Escanaba Yacht CLub members Alex Sundstrom and Matt Sivula take a break after cleaning the EYC building, which held its first event of the season on Friday. (Courtesy photo)

ESCANABA — As is tradition for the Escanaba Yacht Club (EYC), the organization held their annual opening party the evening of the car parade on Friday.

The EYC is a social club for boating enthusiasts and those who enjoy being near the water. Early members founded the EYC in 1934 and later built their own clubhouse, which was completed in 1965. It stands near the Escanaba Marina, just to the west of the Harbormaster’s building.

The destination serves as a place for boaters to gather for racing on Wednesdays in June and August as well as occasional Saturday races. The club hosts the occasional public get-together, but it’s also available for others to use.

A couple weeks ago, members gathered at the club near the intersection of Water Plant Road and and Ludington Street for a work bee and cleanup to prepare the place for the year’s boating season.

Just over a dozen people showed up to clean and check the racing equipment and tidy up the facility.

The EYC enjoyed the fruits of their labor last night, celebrating the seasonal opening of the clubhouse by watching vehicles line up for the Ludington Street Cruise, participating in a fundraising bucket raffle of donated items, and enjoying food and fellowship.

EYC membership is not limited to boat owners. Many members belong because they have an interest, enjoy participating as crew members, or simply appreciate the atmosphere.

However, nonmembers are frequent faces — curious visitors sometimes tag along on race nights or attend public events like the Fourth of July breakfast.

While the EYC engages in reciprocity and allows transient members of other yacht clubs to use the clubhouse as if they were members, people with zero affiliation with the boating community also have the opportunity to enjoy the waterfront destination.

When it is not reserved for EYC use, the clubhouse may be rented as a venue by members of the public — private parties and organizations are welcome. Details on the rental policy may be found at escanabayachtclub.com.

The first non-club use of the facility for the 2026 season has been booked by the Bonifas Arts Center, who is holding an en plein air painting class on Aug. 10.

Prospective members are encouraged to visit the website, check out the Escanaba Yacht Club Facebook page, or stop by the clubhouse during an EYC event.