Raritan Yacht Club

The Raritan Yacht Club (RYC), located in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is the second oldest yacht club in New Jersey and is thought to be one of the oldest in the United States.[1][2][3]

RYC. 160 Water Street, Perth Amboy, NJ

History

Founded in 1882, The Raritan Yacht Club came to be through a merger of two smaller local boat clubs -- the Carteret Boat Club (founded in 1865 and included mostly canoes and rowing) and the Perth Amboy Yacht Club (founded in 1874 and included mostly sailboats). Both clubs utilized waterfront buildings of close proximity to each other.[4] The original Carteret Boat Club was housed in a one-room building containing a pot-belly stove, some canoes hanging from slings, and a porch where members would sit in rocking chairs, watching the boats on the water.[5] The original Perth Amboy Yacht Club consisted mostly of prominent citizens with sailboats -- though their numbers were relatively few -- with a clubhouse located not far from the Carteret Boat Club. As they both eventually faced near-bankruptcy, the two clubs merged in May 1882 and assumed the name "Raritan Yacht Club."[6][7]

Through its history, the club held regattas in the Raritan Bay,[1] and members participated in larger races like the Newport to Bermuda race.

As of 2022, Raritan Yacht Club is a members-only facility with dock slips, moorings, a galley restaurant. The club hosts regattas for members and offers sailing lesson programs[8] for children, teens, and adults during the sailing season, which is generally from May - November.

Location

The original club building -- and all its contents -- was destroyed by a fire on December 22, 1915. In 1916, the club purchased the property of its current address -- 160 Water Street -- which was originally the home of Perth Amboy resident Thomas E. Cooper.[9] The Cooper home is waterfront brick Italianate styled mansion built in 1865. The current building has endured additions over the years. The lot measure 6,957 square feet sitting upon .98 of an acre respectively with a combined assessed value (as of 2020) of $1,279,000 USD.[10]

Hurricane damage

The club endured significant damage from hurricanes over the years, including Hurricane Sandy.[11][12]

Sources
  • Raritan Yacht Club, Perth Amboy, NJ. Published by The Club, 1882
  • Constitution and By-laws of the Raritan Yacht Club of Perth Amboy, NJ. Published by The Club, 1903
  • MotorBoating, December 1929, Vol. 44, No. 6. ISSN 1531-2623.

References
  1. MotorBoating. Vol. 44, No. 6. 1929. p. 18. ISSN 1531-2623.
  2. "Historic Sites". Perth Amboy Now. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  3. "Our Favorite Historic Towns in New Jersey: Princeton, Cape May and More". New Jersey Monthly. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  4. "Raritan Yacht Club". 1683 Society. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  5. "History - Raritan Yacht Club". www.ryc.org. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  6. The, Club (1882). Raritan Yacht Club, Perth Amboy, NJ. Perth Amboy, NJ: The Club. pp. 1–15.
  7. The, Club (1903). Constitution and by-laws of the Raritan Yacht Club of Perth Amboy NJ. Perth Amboy, NJ: The Club. pp. 1–13.
  8. "Raritan Yacht Club – Jr. Safety-at-Sea Seminar". stormtrysail.org. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  9. "Thomas Edmund Cooper". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  10. "Who lives at 160 Water St, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861 | NeighborWho". www.neighborwho.com. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  11. Boating, Charles Zusman/New Jersey (2013-04-19). "Lone surviving sailboat emblematic of Raritan Yacht Club's rebuilding". nj. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  12. "Can't keep this Jersey girl down". sailingmagazine.net. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
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