SHEEPSHEAD BAY — Miramar Yacht Club, one of the oldest and most renowned clubs in Brooklyn, held its commissioning day meeting, where members commemorated its official opening. 

The event was held in Miramar’s ballroom on Sunday, May 26, and began with a hearty buffet breakfast, the obligatory exchange of pleasantries, ample socializing, and good old-fashioned boat talk.

According to Josh Reder, vice commodore, the meeting included a treasury report, any changes in the club, goals and objectives for the new season, repairs from over the winter and more. 

“We will also be talking about recruiting new members,” Reder said, adding that while age is certainly not a requirement, “Younger is great, as young people will keep the traditions of the club alive for many decades to come.” 

Demographically, 60 percent of Miramar’s members are male, and the mean age, which was around 60 some four years ago, is in the mid-40s today.

Hugh Chapin, 45, has been a Miramar member since January and said he felt compelled to join the yacht club because of the “warm, friendly feeling he received right from the get-go.”  

“I did the research and cold-called a lot of clubs,” Chapin noted. “But from the first time I came in here, I knew this was exactly the type of place I was looking for. They were all super friendly, brought me in, gave me a big hug and offered me a beer.”  

Reder also said that targeting schools and children was addressed at the meeting.

Miramar has a partnership with Brooklyn Boatworks, a nonprofit organization based in DUMBO that provides hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education for children via the construction of wooden sailboats.

“With Brooklyn Boatworks, we’ve been talking to kids — the next generation — about the joys and the excitement of sailing, and also their parents,” Reder explained.  

Reder said that the biggest issue faced in the new season is keeping up with repairs to the facility itself.

“As the season goes on, things can and do happen. Something might go wrong with the power; a dock might break free, but hopefully, it will all be relatively minor stuff.”

Nasim Shamailov, Miramar commodore, pointed out that the club’s building, located at 3050 Emmons Avenue, was erected in the late 1950s-1960s and can be a challenging undertaking to upgrade.

“We’ve developed a five-year plan to renovate the entire property, including the docks, the ballroom, and making overall improvements to the land, which is a big expense,” Nasim said. “We will touch base on this at the meeting as well. 

“We try to do as much as we can in-house — hiring only if we cannot do it ourselves, like in the case of electricity or roofing,” Nasim continued. “We are looking forward not only to a productive meeting this morning and commissioning day today but also a fantastic sailing season for 2024.”

In addition to club members, the meeting is typically composed of 10 board members and five bridge members: a commodore, vice commodore, rear commodore, past commodore, treasurer, and secretary, who all guide the meeting.
Afterward, flags were raised in an outside ceremony for each flag officer — commodore, vice commodore, rear commodore, and fleet captain.