Founded in 1947 in the hopeful years following WW II, the Port Townsend Yacht Club began as a gathering of sailors united by a shared love of the water and a commitment to fellowship, seamanship, and community.
In September 1946, the first informal meeting of the Yacht Club was held at McCleary Studio and called to order by George McCleary. Original charter members paid a $5 initiation fee and $10 in dues. By February 1947, the Club was formally organized with the adoption of By-Laws and officially registered as the Port Townsend Yacht Club (PTYC).
Herb Bromley was our Club's first elected Commodore in 1947. Early efforts of the Club involved improving safety and accessibility at Boat Haven, hosting regattas, races and fishing derbies for enhanced public visibility, annual marine Easter Egg Hunts, sponsorship of Sea Scouts, searching for appropriate meeting facilities or property and making improvements to the Club's earliest facilities.
As was typical in the 1950's, women were not permitted membership in yacht clubs. Discussions ensued suggesting that the women might want to form their own group and have meetings of their own which resulted in the formation of the Skip-a-roos, the all-women's group of PTYC. In 1953, Beverly Dodd was elected the first President of that group and the organization assisted with a variety of community events and fundraising activities within PTYC.
By 1960 there were two active components to the Club, the Sailing Division and the Outboard Division (later called the Power Division). Always a friendly rivalry, each organized their own independent boating events and dinners. Jointly the Club sponsored frequent well-attended community fish fries, with the fish provided by the Club's fishermen. These events would regularly draw close to 200 attendees and became a primary source of revenue and community recognition for the Club. Members also cruised to surrounding bays, inlets and islands and taught many local youngsters about sailing. Port Townsend Bay saw many a spirited race hosted by PTYC members.
By February 1978, there was increasing discussion on the pros and cons for allowing female persons to join the voting membership of PTYC. At the December 1978 meeting a proposal to revise the By-Laws was made to delete the word "male" from the membership requirements and the motion passed with no dissenting votes. According to the meeting minutes, two women had pending membership applications and, if turned down, it was said "they are for sure going to bring suit". Thankfully that situation was quickly averted and the membership approved the official By-Laws change at its January 1979 meeting. By 1997, PTYC had installed its first female Commodore, Lana Wiles.
Other big changes came about with the growing club. In December 1980, the Officers decided "in the future, dinners will not be designated as sail division or power division, which some feel tends to be divisive". That change brought together all of the PTYC members for its special events. And today, on all cruises, both power and sail boaters enjoy a great camaraderie while exploring together the many destinations throughout the Salish Sea.
In the early 80's, Club members embarked on a mission to control their own destiny after nearly losing their Port lease in 1981. The local newspaper, the Port Townsend Leader, on March 11, 1981 reported "although the club had lost its clubhouse to the Port of Port Townsend, a yacht club is not a building, but consists of people." This sentiment was to be heard again 44 years later.
In 1986, with the Port's approval, PTYC members began construction of a Clubhouse at an existing waterfront location on Washington Street. Through the incredible generosity of members who provided large and small donations as well as in-kind labor, the new Clubhouse took form and was home to PTYC for 40 years. While PTYC owned the building, the waterfront property upon which it was built was leased from the Port of Port Townsend.
In 2025, and after conducting a diligent search, the Club chose to move its meetings and events to the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC). The NWMC is the hub for maritime events and programs on the Olympic Peninsula. Annually they organize the famous Race to Alaska and 70/48. In addition it is home to the Internationally renowned Wooden Boat Festival and provides outstanding educational programs that extend into the public schools and through the fine craft of wooden boat building. PTYC is excited to be meeting in the heart of the Port Townsend maritime community.
Port Townsend is known on the West Coast for its working waterfront and extensive network of skilled maritime trade workers. PTYC acknowledges the importance of a healthy maritime community and supports that community through the establishment of our Club's scholarship program which was founded in 1990. That fund is currently known as the Fund for Marine Trades & Sciences, administered through the Jefferson Community Foundation. Each Spring the Club awards multiple scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,500, as resources allow.
Through the years PTYC has undertaken the following activities: organized Opening Day festivities on the first Saturday in May, participated in the annual PT Wooden Boat Festival, hosted free educational seminars for members and the public, published a monthly newsletter called the Baggywrinkle, organized cruises to destinations both near and far, and developed a valuable website to engage with our members and the community at PTYC.net. Additionally the Club provides a 50' reciprocal boat slip in Boat Haven as a part of a robust reciprocal program with many popular yacht clubs throughout the Salish Sea.
The past decade has seen the membership thrive. As we grow with new members, we bring in new ideas, new cruising destinations and new events while maintaining many of the Club's cherished traditions. The volunteer efforts of our membership have made these accomplishments possible. Our Club's strength, now and in the future, is in having fun while providing value for members and for the local boating community.