History
Five Dollars, five acres, and a beacon of light set the scene for the beginning of the Key Biscayne Yacht Club, founded in 1955. Today the Key Biscayne Yacht Club boasts a new spacious clubhouse that takes full advantage of the property’s wide-angle westward views of Biscayne Bay. The first floor at 14 feet above sea level features a double-volume lobby, main gallery, dining room, bar and lounge, library, and Ship’s Store, as well as a covered veranda for enjoying our renowned waterfront sunset views. The new Clubhouse had been a dream for many Members over the years. This dream came to pass in 2016 when the Membership voted in favor of the project. In September 2019 we hosted a soirée celebrating our “last call” in the old Clubhouse before moving into our temporary facilities. On July 1, 2020, we celebrated the opening of the beautiful new clubhouse building.
The Beginning
At the turn of the nineteenth century, William J. Matheson was sailing Biscayne Bay on his yacht and set his sights on the northern two-thirds of Key Biscayne for what would become the largest coconut plantation in the continental United States. In 1940 the Matheson family donated 808.8 acres of their land to Dade County, as it was known at that time, for a public park. In return, the county commissioner Charles H. Crandon, for whom the park was named, promised that the county would build a causeway to Key Biscayne. While there had been earlier plans to develop the island, it was not until the opening of the Rickenbacker Causeway from Miami in 1947 that the island was open to large-scale development. In 1951 the Mackle Construction Company began building new homes on the island. By 1952 Key Biscayne welcomed a branch of the United States Post Office, an elementary school and the Community Church started holding services in an old coconut husking shed. It was inside this unassuming shed that the Key Biscayne Yacht Club was born, in the spirit of friendship and fun. A spirit that remains constant today.
Mid-Century
By mid-century, a string of enthusiastic development meetings took place at the community church. Charles B. “Buddy” Austin, our first Commodore recalled conversations regarding how development and the influx of homebuyers who were also “water minded” rendered coastal areas suitable to launch a boat scarce. So, the plan was to collect $5 per person to fund the construction of a portable hoist that Commodore Austin built himself. Eventually, the purchase of a five-acre tract of land lead to the founding of the Key Biscayne Yacht Club. Membership was limited to 250 and Membership Certificates cost $100.
Community
Today, we are over one-thousand Members strong and steeped in tradition. Early newspaper interviews with founding Members report that they were determined to create and maintain a friendly, cooperative, and constructive attitude among Members, and that holds to this day. Some traditions that were enjoyed by our founders and are still celebrated today are Waterfront Dock Parties and Fishing Tournaments. These traditions have been joined by new traditions over the years and have come to include the Bimini Rendezvous, Commodore’s Ball, Holiday Flag Lowering, Rib-Off BBQ, Seabelle Parties, Amigos Night, Eggnog with the Commodore, Sunday Sundowners, the Cardboard Boat Race, and a vibrant Youth Sailing Program.
Key Biscayne Yacht Club is dedicated to fostering a sense of pride and wholeness within the community. Over the years we have developed an outstanding relationship with a wide range of community organizations. Each one is an organization that we believe provides value to the community. Among the organizations are the Key Biscayne Foundation, Bill Baggs State Park, The Village of Key Biscayne, the Key Biscayne Community Center, and the FIU-Bob Kemper Scholarship Fund.