Alphabet File page 40
Soon after the yacht club disbanded, a trio of men, namely, E. J. Lacoste, John K. Edwards and H. C.Glover bought the Yacht Club building at an auction for a cash consideration of $9,500.00. The Bay-Waveland Yacht Club disbanded in 1930 and did not reorganize until 1948 when there was talk on the town for a need of a yacht club. Nothing concrete transpired until February 1949, when a group of individuals met, and made it a reality.
Picture of two sloops:
These 30 foot machine sloops were built by Charles A. Breath, Sr. in the back yard of the Breath home in 1922-23. He named them Interference and Interruption because they interfered with and interrupted work. Photo courtesy of the Breath Family.
TWO MORE CRAFT LAUNCHED AT BAY FOR YACHT CLUB
Bay St. Louis, Miss, Ma Y 21- General admiration was expressed by the public when two skimmers of the sea were launched here Monday, the Interference, belonging to C. A. Breath, Jr., and the Interruption belonging to C. C. McDonald and his brother, John McDonald.
Before launching the trim and beautiful racers, to fly the Bay-Waveland Yacht colors this summer, were on the beach in front of Captain C. A. Breath’s residence on North Front Street, veritable specimens of the shipbuilders art, like great and white-winged birds, ready to breast the winds and bring renown to Bay St. Louis and their owners as well.
Both crafts are identical, twins, as it were. Both are constructed of the best grade of cypress with copper fittings, silken sails and hollow spars. The spars are from Boston; the masts measuring twenty-eight feet in length, weigh but sixty-five pounds each. The sails are from the News Orleans firm of Spearing and Company, and are of the best silk.
The boats launched, w ere given their trial race over an eight-mile triangular course on the north side of the railroad bridge, and, as Captain Breath, Sr., the building of both craft, expresses to the Times Picayune, it was a nip and tuck race. Both are exactly alike and neither seem to have the advantage of the other. But nevertheless there well arouse additional interest in aquatic sports and supremacy.
WINDJAMMER YACHT CLUB
An organization was formed, after the disbanding of the Bay Waveland Yacht Club during the depression, and was called the Windjammer Yacht Club. The three men who were the founders of this organization were: Charles A. Breath, Jr., John McDonald and Hoke Ogden. As best we can deduct, from personal recollections of several individuals and from newspaper clippings, some of the members involved were Roger Boh, Joe Olson, Leo Seal, Dave McDonald, C. C. McDonald and Robert Amors. There was no clubhouse, but the group had meetings and races and was formed solely for the purpose of attracting the annual event of the GYA, which we believe became known as Race Week. The group wanted to attract the fleet of sailboats which encompassed sailors from the entire Gulf Coast for a full week of sailing in several different spots on the Coast. The sailboats would meet in Biloxi, where they would spend 3 days, then sail to Gulfport and spend 3 days there, then off to Past Christian to sail for 1-2 more days and through the efforts of the members of the Windjammer Yacht Club, the fleet would stop in Bay St. Louis and sail there for 1-2 days. The group accomplished their goal.
After the races, that the WYC would run on weekends, the sailors would quite frequently retire the day at a place called “Uncle Charlie’s Nite Club”, Larry Larroux, longtime resident and member of Bay-Waveland Yacht Club spoke to the editors about how “Uncle Charlie’s” came about.
About 1930, after the acquisition of the BWYC building by Messsrs. Lacoste, Blover and Edwards, their sons decided that since their fathers had this nice building, why not have a dance, since it was “spring break”. The coast would be inundated by families spending Easter vacation in the Bay-Waveland area. Mr. Larroux said that, “It was so crowded that you couldn’t even get near the place”. Charles A. Breath, Sr., being the entrepreneur that he was, saw an occasion to make something out of the building. Shortly thereafter, he purchased the building and called it “Uncle Charlie’s”. “There were dances there for many years to come till WWII or longer.”, said Mr. Larroux. Gathering from our conversation, it was, “the place to be”.
Some of the boats that are mentioned in an article dated August ll, 1933 edition are: The Interference and the Interruption, Charles A. Breath. and Robert Camors respectively; the Jo Jean. Louis Schadowsky; the Mille Tonnere’ and the Princess, built and owned by John McDonald; Hoke Ogden’s Swan and Poor Boy owned by Donald Sutter.
NEW YACHT CLUB AND BUILDING PLANNED FOR BAY ST. LOUIS - Feb-Mar 1949
Many times during the past several years, attempts have been made to reestablish the once-popular Bay-Waveland Yacht Club in Bay St. Louis, but plans never seemed to materialize, until last Wednesday, February 16th, when a group of interested citizens, headed by John Bell, met and discussed the possibility of organizing a new yacht club association. At this meeting it was proposed to raise approximately $35,000.00 to finance this new yachting venture, and already, in less than a week, more than $18,000.00 has been pledged, with prospects bright for raising the balanced.
A temporary committee, headed by Mr. Bell, has been named to formulate all necessary plans. Serving on this temporary committee, besides Mr. Bell, are Messrs Leo W. Seal, Lucien Gex, N. L. Carter, Chas. A. Breath, Jr., John . McDonald, E. N. Spence, E.M. Brignac, and Jos. Kelleher. These men will work together until the necessary funds have been pledged, and then regular officers will be elected by the bond holders. When this has been done, plans and specifications for the new proposed yacht club building will be secured and construction begun as soon as humanly possible.
If you want to be a charter member of this new civic organization don’t wait to be called upon but just telephone any one of the above-named committee members and a representative will call to see you.
This new civic movement is a great thing for Bay St. Louis and Hancock County and the benefits that will accrue from such an organization will more than compensate for whatever financial or physical aid you might give in its behalf.
THE VERY BEGINNING
Many preliminary meetings were held at the home of John Bell, who spearheaded the push for the reorganization of Bay-Waveland Yacht Club. Larry Larroux, charter member, remembers one meeting when finally John Bell, said, “Now I’m going to put my name on a piece of paper with a pledge of $500.00 next to it and I am going to pass the paper around for you to do the same.” Larroux recalls, “John Bell then handed the paper to Leo and Rebecca Seal who contemplated for a second and then matched the pledge.”
“My buddies and I, Jr. Breath and Bobby Camors, were a few of the younger people in the room. We were sitting together and w hen we saw the pledge paper coming our way, we thought we better get out while we could, but the excitement in the room was growing with each and every signature and by the time the paper reached us we could hardly wait to put our pledge down in black and white” said Larroux with a big smile.
YACHT CLUB OFFICERS TO BE ELECTED AT MEETING SATURDAY
The first General Meeting of the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club will be held Saturday night, March 18 (1949), at 8:00 o’clock p.m. at the Bay High School Auditorium.
Every person who has made or who makes a pledge for bonds before this meeting, is requested and urged to attend.
Several matters of importance must be settled before bids are accepted for dredging the harbor and building the Club House.
Officers will be elected at this meeting. Up to Tuesday over $40,000.00 had been subscribed.