One fine evening, back in the winter of 1930, five Freeport volunteer firemen of Truck Co. No. 1 (of the old Extension Hook and Ladder Company) sat down with a bottle of gin and some Limburger cheese, for the usual rag chewing contest.  Since most of them had small boats, the conversation naturally drifted to boating and the fine times they had while cruising and fishing in the creeks and bays around Freeport and the adjoining towns. Someone suggested, “Why don’t we get together next summer and go on a cruise to Shelter Island?” Now there was an ambitious undertaking! There was no Jones Beach tower to sight at and there was no State Channel or any channel markers in those days. Here and there, a dry sapling was driven into the bottom of the bay by clam diggers, or a stick, but one had to belong to the inner circle to know what they indicated. You really had to smell deep water to get anywhere at all.  men had to be enlisted, thereby making sure that the boats would reach Shelter Island and get back without being stranded in sand bars along the way. Someone said, “As long as we have to take others with us, why don’t we start a Yacht Club? A poor man’s Yacht Club.” That was a good question and that was the day the Freeport Yacht Club was born.

The five firemen who became the charter members of the FYC were: Louis Streck (First Commodore), Henry Von Elm, Charles A.P. Smith, Ward Frost and Lewis Charles. The burgee of the FYC, which was designed by Louis Streck, has the Maltese Cross incorporated into it. This cross is the insignia of Truck Co. No. 1 of the Freeport Fire Department.

When the Club got started, and for quite a few years, there was no initiation fee for new members and membership dues were $5 per year. I know, it is a far cry from today, but those were the days when one could buy a bottle of drinkable gin for 95 cents and that was all we could afford. For years, the general meetings of the Club were held in Henry Slocums’ sail loft, which was the attic above Henry’s living quarters, and for years we were all wondering, how much longer Trudy Slocum would take it. The sail loft was cozy enough, with sails and other marine paraphernalia piled up in beautiful chaos, but, one could stand up straight only in the middle of it. A little off to the side and your head hit the rafters.

The Annual and Memorial Day meetings were held in the old Crystal Lake Hotel (Ward Frost, owner), where we had the best Commodore’s breakfasts this Club has ever had. The Memorial Day meeting was supposed to be the grievance day, when all members could pour their souls out, but with their bellies full of Ward Frost’s steaks, who could complain? And so it went until 1937, by which time the membership increased considerably, and it became almost impossible to hold the meetings in the crowded sail loft. On April 17, 1933, the Freeport Yacht Club was incorporated and we received our charters. Now we felt important and an intensive search for a home of our own began. The “Special Club Committee” worked hard but to no avail. Of course, of some hindrance was the fact that all our treasury hand in the bank was $37, so whatever we bought had to be an absolute bargain, and that was hard to find.

At an Annual Meeting in Crystal Lake Hotel in 1937, P/C Streck told the membership that a 150’ concrete ship built by the government at a cost of $328,000 and used by the Oyster Bay Yacht Club as a clubhouse, was offered for sale. He said we could have it for $1000 but to justify such an extravagant amount of money, he said that lamps, carpets and furniture were included in the purchase price. There were seven cars, filled with FYC members heading to Oyster Bay that night after the meeting was closed. This trip was repeated many times. The ship was purchased by the FYC and now had to be towed to Freeport.
Again, for the lack of cash, salesmanship had to be used, so some members talked to Shell Oil Co. about dredging the ship from behind the sand bar in Oyster Bay and towing it to Freeport. Since there was no money to pay for the job, a reference was made to the gas and oil concession which Shell Oil would receive, if we had gas at our dock in Freeport. We held our breath when a little tug took up her tow and began pulling her over the bar; we held our breath when the Seagoing tug had to take over in Hell Gate, and again we held our breath when in the wild rolling of a top-heavy ship off Rockaway, the tow line broke and the ship laid broadside to heavy ground swell, coming from the South. But, one way or another, we finally cleared the East Rockaway inlet and by 4 inches the railroad bridge. I am sure that until then, Commodore Walter Parvin and Vice Commodore Mike Chaiko, who were aboard the ship while she was towed, were wondering about the wisdom of this whole undertaking, but, when the railroad bridge was behind us we felt like heroes. Their feeling was very much enhanced by the refreshments, constantly supplied by the members of the Freeport Yacht Club, who followed the ship in big crowds and cheered us at every stop we made.

One more thing that happened before the ship was in her slip was a misunderstanding between the two tug captains. Since the ship had no rudder, two tugs had to be used to steer her through the Freeport channels. Everything was fine until we came opposite the former Lombardo’s restaurant. There, one tug stated towing to Woodcleft canal and the other to Woodcleft Basin, where our property is. The result was, with the tide going out, the ship went fast aground on the south side of East Point Channel and laid there until 11 p.m. That was real bonanza for the newspaper photographers.
As I look back, I can hardly believe that the following could have happened! With $37 in the bank to start with, with a lot of guts and always raising a hard bargain for the Club, the impossible was accomplished. We bought the ship, we towed it to our property in Freeport, which was bought about the same time, at an absolute bargain price; the members built the dock and the bulkhead; a slip was dredged on the inside of the dock and the ship drawing 12’ of water was brought and set in that slip. All members were assigned BIG jobs and without any outside help completely overhauled and renovated the ship. A job estimated to cost over $14,000. How it was done is a story in itself and can’t be told here for the lack of space, but only our youth, our confidence in ourselves, and our wonderful spirit of friendship, of common goal and common desire to achieve it, made it possible. This was indeed a “Do It Yourself” yacht club, with a fine bunch of fellows in it.

After the renovation, the new Clubhouse looked beautiful. It became a landmark in Freeport and was our home until 1952 when it had to be closed on account of breakage in built-in septic tanks. By that time the hull began deteriorating and the cost of maintenance became prohibitive. Those years were critical years in the life of the FYC. The membership was sharply divided. Many wanted to keep the ship and spend more money for repairs and many were against it. The feelings were very strong and something positive had to be done to save the Club from breaking up. All kinds of proposals were submitted by the members for building a clubhouse on our property and all of them were rejected by the Club. Finally, P/C Frank (then Commodore), P/C Wolfanger (the Vice Commodore) and P/C Chaiko went to Staten Island to look at an Army hospital building, which was offered at an auction to be held within a few days. Since there was no time to call a meeting of the Club, the above mentioned past commodores decided that the building was just what the Club needed, so, at their own risk, they bid $505 and got the building. When the purchase of the building was described at the general meeting to the members, plus all the work the members would have to do before they had a clubhouse ready for use, the Freeport Yacht Club was united. All members stood as one and enthusiastically approved the purchase. The building was cut up in pieces about 6’ wide, loaded on trucks and brought and dropped in many piles on FYC property, around the ship. It looked like the aftermath of a hurricane. It was amusing to see the disheartened members, looking at the rusty nails sticking out of every piece of wood in those piles, and asking “What are we going to do with this junk"? Well, the junk got reassembled and finally made our Clubhouse. However a lot of finagling had to be done before the building was completed. For concrete footing and foundation we had to hire masons. For rough framing we had to hire carpenters as the jobs were a little too big for the members. All inside carpentry and outside finishing was done by the members. Donations of all kinds of building materials were coming from everywhere, mostly stuff which no one could use. I will never forget Rollin Thurlow, who, with his artistic make-up, tried to assemble a tile floor for the men’s room out of all kinds of samples, not having enough of any color to do the job. For days he spread the most fantastic combinations over the maple dance floor, which was ripped up from the old ship and re-laid by members in the Clubhouse. I will never forget the nights when up to 90% of the members and their wives gathered to pull the nails out of the unloaded floor, wall and roof sections of our future clubhouse and establish some kind of order in mountains of lumber, piled up all over our property. But all that came to an end and finally the building was completed.

Now the problem was disposal of the ship. It was impossible to tow it away and sink it in the ocean as, by that time, there were actual holes in the hull. The solution was to break it up. Through the efforts of P/C Frank, we found two young fellows who were partners in a house-wrecking business. They undertook to break up the ship down to the ground level and to pay us $1,000 for salvage. That was pretty good, as it was exactly the price we paid originally for the ship so that contract was signed, $500 collected by us in advance and the work began. The job however turned out to be more than our contractors anticipated so pretty soon they started fighting between themselves. Before we knew it the partners split, one quitting and one remaining on the job. When all portholes, bronze fittings and other valuable salvage was stacked up in the old meeting room of the ship for carting away, the partner who quit came at night armed with a can full of gasoline and started a bonfire like you never saw in your life. It burned all the wooden superstructures leaving the concrete hull with reinforcing iron on it.

Another contractor was hired to continue the demolition of the hull. He agreed to pay us $1,000 for the reinforcing iron, but this time, after our previous experience, we demanded money in advance. It took one more contractor to complete the job at another $500 for us and with that ended the “romantic and adventurous” period in our history. Things settled down to a normal yacht club routine, except that to a great extent we remained a “Do It Yourself” club.

In June of 1957 we acquired the “Liotta Property.” This gave us the ownership of Grove Street frontage from Woodcleft basin to the southern line of our property. As the year went by our social affairs were getting bigger and more and more people attended them. Our Clubhouse had to be expanded so in 1960 a 14’ x 80’ extension to the main room was built. The kitchen was also extended by 8’. In 1961 the old open front porch was extended and enclosed which gave us a storage room, a larger coat room and the bandstand.
Soon we had a fireplace built, the caretakers’ quarters enlarged, work done on our docks, asphalt surfacing of our parking field, fencing and shrubs planted on the southern line of our property and many other improvements too numerous to mention here.

In 1971 work began on a new ceiling on our meeting room. This was a part of an extensive project. It included new lighting, air circulation, redecorating of the whole Clubhouse, new fireplace front, new bar and finally the carpeting throughout the whole area.
It may be interesting to mention here how we managed with the mortgages, from the beginning of the Club.

When we decided to purchase our property from Randall Co., our treasury had $37 and a lot of guts. By the time the papers were ready for closing, we collected from our membership a little over $4000. Since the purchase price was $8000, and almost 75% of it went to unpaid taxes, the whole amount of the $8000 had to be paid in cash. We had no standing in the banks, so getting a $4000 mortgage was impossibility. Thanks to our Honorary member Jerry Lucheme, whose mother took the mortgage and gave us a badly needed $4000, we were able to go through on the deal and acquire our land.

In 1941 our credit was established with the First National Bank of Freeport, and we obtained an $11,000 fifteen-year mortgage. We were able to pay Mrs. Lucheme’s mortgage and the accumulated bills for dock construction and the rebuilding of our new “floating” Clubhouse. I must say here that the lowest price we could get for that job from an outside contractor was $14,000. Since all work was done by our members, the actual cost to the Club was only the cost of materials, which came to about $4000. This was a fine beginning of our “Do It Yourself” principle.

By 1954 we were up against it again. Our floating clubhouse was condemned and the present building was purchased and rebuilt. Work had to be done on the dock. and money was needed again. The small balance of the $11,000 mortgage was paid off and replaced with a new mortgage of $9,000 taken by the same bank.
In 1957 we bought the “Liotta” property and assumed with it a $5,500 mortgage; So, now we had two mortgages.
In 1960, when we expanded our Club by extending the main room and the galley, we took another mortgage of $25,000, paying off the two mortgages we had. This was the mortgage that was happily burned on February 15, 1975. *

Since the history so competently compiled by Past Commodore Mike Chaiko covers the origin of the Club through the burning of the satisfied mortgage in 1975, this continuation begins where Mike finished with the text incorporated in the 2003 Yearbook. P/C Mike Chaiko, a life member, served twice as Commodore in 1939 and 1950. The writer served on the History Committee for five years (1982 through 1986 inclusive) while Mike was Chairman.

Although all incidents in our Club history are noteworthy, they can not necessarily be described in chronological order to convey the complete intent. A brief summary is employed to cover the elapsed time, whether it be long or short. For example, the entire elapsed
time covered here shows the Club in fine condition, then to a severe slump and then a healthy outlook for the future. Likewise, due to the variety of accomplishments at the Club (from “All Hands” participation to a single performance) credit to any individual member on a fair and equitable basis approaches the impossible.  The Club was in such good shape during the late 1970s through most of the 1980s (the resident membership was in the upper 90s) that the concern of the maximum use of our facilities was reaching the saturation point (slip availability, Clubhouse capacity based on fire code, etc.) that a motion was passed to limit the resident membership to 100. This limitation never came to use as the economy of the country was declining which in turn affected our
membership. The boating world was directly hit by Congress applying a luxury tax in 1990 on the purchase or a new boat in excess of $100,000 (a boat purchased for $150,000 was taxed 10% on anything over the $100,000 therefore 10% of $50,000 is $5000). As a result the boating industry had a major decline resulting in layoffs and business terminations. This and other factors in the economy caused the boat owner to take caution with personal expenditures. Yacht clubs, marinas and related recreational institutions were engaged in carefully and frugally.

The Freeport Yacht Club found resident membership declining to the lower 70s from the upper 90s or about 25%. Since the two combined categories of member fees and dockage form our major income, the operating results became a severe problem. In an effort to increase our income, the Board of Directors rearranged our Club use (meetings, set-ups, etc.) to make additional rental dates available while trying to maintain our dues and slip rent.  However, this approach reached a saturation point and the only manner in which the additional rental dates could be more effective was to make the entire summer period (our policy until this time was to have the Club available to members during the majority of the boating season and therefore NO SUMMER RENTALS). In order to attract rentals for this period, two major undertakings would be required: air conditioning and improved décor - each requiring considerable expenditure. The financial answer to this situation was a business loan.
After considerable study, it was determined that $60,000 would be required and the loan was established in mid 1990s. After receiving quotes for the air conditioning, the cost if contracted for, seemed too high. We then resorted to our theme of  “Do It Yourself.” This decision was encouraged because a member, whose food processing business required considerable refrigeration, had
contacts for the purchase of the major air conditioning components. With the attractive cost reduction the Club went ahead and with the usual support from electrical, plumbing, structural, etc. member talents, and the central air conditioning system was completed in 1996.

The improved décor program seemed to fall into the “Do It Yourself” category automatically. A committee was formed whose responsibility covered all phases of the project right through the purchase of furniture. Again our member talents were employed.
The lower wall paneling around the entire inside Clubhouse area became a mass  produced item via the computer controlled machinery at the factor of another member whose business was industrial display cabinetry.

The beginning of a new boating season is upon us, and this time of year always brings about some moments of reflection. I am a long time member of the Freeport Yacht Club, I have witnessed many changes and improvements to our property over the years. As I prepare my boat for months ahead, I like to take moments to look back, and reflect on where we have been in the past. I truly marvel at all the work that has been accomplished to make this organization a great one.
Exactly ten years ago, a tremendous amount of improvements were planned, and they began to unfold. Despite the horrors of a devastating hurricane nearly 3 years ago, miraculous undertakings have come to pass in this club, during the last decade. Today, the Freeport Yacht Club is a beautiful facility which sits on almost three acres of land with a 5,000 sq. ft. clubhouse. Our bulkhead is 900 ft. long, and our parking lot is a spacious 65,000 sq. ft., enabling our membership to enjoy many outdoor and social activities.

Starting back in 2006, major renovations to the bulkhead and parking lot began in earnest. Despite a weakening economy, skyrocketing fuel prices, and a declining membership, the club found a way to begin some major construction work. With a rallying of the troops, a $300,000 dollar loan was secured, and work began to strengthen, and fortify our outer facilities. It was almost unanimously decided to secure the best materials available for the job. 500 ft. of the bulkhead was rebuilt and raised 18 inches
to bring it up to village and county code. The latest material for a seawall is made of a plastic composition this was used and installed in the first 500 ft. bulkhead. A contractor was hired to install the bulkhead, and skilled committed club members decided to do the rest of the restorative work.

As the months wore on, major new electric work was completed, along with the installation of new electric meters. New water lines were constructed, and decaying finger piers were rebuilt. The western basin was completely redesigned for smaller boats. A floating dock was designed and installed in the shallow area for easy access to watercraft. A custom ramp was also built, and installed in the time period of the dock reconstruction. The spacious club parking lot was outfitted with new storm drains to prevent future flooding problems. When the eastern end of the dock was ripped up, most of the member’s decks were not salvageable. The yacht club decided to build all new decks, to give a clean, uniformed appearance to this important outdoor area. The club was able to do three quarters of the dock with new decks. New water mains were built to service the dock, and the clubhouse, as well. To the pride
of this club, and everyone involved in the major restoration work, the bank loan to rebuild was paid off in 10 years. Through hard work and sacrifice, a $300,000 dollar note was satisfied in full. Work began in earnest back in 2006.

Fast forwarding the clock four years to 2010, the club realized that 400 ft. of the dock on the far east end was also in serious disrepair. No work had been started or completed in that area. Funds were extremely tight, and the enrollment of our membership were still much lower than in years past. A decision was made to reface the east end of the seawall and uniform decking was installed to make the entire dock look neat and complete. The next major project on the club’s agenda was a total renovation of the Oval House. Incredibly, through hard work, and the donation of hundreds of man hours, the Oval House was reconstructed with little cost to the club. The entire building was completely gutted, and most of the improvements were contributed exclusively by Freeport Yacht Club members. The exterior of the Oval House was sided, and an outdoor shower was added for the cleanliness and comfort for our members. All of the interior carpentry work, along with new plumbing and electrical wiring, was donated and completed in house. An exclusive Tiki Bar/Hut was also added to the patio area to enhance summer parties and warm weather fun. The Tiki Hut was installed on a cement pad. Eletric power and water lines were added to the Tiki Hut to make it a great place for socializing and gathering. A full refrigerator was installed, along with sinks, and an ice machine. Today, the Tiki Hut is an essential part of our “get togethers”, and it is enjoyed throughout the summer boating season.

As the year 2012 rolled around, the Freeport Yacht Club continued to enjoy new beginnings, and improvements. However, many new challenges, and a few big disasters were on the horizon. Early in the year, problems with the main Clubhouse roof had started to appear. The roof was leaking, causing sporadic water damage to the property. As a club, the membership tried to systematically address problems with the Club House roof. As the months wore on, repairs to the roof and ceiling occurred over and over. One section would start to leak, a fix would take place, and then another section would start leaking. A critical decision was made in 2012 to have the Clubhouse roof completely and professionally reconstructed. The roof was ripped, facial boards and gutters were totally replaced in the project. As this important and mandatory job progressed, the roof was damaged worse than we suspected. Decades of harsh coastal weather had taken their toll upon that roof, and the restoration work needed was long overdue. As the scope of the job grew in size, so did the cost to complete the work. When the last shingles were put into place, the bill owed for the Clubhouse was about $40,000. With membership still relatively low, and a very tight budget, it was quite a struggle to obtain the money and pay off the roof.

Little did anybody know at that time, a massive, and historic ordeal was just around the corner for the Freeport Yacht Club. On the 29th day of October, 2012, the perfect storm hit the tristate area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, with Long
Island square in it’s sights. Hurricane (or Super Storm) Sandy hit Freeport with a force so great, the disaster will be remembered for dozens of years to come. Almost three years later, there are some spots on the south shore of Long Island that have not fully
recovered yet. Hurricane Sandy was one of the deadliest and most destructive storms to ever hit Long Island. The damage was so great, it literally consisted of historic proportions. Sandy was listed as a post tropical cyclone that caused widespread flooding and destruction to 24 states along the Eastern seaboard. The storm covered 1,100 nautical miles, hit the ferocity of a category 2 hurricane, and has been considered to be the largest Atlantic storm ever recorded. Striking with the destructive combination of a full lunar tide, Hurricane Sandy put Freeport well under water. The village was devastated and the Clubhouse had over a foot and a half of water inside of it, shortly after the storm’s passing. Everything in the Clubhouse was lost, inside and out. Miraculously, only the
Clubhouse was badly damaged. Only one single boat in the marina sustained damage, and it did not sink. According to eyewitness reports, the high lunar tide raised the water level 5 feet over the dock. Like every other place in coastal Freeport, the flooding was fierce, and it was massive. When the storm had passed through, and devastation could be assessed, the Freeport community was in total shock. Canals were slicked up with oil and fuel spills, deposited by destroyed homes and sunken boats. Boats dry docked on land had simply floated away in the flooding. Boats were found blocks away from where they were supposed to be, deposited by the relentless filthy storm water. Streets were filled with destroyed boats, block after block. They were laying on top of each other, completely wasted by the storm surge.

In the aftermath of the greatest storm to hit Freeport in our recorded history, the Freeport Yacht Club had to meet as an organization earnestly, and decide what to do in order to recover and move forward. Most of the Clubhouse was in ruins, so the membership body met in a recreation center over in Rockville Center to discuss all available options for recovery. The club needed to evaluate the astronomical costs of repairing the damage. We needed to know if insurance coverage would assist in rebuilding and how much coverage was available. The club even considered selling the property outright, because the damage was overwhelming. Selling the Freeport Yacht Club in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy never seemed to be much of an option. The Club needed to decide how much reconstruction and renovation was needed, and how much of the work could be done by the membership body.

In the straightforward fashion of the Club, jobs were soon delegated, and a plan was put into place. The Club would not be sold or abandoned, it needed massive amounts of teamwork and man hours to bring it back to life. It has never been our tradition to
quit or give up. We had to start over, and we had to get going. The Clubhouse was soaking wet, from top to bottom, and the entire building smelled awful. Mold was quickly settling in, and the walls, floors, ceiling had to be completely gutted. Storage containers were mobilized to preserve and store any items from the Clubhouse that could be considered salvageable. All Club members worked on the property whenever they possibly could. The operation to save the Clubhouse occurred both day and night. At times, people were working 7 days a week to get things done. It was truly a tremendous undertaking to rebuild and renew everything that had been destroyed.

We realized that the Clubhouse building itself, was 80 years old, and structural improvements were needed despite the damages that had been caused by the storm. Electrical updating was badly needed. With the building gutted, everything was open for rewiring, and the work was undertaken. From top to bottom, an entire new electrical system was installed. Next came brand new doors and energy efficient windows. New insulation, sheetrock, flooring, and carpet were all in order as well. New tile was installed throughout the building, and a new dance floor was designed and constructed. A completely modernized lobby, and coat room was designed and
constructed. An acoustic ceiling was built, and the storage room was rebuilt. All new moldings and trim work were put in around the Clubhouse to give the building a fabulous look. A beautiful oak bar with a granite top was delivered, along with brand new commercial bar equipment. A copper ceiling was put in over the bar to give a great impression, and a professionally finished look.

The Clubhouse kitchen received the same first class attention; all of the storm damaged and outdated culinary equipment was replaced to accommodate parties and catered events in the future. A new commercial oven, and a dishwasher were both installed. The steward’s quarters were also completed rebuilt, with brand new walls and carpeting. The two bedroom apartment was redesigned with new appliances and new air conditioning. The heating system was replaced, and the hot water was upgraded with energy efficient equipment. The boiler room was totally redesigned and renovated, with the boiler raised high off the floor in the event of future flooding. Fire, and mold resistant drywall was used throughout the construction process.

The exterior of the Clubhouse was completely stripped and resided in long lasting, durable vinyl. Lawn maintenance and snow removal equipment was replaced after most of it was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. The entire physical plant of the Freeport Yacht Club was refurbished or replaced in less than two years from the day that the massive storm hit the South Shore. The Freeport Yacht Club was finally back on its feet after going through hell and back.

In 2015, three years after the storm, the yacht club contracted out the beautiful new Clubhouse to a catering business, owned by a local and successful restaurateur. The landmark agreement, brokered by forward thinking Club members, gave catering rights to the local restaurant owner. Wedding parties, and other big events were now planned, except for dates when the Clubhouse needed to be used for Club meetings and Freeport Yacht Club membership parties. The business deal lifted a huge burden off the shoulders of our Club, physically, emotionally, and financially. With plenty of bookings through the catering business, the Freeport Yacht Club has thrived beautifully.

The Freeport Yacht Club isfinancially sound, and looking fantastic, because of the tough, and prudent decision making of our members. In conclusion, let me remind our entire membership that the projects we have completed over the past decade are truly amazing. A breathtaking amount of restorative work has been accomplished to our beloved property, and the undertakings have been nothing short of remarkable. Our skilled yachtsmen have contributed to new P.V.C. fencing, and met the goal of having one full half of the bulkhead completely rebuilt. The second, or eastern half of the bulkhead was refaced, and we all enjoy a new electric power supply to the boat slips. We have new bathrooms in the oval, and half of the parking lot has been resurfaced as well. Our beautiful, historic Clubhouse has a new roof, and there is new air conditioning around the property. We have new storage sheds, equipped
with new tools and lawn care apparatus. Steps around the Clubhouse have been renovated and rebuilt. New decks have been built, and we all enjoy a new, classic summer Tiki Bar.

Total expenditures to our landmark property have easily exceeded the 1 million dollar mark. However, through homegrown skill, craftsmanship, and donated time, most of our financial obligations have been fulfilled. Today, the Freeport Yacht Club has a $123,000 mortgage, with less than 10 years left to pay it off.

I thank you all for making this possible. We are not an organization that had its best days in the past. Our best days are yet to come, because your dedication and ingenuity got us through a lot of hard, dark years. Today, the membership of the Freeport Yacht Club is
stronger than ever. It is my honor, and my pleasure to salute all of you. Congratulations on many, many jobs well done.

Submitted by Captain T. Caliendo
Written by A. Raia

*Historical information up to 1975 compiled by P/C Michael V. Chaiko