Little EggHarbor Yacht Club History

The Beginning

The Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club was founded in 1912 by a group of nineteen young adults who primary interest was sailing. They decided to break away from the hunting oriented Corinthian Gun Club and charter-boat fishing’s Beach Haven Yacht Club to start a sailing club.

In the late 1600’s Dutch explorer Henry May discovered numerous small bird eggs on marshy islands. Consequently, he called the large body of water Little Egg Harbor. Over two hundred years later the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club in Beach Haven was named after the adjoining bay.

Charles W. Beck, Sr. was elected the first Commodore and a large piece of swampy bayfront land was purchased. At the end of the first year membership had grown to thirty-four and a small dock was built. The club designed a burgee, a shallow-draft Garvey was purchased for club use; and moorings were put out for members’ boats in the cut between club property and Mordecai Island.

Families built cedar-shaked summer homes, lived in some of the ornate Victorian “cottages” built in the late 1800’s (many have been restored and are the showcase of Beach Haven today), or stayed for the summer in the few hotels available.

Social events were held in two large oceanside hotels – the Engleside and the Baldwin. Hearty Little Egg families arrived on Long Beach Island by train or boat from Tuckerton. The first causeway for cars opened in 1914, the train declining in use and trellises washing away in 1935.

In 2012 the club will celebrate its Centennial with events, displays, and a book dedicated to a proud and spirited hundred years of family fun and sailing.

As past Commodore, Walter Smedley likes to remind everyone at club events, “It’s always a beautiful day in Beach Haven.”