History | Capital Yacht Club

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CYC was formed on October 19, 1892 by nine yachtsman who met on the naptha powered launch ALERT in order to hire a watchman to keep an eye on their vessels anchored in the newly formed Washington Channel. This was not long after the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) had begun a massive dredging project that created East Potomac Park, the Tidal Basin and created many of the features of the SW Washington Waterfront that we are familiar with today. The SW waterfront was still a working seaport, with fish wharfs, municipal piers for tobacco and farm produce, numerous ice and coal docks, towing companies and coastal steamship wharfs projecting into the Channel.

CYC’s first facility was converted from a coal scow to a two level clubhouse known as THE ARK that was moored on the West side of the Washington Channel at the foot of ninth street beginning in 1894. By 1900 the club had grown to 30 members and leased property at 700 Water Street on which they built a 1 and a half story wooden building. The club continued to grow and in 1922 CYC moved into a new clubhouse near the club’s current location. This building was the classic yacht club with peaked roof, copula and second story balcony that we have many pictures of. CYC facilities at this time included a marine railway!

From its inception, CYC was heavily involved with racing. Several regattas were held each year and CYC was a charter member of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association (CBYRA) that began informally in 1906 and incorporated in 1910. Racing was occasionally interrupted by war, but little else.

There was some effort in the 1940’s by the ACOE to develop the SW waterfront and CYC was able to lease the newly built yacht basin #2 in 1942. This gave CYC 82 berths and some facilities for small boats. To promote further development Congress created the Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) in 1945 which had a major part in changing SW DC. Changes to the SW waterfront began in 1960 when Public Law 86-736 transferred ownership of the SW waterfront to the RLA. Early development plans put CYC at great risk because they called for the removal of all CYC facilities. The new plan was to create a continuous seawall and promenade, similar to what we have today. Unfortunately, this meant filling in most of yacht basin #2. This reduced the CYC dock facilities from 82 to 58 slips in 1967. CYC membership was in a decline because there appeared to be no future for the club.

In 1967 another Congress gave CYC and other waterfront businesses a chance to continue operation. Public Law 90-176 allowed the existing waterfront businesses a chance to become redevelopers and participate in the planned redevelopment. By 1969 CYC membership had dwindled to only 17 and negotiations for CYC’s participation in the redevelopment were not complete. In May of 1969 the classic CYC clubhouse and home for 47 years was torn down. Fortunately, the first of the new CYC riparian leases was signed in June of 1969 and the lease for a shore-side parcel of land on which to build a new clubhouse was secured in 1970.

The new clubhouse was completed in 1973 and interest in CYC membership was revived. By 1980 there were 110 active and life members and 600 associate members. Unfortunately, Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (Wmata) was planning to build a new subway tunnel for the Yellow Line directly below the CYC docks. This required CYC members to move their vessels temporarily to what is now Gangplank Marina while the old docks were removed and the metro tunnel completed. Fortunately, Wmata also rebuilt new docks (the ones we have now) and the CYC fleet was able to return starting in October of 1982.

1984 marked both the first CYC Police/Fire fighter picnic as well as leasing the second floor of the clubhouse to a public restaurant. Le Rivage operated on the second floor for 18 years and was replaced by our current tenant, Jenny’s, in 2003.

CYC’s membership has continued to grow and remains active part of the waterfront community. In recent years CYC has hosted numerous Easter Seals Cruise for Kids, Patriot’s Picnics for wounded veterans, the Leukemia Cup Regatta and makes its facilities available to the USCG Auxiliary, National Maritime Heritage Foundation and other community groups. In 2002 the DC City Council formally recognized CYC’s 110^th year of “preservation and progress for America’s National Waterfront and for its long standing service and participation in the waterfront community.”

There are currently new plans to redevelop the SW Washington Waterfront and CYC members are once again working with developers and the city with the hope of preserving the past while creating facilities for the future.