Poughkeepsie Yacht Club

"I want to comment on some of the issues raised during reviews. I'm a member at this club for about 4 years and will often meet many of the transients has a dock across from the typical location on the north end. I've had a good experience at this club. It's a working club in that we don't have a paid staff. Anybody you encounter is going to be a member and volunteering to do whatever it is that might need doing. I'm posting this not as an official club officer just as a member and want to give my point of view. I think we have a nice place and it's not fancy but it's a beautiful location. The first worth mentioning is dogs. We have had issues with dogs in the past and we have a rule that applies for both members and transients. We don't have dogs in the clubhouse or on the grass around the clubhouse. You can walk your dog in other areas including the yard and as far as I know we don't preclude anyone walking them across the rail or tracks and down the road. People may wonder about gas. We don't have gas pumps that are officially calibrated that allow us to sell to the general public. That's why there is the no gas sign. Many times we invite transients up to our bar for a drink. You will usually find the members being very friendly about that. However, we don't have a public bar license, we have a club license. That means that we can serve our guests but we're not really serving the general public. There is a distinction and I can promise you that the alcohol regulating people care about that. There's been mention of the weeds. We unfortunately don't control that and they are often cut further up river and drift onto the side of our dock. We try to remove them but sometimes it's challenging. A couple people mentioned this being a canal of course it's the Hudson River and it's tidal so which push away sometimes comes back on the next tide. We don't have paid staff to remove that on a daily basis. Where the transients dock is deep water and we don't have a breakwater so sometimes you will get wakes from the large wakes cross on the other side of the river. Some good fenders are worthwhile here. And $2 per foot to dock overnight is pretty cheap compared to many locations. For that price you do have the 24-hour restrooms and showers, access to the tables around the clubhouse, if it's open you could use our kitchen and visit our bar with a member. When there are members around the clubhouse you can also use the washer and dryer for free."

"Super friendly. Great rates. 50 amp available. Pumpout available. Nice clubhouse. We were greeted by several members who were super helpful. Ensure you are well fended as the construction of the docks includes some steel bracing and bolts. Dock boards are showing some age, otherwise I would have given 5 stars."

"Another great find! We were just passing through and needed a dock for the night. The members were so friendly and welcoming. The marina is right on the canal, so it can be a little wavy, but not bad. They have water and electric hookups. The restrooms and showers were very nice, and they offered us their washer and dryer for free! After cruising in the rain for several days, we were happy to have access to a dryer! There's nothing else around, but it made for a nice peaceful stop."

"We are 50’ yacht & were docked on the outside wall. It was literally a bed of seaweed. We followed dock masters instructions for keeping it out of our strainers but there was so much of it that it was unavoidable. Our strainers were so clogged it over heated our generator on the next run down the canal. We had to stop & make repairs. The club is not dog friendly. Despite having pet bags we were told we were not to walk our dogs on the grass. We were sent to the railroad tracks. Our dogs were loosing their minds with the rabbits & we got multiple bug bites. There looked to be large stands of monkshood which is incredibly poisonous. Also the trains go super fast in NY so you and your dog need to stay off the tracks- no sooner did the lights go on & gates lower than the train was coming through. Asked if we could buy a beer at the clubhouse & they were less than enthusiastic. Had friends traveling later in the week- told them to avoid…$100 for the dock slip…really?"

"BEWARE!!! NO ADA SERVICE DOGS ARE ALLOWED AROUND PYC’S (POUGHKEEPSIE YACHT CLUB) PATIO/PORCH, CLUBHOUSE, GRASS AREA, AND PARKING LOT. NO EXCEPTION. PERIOD. Leashed Service dogs and pets are only permitted on docks to gain access to boats. To relieve themselves, the owner must walk the peripheral boundaries to the railroad track area. (See picture). Since PYC is a private membership club, it does not have to comply with ADA regulations. Costs to modify for compliance are too exorbitant for PYC. On the upside, not all private yacht clubs along the Hudson River take that same position. Most welcome service animals. During my interview for membership, I questioned if ambulatory individuals with service dogs NOT needing any ADA modifications would be welcomed in the clubhouse, patio/porch grass area or parking lots. The answer was a resounding “No”. The PYC’s position is unyielding. My questions were perceived as challenging. As a person who volunteered many years as a puppy raiser, I was deeply disheartened to know even an ambulatory person with a service dog would be excluded. The commodore and membership chairperson felt it would open Pandora’s Box. Private clubs can exclude individuals who do not represent its expressed viewpoints or principles. So no surprise, my membership request was denied. The purpose of this review is to make transients boaters and prospective members know their position in advance to avoid any confrontation."