|
 HISTORICAL
OVERVIEW OF THE CLUB
- In 1934, a small group of
men interested in sailing, discussed the
possibility of
starting a boat club. The first meeting, held on
Captain Fred Burdeno's veranda, was attended by
only
fourteen men. The club was incorporated in 1935
with Dayton Burdeno elected as the Grosse Ile
Yacht Club's (GIYC)'s first
commodore. A 45' x 16' houseboat was purchased
for $ 500 & used as the club house, anchored
outside of "Burdeno's Point" for 3 years.
Inter-club races and wild game dinners were the
club's main social features for the GIYC's
first 3 years.
Boat racing was no piece of pie during that time
period. The boats of the late 1930's were
comprised of various materials, makes, and
dimensions; therefore making (safe) racing
undoubtedly difficult. But the challenges were
of no consequence or hindrance to the
advantageous early GIYC sailor.
The bragging rights for victory in the "July 4th
Regatta" was the most sought-after during the
GIYC's infancy. It was 1936 when then Commodore
Dayton Burdeno created a sailing trophy (awarded
annually) to the successful GIYC boat captain
who finished first in the "July 4th Regatta."
Prides were tall, the men were tough, but so
were the seas!
It
wasn't just racing that proved predictable,
however, but also the unfortunate sinking of the
club's headquarters (a steel houseboat) when the
wind from a strong Northeaster would blow its
gloomy doom. As
with boat racing, teamwork was demonstrated
during the arduous tasks of
continuous welding, pumping, rebuilding, and erecting the GIYC's headquarters.
It
wasn't long before the GYC's membership grew to
enormous proportions. Due
to the rapid growth of the club and the
inadequate size and surface area of the docking facilities, it was decided to
erect and locate a magnificent addition. The new
site addition, after much deliberation, was
decided to be named "Peek-A-Boo Island."
Named Peek-A-Boo island because it was
literally an island that was created (comprised
of retaining walls, broken concrete, and top
soil). The location for the landmass addition
was purchased from Hickory Island in the fall
of 1938 for only $7,600!
With the addition of land purchased from the
residents of Hickory Island and the engineering
triumph that became Peek-A-Boo island, the
Grosse Ile Yacht Club became a Yacht Club with
one of the most breathtaking views of
overlooking one of Michigan's 5 Great Lakes. The
GIYC's veranda is certainly beautifully situated
and boasts commanding and unobstructed view of Lake Erie.
The steel houseboat, or GIYC early headquarters, was towed and anchored in the channel by
Peek-A-Boo Island until 1943, and then
eventually hauled
up from the water and placed on the island
(supposedly the members grew tired of its
sinking or the work related to its resurrection).
It
wasn't until after WWII that, ... finally, new
docks were built, the harbor dredged, and sorely
needed
improvements were made on the club headquarters.
The foundation for a new clubhouse was set on
the east waterfront corner in a more secure
location. However, because of the material
shortages during the WWII rationing effort, the
clubhouse construction was abruptly stopped. The
Germans surrendered, the Allies secured an
unconditional surrender from the Japanese, and
the GIYC clubhouse was finally
completed in 1949.
Many additional auxiliary modifications were made over
the next 45 years, one of the most significant renovations
was completed during the winter of 1994. In
August 1995, the Club re-opened with a polished front
entrance, renovated formal galley, and a fully enclosed
patio / terrace (complete with a sunken bar to retain an
unrestricted view of the Lake). The present
membership continues to appreciate and the club
continues to prove itself as one of the finest
yacht clubs in the magnificent Great Lakes.
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