In the early days, the Oakmont Boat Club was the very center of Oakmont’s
social life. Parties and regattas brought many dignitaries to the area,
including President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
T
he Oakmont Yacht Club located at 11 Washington
Avenue may be more than 100 years old, but it’s still
bustling with activity. Enter the club on a weekend and
you’re greeted by the smell of freshly-popped popcorn and
burgees adorning the walls. The brightly colored flags are
mounted above the bar, each one a gift from a member
who has visited yacht clubs from around the country.
Antique ships’ wheels, vintage photographs, life preservers
and other seafaring knick-knacks are festooned about the
venerable building. Belly up to the bar and Debbie Keller
will pour you a drink. She has been working at the club for
the past 22 years.
Keller says smiling, “I’ve learned a lot about boats
working here.”
The Oakmont Yacht Club is steeped in tradition.
Organized on July 2, 1903, C.V. Tiers and a group of friends
devoted to boating founded the club. At the end of the first
year, its membership totaled 40 boating enthusiasts. In those
early days, the Commodore’s fleet was made up almost
entirely of rowboats, to be followed later by canoes and
sailboats. Motor boats didn’t come along until later.
The club is owned and operated by its members. Paul
Eicheldinger, a former commodore (club president), has been
a member for 43 years. The yachtsman points to a placard on
the wall listing many of the former commodores. His name
is on one of the square plaques which trace the former
members all the way back to W. Lee Gilmore, a commodore
from 1922.
In the early days, the Oakmont Boat Club was the
very center of Oakmont’s social life. Parties and regattas
brought many dignitaries to the area. President Franklin D.
Roosevelt visited the club in 1935 and again in 1937.
Eicheldinger explains, “We lost a lot of records in the
flood of 1936. I was told that the water was waist-high here
in the club.”
John Remick, another former commodore, spends
his winter on a boat docked at the Oakmont Yacht Club.
Remick says, “My wife and I were weekend boaters. Then
we started spending more and more time on the boat. Our
weekends became longer and longer... Eventually, we were
fighting over who was going to have to run home and cut
the grass. Now, we spend our winters here.”
He adds, “I owned a 21-ft.
outboard cruiser back in 1966
in Syracuse. Most boat owners
start small and keep going bigger
and bigger.”
His current winter home
is 65 ft. long and has all the
amenities of a luxury home,
complete with a hot tub. He
says, “I’m happy with the size
of this one.” Remick reminisces
about the maiden voyage of
his current yacht saying, “First
thing we did with the boat was
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