The Mentor Harbor Yachting Club rarely does anything half-heartedly.
The ceremonial start marked by the booming sound of a cannon followed by the somber notes of “Amazing Grace” played on a bagpipe, all culminating as a massive four-engined Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport plane flew overhead—it wasn’t unexpected for those present at the Memorial Day tribute.
The relocation ritual was held outside on the large terrace adjacent to the newly painted outdoor swimming pool of the clubhouse on a perfect early-summer morning.
A number of the club’s procedures, established when it was founded in 1928, mirror those of the U.S. Navy. These practices are characterized by discipline, thorough organization, and being “shipshape” — a term derived from the naval custom of maintaining a vessel in excellent condition, ensuring all items are properly stowed for security and effectiveness, especially during maritime operations.
The protocols and the commitment of its members have been primarily attributed to maintaining the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club as a thriving and expanding organization throughout the challenges posed by the Great Depression, World Wars, various conflicts, assassinations, 9/11, and the pandemic.
Currently, this club, known for its resort-style facilities, enjoys a prestigious status as one of the top yacht clubs around the Great Lakes area. It attracts participants from various other clubs who come to attend their events.
During the period preceding the Great Depression, when it seemed that the thriving boom years would continue indefinitely into the future, early yacht club organizers dreamed of excavating the Mentor Marsh region and turning it into a Venetian-style community complete with canals linking houses and docking facilities for avid sailors. Notable figures from Cleveland like Mather, Dunham, Bolton, and Ingalls feature prominently in the annals of history from that epoch.
The refined stucco facades and crimson tiled rooftops, characteristic of the prevalent Spanish-style architecture in Florida at that time, aimed to allure potential investors towards the envisioned yacht club neighborhood.
The entryway of the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club retains its original Spanish-style architectural roots dating back to the 1920s. (Credit: Mentor Harbor Yachting Club)
However, the stock market crash and ensuing Great Depression disrupted these plans. Declared bankrupt in 1934, the Mentor Yacht Club underwent restructuring and emerged as the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club after being bought from its builder through a mortgage agreement. By 1939, membership had grown to include 216 individuals, who together owned 140 boats.
The planned American Venice never came into being. Nevertheless, the buildings close to the entrance of the Club on Coronado Drive, situated off Lake Shore Boulevard, have been well-preserved over more than seven decades and currently function as both a clubhouse and a private residence originally meant for the community’s administrator.
Currently, the private yacht club with 236 members, located along the lagoons near Lake Erie in Mentor-on-the-Lake, has an equal number of powerboat and sailing yacht owners. Historically, however, sailboats were more prevalent. The clubhouse remains accessible throughout the year; nonetheless, most vessels enter the water by Memorial Day, unofficially signaling the start of the summer season.
The yacht club additionally provides social membership options for individuals without boats who wish to partake in the club’s dining experiences and various activities.
Many with an affinity for the water find Lake Erie the focus for their pleasures at the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club. Great lake views surround them indoors and out while dining on the clubhouse patio or in the dining room and enjoying the pool. Activities range from regattas, as sailboat races are called, to pickleball and skeet shooting between November and March. Its two private beaches, available 24/7, lure everyone from swimmers to sunset watchers, picnickers to sun worshippers. One beach is more remote, accessed by a small boat shuttle.
The Club’s five-week-long Crow’s Nest Junior Summer Sailing camp, which also is open to the offspring of non-members, includes incremental sailing lessons and activities that teach kids to be safe in the pool, at the beach and in open water. It concludes with campers in life jackets swimming to shore from a mile out in Lake Erie.
The Yacht Club organizes the sole Junior Olympics regatta from Chicago to the East Coast, featuring two days of sailing workshops followed by an entire day dedicated to racing.
Many other races populate the Club’s summer schedule, attracting boaters from various other clubs around Lake Erie.
On a dreary June day, sailboats participating in a regatta appear nearly like an illusion approximately one mile off the coast of the Mentor Harbor Yacht Club. (Janet Podolak – For The News-Herald)
“We’re highly focused on being a family-friendly club, boasting multiple generations from various families within our member base,” stated General Manager Steven Goczo. Every January, Goczo along with other club representatives participate in the promotion of memberships at the Cleveland Boat Show held at the I-X Center.
“We welcome anyone who is curious to come out and check us out,” he stated.
Community members who are interested can contact him to schedule a visit. The club offers multiple tiers of membership such as social members and junior members, with specific fee details available on their website at mhyc.us.
Members John and Mary Jackett relax in Adirondack chairs while savoring a beautiful Lake Erie sunset at the West Beach of the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club. (Credit: Mentor Harbor Yachting Club)
Pontoons adjust to varying lake levels, simplifying the process of getting on and off the boat. The clubhouse’s harbor includes a travel lift along with facilities for storing vessels during inactive periods. Both boats and individual water crafts like Jet Skis incur charges based on their size when reserving dock space or seasonal storage.
It has reciprocal agreements with other yacht clubs along Lake Erie for docking and dining and makes its facilities available for rentals by community members for weddings and special events.
The club members along with their chosen board of directors have volunteered to back enhancements and expansions through various means including bond measures, levies, as well as contributions of both funds and volunteer work ranging from dredging operations to replacing roofs and overhauls. Fluctuating water levels in the lake necessitated the installation of flood defenses within the canal, anti-erosion structures at the shores, and the construction of new channel barriers.
A vessel glides by the East Beach of the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club, where shaded picnic tables beckon for leisurely meals. (Janet Podolak – For The News-Herald)
As the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club nears its 100th year celebration, the harbor entrance, used jointly with boaters from the city-managed Mentor Lagoons, is currently undergoing renovation. This includes constructing new channel walls designed to endure for at least another century. Funded through a collaboration involving the city of Mentor, Lake Development Authority, and the club itself, this $5.9 million initiative has received a substantial $3 million state grant. However, this comes with the condition that these organizations must collectively provide an additional $200,000 locally, each contributing one-third towards the requirement.
The construction is progressing smoothly and is scheduled to be finished by December 1st, as stated by Kenn Kaminski, who serves as the director of parks and recreation for Mentor.
“He mentioned that everyone involved has made this collaborative agreement simple to handle.”
Mentor Harbor Yachting Club
Where: 5330 Coronada Drive, Mentor.
Info: mhyc.us; 440-257-7214.
The editor’s note: The article was revised at 2:07 p.m. on June 6 to correct the fact that Dan Jackett is featured in a photograph. His first name had been incorrectly listed.
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