick wooden bar.

The sign on the bell caught my attention:

“To he who rings this bell in jest, buys a round for all the rest.”

As I sat at the bar dreaming into the sea paintings and random assortment of ship parts and pieces that completely blanketed the walls of the club, I began to realize that this yacht club is no jest: it is for real. The people who duck into port and dock at Quartzsite may not be traveling by boat, they may not be traveling by sea, but they do have yachts: land yachts, a.k.a. Recreational Vehicles — RVs and campers.

Each year in Quartzsite 300,000 people from all over the USA and Canada sail across the continent in their land yachts for the cheap port fees and good docking facilities that are found in Quartzsite. These terrestrial sailors then stay for a few months drinking beer, worshiping the sun, and rejoicing that they possess the wisdom and gumption to follow the birds south and duck out of another winter . . .

And why not?

The yacht club serves as the main rendezvous point for these terrestrial sailors.

Terrestrial Yacht in the Desert

But as soon as spring breaks in again for its yearly round, Quartzsite is again left abandoned, and the sailors return home.

Though the yacht club still keeps its doors open for the few thousand sailors who have tied up to more permanent moorings and stay in the small desert town throughout the year.

“I pay $80 a month to keep my RV here,” spoke a year-rounder who pulled a stool up next to me at bar of the yacht club one night.

“Not bad,” I reply.

“Yeah, not bad,” he continued, “A lot of people say that they come here for the sun or for the weather, but no, they come here for another reason.”

People come to Quartzsite because it is cheap to live there.

$80 a month, apparently, claims a place for an RV, and a few more ten dollar bills on top of this covers rent with utilities. I must say here that, in my scant survey of inter continental sailing, this is a common tune of oceanic sailors as well: you go to where you can live the best on the least amount of money and effort.

For many RVers this place is Quartzsite, Arizona.

Yacht club in desert

I ordered another $1.75 beer at the bar, and then inquired as to how I could become a member of the Quartzsite Yacht Club.

As for the benefits of membership I would get a t-shirt that had an image of a yacht sailing through the desert with cacti all around and a surprised jack rabbit watching the ship sail passed, a certificate confirming that I am a charter member of the club, a standard yacht club affiliation flag for the boat that I am soon to buy, and an official Quartzsite Yacht Club membership card.

People at the club even attests that the yacht club reciprocity statement that is printed on the card is in fact valid, and one man even told how he was permitted to gas up his boat at a club in California simply because he flashed his Quartzsite Yacht Club card.

I figure that if I am going to sail the world by sea I may as well be a member of a yacht club. And perhaps the only yacht club that is suitable for me is one out in the middle of the dry, dry desert.

I signed my name on the club membership ledger, and the bartender then saluted me and proclaimed me official charter member #7491 of the Quartzsite Yacht Club.

Quartzsite Yacht Club Card

Arizona Desert Series

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About the Author: VBJ

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You’ve got to love a bit of irony! Nothing better that a yacht club without the sea or boats. But instead “land yachts” also known as RV’s and Caravans.

You can certainly see the similarity in the lifestyles. Just one on land and another at sea!

Thanks for sharing this post. Has certainly brought a smile to my face!

This is a brilliant idea. I wouldn’t mind being a part of it just for the fact it’s a yacht club without any form of sea transport. It is a good idea to try to live the best you can on as little as possible because it means you can save money in the long run.

Right on, the place is really interesting.

I love the yacht club.

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Quartzsite, Arizona, made famous by Oscar-winner 'Nomadland,' readies for new tourists

It was the day after "Nomadland,” partly filmed in Quartzsite, Ariz., won the Academy Award for Best Picture. But the owner of a rock shop and gift store was readying a sign advertising another Quartzsite claim to fame: Home of the world’s largest belt buckle.

“I’m going to pull these guys off the freeway,” said Phil Bates, owner of the Main Trading Post on Monday as he readied the roadside sign, advertising the four-by-eight foot buckle.

One of Quartzsite’s industries has indeed been inducing drivers along Interstate 10 to turn off into the town for gas and food.

Quartzsite also hosts internationally-known rock and mineral shows and has shops that sell gems year-round.

But its other lifeblood is winter visitors. Both people with tricked-out RVs take a designated space in one of the town's many proper RV parks. As well as people who find space out in the surrounding desert. 

Where Fern lived in 'Nomadland'

It was the latter that was depicted in Nomadland . Francis McDormand won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of Fern, a widow who moves from a company town where the company has closed. She turns her van into her house and begins her nomadic life in Quartzsite, a small town in the desert of western Arizona.

It is not entirely clear whether the Best Picture win will translate into more tourists deciding to make a pit stop in Quartzsite. But Bates said he plans to be ready to sell "Nomadland"-related T-shirts and tchotchkes to any of the newly curious.

“I saw that it won,” he said, “It was like, son of a gun, that movie really took off.”

The Quartzsite Yacht Club

The filming of the movie, in late 2018, did not seem to draw much attention from residents, nor disrupt daily activities. Most of McDormand’s scenes were filmed where the nomadic travelers camp, in the desert south of Interstate 10. The town proper lies north of the freeway, though two Quartzsite businesses are shown in the film.

In one scene, McDormand dances with co-star David Strathairn inside the Quartzsite Yacht Club, a bar and grill on Main Street that features live music when it’s open.

Those wanting to visit the Quartzsite Yacht Club, however, will have to wait until at least October. The bar closed for the season in February, a bit early because of staffing issues, according to its Facebook page.

MeMe Selleck, the Yacht Club's owner since 2015, said the bar will reopen in October along with what she anticipates will be "Nomadland" merchandise for sale. She no doubt will sell more memberships to the Quartzsite Yacht Club, each priced at $49.99.

The bar is at the center of a landlord-tenant dispute that has been scheduled for trial in La Paz County Superior Court in July, court records show. But Selleck didn't expect that to alter her business.

Donald Miller, who sings his "Quartzsite Vendor Blues" in the film, will be back at the club, Selleck said.

"With the movie and the big hype, I've been getting a lot of messages," Selleck said. "I think it will be a positive for everybody in this town."

A sad piano song at Reader's Oasis

In the movie, McDormand also takes in a performance by Paul Winer, who plays a melancholy boogie-woogie piano song paying tribute to dead friends. That piano sits in a small music hall adjoining the Reader’s Oasis bookstore, also along Main Street.

A location scout for the film heard Winer’s playing and sent a video to the film’s director, Chloé Zhao, who decided to include him in the film, said Joanne Winer, Paul’s wife.

In the scene at the piano, Winer offers a musical toast to, as he sings it, "the friends who had to depart. The friends in our heart," concluding, "Help me smile away the tears." 

Winer died in November at 75 after an illness that started to hit him around the time of filming, Joanne Winer said. Paul Winer didn’t get to see himself in the movie, but he figured he would make the final cut after he received a check for $1,000, Joanne Winer said. She also received an advance royalty check of another $1,000 as Winer’s song, “Next To The Track Blues,” was put on the film’s soundtrack.

Paul Winer earned the nickname “The Naked Bookseller” because he would be naked much of the time. Though, Joanne Winer said, he didn’t have to be told that the filmmakers would want him clothed for his piano performance in the movie.

Joanne Winer said she’s hoping for a “Nomadland” bump in business. She said that with the COVID-19 pandemic keeping away tourists this winter, particularly Canadians, her business is off 80% compared to last year. 

Much of her business, she said, comes from tourists who want to pick up a book as a souvenir, rather than a T-shirt. 

Desert dwellers and the all-important bucket

The nomads who camp in the desert form their own community during the winter months, said Mark Goldberg, who runs a Quartzsite Off-Road, an atlas of interesting sites that can be viewed by users of all-terrain vehicles.

Goldberg also helps organize volunteer groups that clean up after what he called the small percentage of desert dwellers who leave waste behind.

Though the movie famously describes the merits of different sizes of plastic buckets to be used as toilets, Goldberg said the film didn’t show proper disposal techniques. That would involve either a pit toilet on Bureau of Land Management land or a solid waste facility in Quartzsite.

“We want to maintain the quality of what we have,” he said, “the beauty of the desert.”

Most of the seasonal Quartzsite visitors, both the nomads and the RV dwellers, have begun packing up, fleeing to cooler climes as summer approaches, said Lynda Goldberg, a member of the Quartzsite Town Council. Mark Goldberg is her husband.

During the summer, motorists stop for fuel, food and, from the town's perspective, hopefully, a keepsake of some sort.

The winter visitors begin returning in October. Some hold out until after Thanksgiving. Tourist traffic picks up in January when the gem shows start.

Goldberg said that she expects to see a few more long-term visitors next fall and winter as a result of the movie. “I don’t think it’s going to be a huge, huge amount, but I do think that we will absolutely have some curious people,” she said.

In April, the town council passed a proclamation to show its formal appreciation for the "national and international recognition" the movie brought to Quartzsite, its businesses and residents.

Goldberg thinks more motorists will pull off of Interstate 10, just to get a brief peek at the place where the movie was filmed. She said she expected the gift shops that line Main Street to soon start featuring “Nomadland”-related items.

One possibility she thought about was a five-gallon bucket. To be used as a novelty, not a necessity.

“I can see white buckets with Quartzsite on them,” she said. “You darn well know that’s coming.”

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10 Reasons This Oscar-Winning Arizona Town Is Perfect For RVers

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Last month at the Oscars, another Frances McDormand movie, Nomadland , won Best Picture. Having RVed across North America with my husband for eight years, we immediately identified with the storyline. Much of it was set in the small town of Quartzsite in Arizona where Fern (Frances) finally found her place in the sun.

Quartzsite was a usual stop for us along I-10, and this year, we decided to visit again. The sizzling 100-degree weather started at the end of April, so the winter visitors were all gone. We never stayed as long as they did, but we learned about Quartzite’s mystique for RVers and other travelers alike.

Quartzsite, AZ Is A Fun, Almost Free Base Camp

1. There Are Unbelievably Wide Open Spaces To Camp For A Song

Bureau of Land Management Long-Term Visitor Areas (La Posa and Midland) surround the town. Primarily established to help preserve the desert, these public lands provide minimal facilities (vault toilets, dump station, and water faucets, but not power) for itinerant migrants with self-contained vehicles who seek to shelter in the area’s mild climate during winter (when temperatures are in the 70s and 80s).

An annual pass costs $180 — or just $25 a month — and entitles van dwellers to stay from September 15 to April 15! As a matter of fact, stays of up to 14 days in any 28-day period are free at five designated campsites. The only caveat is that, after 14 days, campers must move to a new site outside of a 25-mile radius of their original site for at least 14 days before they can camp there again. Not a huge problem.

2. There Are Other Ways To Camp In Quartzsite, Too

There are also about 70 RV campgrounds in and around Quartzsite with full-service hookups. They are there for those who can afford them. These are for those who have opted to stay year-round. They may have found a permanent job, not just a seasonal post at an Amazon distribution center or the available winter posts at the shows (more on these below) like Fern did. And they may want to participate in the seasonal merry-making but do not like primitive camping. Still, some graduate into small mobile homes and end up staying forever.

3. There’s Fun To Be Had With Like-Minded People

In the months of January and February, there are more than a dozen swap meets and a Prospectors’ Panorama plus nine gem and mineral shows, craft shows, and the largest gathering of RVers, the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show . Even in the 2021 COVID season, around 100,000 people came, meaning attendance was down by just a third.

In Nomadland , Fern was gently assimilated into the community with the help of the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous sessions, which included lectures on topics like bucket toilets (4 gallon or 12 gallon?) and were introduced by Bob Wells, who plays himself in the movie. Or for nighttime fun, there are the Quartzsite Yacht Club , the quaint motel, restaurant, and bar with rooms outfitted as different boats/ships, and The Desert Bar in nearby Parker.

4. The Desert Has A Lot Of Outdoor Experiences To Offer

The rugged land around Quartzsite is ideal for many outdoor activities in winter. Land sports like biking, hiking, rollerblading, skateboarding, geocaching, target shooting, hunting, kiting, metal detecting, rockhounding, stargazing, photography, and the big craze of off-roading are all things to do. In fact, the largest off-road trail in the U.S., the Arizona Peace Trail , passes through Quartzsite. Water sports — fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, wakeboarding, water skiing, jet skiing, rafting, floating, sailing, paddle boarding, and even scuba diving — are also available at Alamo Lake and on the Colorado River. Enthusiasts of remote-controlled planes and cars have a lot of space. There are also wildlife refuges to visit.

Quartzsite, AZ Is A Destination In Itself

From 1863 to the 1880s, when the Arizona Territory was still newly created, Quartzsite was the site of a waterhole and later a stage station called Tysons Well. There were many places worked by individual prospectors around the valley during the Colorado River Gold Rush from the 1860s to the 1950s. Large-scale operations did not succeed, but at one time, 39 mines were operating in the area served by two landing stations in the Colorado River. Today, there are still mines operating, and there are unique places in and around town with stories to tell.

5. Its History Is Preserved At The Quartzsite Historical Museum

Also known as the Tysons Well Stage Station Museum, unfortunately, the Quartzsite Historical Museum , which is housed in the Oasis Hotel of mining boom times, was closed when we were there. The outside exhibits were interesting, though. We got to see mining equipment, the Assay Office from the Margarita Mine, and Barrett’s Miniature Village, created to scale with small rocks painstakingly glued together. And I couldn’t get over the skeleton of the Giant Saguaro with 47 arms! How I wish I was there when it was still alive!

6. Hi Jolly Tomb And Cemetery Is The Most Visited Place In Quartzsite

Hi (Hadji) Ali was an Ottoman citizen of Greek-Syrian parentage who became one of the very first lead camel drivers in the U.S. Camel Corps, which had aimed to use camels as a major means of cargo transportation across the American Southwest. These efforts failed because the large animals caused the horses, burros, et cetera to panic, so Hi Jolly stayed and prospered in the town instead. When he died, he earned for himself a place in history, and the town erected a Hi Jolly Tomb, which is now surrounded by the Jolly Cemetery . 

7. Celia’s Rainbow Garden Is The Largest Free Botanical Garden In The State, And It Was Built By Volunteers

Celia was a miracle baby, born 12 inches long weighing only 1.25 pounds, to a couple who was told they could not have a child. Celia grew to be a caring, positive, curious “old soul” in a tiny body, beloved by everyone in all age groups for her outlook on life. When she was eight and a half years old, however, she caught a viral infection that killed her. The whole town mourned and the city gave her parents a plot of land for a garden in her memory. Volunteers came and still continue to come to Celia’s Rainbow Garden , which everyone in Quartzsite can visit for free.

Quartzsite, AZ Is A Great Stop For The Weary Traveler

Quartzsite is at the crossroads of I-10 and I-95. It is midway between Phoenix and Palm Springs and is three and a half hours from Los Angeles and Las Vegas . We’ve made stops in Quartzsite numerous times. Perhaps the success of Nomadland will generate more curiosity, and people will stop not only to fill up or charge up at Tesla stations but also for food, shopping, and the quirkiness of Quartzsite.

8. Stopping For A Bite Will Leave No One Disappointed

Silly Al’s Pizza is the town’s watering hole with a bar and three billiard tables. But it is their pizza, especially Al’s Special House Combo, that we are ready to go back for. It is better than the big-name pizzas in the cities. We also had lunch at the Mountain Quail Cafe , where Frances McDormand and the Nomadland crew had meals while on shoot. My husband delighted in the chili cheeseburger, the likes of which he hadn’t seen on a menu for a long time.

9. Shopping Is A Must In This, The “Rock Capital Of The World”

The name Quartzsite comes from the quartz that abounds in the area, and other rocks and gems are common, too. During our most recent visit, rocks were on sale in a few smaller front yards that remained open despite it being the off-season, while some of the larger retailers had “See You in October!” signs out front.

The Main Trading Post and other shops with tons of jewelry and artwork remain open year-round. You will love the Trading Post’s “World’s Biggest Buckle,” which measures several feet in height and width. And they will surely be selling Nomadland T-shirts and other movie souvenirs come October when tourism picks up again. 

10. Having A Talk With Town Legends Is A Thrill

A good day became great when we met Joanne Winer as she sat in front of the legendary Reader’s Oasis Books . Her husband, Paul, was the local celebrity called the Naked Bookseller (he wore just thongs) who performed his own composition “Next to the Track Blues” in the movie. It is now part of the soundtrack and is on the Nomandland CD. Sadly, Paul died after filming Nomadland , and Joanne received the $1,000 for his role. Their legendary bookstore also served as Paul’s Music Hall, and the piano that he played in the movie is still there. Joanne entertained us with many stories and gave me a copy of the Quartzsite Encyclopedia , which she cowrote.

The beauty of Dome Rock Mountain, which overlooks the town, always greets me as we drive from California. Granite Mountain is to the southwest, Old Man Mountain to the northwest, and the Plomosa Mountains to the east. It is a big valley that never quite made it to be the metropolis that Phoenix and Los Angeles have become. But Nomadland may yet bring more traffic to this small town of character. Even if you do not stay for the winter, get a whiff of this town built by freedom-loving nomads who are trying to eke out a life in the desert, just like the cowboys did before them.

Carol retired as a CEO for pioneering IT companies in the Philippines. Curious about the world she missed while stressing out working, she migrated to the U.S., ended up an adjunct professor and small business counselor while babysitting her grandson during the day. That is, until she met her travel partner on the internet! After the wedding ceremony, they honeymooned for eight years in an RV to 49 states, nine Canadian provinces, and six Mexican states.

They now call Mesa, Arizona, home. From this base, they embark on great road trips to meet family at reunions in picturesque resorts around the U.S. Visits to their kids’ homes in Anchorage, Boise, and Denver (his) and in San Francisco, Calgary, and Melbourne (hers) allow for exploring the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Carol has been to 48 countries but their 3-month all-inclusive winter escapes to Mexico in Mazatlan, Cancun, or Cozumel are their best times.

Carol maintains a blog, Carolina: Cruising Past 70 , and has published two travel books: Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream about her RVing years and Cruising Past Seventy: It's Not Only About Outer Journeys . It's Also about Inner Ones , is a collection of her most widely-read blog posts and articles. She has a BS in math, MBA, and DPA.

Quartzsite AZ: Visiting this Quirky Desert Town

Written by elizabeth rose, arizona | destinations | outdoor travel | road trips | travel.

Out in the middle of nowhere—between Phoenix and the California border—you’ll find a quirky little desert town named Quartzsite. The town is filled with quirky:

• The population of 3,700 swells to two million each winter
• One of the main attractions in Quartzsite is a little cemetery with a monument to a Syrian camel driver
• People come from near and far to check out the annual swap meet full of rocks, minerals, and oddities
• Folks gladly put down $49.99 for a yacht club membership, even though there are no boats in the middle of the desert
• More recently, the little desert town figures prominently in the Academy-award-winning movie, Nomadland ?

Quartzsite, AZ is just off I-10 about two hours west of Phoenix, and it’s now famous. Here are some of my favorite things about the quirky desert town of Quartzsite, AZ.

Quartzsite, the crazy place in the middle of nowhere on the way to somewhere. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

What's in This Article:

Quartzsite AZ and Nomadland Sites

Quartzsite entrepreneurs are gearing up for the 2021-2022 winter season. They have crazy ideas for Nomadland souvenirs. Vendors are preparing for an influx of visitors who are interested in visiting places where Nomadland , the award-winning saga, was filmed.

Nomadland , starring Frances McDormand and based on the book by Jessica Bruder , chronicles the wanderings of Fern, a 61-year-old widow who loses everything during a recession. She decides to live in a van, hit the road, and eventually join with a group of like-minded nomads who camp in the Arizona desert. This is where Quartzsite plays an important part.

If you watched Nomadland, you’ll definitely want to stop for a visit to see the quirky little desert town that was featured in the film.

In the movie, Fern joins an annual gathering of nomads—the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous—in the Quartzsite area desert south of I-10. The tribal gathering is run by Bob Wells, who lives in a van, runs the blog Cheap RV Living , and plays himself in the film. The nomads learn techniques on how to “boondock (camp for free),” and dry camp including how to use a bucket for a bathroom. In the winter, you’ll encounter all types of campers out in the desert surrounding Quartzsite.

One evening, the group heads into town and whoops it up at the Quartzsite Yacht Club (Open seasonally at 1090 W. Main Street) enjoying an evening of line dancing, pool, and brews. After the gathering, Fern decides to stay awhile in Quartzsite and picks up a job working at one of the many gem and mineral shows that pop up during the winter.

The Quartzsite Yacht Club, scene of the nomad’s foray into local nightlife. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

Nomadland Characters

In the film, Fern is seen listening to a piano performance by Paul Winer, the owner of Reader’s Oasis Books (Open year-round at 690 E. Main Street). Winer, who died in his sleep in 2019 after battling cancer, was notorious as he preferred to wear as little as possible (well, often just a pouch over his privates), and was dubbed the “naked bookseller.”

Quartzsite Cemetery and Hi Jolly Monument

Before Nomadland, one of the main year-round attractions in Quartzsite AZ was the local cemetery. But this is not your average cemetery. In the middle is a large pyramid constructed of layers of local rocks with an impressive plaque placed in 1935 by the Arizona Highway Department. And on top of the tomb is an iron camel. This is the tomb of “Hi Jolly,” a man so important that Quartzsite holds an annual Hi Jolly event to honor this man. But who was Hi Jolly?

What does a pyramid and a camel have to do with Arizona desert history? Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

Hi Jolly wasn’t really this man’s name. In fact, he was born Philip Tedro in Syria and was part Greek. At one point he converted to Islam and took the name Hadji Ali after his pilgrimage to Mecca. Ali, a camel breeder and driver, emigrated to the United States as part of a U.S. Cavalry experiment in the 1850s using camels for transporting goods in the desert. The closest the Americans could get to pronouncing his name was “Hi Jolly” and that name stuck.

US Cavalry Camel Corps

Ultimately the “Camel Corps” was disbanded, partially because the smaller animals, like burros, were terrified of the large creatures and partially because funding dried up due to the impending Civil War. Hi Jolly kept some of the camels and remained in the area. He did some prospecting, hauled freight, and served as a scout.

Hi Jolly died in December of 1902 and remains the subject of folk tales to this day. Some of the camels were spotted in the desert as late as 1942. You can visit his tomb in the pioneer section of the town cemetery located just off Main Street on W Elsie Ln and Hi Jolly Lane. There is a sign at the turn-off. It’s a peaceful place with fascinating grave markers and a nice mountain view.

Originally from “somewhere in Syria,” Hi Jolly spent his golden years in the Quartzsite area. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

If you are in town in mid-January, check on the date for the Hi Jolly Daze Parade. It’s a big event and you may even see a real camel marching along.

Rock and Mineral Shows and Swap Meets

A major draw for visitors each winter is the huge sales events featuring rocks and minerals, flea market finds, antiques, and even an immense RV show and sale . In general, events and sales run October through March annually, which coincides with the influx of snowbirds and bargain hunters. Watch the Chamber of Commerce website for dates of special events . Or pick up a copy of the Desert Messenger newspaper when you get into town.

My friends from the Pacific Northwest forgot hats but fortunately, there was a vendor selling the perfect solution. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

When the major swap meets and rock and mineral shows run, you will find that the traffic on I-10’s Quartzsite AZ exits back up.  So, it’s ideal to go early. Don a custom hat and wear sunscreen as much of the fun is outdoors. And wear comfortable walking shoes.

There will be steel drums overflowing with minerals from all over the world, fossils, arts and crafts, and quirky things like tipi’s, animal skins, garden sculptures, and more. There’s Navajo jewelry, petrified wood, hand-made items for your home, and, well…. just about anything you can imagine.

You never know what you’ll find when you walk the rows upon rows of vendors. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

While there are rock shops year-round in Quartzsite AZ, the winter shows attract vendors from all over the world. Right after the Tucson Gem and Mineral Shows end, you’ll often find new vendors arriving in Quartzsite after they pack up their goods and leave Tucson.

There are both small and large specimens for sale at the Quartzsite shows. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

Quartzsite Yacht Club

The Quartzsite Yacht Club has been a phenomenon for years. Now, this is really quirky. The Quartzsite Yacht Club has more members than any yacht club in the world and—there is no water nearby! Back in the 1970s, Al Madden opened the Quartzsite Yacht Club Restaurant Bar & Grill and started selling memberships as a joke. By 2010, more than 10,000 people representing every state and numerous countries around the world had become card-carrying members of the Quartzsite Yacht Club. And, some faraway yacht clubs have even offered free entry to their cushy amenities in reciprocity for the Quartzsite card-carrying members. After all, when you join for $49.99, you get a membership card, certificate, and snazzy sailing t-shirt.

After a long day of shopping, the beer and burgers at the Quartzsite Yacht Club provided a welcome break. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

RV Camping in Quartzsite AZ

There are well over 50 RV parks in Quartzsite. While they are not necessarily fancy, they offer amenities that the desert dry campers won’t have. Plus, many are within a walkable distance from shopping and restaurants.

Many people camp out in the desert at the BLM’s La Posa Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA). To camp on the 11,400 acres, your vehicle must be 100% self-contained for waste and gray water. And, during the winter crush, it’s not free.

According to the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce, LTVA requires a Special Recreation Permit between September 15 and April 15. The LTVA allows camping between April 16 and September 14 at no cost, but the standard 14-day limit applies. Fees are $180 for long-term permits valid for 7 months. They are $40 short-term permits valid for 1 to 14 consecutive days. The minimum fee for camping is the $40 permit which can be renewed by paying another $40.

During the off-season, the standard BLM camping regulations and 14-day limit with no fee rules apply. The permits are valid in any of the six LTVAs in California or two LTVAs in Arizona. You can purchase permits from the Bureau of Land Management Yuma Field Office or on-site from the LTVA host during the winter season.

There are also areas a bit further away from the four-corner intersection of Quartzsite.  You can get current information and driving directions at the BLM site.

There are many blogs and organization websites that give good advice and information to people new to RV camping in Quartzsite. Online you can find maps and information along with campground reviews and photos.

Watch event calendars for the big shows in Quartzsite. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

Off-Road Vehicle Trails Near Quartzsite AZ

The Arizona Peace Trail , a 750-mile Off-Road Vehicle (OHV) approved trail, draws OHV enthusiasts who enjoy exploring out in the desert around Quartzsite and as far away as Yuma and Bullhead City.

In addition, the area has more than 1,000 miles of BLM OHV-approved trails. Jeep trails are shown on an interactive map at the Jeep USA site . Be sure to check out more of our road trips on Wander, along with ideas for more fun things to see and do when you visit the Southwestern USA.

Boomer Travel | Camping | Copper | History | Phoenix | Quirky Travel | Retirement | Shopping

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Quartzsite Yacht Club Motel

Review Highlights

“ Honestly, you can't ask for much in Quartzite , Arizona... ” in 2 reviews

“ Had a little glitch with my order and Omar was immediately attentive to fixing it. ” in 2 reviews

“ It's easy and human nature nearly guarantees it so it's truly a delight to find yourself vulnerable and not getting hosed. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

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1070 W Main

Quartzsite, AZ 85346

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Popped in after being in Q so Many times. Walking in our first impressions were is is so big inside and relatively clean. Omar the bartender is crazy friendly and welcoming! BTW- They we're packed and every employee in there was busting their asses. Great to see. Great drink selections for specialty' cocktails. We Loved it! Thank you a Omar and Mimi Cold beer and the food was really good. Our food was taking long so they brought our chips and salsa which was super nice to do! Once we got our food it was delicious. Great experience at the QYC!!

When you've found yourself enough in places where your options are limited you just begin to assume you're going to be taken advantage of. It's easy and human nature nearly guarantees it so it's truly a delight to find yourself vulnerable and not getting hosed. The Yacht Club is giant, goofy joke. The rooms are NOT fancy or elegant but they're clean and safe and offered at a reasonable price. I'm not a "club" kind of guy so I don't expect I'll ever splurge for the membership or try to work any reciprocity deals but the Yacht Club was a welcome sight to this weary traveler.

We ended up stopping in Quartzsite on our way back from Sedona when it was too late to make it all the way home. We always look for places with character, so we figured we'd give the Yacht Club a try. Each motel room was a famous "ship" located in a "slip" that was actually a portion of a mobile home. We stayed in the SS Minnow. It was fun to walk into a Gilligan's Island themed room, and we enjoyed all the posters and reading fun facts about the boat and the show. The room wasn't fancy, but it was clean and had all we needed. It was also great to be able to walk over to the Yacht Club restaurant and watch some karaoke. There sure are some characters over there! For the price and the experience, it was a good choice for us.

Tonight I am leaving a review for this sweetheart little spot in Quartzsite Arizona. Quartzsite is Quartzsite if you've ever been there. There's not much in the way of fancy around but I really enjoyed staying here. The staff we're kind and very friendly. Our what we called a boat in the sand was very clean and quaint. The five stars are because of the staff and the only thing I think would have made it better would be warmer blankets and more pillows. I appreciate the comfortable conversation with the kind lady behind the desk and I would like to think that her name is Daisy. And there was another lady who kept me up-to-date through text messages. We were checking in very late and there were special circumstances and I didn't want to bother her on Thanksgiving Eve at 1 in the morning. So we made arrangements for my check in. I can't help it that my mother lives there LOL but when I go back to visit and the house is pretty full we will stay here again. Thanks guys.

We were a little dubious of staying here when we first saw it. But we stopped in to the bar / restaurant had a couple drinks and got a real good vibe off the place. We're really glad that we took the chance it's a bit strange but man we had a great time. We ended up staying a couple nights. And we will be back.

It may get better than the Quartzsite Yacht Club Motel - OK, yeah, MOST accommodations are better - but it doesn't get delighfully quirkier. Even in Quartzsite, which is about the quirkiest place south of bizarre. For the uninitated (such as I was a mere week ago), Quartzsite is a combination rock collector's heaven, beading delight, and RV mecca surrounded by 13 gigazillion "swap meet" booths, plus a few other places. Yes, I guess there ARE over 100,000 visitors during the Gem Show to this town of 1,800, and yes, there are swap meet booths for every kind of antique (yes, you can get a restored John Deere 'dozer; who knew?), junk (8 track tapes galore), and food (great Oklahoma fry bread...in Arizona?). So there must be a gazillion rooms in motels great and small, right? Wrongo, Jerky Face: There's two. A sorry ass looking Super 8 on the wrong side of I-10, and then there is the Yacht Club complex, including the Clubhouse, the Hi Jolly (yeah, look it up) Internet Cafe and, of course, the Land Yachts. Them are the "motel." And other than Mountain Moma's (no typo!) in the Smoky Mountains, this is the only lodging I've ever seen made out of 80' trailers. But before you sneer, for $89, where else (especially in Quartzsite!) can you get two bedrooms, comfortable beds (with ancient, but clean, bed spreads), full shower bath, a rocker lounger, a full kitchen (no utensils) with dining table (right out of the 50s, but no dings!), air conditioning (you'll need it in the summer) and a space heater as well as the "furnace" which keep you pretty warm in the winter, once they get going. You get free coffee (actually darn good!), a huge cup of orange juice, free WiFi in the Cafe (about 50 feet from your "room") and access to the Quartzsite Yacht Club (a great bar/grill!). And you're staying in the "Queen Mary" Suite in one of the "land yacht" trailers. Totally cool. Not every room may be as good as the "Mary", but these trailers are all old, well maintained, painted, with a cute nautical theme that is part of the fun of staying there. There's no handicapped access to the room, but they'll find a way to help if you need it. But it is totally fun, dog friendly, and the staff are helpful and glad to talk about what to see and where to buy things. If you're into quirky towns, go to Quartzsite; if you're into quirky but nice places to stay, go to the Yacht Club. And when you do, ask who "Hi Jolly" is. A real person and a wonderful piece of American history. Even Jefferson Davis would agree! And you can join the Yacht Club, even!

I was right! The manager/owner doesn't care! I've waited a day and a half and still no return call! But I've said my side and they don't seem to care!! We won't attempt to give them our meal or motel business!

So far I'd only give this place 1/4 of a star! I had been working with this woman who works there - starting about 2 months ago. Asked for a reservation, but was told the dates I wanted were already booked. She offered to put me on a cancellation list. I checked with her a couple of weeks ago to find I was at the top of the list. I was told the captains quarters were under renovation and if they would be ready, we would be given that room, a discussion she had with someone else in the office while we were on the phone. I called today to find out that the woman I had been working with was no longer there, the new woman had no idea what I was talking about regarding the cancellation list, and the room had already been given to someone else. She also told me the owner or manager (a man I've never dealt with) gave that open room to the manager of the bar/grill! I will never attempt to stay here again nor will I be patronizing the bar/grill. I had already been told the food wasn't good, so this has saved me $$!! To be fair, I did ask that the owner or manager, who released that room, call me. I'd like to know just what happened. I was told he was still on the premises and would probably call me before going home - that was 4 hours ago.

After reading the comments on this place and tired after hours of driving, we decided to pull into this town and stay overnight. What a mistake! Overpriced for staying in a old run down trailer. Our beds were made up with sheets that had cigarette burns on them. We walked over and got something to eat. I got a raw burger when I asked for well done and it was served with uncooked french fries. My wife had uncooked cold chicken wings. To top all of this off we then had a encounter with a employee named "Jamie" that kept going outside to smoke and then would come back inside and immediately start back serving food to her customers without washing her hands. ( Hummm...wonder what the health dept. would say about that? ) then she would complain to the other workers about her lousy tips. I wonder why? The best thing about this whole place is meeting "Miss Helen". She and her husband started the Yacht Club. This little lady at 90 years old had more energy than ANY of the younger employees. As much as we enjoyed Miss Helen, please keep going to the next town or go to McDonalds.

Honestly, you can't ask for much in Quartzite, Arizona... But it was cheap, it was decently sized, and the people that run it are nice. You'll get the service you need, and you can't ask for much more than that.

Fabulous place! Omar & Mimi are the coolest, most attentive folks! Had a little glitch with my order and Omar was immediately attentive to fixing it. Had a fabulous cheese burger! Played some pool and had a great time. If you're in Quartzsite, be sure to stop in and have a bite, play some pool, & do a little dancing!

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Quartzsite Yacht Club Motel

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• Excellent 7
• Very Good 6
• All languages ( 28 )
• English ( 26 )
• German ( 1 )
• Italian ( 1 )

" The least expensive rooms go first but I think they are likely all the same in cleanliness. "

" All rooms are good. Rooms without kitchen are cheaper. "

" Choose a room somewhere else. "

" Stay somewhere else! "

" Yes, the motel down the street. "

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QUARTZSITE YACHT CLUB MOTEL - Reviews (AZ)

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Quartzsite Yacht Club

1090 W Main St, Quartzsite , Arizona 85346 USA

• Independent
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Public Restrooms
• Outdoor Seating

Learn more about this business on Yelp .

“Join the largest yacht club in the world!”

Come enjoy a night in the Quartzsite Yacht Club Motel, a nautically themed motel, adjacent to the restaurant and bar, the Quartzsite Yacht Club.

Reviewed by LD H.

I had the calamari appetizer. The cocktail sauce was excellent tasting and had a nice little kick! I was pleased to see the XX sign out front because that's my favorite Mexican beer. The service... Read more

Reviewed by Dawn R.

In all honesty this is more a bar with bar food. Not a bar and grill and not a restaurant with a bar. Just a bar with bar food. The prices are too high for what they offer. If you're looking to... Read more

Reviewed by Richard B.

An oasis in the desert, serving amazing fish and chips and ribs! Came with the least of expectations and thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. Rocking band my night, 4 stars all the way! Read more

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At the Yacht Club de Monaco the inauguration ceremony of the first Explorer Dock

MONACO, March 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Combining adventure and innovation. At the Yacht Club de Monaco the inauguration ceremony of the first Explorer Dock took place, as part of the activities planned for the Ocean Week and under the aegis of the collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach. The seven yachts displayed on the quay of the Club, M/Y Beyond Capricorn, M/Y Prometej, M/Y Audace, M/Y King Benji, S/Y NDS Evolution, M/Y U Boat Navigator and M/Y Santandrea, represent the combination of passion for adventure and innovation. Each one is designed to navigate beyond traditional boundaries and face the challenges of the oceans.

Capturing everyone’s attention on the quay was the christening of the brand new M/Y King Benji. Attending the event dedicated to the 46 meters megayacht, built by Dunya Yachts and designed by Greg Marshall, there were many guests alongside with the Yacht Club de Monaco General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri.

“I am very humbled and proud to be here because it took years to build this yacht. It requires a lot of passion, dedication and team work with Greg Marshall and other designers. And finally she’s here and we’re proud of it,” said Sedat Ergun owner of Dunya Yachts. “We’re thriving to be a custom builder, we’re building many different yachts. Everyone’s different from each other. We love exploration. So when the client came to us, we loved it and we got on well since day one. It actually is a funny story because he came in as a crew member so we didn’t know he was the client. We talked about it and I said ‘we love the project’ and I think he felt the passion about it,” he added. Everything started from a sketch. “I flew to a meeting with the owner and he described what he was looking for and why he couldn’t buy it anywhere in the world. So I pulled out a piece of paper and just started drawing and in the first minutes he said ‘that’s it.’”

“We adjusted the sketches and it was just what you see here and it never happens. The boat is what I’d design for myself. We had a full-sized mock up build of the boat so we could walk through it 4-5 years ago. And now to see it here surrounded by the Yacht Club it just makes your skin tingle,” said Greg Marshall. From the famous naval architect pencil also came out the M/Y Artefact, that won the YCM Explorer Award in 2022.

Meanwhile everything’s ready for the Environmental Symposium. A day of conference for the industry, owners & captains, taking place on Thursday the 20th of March, organised in collaboration with The Explorer’s Club of New York. A large delegation from the US is visiting the Club and taking part not only in all the ‘explorer’ activities on the quay but also in regattas, sailing experiences involving for example the YCM flagship Tuiga. In the afternoon it will be time for the Explorer Awards by La Belle Classe Superyachts. The aim is to recognise owners who take their environmental responsibilities seriously. The major criteria for these awards are the owner’s conception of their superyacht, how they use it and what it can do for humanity. It could be a technical innovation that significantly reduces the yacht’s CO2 emissions, the assistance given to scientists, or just an ability to pass on and share adventures at sea so that many more people come to respect, love and protect the Ocean.

On Thursday and Friday the Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous also will be on. Organised in partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and YCM, it is a natural extension of the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous.

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse –  [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc6f2b2f-11a1-4f6b-a6f0-85b5fb763121

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c3b62f3-6db0-4b39-aea3-32204210d802

At the Yacht Club the Monaco the inauguration ceremony of the first Explorer Dock