A Brief History of the Buccaneer Yacht Club

Walker Carlton, feeling a need for a yacht club devoted to the interests of small cruising type sailboats in the Watchorn Basin, met with five other boat owners in his home on November 19, 1952 to form the Buccaneer Fleet of San Pedro. These charter members were: Walker Carton (Sail Ho!), Bill Kohlmann (Youcan), Dick Singer (Serena), Loren Disper (Poco Loco), Jim Harkee (Tabu), and Bob Garrod (Gotta Go). Walker Carton was elected Fleet Captain; Bill Kohlmann, Fleet Lieutenant; Carol Carlton, Secretary-Treasurer; and Dick Singer, Fleet Boatswain.

The Fleet was organized with the idea of being an inexpensive club that would attract those small boats who would not be at home in the existing yacht clubs of the area. The by-laws of the Fleet limited the membership to cruising type sailboats no smaller than 17 feet and no larger than 26 feet, capable of making short cruises in safety and comfort. The Fleet’s activities included regular monthly meetings, races, cruises, and social activities. Because if was in the spirit of the Fleet to make all activities something the whole family would enjoy, the wives were encouraged to become members on equal status with the men (something quite unheard of at the time). For several years, the Fleet had no clubhouse facilities and the monthly meetings were held in the homes of the various members. Walker Carlton served as Fleet Captain for the first three years, a trying period during which the Fleet’s growth was painfully slow and its future sometimes precarious. It is largely the result of Walker’s enthusiasm during this period as he worked to arrange the Fleet’s activities, and conduct many a stormy meeting, that the club was able to survive its period of growing pains. The acquisition of a clubhouse from the Santa Monica Yacht Club was the result of his tireless effort. The raising of money, negotiating with the Santa Monica Yacht Club and Holding the club members together through the storm period was no easy job for Walker Carlton. When he turned over his flag to Bob Smith in 1955, Walker could look back with satisfaction at the progress the club had made during his terms of office. It had grown from an inital fleet of six boats to nearly thirty. Now known as the Buccaneer Yacht Club, it was a member of the Southern California Yachting Association; it had become incorporated as a non-profit corporation; it had acquired a clubhouse facility at Fleitz Brothers Landing the eligible size limit of boats had been raised to 30 feet; and most important, it had achieved a stability of organization and membership that ensured it future growth and success. Although there have been ups and downs as in any organization, each succeeding year has seen some improvement in either the Club’s organization, its facilities, or its activities.

In 2005, the city reclaimed Fleitz Brothers Landing for a redevelopment project and the Buccaneers moved their clubhouse to Holiday Harbor. In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, the Club regretfully had to close its doors on its clubhouse, but has rebounded with enthusiasm by hosting even more events and reaching out to share our love of sailing through social media and coordinated events with our longtime fellow yacht clubs of Watchorn Basin Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club and Los Angeles Yacht Club, among others.

Thus the Club is fulfilling the dreams of its founders by providing a space where people having a common interest in sailing can meet, and through the activities and the friendships made in the Club, greatly increase their boating pleasure. We hope our continued efforts to promote sailing would make our founders proud!