For nearly seventy years, the Napa Valley Yacht Club has helped preserve and celebrate one of Napa’s defining but often overlooked treasures: the Napa River. The all-volunteer club occupies a modest riverside clubhouse just a few blocks south of downtown past Angèle Restaurant, with guest docks and an inviting deck overlooking the water. Originally founded in 1957 as the Napa Boat Club and reorganized in 1987 as the Napa Valley Yacht Club, today’s 200-plus members carry forward a longstanding tradition of boating, fellowship, and community.
“We’re embracing the fact that we’re a river club,” says Commodore Steve Orman. As members increasingly favor smaller boats better suited to the Napa River, the club continues to evolve while honoring its roots. Home movies from the club’s early years capture members water-skiing in the turning basin where boats still gather today.
Guided by its mission of promoting “safety and courtesy on the water… then fellowship and fun,” the Club partners with the Coast Guard Auxiliary to offer public boating safety classes, supports local students through an annual maritime scholarship, and works with organizations including Friends of the River, Sea Scouts, and the Ohana Outrigger Canoe Club to promote stewardship and enjoyment of the Napa River. It also continues the original Boat Club’s legacy through the public boat launch beside the clubhouse.
On Friday evenings, the clubhouse comes alive. Members gather for happy hour and twice-monthly dinners, while visiting boaters regularly cruise upriver from the San Francisco Bay, tie up at the guest docks for the weekend, and enjoy downtown Napa. The club’s volunteer “port captains,” led by Greg Parker, greet arriving boats, help them tie up, and provide shore power and water access. “A lot of people like coming to our club because we always make them feel welcome,” explains Orman.
Through traditions such as the Fourth of July Boat Parade and Christmas Lighted Boat Parade, today’s leadership is helping bring the Napa River to life for a new generation. By encouraging more people to experience and enjoy the waterway, the Napa Valley Yacht Club continues to preserve a living connection to Napa’s river heritage.
