Isles Yacht Club

Fleet Review

This nautical event is held in the spring each year to welcome the new Commodore. Boats assemble in the Peace River and proceed in assigned order to the club basin where they pass the reviewing stand and exchange salutes. A dock party and dinner follow.

Blessing of the Fleet

This is a Memorial Day observance of the passing of those who have laid down their lives for our principles and our country. We pay tribute to the memory of fellow members, family and friends who have died this past year. A live wreath is made by members on the morning of the event. Members may bring a flower to be included in the wreath. Ministers pronounce blessings.

Lighting of the Fleet

This spectacular event is held in December on the Thursday prior to Christmas Balls to herald the holiday season. Skippers sign up with the Fleet Captain and bring their boats to assigned dockage at the Club to decorate them with lights and whatever else they wish. At dark, a countdown is led by Fleet Captain so all boats are lit simultaneously. Members visit the boats and then dinner is served throughout the Club.

Captain and Crew Dinners

These informal get-togethers are held monthly on the second Thursday. Dinner speakers are boating related. Time is provided for various boating-related announcements. Any boaters who have experienced nautical mishaps that were reported to the "Admiral" are awarded the Royal Order of the Busted Prop-all in good fun. These events are a great way for members to expand their social circles, gain knowledge about boating and share information and skills.

Boating opportunities abound for IYC members - with kayak paddles, sailboat races, lunch cruises, sunset raft-ups, overnight cruises, small boat cruises and extended sojourns ranging from a few days to a few weeks. There are several committees that work on different aspects of boating under the guidance of the Fleet Captain - the Kayak Club; the IYC Cruisers (with subcommittees on sailboat, small boat and sunset cruises); and the Sailboat Racing Committee. Committee participation is open to all IYC members - those with boats of any size or description - kayaks, powerboats, and sail - and those without boats who simply want to be out on the water.

IYC Cruisers

IYC Cruisers coordinates the planning of all IYC cruises - for powerboats, sailboats, and small boats. There are monthly luncheon cruises to near-by restaurants on the water; monthly sunset cruises around Charlotte Harbor; overnights to marinas and anchorages; cruises of a few days to other yacht clubs in the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs (FCYC) or public marinas; and more extended sojourns to Florida's west coast, the Keys, and the Bahamas. A huge benefit of boating with IYC cruisers is our reciprocity with the 38 other yacht clubs in the FCYC and free dockage for the first night at their excellent facilities.

Sailboat Racing

The Big Boat racing, or what we refer to as Fun Racing, consists of a series of five to six races approximately one month apart starting in late October or early November. There is no entrance fee and a handicap rating is used. We will rate a boat that does not have a PHRF rating. We have some experienced members that will go out with an inexperienced skipper for a race or two to get the new skipper and his crew started.

Dinghy Sailing Club

The Dinghy Sailing Club, a group of about 40 IYC members, owns four Precision 15 small sailboats that reside in the IYC marina. Races are scheduled about every other Saturday through out the year. We also participate in other local regattas such as the Leukemia Cup and the "Y" assist regatta. The boats are also available to Dinghy Club members for use at other times.

Kayak Club

Our Kayak Club is composed of novice and experienced kayakers. We are a very informal group – once you express an interest in paddling or paddle with us, you are a member! Kayak ownership or previous paddling experience is not required. We try to have rental kayaks available for all paddles, which typically last two to three hours. We paddle in a variety of the many beautiful, protected fresh and salt water areas available to us here in Southwest Florida. Our main goal is having fun and experiencing places you can't see any other way.

Admirals Club

The Admirals Club is for novice and experienced lady cruisers alike. The emphasis is on "hands-on" learning. For the most part, everything is developed and taught by our members. We depend on inexperienced as well as experienced boaters to participate in developing presentations. (Sometimes it is "see one, do one, and then teach one"!) Except for cruises, you do not have to have a boat to participate, just an interest in learning about and sharing your expertise in all aspects of boating. We usually meet every other month for our presentations and lunch.

Gasoline and diesel fuel are available daily. A pump-out station is also available. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Several slips are available to visiting boaters from other yacht clubs. Contact our dockmaster for reservations at 941-639-2652 or dockmaster@islesyc.com .

Plot of the marina and docks.