A need felt by the City of South Milwaukee to control lake front erosion, thereby protecting streets, the city water plant, and the shorelines of Grant Park, coupled with a love for boating and willingness to work together, brought about the South Milwaukee Yacht Club.
Incorporated in 1950, the South Milwaukee Yacht Club has grown from a barren stretch of land to a center of power boating, sailing and fishing with 400 feet of Lake Michigan frontage.
Members began construction of the original clubhouse building in 1952. The front porch was added in 1967, and the rear addition to the clubhouse was finished in 1971.
In June 1988, groundbreaking took place for the renovation and expansion of our clubhouse. This included the addition of bathrooms and showers, which are accessible from the outside. The bar that was previously in the middle of the clubhouse was relocated to face the lake, and a sun deck was also added for summer enjoyment.
The four-acre harbor is enclosed by breakwaters constructed by club members and houses a fleet of over 80 boats.
In the spring of 1989, we relocated our previous outlet channel because of low water and movement of sand. The project involved cutting through the outer wall (north of the previous channel) and placing a 195ft barge off the east wall to form the new channel wall.
In the spring of 1994, the club undertook a major harbor renovation project. Every pier in the harbor was rebuilt on pilings, eliminating the need to remove the piers in winter. Additionally, ten piers and a walkway extending out from our existing gas dock structure were added, allowing for 18 new pier spots. Pilings were driven between these piers, and the centers were increased to accommodate wider beamed boats with an overall length of 44 feet.
On January 1 2004, the club entered into a new 24-year lease with the City of South Milwaukee, insuring the continuation of our proud boating heritage.
Members welcomed the renovations of 2007, which included a new outdoor pavilion with gas grills, fencing along the street and entry gates, landscaping, and a state-of-the-art fish cleaning station.
In 2010, with the purchase of a travel lift and hydraulic trailer, SMYC was no longer dependent on hiring a crane to launch and haul out boats; infrastructure was constructed with a lift well in the southwest corner of the harbor, and the lift was put into service for haul out in October 2010.
After fighting low water levels for more than a decade, member Randy Kempowski designed and constructed a DNR approved hydro-dredge system, providing the club the ability to independently maintain a safe navigable harbor entrance and inner harbor. With the purchase of this equipment in 2013, the harbor depth can be maintained at an optimum level for navigation without the dependency of hiring outside contractors and at a substantially less monetary expense.
Each year finds us improving our harbor walls by replacing concrete walkways and/or infrastructure. In 2014, we modified the clubhouse for a drier basement and replaced the hall HVAC system. On the outside, we started improving the electrical panels and ran new wiring.
2015 brought us into the age of social networking with a Facebook page, and Wi-Fi was made available to the boats in the harbor.
In 2017, we added our new flagpole on the front lawn.
In 2018, we added the fabricated metal overhang and new concrete to the rear entrance of the clubhouse. While on the inside in the back hall, we added new lighting and updated the ceiling.
High water, again, in 2019 found us bidding out for repairs of the outer wall and harbor entrance that were completed in 2020, our 70th year on the lake. We reinforced the infrastructure of the outer wall, barge, and harbor entrance. Covid offered us more unique challenges, and we hosted our first digitized pier bidding. The high water forced us to replace electrical dock power and concrete for the piers near the Gazebo. It also forced us to raise the gas dock piers to get the electrical wiring out of the water.
Whether we have high water or low water, we are always challenged to improve our club. This is accomplished by utilizing the resources of our members. Some examples: the point-of-sale system used at the bar, the improved website, replacing/repairing yacht club equipment, replacing and updating concrete, dredging the inner harbor, repairing electrical shore power hookups, and digitizing pier bidding. The continual involvement of our members through volunteering their time helps maintain the quality of the club and services it provides.