Sunday, May 19, 2013

By Steve Myrick
Published: July 9, 2009

It seems there is only one group unhappy about the new Vineyard Haven Yacht Club building. The building committee that got it built in nine months is thrilled. The membership who attended an opening night celebration last week had nothing but compliments. The staff is much relieved with a new kitchen, more showers, extra storage, and easier maintenance. So who is unhappy? Some local critters, that's who. As the project began last fall, work crews tore down some old lockers located behind the club.

The new building was designed by Breese Architects and built by Holmes Hole Builders to "fit into the space, and respect our neighbors," said building committee member Christine Dahl. Photos by Steve Myrick

"A lot of wildlife lost their homes," said Alix Small, the club's office manager, with a grin. So, with the exception of a few assorted varmints, it seems the new building is a grand success.

Moving and shaking

Susan Waldrop takes a moment away from enjoying the new facility to tell a story dating back to the late 1960's, when she was a teenage member of the club. She remembers a dance one summer evening on the second floor. With a whole lot of moving and shaking going on, the building frame apparently shifted to the point where the doors were jammed shut in their casings. "We laughed hysterically, and jumped out the windows," Ms. Waldrop said. "The next day, the building was condemned."

A new great room provides space for recreation and large events, with a stone fireplace anchoring one wall.

The following summer, a makeshift building was erected in order to get through the season. It was supposed to be temporary, until the club could plan and construct a permanent home. But that temporary building lasted nearly 40 years. Club members cheerfully tolerated rickety gear cubbyholes made of plywood, a trophy case hidden away where few could see it, cramped gathering spaces, a Byzantine maze of plumbing, and those outside lockers that doubled as a wildlife sanctuary. Just after Labor Day last fall, construction crews razed the "temporary" structure.

Building committee member Christine Dahl said the pile of rubble was replaced with a gleaming new club in about nine months. The building committee, including chairman Alex Melaney, Pam Besse, Anne Sheppard, Ellen Chasen, Dan Caulkin, and Ms. Dahl, spent two years planning the project.

"We didn't want to lose the spirit of the club," said Ms. Dahl. "It had always been a barefoot kind of place."

Members enjoy a cool breeze and a panoramic harbor view from the second-floor deck of the new Vineyard Haven Yacht Club building.

Commodore Greg Stevens, whose grandfather was a founding member of the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, said it was a stressful year. "Here we were tearing down our clubhouse," said Mr. Stevens. "It was very gratifying to see that it was on schedule. It's really a modest club - it's really about family and kids. Everyone was afraid we were going to become some ritzy, yachty place. We didn't lose the character of the old club."

There are a few more finishing touches to complete. New deck furniture was due this week. A solar energy system will be installed soon. The building committee expects the solar panels to supply most of the necessary electricity for the club during the summer season. In the off-season, when the club is closed, the solar system should generate electricity that will be fed back into the grid.

Designed by Breese Architects, and built by Holmes Hole Builders, the new club has an open, airy feel, with wrap-around porches and a second-floor deck. It keeps continuity with the old club, with many of the spaces serving the same uses. Completely new, however is a great room, with plenty of space for large gatherings. A spectacular stone fireplace anchors one wall. The great room, along with the porches, dock, and beach, provided plenty of space for the opening night celebration on Friday, July 3. About 250 people danced the night away. And when it was over, the doors opened just fine."