The Yacht Club

77 N. Yturria St.

 

    Built in 1926 by citrus grower John Shary the Yacht Club was a private club for the rich and elite.  Located on the Intracoastal Waterway, the club was soon expanded to include numerous rooms for visitors. Noted guests ranged from Warren Harding to Al Capone to Amelia Earhart. In the 20’s this private club in a remote location offered a place where the new prohibition laws were relaxed. The building is known to have multiple “escape routes” and several hidden staircases. The uppermost balcony was rumored to have been the lookout location when gangsters of the day were in residence.

    Multiple ghost stories are connected with this historic structure. Most often retold is the story of Mary Slidell and boyfriend Telly, who died in a fire on a yacht offshore from the Club. Rescue boats found nothing but the charred remains of the yacht in the turbulent waters of the Laguna Madre Bay. However, for days after the event friends staying at the Yacht Club reporting sightings of the pair and of hearing the sounds of their laughter. Years later, owners and employees will report encounters with a lively young couple dressed in 1920’s fashion who fade in to nothingness.

    The Yacht Club was at times vacant, at times in danger of tear down and at times operational as both a hotel and a fine dining restaurant. Presently, it is in the possession of the City of Port Isabel awaiting a new purpose.