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The History of the PIYC / Updated March 2022

Started by PIYC Admin, Jun 08, 2022, 03:26 PM

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PIYC Admin



PIYC History and Namesake


   In the late 1950s an increasing number of yachtsmen from the Eastern and Western Shores of Maryland began cruising to the tight little harbor, called "The Pot" on an 1877 chart, that was enclosed by the Poplar Islands--Jefferson, Coaches and Poplar. Jefferson then was the only island with buildings remaining on it.

   Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman often used the islands in the 1930s and '40s. The two Presidents were transported by PT boat from the Naval Academy at Annapolis. They came for relaxation: to play poker, eat crabs and oysters, and for private meetings with Democratic bigwigs. In 1946 the main lodge burned and that ended the Presidential visits. (In 1929 Federal agents raided a 1000-gallon moonshine still on Poplar!)

   After the fire the Congressional Democrats sold the Islands to the Dorrance family, which in turn sold them to Daniel H. Hodgeman. It was Mr. Hodgeman's idea to rebuild the lodge and become a landlord for two clubs--a yacht club in the summer and a gun club in the fall and early winter. With the rebuilt lodge and renovation of the other buildings�-- storage, marine shop, generator, and dormitory for the staff--an increasing number of yachts cruised in. Some came so frequently that they had their own name boards and reserved slips on the 300-foot pier that was needed to get out to deep water in Poplar Harbor.

   Two deactivated World War I mines were painted orange and set out as buoys, with one in the Poplar Islands Narrows and the other in the harbor. By holding a dead course between the two mines a boat could safely reach the pier despite closely encroaching shoals. Supplies came across the Narrows from Sherwood, on the Eastern Shore, in a Bay-built fishing boat, and communications were by rad io.

   The new lodge had a dining room, bar, kitchen and sleeping quarters. It soon proved very popular and in 1961 the Poplar Islands Yacht Club was formed "to enjoy the mature and selected fellowship of those interested in the fraternity of yachting." Mr. Hodgeman was elected the first PIYC Commodore. In the beginning there were more members from the Western Shore than the Eastern, though that ratio soon changed.

   Unfortunately, the Island   Clubs operated at a financial loss each year and Mr. Hodgeman was no longer able to carry his losses. He sold the Islands to Dr. George Elkins of Philadelphia. Later, Dr. Elkins donated them to the Smithsonian Institution, which used them as a wildlife refuge.

   As long ago as the 1960s, the Islands were rapidly washing away. Heavy storms had breached some of the low spots and created new and smaller islands. When they were first settled in 1631 the Islands were a single land mass of about 1000 acres. In the 19th Century there were more than a dozen farms.

   By 1964 the Islands had divided into four islands totaling little more than 50 acres, most of it on Coaches, the southernmost island. It was feared that eventually they would all disappear and create a vast shoal just west of the Eastern Shore, with the Narrows in between.

   In the interest of conservation, the State of Maryland and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers coordinated a plan in 1994 to restore the islands as a waterfowl and wildlife sanctuary.  The Poplar Island was enlarged with the spoils from maintaining the main channel of the Bay and those of Baltimore Harbor to a depth of 50 feet. 
   
    When Mr. Hodgeman put the Islands up for sale in late 1964 it forced the members pf PIYC to make new decisions: how to keep the Club alive and along what lines?

   A meeting was held in May, 1965, at "The Willows", the home of then Commodore Daniel C. Long, on the Miles
River. Only brief consideration was given to purchasing the Islands as they were far too expensive. Many members felt that monthly rendezvous during the yachting season at other yacht clubs and at the waterfront homes of members would be more interesting. That idea carried unanimously.

   Dues, which had been $50 a year when the Club had the facility on Jefferson Island, were cut to $10. All who were members at the May 1965, meeting were declared Founding Members. In 1981 five "Founders" still were PIYC members.

   The first issue of the Club's newsletter, "The Wench," (eventually changed to "The Winch") appeared on June 22, 1966. It reported that 76 members and guests, some who had come by car, and 15 boats attended a rendezvous on the upper Miles River. The Club rapidly became so popular that in 1969 the By-Laws were amended to limit the membership to no more than 60 yachtsmen living within 250 miles of any part of Chesapeake Bay (later changed to 250 miles from Easton, to be more precise). The reasoning behind the limitation was that most docking, and dining facilities could not accommodate larger numbers of boats and guests.
Shortly after the 60-member limit was put into effect the Club had to establish a waiting list for new members   

   Cruising for the PIYC fleet has changed to include more overnights at the many marinas which now have floating docks, pools, restaurants, fuel and even Yoga!  At one on-land rendezvous in the mid-1980s, there were 17 boats and 76 members and guests, some arrived by car.  Reportedly, the event was at a home just upstream of the Miles River Bridge, keeping the bridge tender busier than he'd been in years! Today's cruises generally gather 12-14 boats and their crews.
   
   Since the turn of the 21st Century, the itineraries of our Spring and Fall cruises have been mostly limited to The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, one heading North and the other, South. Destinations include popular and therefore frequent stops at Annapolis, Rock Hall, Baltimore, and Chestertown heading north, and Solomons Island, The Tides Inn, Onancock, and Cape Charles heading south. In addition, there have been extended cruises that include the York River, Norfolk/Portsmouth, St, Mary's City and  its archaeological digs and Washington DC.
   
   "These destinations have allowed our cruisers to include many interesting visits to museums, vineyards, and varied restaurants.," recalled P/C Ken Joy (2006). Many cruisers found time for golf, tennis or for kayaking or paddle boarding. 

   P/C Paul Wilson (2006-7) remembers "more boats in the 40' range, but many of those cruised at only 6-8 knots unlike the faster power boats we see today."    
   Not all members still have their larger boats so the Club formed a "small boat " group.  Several times each season a restaurant within a reasonable and safe cruising distance from Oxford is chosen. P/C Lee Phillips (2005) and Jack Doetzer lead the  fearless little fleet which is so popular that often the larger boats accompany them.
   
   One P/C, Dick Bodorff (2016), was a gifted "arm twister" who could talk almost anyone into taking nearly any office in PIYC.  His salesmanship worked magic on reluctant volunteers.  His first office was as Commodore!
   
   Serving as a flag officer was a longer commitment years ago.  P/C Tom Alnutt (2004-5) remembers serving two years in each Flag position not the one-year terms today.  Two- year terms reappeared briefly during the Covid-19 Pandemic (2020-2022) when boats were not permitted out on the water for several months and land rendezvous were deemed unsafe, even with members wearing masks.  Virtually no activities were officially sanctioned by the Commodore of PIYC. All Executive Committee members were asked to remain in their positions for one more year.
   
   Years passed with the 60-member limit in place, but the boats changed from some sail to all power and from wood to fiberglass.  The PIYC history was preserved by its historian who kept detailed records from its founding papers through every year's Yearbook. But in the ten years since the 50th Anniversary, those precious records went missing.  Only after planning the 60th Anniversary celebration and Annual Meeting did a serious search begin. Emails were sent to all living past Commodores by Vice Commodore Charlie Martin to locate the keeper of the records and retrieve them for future sorting.  His success helped to update this brief history.

   It was on the heels of the Pandemic that an all-time first occurred within PIYC.  The first woman Commodore was nominated and duly elected.  She and the team of Flag officers were sworn in on December 1, 2021., at the 60th Anniversary celebration. After six decades, the PIYC  "fiberglass ceiling" had been broken!

   Also at this time, the long-lived Club newsletter which had morphed from a mimeographed flyer at its inception to a monthly display of photos and captions.  With the arrival of 2022,  "Anchor Lines" came out as a digital piece with color photos and shared links to members' long cruises South.

   The Covid Pandemic lurked well into 2022 forcing the Executive Committee to meet on-line, by ZOOM.  The practice was not ideal but it did enable the officers to communicate monthly face-to-face even though several were basking in Florida. Delaying the first land rendezvous until late April for the ladies and the annual Shakedown Cruise to Annapolis in Mid-May gave hope for a smooth cruising season.  The "land crews" for both venues secured guided tours, restaurant seating   and transportation in some ports for all participants.

    While we may not randomly cruise to enjoy the Poplar islands, we are proud to have shared their history and their name for the past 60 years.
            --Updated March 2022