Our Story

In January, 1950, 14 men with a shared passion for boating and the waters of Marblehead, came together to form the Dolphin Yacht Club (DYC).  These men were Jewish and at the time were denied fuel, mooring or launch services by the existing clubs in Marblehead Harbor.  Fed up with this situation, these men decided to take matters into their own hands and in March 1951, the Dolphin Yacht Club was officially incorporated. The stated purpose and scope of the club was to “promote and foster the nautical spirit among its members regardless of color, race, or creed.” Initial membership would be limited to 60.  

The Club didn’t own property at the time and instead operated out of the lower level of the Rockmere Hotel, which is the present day location of the Glover Landing.  Members had lockers and would row dinghies out to their moored boats.

In April of 1955, a piece of property next door, which perviously belonged to another yacht club, became available, and a plan was hatched to purchase the building.  At the time, Jews were discouraged from purchasing property in Marblehead and on Marblehead Neck, so securing the property wasn’t going to be easy for the Dolphin Yacht Club founders.  Instead, the property was purchased by Lewis Athanas, brother of local restauranteur Anthony Athanas, through a straw purchase.  Several days later, Lewis Athanas turned over the property to the Club and the building became home to what is now known as the Dolphin Yacht Club. 

Through the 1950-60s, the Dolphin Yacht Club flourished as a place for members and friends to come together for dances, parties and a place to enjoy the picturesque views of Marblehead Harbor.  Initially the Club didn’t have a restaurant, as it does today, but someone was always cooking something in the small kitchen.  It was a place to come with family to socialize, gather, laugh and enjoy the beautiful views of Marblehead.  

In 1964, Marvin Frank and John Smidt raced Marvin’s boat, “Bat Yom,” in the 70-hour Marblehead to Halifax race.  “Bat Yom" was the first DYC boat to race, and helped put the Club on the sailing map.

From its inception, the spirit of the Dolphin Yacht Club was to be inclusive of everyone and to create a sense of true community.  There was no paid staff at the Club.  Members volunteered and took care of the carpentry, docks, paint and signs.  Membership at the DYC has fluctuated over the years, but the Club has always remained committed to its original purpose of fostering the nautical spirit regardless of color, race or creed.

In the 1980-90s, the DYC competition for membership grew as other clubs in the harbor began accepting Jewish members and these larger clubs provided more amenities, including launch and dining services.  At this same time, the Harbormaster was cracking down on illegal moorings and the number of moorings in Marblehead Harbor decreased from 2,000 to 1,400, and the DYC saw its boating member numbers reduced to under 50. A vital decision was made to ensure the long-term viability of the Club: The DYC issued bonds to its members and the community to raise money to renovate the club and its facilities.  Once funds were secured, the small kitchen was completely renovated and converted to a commercial kitchen, the town issued the DYC its first liquor license, both outdoor decks were completely rebuilt, and a dockhouse was constructed.  The Club hired professional staff to manage operations, and new categories of membership were introduced for kayak/storage memberships, and strictly social, non-boating membership. Slowly but consistently, members started coming back to the newly transformed Dolphin Yacht Club, and the Club grew into the vibrant and sought-after club that it is today.

In 2019, the DYC again went through some major renovations, with an expansion of the kitchen, a new upper level bar and exterior seating, a new awning on the upper deck as well as improvements to the deckhouse and gangway and waterfront areas.