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Corsair Yacht Club was incorporated on August 14, 1937. The official roster of the club listed a veritable “Who’s Who” in Southern California yachting history. Notable among them was Bert Ashbridge, the brother of Fred Ashbridge, builder of many famous sail and power boats bearing his name. Other charter members include Duncan Poundstone, the first Commodore, Robert R. Aston, A.H. Gain, C.W. Falkner, Charles H. Pool, G.A. Van Evers, Lawrence G. Walters, Griffith Barrenger, Lester Hughes, Stan Cripp, Harold Ward, Millard Russell, Walt Cole, Harry Thayer and Earl Sweinhart.

Then came the war years. Many Corsairs went into the armed forces. The Navy occupied the West Basin, and issued orders for the dismantling of the Corsair club house. Staff Commodore Bert Ashbridge, who was then Secretary-Treasurer, banked the club funds and closed the books for the duration of the war. Thus ended a chapter of Corsair Yacht Club activity.

The death of Bert Ashbridge in 1952 revealed the high regard he held for the Corsair Yacht Club. He bequeathed thousands of dollars for perpetual trophies, one for sail boaters and one for power boaters.

EMERALD BAY THE LAST FRONTIER….Until Memorial Day 1961, Emerald Bay was considered an open and very poor anchorage. Staying overnight was done occasionally, but only by the real salty sailor. Between World Way II and 1961 only four moorings were installed in the bay - for the Boy Scouts’ 65’ “MANTA”; John Wayne’s “NORWESTER”; Charly Lafferty’s “SPINSTER”; and Earl Sweinhart’s “HI-DE-HO”.

Until that Memorial Day, Corsair Yacht Club did not have a home at Catalina and held its cruises at various coves - the Isthmus, Big & Little Fisherman, Big & Little Geiger, White’s Cove and occasionally off Sandy Beach at Emerald Bay. In August 1960, Dr. Andy Anderson and Dick Sweinhart went up to Emerald Bay to show Dr. Anderson a gorge and beach that were directly off the stern of the “Hi-De-Ho” mooring. After crawling under barbed wire and into waist-high weeds and inspecting the wash thoroughly they could see possibilities in converting it into a Yacht Club Cove. All they needed was permission from the Island Co., an air compressor, three jack hammers, one bulldozer, 75’ of 24” culvert pipe, 150 concrete blocks and 20 sacks of cement….TO START!

The following winter the Corsair Yacht Club Board of Directors determined they would also need money, 75 strong backs, liability insurance and enough ladies willing to feed the construction crews for the next two summers. The Board of Directors knew the club had some hard workers, but were totally surprised when nearly all of the Corsair Yacht Club members came to the First Work Party on the 1961 Memorial Day Cruise. That was the start of Corsair Cove - with picks, shovels, various tools, an air compressor and literally tons of construction material. Construction began in earnest and has never ceased. The excavation and burial of the 24” drain pipe was completed in two weekends and ready for the bulldozer that did not arrive for several more weeks. By the 4th of July the real construction started. There was a separate crew for each project - the block wall, fire ring, barbecue pit, lockers and heads. The tables and flag pole came the following year and the septic tank in 1968. Corsair Yacht Club has some real sand hogs.

It wasn’t very long until the word was out and other yacht clubs wanted to use CORSAIR COVE. The Corsairs’ reputation grew, along with widespread recognition of the Corsair burgee. Corsair members proved Emerald Bay to be a beautiful, (even if not the calmest) mooring area. There are now nearly 100 moorings in the West Emerald area.

Today, one of the strongest Clubs on the Pacific Coast, the Corsairs have a very eventful calendar. It includes nine cruises to beautiful Catalina Island, sail boat races, fishing contests and the Commodore’s Ball.

The Corsair burgee is recognized in many ports of the world. Membership is limited to seventy-five. The membership is usually filled to capacity, with applicants waiting to join.

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Our modest outdoor facility, located in the beautiful cove of Emerald Bay (Catalina Island’s West End), is the 2nd home to a small fleet of 75 Southern California boaters. The white sands, complex reefs and luscious kelp make a home for many underwater creatures, which is why Emerald Bay is considered one of the best dive spots in California. After a single visit, many boaters quickly come to see why Corsair Yacht Club is considered to be the “Best Little Yacht Club in the World!”

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Corsair Yacht Club hosts “Easter at the Island” at Catalina Island’s Two Harbors

TWO HARBORS—Easter is traditionally a time to spend with family, which for boaters means the opportunities to celebrate as they jet through the water. Corsair Yacht Club (CYC) cordially invites boating family and friends to join in for three days of festivities – from April 19 to 21 – over the Easter holiday weekend.

There will be a variety of festive activities planned for children and adults alike. The Easter celebration kicks off at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon with appetizers and a no-host wine bar reception at The Harbor Sands Restaurant picnic site. In anticipation for the Easter parade, adults and children can decorate hats and bonnets at Buffalo Park at 10 a.m.; materials will be provided. That afternoon at 3:30 p.m. judges will award prizes to those who have decorated the best hats. In the evening, there will be a ‘bring your own BBQ dinner’ and the famous Corsair punch bowl will offer refreshments. As soon as the sun sets, attendees can gather by the bonfire for the “burning of the socks” event and poetry reading. Saturday night will conclude with music at Buffalo Park stage.

John Glaister, commodore of CYC, says the burning of the socks tradition is newer and provides boaters the opportunity to “create and recite a poem at the Saturday night bonfire that expresses their relief that winter is finally coming to an end and the boating socks will soon be replaced by bare foot sailing.”

Glaister continues, “As the poem is recited the socks are ceremoniously tossed into the fire. It’s a fun evening event that has generated some very witty poetry. Anyone is welcome to write a poem and burn their old sailing socks.”

The following morning, on Easter Sunday, the Easter Bunny will greet guests at the Harbor Reef patio at 8 a.m. to start the annual Easter egg hunt. Separate hunts will be held for younger children of preschool age and older children. Those who find the elusive golden eggs will be awarded prizes.

In lieu of a ticket price, attendees are asked to bring two dozen plastic eggs filled with candy or other small Easter treats for the egg hunt.

Corsair Yacht Club is located at Emerald Bar on Catalina Island and is known as “The best little yacht club in the world.” The club is home to a small fleet of 75 boaters from Southern California.

To learn more about this event and to access a full schedule of activities, visit the website at corsairyc.org.

Photo: Corsair Yacht Club Facebook

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Business Details

Joe Churilla

562-773-1271

[email protected]

Box 14777,Long Beach,CA,90853,United States

Business name : Corsair Yacht Club

orsair Yacht Club was established on August 14, 1937, so that “…all members may so associate themselves as to secure the maximum pleasure and usefulness of their respective pleasure crafts and through association, further promote good fellowship among members as well as others interested in the field of yachting.” The club celebrated its 70th anniversary on Memorial Day 2007 at Corsair Cove. The club’s facility is located on the West End of Catalina Island at Emerald Bay. Official Club cruises are held at Corsair Cove about nine times a year. We also hold cruises to other Catalina coves and on the mainland. Our monthly dinner meetings are held on the mainland at a local restaurant in Long Beach. Our membership is limited to 75 regular members. Membership is open only to owners and operators of vessels of sufficient size and properly equipped for safe overnight cruises to Catalina Island. We are a very active club. Participation in a minimum number of club events, including work parties, is required to maintain membership status. We have an active Junior Corsair program, and are a family oriented club. The club is open to sail and power boaters, and is made up about equally of each. Our members come from all over Southern California. We are members of the Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA), and hold one sail boat race a year at Catalina Island. Members also actively engage in fishing, diving, hiking, kayaking, navigation, and other nautical recreation. We enjoy reciprocal privileges with many of Southern California’s most prestigious Yacht Clubs.

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Corsair Yacht Club

The Corsair Yacht Club has been instrumental in supporting the Sunburst Youth Academy’s Emerald Bay, Catalina program. The Corsairs understand the magic that an experience in Emerald Bay can convey. Early on, the yacht club members laid the groundwork by providing funding which paid for the boat charter, tools, gear, and food. This contribution paved the way for the cadets to be able to provide service to community to the Boy Scouts at Camp Emerald Bay as well as have an outdoor experience they will likely never forget.

Corsair Yacht Club

by Marie Rogers | May 19, 2023 | Yacht Club Members

Corsair Yacht Club corsairyc.com 1198 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite D-107 Seal Beach, CA 90740 (562) 756-4544

Our modest outdoor facility, located in the beautiful cove of Emerald Bay (Catalina Island’s West End), is the 2nd home to a small fleet of 75 Southern California boaters. The white sands, complex reefs and luscious kelp make a home for many underwater creatures, which is why Emerald Bay is considered one of the best dive spots in California. After a single visit, many boaters quickly come to see why Corsair Yacht Club is considered to be the “Best Little Yacht Club in the World!”

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On Catalina Island, Newport Beach yachters find…

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On catalina island, newport beach yachters find a cove to call home.

The sun starts to disappear behind the hills of Catalina Island at White's Cove, leaving a white reflection off boats anchored near the Balboa Yacht Club's outpost. Yachters from Orange County have sought out the idyllic spot for more than half a century. They spend summers in the cove on their boats.

People relax by the water in the afternoon heat at White's Cove, a shallow inlet four miles from Avalon on the leeward coast of Catalina Island.

Balboa Yacht Club members arrive on shore for a community grill, family-style dinner at their outpost on Catalina Island.

Bill Powers, left, and wife Meg, center, return to the shore at White's Cove for a community dinner at the Balboa Yacht Club camp.

Bill Powers puts some potatoes on the charcoal grill for dinner. Powers spends so much time at White's Cove that people call him The Mayor.

Meg Powers, right, mingles with fellow Balboa Yacht Club members after dinner at White's Cove. Her husband Bill is in background.

Meg Powers finishes setting the table for dinner. Powers and her husband Bill are part of a hard-core contingent of Orange County boaters who devote a good chunk of the summer to living aboard their vessels near the island.

New members talk with veteran Balboa Yacht Club members after dinner at the club's outpost.

After dinner, Balboa Yacht Club members prepare to go back to their boats as a red moon illuminates the water at White's Cove on Catalina Island.

Having put four children through college, Bill and Meg Powell christened their boat “Fifth Tuition,” in honor of the money that didn't go to academia.

Bill Powers aligns himself to dock his dinghy in Avalon to grab groceries for his boat on anchored at White's Cove on Catalina Island.

Star, a golden retriever, looks out of the boat owned by Bill and Meg Powers, anchored in White's Cove.

People relax by the shore at White's Cove in the afternoon heat on Catalina Island.

A boat makes its way off the coast of Catalina Island toward White's Cove. Many Orange County boat owners spend weeks in the summer anchored off the cove.

Kids play on a raft at White's Cove on Catalina Island. The Balboa Yacht Club has leased a corner of the inlet since 1957.

A red moon rises over White's Cove on Catalina Island. The Balboa Yacht Club has an outpost in the cove and many of its members anchor their boats nearby.

The sun starts to disappear behind the hills of Catalina Island at White's Cove, leaving a white reflection off boats anchored near the Balboa Yacht Club's outpost. Yachters from Orange County have sought out the idyllic spot for more than half a century. They spend summers in the cove on their boats.

Yachters from Newport Beach have sought out the idyllic spot for more than half a century. They tie up at moorings offshore, set out their deck chairs and fill tranquil afternoons with simple routines. At 5 p.m., they sound their boat horns in unison to signal the commencement of cocktail hour.

Shortly before dusk, couples like Bill and Meg Powers converge on the narrow beach in motorized dinghies, toting bags of chicken, steak, corn on the cob and wine. They drag the small craft right up on the sand, stepping out of the lapping waves and into a fenced oasis of thatched umbrellas and lounge chairs. There’s a grass volleyball court, a bocce court and a shaded, open-air bar.

Barbecue grills adjoin rows of picnic tables, where informal dinner parties often swell to 30 or more people on summer evenings.

This is a beloved place for Bill Powers. He spends so much time here that he has come to be known as “The Mayor of White’s Cove,” a title bestowed on him by the Balboa Yacht Club, which has leased this corner of the inlet since 1957. He and Meg are part of a hard-core contingent of Orange County boaters who devote a good chunk of the summer to living aboard their vessels at the cove.

While many of their friends and neighbors are commuting in the heat on congested freeways, the Powers are reading, slathering on sunscreen or swimming in the cove’s cool waters, so clear you can see the bright orange garibaldi darting below. They expect to spend about 40 days at Catalina during the summer, an aquatic sojourn interrupted by regular forays back to the mainland to replenish water, food and supplies for their 48-foot boat.

“It’s a sad day when you run out of food and have to go home,” says Powers, 60, gazing at the gentle swells passing on a mild, sunlit morning. Usually, his family packs enough provisions to go 10 days before having to restock at home or in Avalon.

“You always have cans of tuna for when you run out and want to stay that extra day,” Powers says.

LIKE ITALY, MAYBE

The Powers, who live on Lido Island, are lifelong boaters.

Bill sailed in New Jersey, where he grew up, and Meg did the same on the lakes around her native Indiana. They met at the University of Dayton in Ohio and moved to Newport Beach 35 years ago so Bill could pursue a career in sales for a major textile manufacturer. He sold flame-retardant fabrics to makers of airplanes.

Bill’s first trip to Catalina was with friends in the summer of 1978.

“I absolutely loved it,” he recalls.

So much so that he began whisking Meg to the island for long weekends together. Nine years ago, they bought a 35-foot powerboat and, he says, “we started coming to Catalina regularly for weeks at a time.”

The latest boat – the 48-footer – is a new acquisition they found in Santa Barbara. It was built in 1989 and took five months to refurbish. It has inlaid teak floors, richly varnished trim and a flat-screen TV that pops up from inside a liquor cabinet with the push of a button. Having put four children through college, the Powers christened the boat Fifth Tuition, for the money that didn’t go to academia. It can house the entire family.

Beauty and tranquility draw her to the island, Meg says.

“I feel like I’m 1,000 miles away. It’s like I imagine the coast of Italy – although I’ve never been.”

Other yacht clubs have their own outposts on Catalina. The San Diego Yacht Club has a camp at the opposite end of White’s Cove. The Newport Harbor Yacht Club operates just beyond the southern point of White’s, at a cove called Moonstone. The Corsair Yacht Club, made up largely of boaters from Long Beach, though it has no mainland headquarters, has a camp at Emerald Bay near the island’s isthmus.

Ed Kliem, who is 74, peers from under a ball cap to watch his curly-haired, 3-year-old granddaughter, Anna. Kliem has been coming to Catalina since 1966. He and his wife, Karen, live in Huntington Beach but spend weeks during the summer at Catalina and make six or seven trips to the island throughout the year, often joining their two grown sons and their families.

Kliem’s mother, Bunny, called him by all sorts of humorous derogatory names during his boyhood – “Hooligan,” “Knucklehead,” “Raggamuffin,” “Chowderhead.” Hence, the names of the family boats: Chowderhead is Kleim’s latest, a 38-footer with GPS, autopilot, air-conditioning and a dinghy named Riff Raft. His son Cameron owns Knucklehead, and his son Kevin owns Hooligan.

Kevin fell in love during trips to White’s Cove and married Bob Strang’s daughter Meredith, bringing together two yachting families and producing two sons who now regularly cavort there as well.

Strang once spent much of his time in the air. The former Air Force pilot tells of bullets piercing his plane’s tail during missions over Vietnam. He later flew commercially, retired at 72 and now devotes himself to plying the seas in a 49-foot powered sailboat, Sky.

Throughout the summer, Strang crisscrosses the channel to and from Catalina, staying days at a time at White’s Cove, the isthmus and Avalon.

“I love being on the boat, sailing and cruising from one anchorage to another,” he says, even while pointing out the sheer amount of work involved.

Responsibilities are many: keeping the water tanks full, keeping batteries running, maintaining equipment, watching the weather.

Heavy surf can knock boats around, especially when Santa Ana winds whip up. Even on the most placid days, salt water is corrosive.

“Things break – everything breaks,” says Bill Frederickson, a 73-year-old former honorary mayor of White’s Cove who spends 40 or 50 days a summer there with his wife, Debbie. They have a 42-foot trawler named Tabasco.

“Mechanical things break, structural things break,” he says. “The anchor windlass that pulls up the anchor. Your electronics can hiccup on you so you don’t have navigation. Your fresh-water system can spring a leak. Your sewage system can go.

“If you take whatever can go wrong in your house, it’s probably 10 times worse” on a boat, Frederickson says.

Despite all that, the Fredericksons spend half their time living aboard between April and November. They roam up and down from San Francisco and parts of Mexico.

“We always come back to White’s, ” he says. “We just love the island.”

HIKE OF PASSAGE

During a lazy afternoon sitting near the beach, Bill Powers appears, announcing there’s been a nearby buffalo sighting, and several men go hiking along a rutted dirt road into the back country. Shirtless and sockless, Powers soon spots the huge animal grazing in a ditch.

“There he is, boys! Do I have an eye?”

The group edges closer for photographs.

“If he comes over that berm,” Powers jokes, “it’s every man for himself!”

The hike continues up the steep hillside, switching back past a water tank to a high ridge overlooking the cove. It’s become a rite of passage for young teens, a sweating Powers says, to hike the 3 miles up to the main road – and then, for the really fit, two additional miles to Airport in the Sky, at an elevation of 1,602 feet. It’s no small boast to say, “Hey, I made the airport,” Powers says. “You go to the airport, get a buffalo burger with your old man and walk home.”

There’s nothing better – unless it’s sleeping that night on the boat, the stars clear in the sky, the swells lolling you toward dreams.

“It’s wonderful,” Bill Powers says, and Meg jokes they should have a machine at home to simulate the ocean.

“The water just rocks you to sleep.”

Contact the writer: [email protected]

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