A Brief History of La Playa Yacht Club
During the early 1930’s eight families living in the La Playa area joined together to build a small telephone pole float that extended into the bay just across the street from Mr Lyons house. The families were of: Ernest Lyon, Jack Knight, Ed Nolan-Taylor, Thomas Atcheson, Dr Lamme, Mrs. Agnes Macfarlane, Arthur Kelly and Douglas Perkions.
The group decided to become a formal club and chose the name of La Playa Yacht Club. They drafted a constitution and by-laws for the La Playa Yacht Club. They selected a navy blue and orange burgee which was illustrated in “Sea” magazine in 1932.
The LPYC functioned successfully until the Bay Dredging Project which was started in the late 1930’s. At that time the club was required to remove the pier for the dredging and re-configuration of San Diego Bay.
At the time of dredging, various other projects were going on around “La Playa Cove”. There was shoreline bulldozing, and storm drain outlets were installed. These large cement street drains were unprotected and several collapsed, so the Port installed pilings for protection over each street drain outlet. The Port then built a pier and float to replace the one which was required to be removed by the La Playa Yacht Club before the Bay Dredging Project.
After the Bay Dredging Project the members reinstated the La Playa Yacht Club and leased the pier and float from the Port of San Diego. This lease agreement has been in effect for the last sixty years.
The La Playa Yacht Club has been leasing the space from the Port of San Diego described on District Plat Map 003-010 which consists of 2592 square feet of beach and water. There is a 71 foot long pier constructed directly over one of the city of San Diego’s street drains and 40 by 45 foot space of water where the float is located. The pier connects to San Antonio Ave. near the mean high tide line.