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For several years in the late 1930's a number of boaters in the
Eugene area had been getting together informally and traveling to
various lakes in the area to boat together. In the spring of 1940,
several of them got together, and discussed the formation of a club
to further the sport of boating in the area. They drafted a Constitution
and By-laws, and the Eugene Yacht Club was formed.
The membership totaled 25, and most of the boats then were power.
For the first year, the activities consisted of traveling each weekend
to a lake or coastal area.
In 1941, a floating boathouse was purchased and moved to West Lake
on Siltcoos Lake, and was formally dedicated clubhouse for the Eugene
Yacht Club.
In 1943 the members decided that Fern Ridge Reservoir would be a
more likely location for a home base for the club, and the membership
began using the point of land where Orchard Point Park is now. However,
it soon became apparent that wind conditions made this a difficult
area to sail from, and the group moved to Richardson Point, where
the club is now located.
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In 1944, efforts were made to lease a part of this point of land
from the Corps of Engineers, which proved a difficult task. A lease
was originally obtained in the name of the Boy Scouts of America,
Oregon Trail Council, for a period of one year. The following year,
a joint lease was obtained for the Scouts and EYC, and is still
in effect today.
In 1945, a clubhouse was constructed on the land, which was a 30'
by 15' lean-to structure with a dirt floor and a cooking top fireplace.
Constructed on large logs, and a seawall was constructed and the
bay dredged and the spoils used behind the sea wall to build up
the land as it now exists. The first sea wall was constructed of
an old truck-logging road which was torn up by the members and moved
inland, quarry rock was poured over the face of this wood wall.
The concrete was poured over the face of the rock, and the existing
sea wall and sidewalk were formed.
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