South Minneford Yacht Club

While the term Yacht Club conjures up images of blue blood or old money, it is a misnomer at South Minneford Yacht Club on New York’s City Island. There, the atmosphere is low key and casual and the boaters are friendly and down-to-earth.South Minneford is actually a cooperative Marina with a clubby flavor. It is a cooperative facility, meaning all slip owners own shares of the club, and a Board of Directors makes decisions regarding its operation. Thus, the folks who keep their boats here have a vested interest in the place and strive to keep it ship-shape. Slips with absentee owners are used for seasonal rentals or transients visiting the marina.The facility occupies the site of the old Minneford Shipyard, which was established in 1926 and turned out palatial yachts for millionaires. It also built many of the great America’s Cup racers, including Constellation, Intrepid, Courageous, Freedom and Enterprise, and during World War II it built torpedo boats, mine sweepers and seagoing tugs. The yard was closed around 1980 and became the current marina in 1985.