History: The Saltaire Yacht Club is a private organization open for membership to homeowners and renters who reside in Saltaire.  The first Commodore was Thomas C. Maxfield who signed the incorporation papers in 1914.  Over the decades, the Club has evolved from a community center to more of a social private club exemplifying the diversity of our community.  The Club cooperates with the Village in many activities for the benefit of all residents.  Some of these activities include the weekly movie night, camp back up on rainy days and hosting other special community events, including the annual Labor Day show. For the most part, activities of the Yacht Club are private and open to members only.  The Club activities can be divided into three basic groups: House Activities (Entertainment and Dining), Sailing, and Tennis. In recent years additional activities have been organized around golf, bridge, and fishing.

House Activities .  The Yacht Club has continued to expand its lunch and dinner service for its members and is now a full-fledged restaurant.  Starting several years ago, we introduced the Friday Night Barbeque and it has grown in popularity over the years. The barbeque is a fixed price "all you can eat" format, reasonably priced for adults and children, no reservations required.  The offerings consist of hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, sausage, macaroni and cheese, meatballs, baked ziti and other delicious assorted foods, including salads and deserts.  In response to requests from members, we added other items such as tuna steaks, at a slight surcharge.  The barbecue is open from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Families with young children are encouraged to arrive early.  The Club bar opens evenings at 5:30 p.m.

In addition to Friday Night Barbeque and standard menu, the Club usually has several major Dinner Events during the season.  These Dinner Events are limited to number of attendees due to seating capacity, are price fixed and require advanced paid reservations.  There is music, dancing and entertainment at these events.

Reservations are strongly recommended during the regular menu dinner hours.  Seating is limited to approximately 50 people inside and 60 people on the deck.  Weekday luncheon service is also available. Information as to prices, menus, hours etc., is posted on the bulletin board in front of the Clubhouse.

Sailing.  The Club owns a variety of sailboats suitable for the Great South Bay and different levels of sailing skills. Boats are available to members at no charge providing there is no conflict with sailing classes or instructions and other planned activities that require use of the boats.  A minimum of boating skills is required for a member to use a boat.  The Club’s first concern is in the physical safety of boaters at all times. Please act responsible with the Club equipment and try not to do any damage as we have a limited budget. Individual and group sailing lessons are available at a reasonable charge for both adults and children.  The sunset bench on the corner of Bay Promenade and Marine Walk is the typical meeting place.

Tennis.  The Club has five newly raised hard tru tennis courts.  There may be a waiting list for full summer weekend tennis privileges, which are limited in number; however, other options are available.  The Club tries to provide maximum use by its members without overbooking the courts.  The intention is to allow all full tennis members a reasonable opportunity to play on weekends. Signup preference is given to doubles games. A weekday tennis membership is also available at a reduced fee. The written tennis rules are available online.  The Club conducts a number of tennis tournaments and a weekly round robin in season. Individual and group lessons are available by teaching pros who also maintain the courts and oversee their use. The fees for adult and children tennis privileges are determined by the Board before the season starts.  There has been an ongoing program to upgrade the quality of the tennis facilities, which the club continue to undertake as necessary.

Dues. Presently the annual dues are $495 per family.  This entitles all family members to a basic family House membership, including bar privileges, attendance at Club Dinner Events and functions, restaurant service and use of the sailboats.  All families must pay the base House membership annual dues. There are additional charges for other facilities that the Club provides.  Group sailing lessons for children are offered for an additional charge of $296.  Adult group sailing lessons are also offered for $400 for 8 lessons with a maximum of 2 students per class. Basic tennis membership is $295 for the first adult member.  There are additional charges for other adult tennis members and also for children depending on their age.  Total tennis fees depend on the number and age of the family tennis players.

There is a one-time initiation fee, which is presently $550, however, this fee is waived until the second year of membership.  This allows interested parties to join the Club on a one-year trial basis to see if it suits their needs.  A member cannot get on the waiting list (if any) for full tennis privileges until the one time initiation fee has been paid.

Private Use Of Clubhouse.  During the off-season, the Clubhouse is available to Club members for private parties.  The off-season is that time prior to the first Friday Night Barbecue and starts up again after Labor Day.  During the regular season the Club may not be used for private parties.  Private parties are described as those that require the exclusive use of either the bar area or the main dining room (the big room).  Private parties can be booked by members only and are subject to Board approval.  There is a rental fee and security deposit required for off-season private parties.  The present rental fee is $500 and the security deposit is $1,000.  Other special use of the Clubhouse may be available for unusual Community/Village functions, which require approval by the Commodore.  Pat and Lynda would love to cater your party at any time.  Check with him as to availability and other details.

Introductory Use By Non-Member Village Resident.  Current Club rules do not permit non-member Saltaire and other Fire Island Community residents to be guests of members for any Club functions or use of Club facilities . There is a one-time exception for such described guest to accompany a member for use of the restaurant.  This exception is allowed in order to give eligible prospective members an opportunity to look us over.  This is apart from other guest rules that may apply to non-Saltaire or other Fire Island Community residents.  Guests must be accompanied by their host member to all functions of the Club, including dining and bar services.

Reservations for Dinner/Events.  Reservations and payment for special Dinner/Events must be made no later than 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night the week before the scheduled special Dinner/Event.  After the reservation and payment deadline, members may invite a maximum of two qualified guests for each household effective upon payment for all persons in their group.  No reservation is binding without payment, which can be charged under present charge rules.

The above information, rules and policies were ratified and adopted at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the Saltaire Yacht Club held May 25, 2003.

Bylaws.  The Bylaws of the Saltaire Yacht Club are available online.