Temporary “Home” is Starting to Take Shape
Mercifully, the fire that destroyed the Club’s main clubhouse spared our Sailing Center Building, which is located just across the Club parking lot. In early 2019, following Hurricane Michael, the upstairs of the Sailing Center Building underwent a beautiful cosmetic renovation, and so we are starting with a leg up in establishing a temporary home for Club operations while we rebuild.
The first order of business was to restore power and water separately to the Sailing Center Building. It appears that reestablishing phone and internet service may take a bit more time (but rest assured, YC staff and leadership are working diligently to make that happen). In the meantime, until internet service is available to support a point-of-sale system, your servers will be handwriting order tickets that will be later processed in the Club’s temporary administrative offices, which have been set up at Neves Media.
A food truck has been purchased and limited, but delightful, dining options are now available. Staff found a fabulous deal on a used bar front (and a sigh was heard ‘round the Cove, “The Bar is now Open!”). For the time being, we will have to make do with disposable plates and cups, but staff is already making plans to convert one of the two existing restrooms into storage and space for a commercial dishwasher.
We are in the process of adding several upgrades that will make the space more comfortable and inviting. Sound attenuators are on the top of the list, and staff is on the hunt for a good deal on additional furnishings, things like nicer chairs, more linens, and likely some rugs and other décor. We will get a sound system and at least one TV up and running soon. We have salvaged some of the outdoor furniture from the clubhouse back deck and some of those furnishings are now set up on the patio below the Sailing Center deck, along with a stand alone fire pit for warming you up as the weather turns cool.
One of the first tasks of our newly formed Building Committee will be assessing the structural and maximum capacity of the Sailing Center’s upper deck. We all love the water views from the Club, so leveraging our use of this outdoor space will be a priority. We expect the Building Committee to recommend some improvements to both the upper deck and the patio space below. Fortunately, the Club has held in reserve some of the insurance proceeds from its Hurricane Michael claim, so funds should be available to support needed improvements.
From time to time, we may update this post with “Wish List” items that would enhance our new temporary home, so if you feel so moved, check back periodically to see if there is anything you might be interested in donating for the betterment of the Club.