long island yacht club sold

L.I. Yacht Club’s new owners wind down a successful summer in Babylon

The new owners of the  Long Island Yacht Club have just wrapped up a Labor Day weekend that featured live music Friday night, dinner and dancing Saturday and a pig roast and kids’ carnival on Sunday. Labor Day brunch followed.

The marina is now filled to capacity, with 11 on the waiting list.

It’s a far cry from when the historic Yacht Club reopened for the first time under new ownership for Memorial Day of 2016, just days after Rick Stettner and business partner Ned Hurley acquired the club on May 17.

In the run-up to that weekend, the big priority was the food. That, and making sure the lawn was cut at 307 Little East Neck Road South.

“The first thing we did was hire a chef and then the chef didn’t show up for Memorial Day, so we had to cook,” Hurley said. “We had a big barbecue, 200 people showed up and Rick and myself had to grill.”

“All while Eric was mowing the lawn,” added Stettner, speaking of his son Eric Stettner, now the Yacht Club’s general manager.

The Long Island Yacht Club was founded in 1958 and counts former longtime Babylon Village resident Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) among its charter members. Before that, the mansion, which reportedly dates to 1911, served as a private residence.

Stettner and Hurley acquired the nearly seven-acre property and its mansion, which had shut down in December 2015, from the nonprofit club for about $2 million.

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One of the first things the new owners did — aside from trimming the grass — was blow up the old model of what it means to belong to a yacht club.

p class=”p1″> “You don’t need a yacht to join,” said Eric Stettner, a 2016 University of Connecticut graduate. “We have about 80 members without boats.”

“But if you want to sail you have access to sailing,” added Hurley.

They also scrapped the $10,000 annual membership in favor of $1,500, and only operate the club full time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Members get access to the club, pool, tennis courts, sailing, swimming and tennis programs and daily camp activities for kids , as well as steep discounts on docking rights.

“It’s not about how much money you make; it’s about friendship,” said Hurley. “ As you get older, sometimes it can be hard to make friends. This is another outlet for people and families to meet other people and hang out without breaking the bank.”

Unlike most yacht clubs, there are no minimums on what people have to spend on drinks or dining, either.

“We do not enforce food or beverage minimums, which is out of the club tradition,” said Rick Stettner. “We wanted to build this on our reputation, and that’s why we have the great chef [Noah Weber] that we have here.”

In its first summer, in 2016, the club finished the season with 62 members. Now there’s 142 members.  The goal is to get 300 members signed up, then start up the waiting list. (A household constitutes a member.) There are no residency restrictions.

On the offseason, the club will be available for weddings and other private parties for non-members. And they will be hosting their own events. Some events will be opened to the public and serve as membership drives.

The first such event will be an Oktoberfest party this fall.

“We have the most beautiful wedding venue; seven acres right on the the Great South Bay,” said Hurley. “We can seat 150 people inside and another 400 outside.”

Stettner, who lives in Oakdale, and Hurley, of New York City, have owned and operated Maple Avenue Marina together for some 17 years in Bay Shore.

When they learned of the Yacht Club’s financial troubles in 2015, they jumped.

“We read in Newsday they were having financial problems and called” Commodore Steve Vid, said Hurley.

But Vid told them to get to the back of the list of 40 others who were interested in buying the club and bulldozing it for waterfront townhouses.

“Then I said we’re not interested in that,” said Hurley. “We wanted to keep the club operating.”

Suddenly they were No. 1 on the list; the club’s leaders wanted it to keep operating as a yacht club.

Babylon Village Mayor Ralph Scordino also feared the property would fall to developers.

“My biggest concern was the idea of losing this amenity that we have in the village for development, for housing,” he said. “I was hoping that someone would take it over” and revitalize the facility with the idea of attracting younger families.

“And that’s what these people did and they have done a great job,” he said. “It  just has that different atmosphere. You can go down there and have a cocktail, then have a great dinner and with that scenic view overlooking the Great South Bay it’s just a great place to be.”

A tentative deal between the club and Stettner and Hurley reached in the fall but it took those next months to finalize and organize a vote of the board for approval.

Then the renovations began. The main building’s ballroom and bar and lounge areas have been completely redone, along with all-new HVAC systems. The property has been cleaned up outside. the sailing program was resurrected, as well as all the kids’ programs.

The club now has a swim team, sailing team and tennis team. They even  hosted a successful regatta this summer.

“We recognized early on that this was a tremendous asset to the community, as opposed to it going to development,” said Rick Stettner. “With over 30 years combined in the recreational marina business, we knew it would have been a sin to let this property go to 16 or 18 individuals.

“We wanted it to be accessible to 300, 400 people with access to the Great South Bay and all that comes with it.”

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Montauk yacht club becomes hamptons’ priciest sale ever at $149.4m.

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This waterfront getaway just became the most expensive purchase in Hamptons history.

Documents freshly made public reveal that an international marina company paid a record-breaking amount of $149.4 million for the Montauk Yacht Club. 

The hotel, beyond its sky-high purchase price, is known for its posh accommodations and Block Island Sound views. 

The 107-room resort was bought by Safe Harbor Marinas — owner of the biggest boating network in the world — from the former owner, Gurney’s, the outlet Behind the Hedges first reported .

The record sale took place last year, but the price tag was previously unknown and only just came to light after related Suffolk County deed transfers became available this week. 

Previously, the title of largest Hamptons sale was held by the Marram Montauk, an oceanfront hotel which was bought for $77.5 million in 2022. 

The Yacht Club’s final sale price represents a 157% increase from what the club commanded when it last sold, in 2018, for $56.7 million to Gurney’s, according to the publication 27East. 

Before that, in 2007, it went for $34 million.

During its ownership, Gurney’s put $13 million into the eight-lot compound and changed its name to Gurney’s Star Island Resort & Marina.

Following the sale last year, Safe Harbor Marinas changed the name back to Montauk Yacht Club. 

The 95-year-old lodgings have been offering locals respite on their portion of Star Island since 1928, when Montauk developer Carl Fisher built the business.

Before it was a public inn it was a private club, with members of the Vanderbilt, Astor and Whitney families included in its roster of original members, Behind the Hedges noted of its history.

Amenities available to guests include three pools, two restaurants, a private beach, tennis and pickleball courts, and over 200 boat slips.

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South Shore Long Island, NY Yacht clubs

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I have kept my boat on the North Shore in the Long Island Sound for the last 2 years. However, I live on the South Shore and would love to have easier access to my boat. Does anyone know of sailing friendly yacht clubs on the South Shore in Nassau County?  

The Great South bay is pretty shallow and there are few anchorages on the South Shore. It's not a place for a deep draft sailboat.  

What size boat do you have, and draft? Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club has a pretty friendly group. Not sure if that make your drive any better.  

Where are you on the south shore? What boat do you have? Draft?  

MarkofSeaLife said: @bpierce815_9647 I'm not even from the USA and I can tell theres a bit of confusion in the answers you are getting about where the south shore of Long Island Sound is. I take it you mean, as you have said, south shore of Long Island SOUND , not the south shore of Long ISLAND. So, clarity would be good if you want the best responses Mark Click to expand...

vbiz59 said: Sailing and sailing clubs west of Robert Moses state park are mostly non-existent as there is no water and a long trek thru marsh channels to either the Jones or E.Rockaway inlets. There are some locations In Red Hook, or Graves End, Bklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge Club if you care for the area. What there is of the Great south bay west of RM has average mean soundings of 1' East of RM which is firmly in Suffolk county, you have Bayshore, Oakdale and Sayville yacht clubs respectively which are not to everyone's taste. Alternatively a host of marina's and private dockage exist. Conditions/depths in the GSB east of RM go from 3.5-15' being markedly shallower nearing the edges As you know larger vessels normally steer clear of the south shore as they can't steer into it. Any draft over 3.5' and you need to know where you are. It's a small pool. Click to expand...

South Bay Cruising Club – SBCC

I understand you investigating the options on the south shore. There are spots in the GS Bay where larger sailboats can sail, but the options are very limited compared to LI Sound. Yes you can go out into the ocean, but then you will be dealing with an inlet. Consider this change carefully.  

I don't think any deep fin boats are going to be sailing in the Great South Bay... water is too thin for that. Even the ferry to Fire Island uses a dredged channel. Further, there are few protected harbors / anchorages. You see power boats going from south shore to FI... and some smaller day sailors. Consider the "length" of the coastline there are remarkable few decent spots to anchor. There is decent sailing "between the forks" and some excellent land "attractions". I moored in Dering Harbor and Stirling Harbor for years and enjoyed East End sailing. The run from the 1GI buoy to East Hamptom was a bean reach both ways and only a few hrs sail. The run to BI was 35 miles... a nice sail for the day. Fishers Island was also a great location to sail to and Newport if you had the 11 or so hrs.  

I belong to the South Bay Cruising Club on the South Shore of Long Island. We have no club house, but we race off Bay Shore and Babylon, with the Bay Shore yacht Club and Babylon Yacht club. Both those clubs are nice. Most of us use marinas to keep the boats at, and sail to club activities. You can also look up Sayville Yacht Club and Bellport Yacht Club. A 4 ft. draft is a practical max for the bay, although many have deeper drafts. Fred4936  

Just an addendum: I used to live in Nassau years ago. For good sailing you need to go to Suffolk. The is a club called Unqua Corinthian in Amityville, but sailing has died there, mostly motorboats and party goers. There is a club in Hewlett, but I do not know much about them.  

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Montauk Yacht Club sale most expensive ever in Hamptons

Safe Harbor Marinas spent $149M to buy hotel from Gurney’s

32 Star Island Road in Montauk, LI with Safe Harbor Marinas CEO Baxter Underwood (Google Maps, LinkedIn)

Hospitality property sales have not been setting many price records since a certain virus spread across the world in 2020, but one did in Montauk.

Safe Harbor Marinas spent $149 million to buy the Montauk Yacht Club from Gurney’s, Behind the Hedges reported . The acquisition was last year, but the price had not been previously revealed.

It’s a record in numerous ways. The highest price for a Hamptons hotel sale had been another deal last year, for the 96-room Marram Montauk . That property traded for barely half as much as the Montauk Yacht Club, which regained its former name after operating as Gurney’s Star Island Resort & Marina in recent years.

The $149 million was the most lucrative commercial Hamptons sale last year and might have been the most ever paid for a property on the East End. Barry Rosenstein paid $147 million for an East Hampton estate in 2014.

Gurney’s recouped its Montauk Yacht Club investment and then some. It purchased the property in 2018 for $56.7 million and put another $13 million in the property, which had sold in 2007 for $34 million.

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The transaction involves more than the 35-acre Montauk Yacht Club. It includes four Star Island Drive lots and three attached piers, along with the motel property at 88 South Elmwood Avenue.

The peninsula that stretches out onto Lake Montauk includes 107 guest rooms and villas, three pools, a pair of restaurants, several bars, tennis and pickleball courts and a private beach. There are also more than 200 boat slips.

Three years ago, real estate investment trust Sun Communities, the largest marina owner in the country, acquired Safe Harbor Marinas. Rising boat sales in the pandemic have led to consolidation in the sector .

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To our charming and beautiful seaside community where luxury homes and outstanding amenities make the yacht club condominium long island’s ‘little slice of heaven’., about the ycc.

All the great things that make our community so special.

See what homes are for sale, rent or recently sold.

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In the Region | Connecticut

A Showdown on the Waterfront

By Lisa Prevost

• Dec. 3, 2006

A STANDOFF between city officials here and a 101-year-old yacht club is slowing progress on a $1.5 billion development proposal that would transform a peninsula on Bridgeport Harbor, known as Steel Point, into an upscale waterfront community.

The Pequonnock Yacht Club owns a two-acre waterfront plot sought by the city — which has acquired all the surrounding land through eminent domain. Much of the peninsula is now overgrown vacant lots. The one remaining business, the Tallmadge Brothers oyster company, recently reached an agreement to move its operations to a site nearby.

The yacht club, however, refuses to relinquish its land, which is at the tip of the peninsula, where the Pequonnock River empties into Long Island Sound. Besides its land, the club owns about six acres underwater.

The club’s 250 members, less than half of whom live in Bridgeport, have access to a two-story clubhouse with a bar and a 190-slip marina. Summer weekends are filled with fishing tournaments and fund-raising dinners.

About the city’s redevelopment plans, Stuart Rainger, 85, the club’s commodore emeritus, said, “They’re trying to take away the enjoyment of the water from regular people.”

Pequonnock caters to the middle class by offering boaters one of the best deals in Fairfield County: 12-month slip rentals at $18 a foot, and annual dues of just $300. In a region where commercial marina rates are $95 to $145 per foot, Pequonnock keeps slip rentals at what Mr. Rainger calls “a working man’s cost” by requiring members to pitch in on maintenance and repairs.

While Pequonnock’s leaders have portrayed themselves as defenders of the little guy, Steel Point’s prospective developer, Midtown Equities of New York, has presented its plan as serving a greater good in a city plagued by crime and unemployment. In addition to generating thousands of jobs and some $700 million in real estate tax revenues over 30 years, the development will open up access to the waterfront, said Daniel Pfeffer, Midtown’s president.

“Along the whole perimeter of the site will be a new public promenade,” Mr. Pfeffer said. “And it goes right through the yacht club’s property.”

Midtown’s proposal for the 52-acre site calls for as many as 3,500 rental and condominium units; at least 750,000 square feet of retail, waterfront dining and entertainment venues; and a new yacht club with a marina.

Midtown is developing a similar mixed-use project in Miami, where it is converting a former railroad yard into what it calls “a city within a city” consisting of 3,000 condominiums set amid street-level restaurants and shops. Having sold 1,100 units, the company is now looking to profit on its investment by selling up to 80 percent of the project, according to Mr. Pfeffer.

Bridgeport officials have talked about redeveloping Steel Point since 1970. Over the past decade, the city has invested about $40 million in public funds to acquire property and clean up environmental contamination on the site.

Yet the plan has moved in fits and starts — a previous development deal fell apart in 2000, and promised state funds were slowed by a corruption scandal that sent the city’s previous mayor, Joseph P. Ganim, to prison. Now, having secured strong state support and a developer with a track record, city officials are losing patience with the yacht club.

“They’ve asked for time to look for properties outside of town,” said Edward Lavernoich, deputy director of the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development and chief project manager for Steel Point. “That time has come and gone.”

Pequonnock used a court challenge to fend off an earlier takeover attempt by the city. The case wound up before the state Supreme Court, which ruled in 2002 that the city was not justified in requiring the sale of the property because it had not established that it was essential to the redevelopment plan.

Negotiations are continuing, but both sides indicated that the matter might well end up in litigation again. “I think at some point the city has to say, how long do we let this go?” Mr. Pfeffer said.

The yacht club would probably have a tougher fight this time. A widely criticized United States Supreme Court decision last year involving 15 homeowners and the city of New London affirmed the right of local governments to use eminent domain for urban revitalization. “That changed the rules,” said Glen Smith, the club’s commodore.

One offer on the table is essentially to fold the Pequonnock club into the yacht club that will be part of the development, and charge members a lower docking fee for the first five years, Mr. Smith said.

“The problem with that offer was that we wouldn’t own our own clubhouse,” he said, “and we wouldn’t have a marina. We would be renting with them.”

The club is also dissatisfied with the city’s offer of $3.95 million for the property, said Mr. Smith, in part because it isn’t enough to pay for a comparable spot elsewhere. Members are considering alternative sites in Stratford, Shelton and Milford, but none of the properties match what they have now.

The club would prefer to retain its identity by being incorporated within the development. According to Mr. Smith, it offered to spend $3 million to upgrade its operation with a new clubhouse, a public boardwalk and a new bulkhead, and a redesign of the marina with fewer slips. The answer was no, he said.

Club members are beginning to feel the pressure of being the lone holdout. The first time they fought the city, they were viewed as “the good guy fighting Goliath,” Mr. Rainger said. This time around, he said, “we’re the dirty little club holding everything up.” Still, as a member of the club since 1961, he can’t help but stand his ground.

“They’re going to give our property to an out-of-town developer who is going to put another yacht club here,” he said. “To my mind, it’s un-American.”

Asked for a response, Mr. Pfeffer rejected that characterization. Midtown has the community’s best interests in mind, he said, whereas the yacht club members appeared to be looking out only for themselves. Redeveloping Steel Point “will have a tremendous ripple effect,” he said. “How does the yacht club benefit the city of Bridgeport?”

The Hamptons, Montauk and More

Explore the history, housing market and culture of one of the most well-known summer resorts in the world..

Jose Llana’s Refuge: When he’s not performing in “Here Lies Love,” a musical about Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, the Broadway star makes himself at home in the Hamptons .

The Strangest Trees: At the Folly Tree Arboretum in East Hampton, every oak, magnolia and sycamore has its own peculiar tale .

A Bond Villain’s Lair: An interior designer renovated a house in Southampton, N.Y., indulging his obsessions for James Bond and modernism. And he did it on a budget .

The Magic of Mollusks :  A Brooklyn couple knew little about oysters in 2017. Now they have a farm on the North Fork of Long Island  with 2 million of them.

Are the Hamptons Still Hip?: The summer resort has lost its cool among younger people  who are turned off by housing rules, housing costs and the culture of conspicuous wealth.

Montauk’s Luxurious ‘Trailer Park’: An 800-square-foot beachfront home sold for $3.75 million in February, putting a spotlight on this wealthy community that has humble beginnings .

Saving a Dive Bar : Liar’s Saloon, one of the last no-frills watering holes left in Montauk, seemed set to close until a rescuer stepped in .

Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club sold

The Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht club was sold this week, according to Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty. 

How much the the waterfront beach club was sold for wasn't released. The latest offer was for $10 million, according to the real estate company. 

THE STORY BEHIND THE BOAT: 'Ghost ship' floats in Mamaroneck Harbor

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Arlene Gibbs, the Sotheby's real estate agent who brokered the deal, couldn't immediately be reached for comment on Saturday but said in a statement that she was "honored" to represent the Rosenshein family, who has owned the club since the late 1970s. 

"I was honored to represent the wonderful Rosenshein family in this important transaction and help to secure the buyers, who will now begin the club's next chapter and create a new vision for this waterfront jewel on the Long Island Sound," Gibbs said in a statement. "It's a beach lover's paradise in a setting like no other, right outside New York City."

When reached by phone on Saturday, Mamaroneck Mayor Tom Murphy said, "Since the land is zoned for marine recreation, the village looks forward to working with the new owner to facilitate running a club in a responsible fashion providing quasi-public access to the waterfront."

The Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club is located at the end of S. Barry Avenue, on the tip of the peninsula overlooking the Long Island Sound. 

Twitter: @ChrisEberhart2

City Island's Premier Yacht & Social Club

Long Island Sound’s Premier Yachting and Beach Club

Members & visitors enjoy easy access to NYC, the Long Island Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean from our well-protected City Island location.  Our waterfront property has a large lawn area with picnic benches, a private beach, a fishing pier, and launch operations to get you to and from your boat.  Our restaurant offers fine dining with an amazing waterfront view of the New York City skyline.

For more than 100 years, the Morris Yacht and Beach Club (MYBC) has been an institution on City Island, and our clubhouse a welcome landmark for sailors returning from a day, weekend, or extended cruise. Many have celebrated birthdays, weddings and other important events at our club, and some members have seen their children and grandchildren grow up and thrive here. Even members who don’t live on City Island call our community their second home.

When we lost the clubhouse in a fire on March 9th, 2012, many City Islanders feared that the Morris was gone, and that the property so loved by members and non-members alike would be sold. Our members united and voted to build a new clubhouse from the ground up.

Within days of the fire, Commodores from the Harlem YC, Stuyvesant YC and City Island YC called to offer meeting space and any other accommodations that we needed. The Commander of the island’s American Legion post as well as the Lido Restaurant also offered their facilities to us. At his invitation, a delegation from our Board of Directors met with Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, who gave enthusiastic support and offered his office’s assistance.

As we continue to celebrate our new clubhouse, we will never forget the outpouring of warm feelings, generosity, and support that our fellow City Islanders have shown us. We at the Morris Yacht & Beach Club are proud and honored to be a part of the City Island community.

Commodore  – Mike Barrett

Vice Commodore  – Kevin Flaherty

Rear Commodore  – vacant

Treasurer  – James Proios

Assistant Treasurer  – Cathy McCandless

Corresponding Secretary  – Cathy Henry

Financial Secretary  – June Henry

Recording Secretary  – Pat Napolitano

House Secretary  – Lorenzo Secola

Environment, Health & Safety  – Greg Clancy

Fleet Captain  – Greg Manjorin

Board Members

Chairman of the Board  – Al Hagan

Auditing  – Mike Rauh

Beach & Lifeguards –  Greg Penny Jr

Grounds  – Kevin Flynn

House – Steve Owens

Maintenance  – Ed Spallina

Membership  – Corley Schaller

Mooring & Ways – Adam Calbo, Joe Kramer

Contact Information

Morris Yacht and Beach Club P.O. Box 10 City Island, NY 10464

Business Office: 718-885-9814

Dining & Catering: 718 885-1596 or 718 516-6282

VHF: Channel 72

Webmaster: Steve Owens

Narrasketuck Yacht Club keeps vintage sailboats going on the Great South Bay

Narrasketuck sailboats were designed with the shallower waters of the Great South Bay in mind. Credit: Narrasketuck Yacht Club / Alan Hlavenka

If you’ve spent any time on the Great South Bay, you’ve probably seen a fleet of smallish sailboats, larger than the popular one-person Sunfish, but not nearly as big as a family-sized vessel. Scooting across the bay, low to the water, with two-person crews, they generally appear to be racing and, indeed, almost always are.

“Those are Narrasketucks” says Rudy Sittler proudly, and they’ve been slicing through waves on this bay since 1935. They were designed specifically to sail on our South Shore waters; built to deal with shallow bottoms, cut through seaweed, get up on plane, and handle strong afternoon breezes. I started racing them back in 1953. Every time I see one, I still get a rush.”

Sittler, 83, from Little Neck Bay, is a longtime member of the Narrasketuck Yacht Club in Amityville, where the “Tuck,” as these quick and responsive sloops are known, was first revealed. According to Todd Brice, commodore of the Narrasketuck Class, the original blueprint was conjured up by local boatbuilder Wilbur F. Ketcham, who was commissioned by the club to design a new, affordable class of racing yacht in 1934.

The original specifications called for a boat with speed and maneuverability "while being inexpensive so more club members could afford one,” explains Brice, 43, who owns Yacht Service, Ltd, an Amityville boatyard. “They wanted a small fleet of 'one design' sailboats to compete as their own class — every vessel constructed of the same materials, measuring 20-feet, four-inches long, with a 6-foot, five-inch beam, centerboard dinghy style hull and similar sails." That would ensure race outcomes were determined by skill, the elements and luck alone — not who could afford to significantly enhance and upgrade their sailboat.

Narrasketuck Yacht Club members race their vintage sailboats in a regatta off the shores of Amityville. Credit: Narrasketuck Yacht Club / Alan Hlavenka

Narrasketucks were built specifically for racing, and you can bet the two-person crews that manned them were highly competitive — they still are, even though Brice says most crews these days are comprised of senior citizens.

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Over the decades, only 200 of these sailboats were built, each receiving its own sequential number, and they proved exceptionally durable. Longtime club member Glenn Schmidt, 84, from Babylon has owned (and built) several Tucks--#172 was one of the first vessels built with plywood in 1967. Then came #182, which he built for himself. Then #179 which he purchased for his late wife Dianne to sail on her own. “It was cheaper than a divorce,” says Glenn wryly.

After two knee operations in recent years, Schmidt sold his #182 last summer. “Now I’m the support staff,” he chuckles. Ketcham’s own vessel, #7, Defiance, was rebuilt by Schmidt in 1996 and donated by the Ketcham estate to the Long Island Maritime Museum , where visitors can see it on display. Yet another Ketcham original, #3, continues to sail from the Narrasketuck Yacht Club, which today caters to a wide variety of sailboats.

At the height of their popularity in the early 1960s, over 50 Narrasketuck sloops might compete in local regattas, cruising at a top speed approaching ten knots (a little over 10 miles an hour). These days, the numbers are down to four or five most weekends, and maybe a dozen for championship races. Regattas are held throughout the year in association with the Great South Bay Yacht Racing Association .

“It’s been tough to get a good turnout this year,” Brice says. “It is, after all, hard to socially distance yourself on a small boat, and many competitors are of a vulnerable age.”

Still, club members and crews that have long raced these innovative sloops hope the legacy can live on.

“These are adult boats requiring technical skill to race, but we have a junior instructional sailing program and we’re willing to teach anyone who wants to learn,” says Brice.

“That’s what’s kept this sailing class alive over the decades,” adds Sittler, who still sails #194. We’d love to introduce younger people to this sport, our club and these classic boats. Every time you take one out on Great South Bay, you’re sailing a slice of Long Island’s maritime history.”

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Hit the South Shore with Freedom Boat Club, Babylon, NY

By Tom Schlichter

For Long Island anglers looking to score with a variety of tasty and combative fish while fishing in relatively tranquil waters close to home, Fire Island Inlet serves as one of the better starting points. From spring stripers, blues and weakfish to summer fluke, sea bass, porgy and triggerfish – plus all the fall run mayhem you can handle – it offers something for everyone from families and novice fishermen to sharp and experienced skippers.

“That’s just one of the things I love about being a Freedom Boat Club member,” says Kevin Garbe, a sales manager from Lindenhurst, NY who uses Freedom’s Babylon location at the Long Island Yacht Club as his fishing and boating home base. “There’s just so many options in this area. From our Babylon location it’s only 15 minutes to the inlet and from there you can head just about anywhere to go fishing. Inside Great South Bay, I love the stretch from Fire Island Lighthouse to the Coast Guard Station. At the inlet itself you have tremendous structure in the form of Robert Moses Bridge, so you always have options.”

Options indeed. The spring season here sees great fishing around the Robert Moses Bridge and at the mouths of local tidal creeks inside Great South Bay for school bass and gorilla blues that can push into the ‘teens. These fish respond to live bunker, soft-plastic swim shads and surface poppers. From June through September, fluke become the primary target, with catches spread throughout the inlet and tucked inside Fire Island from Kismet to Democrat Point.

“I like fluke fishing the best,” says Garbe. “It’s especially enjoyable early in the summer when we can concentrate our efforts inside the bay. We’ll make long, comfortable drifts from Ocean Beach to the Fire Island Lighthouse. There’s plenty of unobstructed water here in the channel, which we drift with spearing and squid combos. There are also flats to the north around Captree Island if you want to try some shallow water bucktailing. A 1-ounce Spro Bucktail tipped with Gulp! Alive grubs in white works really well for the bay action.”

Garbe will try for stripers, too, especially around the bridge where they’ll respond to clam-chum or soft-plastic Bass Assassins impaled on a jig head. Last fall, however, he got hooked on blackfishing. He liked it so much that it’s probably going to be his primary focus again this fall. For the tasty tautog, Garbe fishes green crabs right on the bottom. He’ll drop anchor within casting distance of a bridge stanchion and flip his baits right up against the cement. His exact location along the bridge varies from week to week based on water temperature, wind direction and current strength, but both ends of the bridge can be productive from either the east or west side if you take the time to set up right.

“The fishing possibilities were certainly a consideration when joining Freedom Boat Club,” explains Garbe, “but there’s so much more to this deal. For me, it really made a lot of sense. I had fished with my father as a kid but never really learned much about boating. With Freedom, you get all the training you’ll need. You also get to choose from a variety of boat sizes and styles whenever you want to head out. I’m thinking about maybe buying a boat down the line so I’m using this opportunity to see what kind I like best. For fishing, I really enjoy the center consoles. When I’m out just cruising or having fun with my wife, Melanie, and our kids, we’ll change it up from trip to trip.”

If you aren’t familiar with the Freedom Boat Club program, it is pretty neat. For a set fee each year, you simply show up, get on a boat and head out any day you choose. When you are done you pull up to the dock, step off and head home. There are six different boats to choose from at the Babylon location including a Hurricane Sundeck 2200, Key West 239FS Center Console, and a Cobia 220 DC Bowrider. All six are 2017 or 2018 models.

“It really is a hassle-free operation,” says Garbe. You call up and tell the staff you are coming. Your boat is ready when you arrive and you step aboard and go have fun. You don’t even have to wash down your vessel at the end of the day. It’s all the benefits of boat ownership without the hassles.”

Another Freedom Boat Club benefit is that members at any club location can use the boats at any other Freedom Boat Club. That’s quite a bargain when you consider Freedom has 165 locations across North America, and 115 boats between Long Island, CT and RI alone. They also have new locations coming in France.

In the case of the Babylon location, members also have access to the Long Island Yacht Club clubhouse, pool and other amenities on days for which they have a boating reservation.

“Like I said,” summed up Garbe, “this really makes sense for me and my family. Melanie and our kids love being on the boat during the hot days of summer when we can go tubing, cruising or exploring. Often, we’ll spend some time anchored up in nearby Hemlock Cove. In the early spring and later in the fall it’s mostly me and some friends heading out to go fishing. So, we really get a lot out of our membership. For us, it’s been a good investment.”

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Sagamore Yacht Club

Established 1944, celebrating 78 years of tradition

A Traditional, Yet Family-Friendly Yacht Club. Located in Historic Oyster Bay, on Long Island's North Shore

Quick links, find what you're looking for, dining & reservations.

Make your dining reservations online (members only). Check our latest Lunch, Dinner, and Takeout Menus.

Webcam & Weather

Take a look at what's going on from our live-streaming webcam and weather stations atop the Sagamore clubhouse.

Schedules & Hours

Launch hours have been updated for the 2022 Season. To learn more, click below.

75+ years of family-friendly traditions on one of Long Island's most pristine harbors.

Established in 1944, Sagamore has thrived off of our unique blend of casual atmosphere and traditional values; an inviting and family-friendly club that accepts memberships for boaters and non-boaters alike.

Sagamore at a glance

Sagamore highlights a wide array of entertainment, dining, sporting, and family-friendly events year-round., year-round activities and hospitality.

Sagamore has extensive year-round activities including winter skeet, summer sailing, complete anglers, junior sailing, and numerous social events for the whole family. Not to mention our full-service bar and restaurant.

200+ Member Families, Boating and Non Boating

A diverse membership comprised of boating and non-boating members alike. Memberships include house, regular, and intermediate (members under 35).

Waterfront Meeting and Event Space for Private Parties

Two full-service event spaces capable of hosting virtually any kind of event from corporate meetings, personal celebrations, or private dinners to celebrate monumental occasions. 

Curious about membership at Sagamore?

Visit our membership page to learn more.

Head of Bay Avenue Oyster Bay, New York 11771 516.922.0555

Getting Here On The Water

VHF 78A • Latitude N 40° 52.7’ Longitude W 73° 31.8’ For Guest Moorings : Contact Dockmaster Reciprocity : Contact Club Secretary

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Quayside Yacht Club (QYC) is located on the northwestern section of Lake Winnipesaukee, near Long Island Bridge. The view overlooks the northern part of the Broads, with Five and Six mile Islands in the foreground, and Bear Island in the background.  Originally the docks and a small building were part of Trexler’s Marina.  In 1986, 125 docks were sold by Trexler’s to form a condominium arrangement with Quayside Yacht Club.

Since that time many renovations have been made to the Clubhouse and pavilion area.  Over the past 2 years, the Club has been renovating the main dock sections and hope to complete the project this winter.  The effort to keep the Club in a prime condition is an ongoing endeavor which is shared by Members and Directors alike.

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Babylon marina, hanse point marina, harbor performance marina, montauk lake club & marina, new suffolk shipyard, oyster bay marine company, ponquogue marina, waterfront marina, west lake marina, windswept marina.

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Sea Cliff Yacht Club

Sea Cliff North Shore Long Island NY

Learn to Sail

The Ideal 18 Program is open to all Members 18 years of age and older. The Adult Sailing Program is a great way to enter to the world of sailing. Read more >

Jr. Sailing

Our Junior Sailing program is a full day program, Monday thru Friday. The program is open to beginners, intermediate and advanced sailors. Read more >

Children's Program

The Children’s Program for children ages 3 through 5 and 6 through 8 includes daily age appropriate activities. Read more >

Catering & Event Planning

The Club provides a perfect setting for all Social and Corporate Events, Birthday Celebrations, Weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and more. Read more >

Welcome to Sea Cliff Yacht Club

The Sea Cliff Yacht Club is a private, Members only Club created for the common interests of its Members and to promote the sport of sailing, yachting and other aquatic sports. The Sea Cliff Yacht Club is operated as a corporation under a charter granted by New York State. Its affairs are conducted by a group of Members elected to office annually under terms of the Club’s constitution. The Club has shown continued growth in facilities and services through the years. The value of its properties have increased greatly though conservation and farsighted management.

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  Yoga: Friday and Sunday 10am-11am Check Member email blast

Highlights of Past Events

Around Long Island Regatta

Gingerbread House Making

Click Here for 2021 ALIR Photos of the Race Last week we… [Read More…] about ALIR 2021

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Make your restaurant reservation… here, it's the everyman/woman/kid's sailing event. plan now on joining us in 2023... you'll be glad you did.

Events for week of March 3, 2024

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Brunch/Lunch/Pub Menu

Spring sailing, club closed, trap shooting, alir sponsors.

LONG ISLAND YACHT CLUB

The Long Island Yacht Club is an exclusive membership club that gives you access to amenities and activities that will make your time in the water extra special. Our members enjoy the perks of a private club, including access to our marina, private events, a full-service restaurant and bar, and more. We offer a variety of membership packages, each tailored to your individual needs. So whether you're looking to host an event, grab a bite or a drink, or want to relax in the sun, the Long Island Yacht Club is your one-stop destination.

Situated on 6.5 acres overlooking the Great South Bay

74-slip protected Marina

Clubhouse Dining & Lounge Area

Olympic Swimming Pool & Sunbathing Deck

Poolside Bar & Snack Bar

Locker Room with Showers & Changing Rooms

Private Beach & Sunbathing Area

Tennis Courts

Kids Playground Area & Sport Courts

Full-Day Anchor Day Camp

Youth Lessons for Sailing, Tennis, & Swimming

Member Exclusive Parties & Events

New Member for a Day

Are you interested in becoming a member of the Long Island Yacht Club? Join us and experience our club firsthand by attending one of our monthly “Member for a Day” events leading up to the summer. During these events, you can learn about club membership, catering options, and our great Anchor Day Camp for children. If you're a boater, we can also discuss Dockage. The LIYC has something for everyone, join us today!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Our Yacht Club is open year-round and offers a variety of events for both members and their guests. From family-friendly events such as holiday celebrations and dinner shows to happy hours, sporting events, and more. There is something for everyone at the Yacht Club. Our events are a great way to unite the community and make lasting memories.

We look forward to seeing you at the Yacht Club!

• Is there an application for membership? Since we are privately owned, potential members can register by submitting our membership forms and payment. No member sponsorship is required and, no probationary periods!
• Do members need to live in Babylon Village to join LIYC? No! We have members from all over Long Island…even as far as Brooklyn and Manhattan. All are welcome!
• What is the cost of membership? Similar to country clubs and other family based memberships, our rates are tiered to match the number of people in your household. To inquire about our current rates that would match your needs, please call our clubhouse at 631.669.3270 and speak to Corey or Ryan.
• Is there an initiation fee or an application fee to join LIYC? The first year you become a member, you are required to pay our initiation fee. As long as you keep your membership current each year, the initiation fee only applies in year 1.
• Do I need to have a boat to be a member? No. All boaters who have a slip in our marina must be members. But not all members have boat slips. In fact, most of our members do not have boat slips and are here to enjoy the pool, events, private beach, dining options and access to the Great South Bay.
• Do I need to be a member to dock a boat at the marina Yes, a club membership is required for dockage services. However, you do no need to own a boat to be a member.
• As a member, can we bring guests? Yes. However, we ask that you help us protect the member experience. Guests enjoying the club more than three visits during our summer season, should consider their own membership. Guest fees apply when visitors use the pool. There are no applicable fees for having guests join us for dinner and drinks.
• Who makes up the membership? Our members come from all over Long Island. Some have boats and some do not. We like to say we are the most inclusive privately owned club around. We do not require sponsorship for annual membership nor are there residency restrictions to be part of the club family. Whether you are a young family or a retired couple, you can make your special memories at the LIYC.
• What does club membership offer? Membership to the LIYC is annual. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we offer exclusive use of our Olympic sized pool, access to dining, clubhouse events, private beach and a 74 boat slip marina with access to the Save The Great South Bay for all. Whether you take a paddleboard out to explore the Babylon Village canals or rent a slip for a jetski or boat, you get to spend your summer on the water!
• Do you have membership tiers? We do not. As an inclusive private club, we offer the same membership class to all. Our pricing structure is based on the number of people in your household.
• Dockage Our marina offers a wonderful dockage option for the boating season. The cost of a boat slip is in addition to membership. All boaters must be club members but having a boat is not required for membership. Dockage rates are based on LOA. Please contact Ryan directly for availability and pricing.

LIYC Merchandise

Our online store is now open.  hats, tees, long sleeves - multiple color options.