Looking Aft

Commodore Steve Harris became our Club Historian in the fall of 2011, following the retirement of Commodore Frank Foster, III from the position. As articles are written in the Log, they will be posted below.

Commodore Harris’ first contribution as Club Historian. This article detailing the contributions of one of BLYC’s greatest sailors, George Fisher, appeared in the October 2011 issue of the Log.

P/C Steve Harris, 2011

November 2011 – Reprint and update of Commodore Limes’ “History of the BLYC Gun Club” article.

P/C Steve Harris, 2011

February 2012 – Discussion of Club Burgees and reprint & update of Commodore Limes’ 1979 Article

P/C Steve Harris, 2012

June 2012 – Discussion of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association, the unique way in which BLYC became a member, etc.

P/C Steve Harris, 2012

July 2012 – Article detailing the history of the first Classic Boat Regatta held at BLYC

P/C Steve Harris, 2012

August 2012 – 35th Anniversary of the BLYC Junior Sailing Team winning the US National Junior Triplehanded Championship

P/C Steve Harris, 2012

September 2012 – Article telling the unique story of Reg Heber and the history behind this highest honor BLYC can bestow upon one of its members

P/C Steve Harris, 2012

November 2012 – Article detailing the story behind the purchase of the Eastport property

P/C Steve Harris, 2012

December 2012 – Discussion of the America’s Cup and, specifically, the involvement of BLYC’s own Mike Hein, II as a member of the 1992 winning crew aboard America3

P/C Steve Harris, 2012

History of BLYC 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 years ago. Prepared and presented for the Annual New Year’s Eve celebration, 12/31/2012

P/C Steve Harris, 2012

March 2013 – Brief History of the BLYC Clubhouse – announcing the 100th Anniversary Commemoration of it’s dedication in 1913

P/C Steve Harris, 2013

April 2013 – An interesting story about how BLYC got its liquor license

P/C Steve Harris, 2013

May 2013 – Ever wonder what the “Commodores Ball” really is? Commodore Harris attempts to explain.

P/C Steve Harris, 2013

June 2013 – A Brief History of Junior Sailing at the Buckeye Lake Yacht Club

P/C Steve Harris, 2013

July 2013 – Celebrating it’s 15th season in contention, we offer a brief history of the Lambrecht Cup and the Commodore for which it is named.

P/C Steve Harris, 2013

October 2013 – Why is BLYC’s island named “Watkins Island.” And just who was George Watkins? Commodore Harris explains.

P/C Steve Harris, 2013

February 2014 – The story of the first, eventful, voyage of BLYC sailors to the I-LYA Regatta at Put-in-Bay in 1907.

P/C Steve Harris, 2014

History of BLYC 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 years ago. Prepared and presented for the Annual Commodores Ball

P/C Steve Harris, 2014

October 2014 – Commodore Harris explains the purpose of the BLYC Yardarm and why we fly the flags that we do.

P/C Steve Harris, 2014

February 2015 – Commodore Harris retells the story of Buckeye Lake’s most famous “shipwreck” – in 1850.

P/C Steve Harris, 2015

March 2015 – Given an unusually cold winter which afforded us otherwise rare iceboating opportunities, a brief history of iceboating at Buckeye Lake

P/C Steve Harris, 2015

History of BLYC 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 years ago. Prepared for the Annual Commodores’ Ball

P/C Steve Harris, 2015

June 2015 – Commodore Harris shares another story from the Lake area’s early history

P/C Steve Harris, 2015

July 2015 – A brief history and explanation of this annual Club tradition

P/C Steve Harris, 2015

October 2015 – An explanation of our Club’s Perpetual Trophies – The Heber, The “Gussie,” and The “Dressel”

P/C Steve Harris, 2015

January 2016 – A brief history of Buckeye Lake

P/C Steve Harris, 2016

February 2016 – Who was Commodore Frank Miller?

P/C Steve Harris, 2016

History of BLYC 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 years ago. Prepared for the Annual Commodores’ Ball

P/C Steve Harris, 2016

June 2016 – Who was Commodore Edgar T. Wolfe?

P/C Steve Harris, 2016

November 2016 – Norman Yoerger & BLYC’s iconic neon sign

P/C Steve Harris, 2016

December 2016 – BLYC’s First Commodore, Lawrence Andress Sackett

P/C Steve Harris, 2016

January 2017 – A brief history of Junior Sailing at BLYC 1917-2017

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

February 2017 – What do the Columbus City Water system, BLYC, and OSU’s Alma Mater share in common?

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

March 2017 – Commodore Harris reflects on the project to build the Library and Cupola Room in the Clubhouse.

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

April 2017 – A lot was going on at BLYC 50 years ago…

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

History of BLYC 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 years ago. Prepared for the annual Commodores’ Ball

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

May 2017 – History of the Raven Class at BLYC and Tom Greiner’s restoration project

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

June 2017 – Commodore Sidney Lord (1930)

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

July 2017 – We’ve all read about Commodore Edgar Wolfe and the BLYC effort in the 1937 Portsmouth flood. Did you know that his father, Robert Wolfe, led a similar effort in the 1913 Franklintown flood?

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

August 2017 – Guest Historian, Tony Lisska, shares a story from one of the darker points of Buckeye Lake history.

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

September 2017 – BLYC’s elections are unique. Commodore Harris shares some of the changes through the years and the origins of many of our Election Day traditions

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

October 2017 – The 20th Anniversary of BLYC admitting women to membership in the Club. Commodore Harris dicusses the history of women at BLYC.

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

November 2017 – The story behind this unique I-LYA Regatta Trophy, K-boats, and BLYC.

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

December 2017 – A brief history of BLYC Capital Improvements and some of the creative ways the needed funds have been raised through the years.

P/C Steve Harris, 2017

January 2018 – Our 2nd Commodore, Charles D. Lynch, may have truly been the driving force at BLYC and the lake in early years.

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

February 2018 – A reprint of Commodore Foster’s 1985 article about what was likely the first bridge to the island.

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

March 2018 – Commodore Mooney, 1911, was a very influential early member of BLYC.

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

History of BLYC 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 years ago. Prepared for the annual Commodores’ Ball

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

May 2018 – Today, the pool is one of busiest and most used areas of the Club, but it hasn’t always been that way.

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

June 2018 – Reprint of Commodore Foster’s March  1987 article about the first Clubhouse and enjoying watching the sailboat races from the porch.

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

July 2018 – A brief history of the Sayre family, Sayre Brothers Marina, and their close connection to BLYC through the years

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

August 2018 – Commodore Harris shares a 1910 article about BLYC and other Clubs once located at Buckeye Lake

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

September 2018 – Commodore Harris shares a recently found piece of BLYC history and the contributions of Roundy Sproat. Includes a reprint of Commodore Limes’ 1980 article Who was once called the “Mayor of the Towpath?”

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

October 2018 – Commodore Harris discusses the founding of the Club and the first season of racing at Buckeye Lake

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

November 2018 – Tar Socials were regularly held in the early years of the Club. This invitation and review of the 1910 event is shared.

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

December 2018 – Team and Match Racing are two very unique disciplines in the sport of sailing. And… BLYC had it’s own Match Racing Championship for a time as well.

P/C Steve Harris, 2018

January 2019 – Winter at the Club hasn’t always been as we know it today.  A brief look at some of our winter activity through the years

P/C Steve Harris, 2019

February 2019 – A look at how and when our island home got its name

P/C Steve Harris, 2019

April 2019 – BLYC has not always owned our parking lot.  Following the razing of the old Rosebraugh house at the entrance to our parking lot, Commodore Harris shares some history of Ms. Rosebraugh and her unique relationship to BLYC

P/C Steve Harris, 2019

May 2019 – On May 21, 1894 the General Assembly of the State of Ohio set aside the old Licking Reservoir as a “public park to be known as “Buckeye Lake.”

P/C Steve Harris, 2019

November 2019 – A historical look back at iceboating on the lake in preparation for a forecasted cold winter.

P/C Steve Harris, 2019

December 2019 – A look back at the 1950 BLYC New Year’s Eve Party

P/C Steve Harris, 2019

January 2020 – A history of BLYC search for a home and the eventual purchase of what we now know as “Watkins Island”

P/C Steve Harris, 2020

February 2020 – A brief history of one of Buckeye Lake’s early influential families and their connections to BLYC

P/C Steve Harris, 2020

April 2020 – Reflecting on the situation at the time during the COVID-19 pandemic, Commodore Harris shares Commodore Armstrong’s telling of the war years at BLYC and the challenges the Club faced.

P/C Steve Harris, 2020

March 2021 – Our 1925 Commodore, Captain Eddie Gettrost, war veteran and the “Bowling King” of Columbus, Ohio

P/C Steve Harris, 2021

June 2021 – Commodore Harris shares a 1913 article about life at Buckeye Lake

P/C Steve Harris, 2021