Our History

Founded in 1984, our first Commodore was elected in 1985 and the Hudson Cove Yacht Club began its operation centered at a marina on the beautiful Hudson River, thirty miles north of the Battery in New York City.

The photo above depicts one of the evening's skies shows as the sun sets from one of our member boats.

Hudson Cove Yacht Club is dedicated to the support of yachting and associated programs for its members. The club encourages good seamanship and fellowship through racing, cruising, and social and educational activities for both sailors and powerboaters. 

With more than 50 family units as members,  there is a high level of participation in the fun-filled social calendar which includes throughout the year, parties, banquets, cookouts, and the like, as well as outings and special events too. 

Hudson Cove Yacht Club has:

  • an active sailboat racing schedule
  • sailboat regattas
  • powerboat programs
  • club cruises on the Hudson River and into Long Island Sound
  • educational seminars and speakers
  • as well as other yachting-related offerings

As a benefit of membership, members have access to discounts on merchandise, services, and even transient fees, as well as a wide range of reciprocal privileges at Hudson River Boat and Yacht Club Association participating member yacht clubs. 

Our club is located at the Safe Harbor Haverstraw Marina on the west shore of the Hudson River in West Haverstraw, New York.

Charting a Yacht Club

Imagine that you and a few friends enjoy boating and then imagine that this group begins to formulate the concept of a club. Yes, a yacht club. And this is what happened.....

The idea of a yacht club was little more than a flickering light, a long-range possible dream conjured up on a bleak winter’s night by Jeff Friedman and a small group, of sailors and powerboaters. The light brightened and the dream became reality as a first meeting was held.

Although no record exists to pinpoint the exact date, it was sometime in the fall of 1984. Ron Alfandre, Don Merberg, and Jeff Friedman began getting together and talking about forming such a club to be based out of Haverstraw Marina. They each kept their own boats there and so the venue was ideal. And they had friends there, fellow boaters and boat neighbors who they expected to be interested. Over the winter of 1984/85, they decided on a name: Hudson Cove Yacht Club. Preliminary by-laws were written. And, the statement of purpose developed.

And that is what happened.

  • June 1985

    In some files recently found, was a letter dated June 24, 1985, from the Vice-Commodore, Ron Alfandre, welcoming Nancy DeVries as a new member of this new yacht club. On the masthead were listed the flag officers of the organization:

    • Commodore Justin (Jeff) Friedman
    • Vice-Commodore Ron Alfandre
    • Rear-Commodore Richard Gale
    • Senior Fleet Captain Graham Bowes
    • Treasurer Donald Merberg and
    • Recording Secretary Mark Williams

  • Summer 1985

    The summer of ’85 was “planning” time and by October 31, 1985 members comprising a steering board, had their first meeting. Present were some of the folks named above plus a few additional (listed as in the minutes):

    Jeff Friedman, Don Merberg, Ron Alfandre, Graham Bowes and Nancy DeVries

    And mentioned, but not present were: Dick Gale, Donna Wyder and Fred Rosenthal

  • October 31, 1985

    Now with a formal Board of Governors, a meeting was held. Those members present were...Jeff Friedman, Don Merberg, Ron Alfandre, Graham Bowles and Nancy DeVries

    Absent: Dick Gale Donna Wyder and Fred Rosenthal

  • November 1985

    By November, editor Fred Rosenthal had mailed the first issue of the new club’s publication, “The Yardarm”. It contained good information about club activities and the upcoming very first elections for the Board of Governors planned for the December 6th meeting. Listed were 15 possible candidates for the 9 open positions on the Board.

  • January 1986

    In January there were two Board of Governor’s meetings. The first was an informal organizational meeting with the newly elected board.

  • March 1986

    March brought the first Annual Dinner Dance (later called the Commodore’s Ball), held on the 8th, at the Rockland Manor, NY. The ticket price for the event was a bargain at $30 for dinner, drinks, music, and dancing.

  • April 1986

    April marked another important waypoint with the April 11th membership meeting. Nancy DeVries and her committee of Terry Dwyer, Graham Bowes, and Nancy Nelle had worked diligently to prepare a full set of by-laws for the club. A motion to accept these By-laws was made, followed by the vote. It was passed unanimously.

  • June 1986

    As a club, we joined the Hudson River Yacht Racing Association, HRYRA, and hosted the first of our annual HCYC Regattas. 

From an idea in the thoughts of only a few, this became a Club of activity and enthusiasm. And, the word about Hudson Cove spread. It was an exciting time as the Club established itself, gained recognition in the yachting community, and developed its well-respected racing program. By year-end in 1987: the club membership was at 72 boat units. And by the following year's end, 1988: club membership, totaled 83 boat units.