Orcas Island Yacht Club a Busy, Fun-Loving Group

— by Lin McNulty —

Maura O’Neill, Orcas Yacht Club Commodore.

Founded in 1956, Orcas Island Yacht Club (OIYC) is one of the most active yacht clubs in the Pacific Northwest. Do not be put off, however, by the word “yacht.” While the largest yacht in the club is an impressive 68′, the smallest is a dinghy and would certainly not qualify as a yacht in the more elite clubs across the country, the “official” designation of a yacht being over 28 feet in length.

Maura O’Neill is the current Commodore of the club. There have been six women in that position, starting in the 1970s.

While other yacht clubs tout their upscale facilities and restaurants, Orcas has a 290-foot dock and their true source of pride is the 1500 square-foot Picnic Shelter in West Sound. “A good part of the charm of OIYC”, says Maura, “is the fact that the OIYC venue is known far and wide because of that Picnic Shelter, and should be left as it is.” The club shares the West Sound Community Club for events during winter months.

Yacht clubs often have the reputation of rich, conservative, stand-offish yachtsmen.  “On Orcas Island”, Maura states,”the boating community is anything but. Membership consists of people from all professions with a common love of the island and the opportunity it provides for cruising and sailing.” And there is no distinction between those who sail and those who cruise. “We all enjoy each other,” she adds.

While living in California, Maura and her husband Michael Harnett avoided belonging to a yacht club because of snooty, snobby reputations. Moving to Orcas in 2008, with their sailboat, it was suggested that they check out OYIC. What they discovered there was a warm, comforting, welcoming social setting.

Maura eventually became Fleet Captain (organizing/planning cruising schedules), Rear Commodore, Vice Commodore, and now Commodore. She is humbly honored to have been chosen to serve in that capacity.

Maura wants the community to view OIYC as an organization that supports boating with education, fellowship, expertise, advice, training, and just plain fun. The 301 members are not all full-time Orcas folks. And the club has reciprocity with 146 other clubs from AK to HI and one in Mexico. That means there are 146 places where members can get two free nights mooring. In fact even if you come without a boat, it is still possible to take advantage of their facilities. And that reciprocal agreement includes other clubs having access to use the famed OIYC Picnic Shelter

Orcas Island is ideal for boating, and there are countless beautiful geographical sites that can only be seen by boat in Puget Sound and Salish Sea. Boating allows access to those sites.One member related that “going to Alaska is like Orcas on steroids.” Another popular cruise Maura has taken was to Princess Louisa Inlet in British Columbia, a five-mile long true fjord teeming with water falls.

Among the events sponsored by OIYC are the Christmas boat parade in West Sound, the Round the County Race (a two-day event in November), and the Shaw Regatta (this very weekend), which starts at Orcas Hotel and go around Shaw. For sailors, every Friday night during the summer there there are races in West Sound.

OIYC is also a supporter of Sail Orcas, the high school sailing team. Coordinator Burke Thomas is on the board of OIYC.

It is not necessary to own a boat to be a member. “Boat owners are always looking for crew,” says Maura. To learn more about this down to earth (down to water?) social club whose main purpose is to have fun on the water while promoting responsible boating, visit the OYIC website or call Maura O’Neill at 360-376-3256.

And, if you are a member you receive a copy of their newsletter, the OIYCter (cleverly pronounced “oyster.”)