How would you describe
your club? Our club is
mostly a social club with
people who love being near
the water and boating. We
are a casual group with
a mix of those who own
boats and those who don’t.
I rarely like to use the term
“yacht club” because that
conjures up the stereotypi-cal image of older folks in
blue blazers. We are here
to have fun, socialize, drink
and talk — sometimes even
about boats.
Dress code? Shoes and
shirts. Members “come
dressed as they are.”
Best feature of the club?
Stunning view off our back
deck and “honor bar”
club privileges.
Always a yacht club? Yes.
Describe your typical
member. It has changed
over the years. It used to be
a more older, social drinking
crowd. But now we have
many more members who
are younger, have children,
are local to the neighborhood, and want a safe and
fun place to engage with
other like-minded folks.
The average age of our
membership has definitely
dropped, which brings a
new liveliness to our club.
Do you have a paid bartender? No, we are a
100 percent volunteer
yacht club.
Are you open to the pub-
lic on any nights? Only
for a special event that
is designated as an open
house. We have one twice
a year, once in late sum-
mer and the other near the
holidays.
Live music? Usually once
a month.
Food service? Yes. Friday
night happy hour dinners,
plus one or two Saturday
night dinners a month.
Membership dues? Our
yearly membership is currently $900 per couple or
family; $720 for a single
membership.
Signature cocktail?
A Moscow mule.
Reciprocity? Yes. LLYC is a
member of PIC YA and welcomes all PICYA members
and visiting out-of-state (or
country) yacht club members with verification of
membership.
Membership events?
Once a month we have a
scheduled theme event and
a membership dinner. We
also have a family event
every four months and a
trivia night every couple
of months, along with
events supporting our Bay
Area sport teams. Besides
those, we have a speaker
series and cruise-in and
cruise-out events scheduled
throughout the year.
Any yachts? Yes, our fleet’s
smallest vessel is 20 feet
and the largest is 74 feet.
In 1961, 21 boat enthusiasts gathered in Fred Manley’s boat repair shop to hold
the first Loch Lomond Yacht Club meeting. Fifty-six years later, the social
group best described as Cheers with boats remains a lively volunteer-only
club with a relaxed attitude and affinity for the water. Boat ownership is not
required, but if you are lucky enough to own a vessel, it will be in good company along the other 40-plus boats docked in San Rafael Bay, including crafts
named Pineapple Express, Pier Pressure and Bite Me. Events and dinners take
place throughout the year in the dining room once named Tidal Wave Room,
in memory of the Crescent City earthquake of 1964, which caused a tsunami
that emptied the canal and Loch Lomond Marina. It’s also not uncommon to
see members of the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary conducting boat skill courses
at the club or joining members for dinner, as LLYC has a close relationship
with the group. ANSWERS PROVIDED BY COLLEEN STAUSS, COMMODORE
THE LOCH
LOMOND
YACHT CLUB
EST. 1961,
121 MEMBERS,
SAN RAFAEL,
37° 58’ 23. 6”N
122° 29’01.4”W
