The first Black yacht club: A journey down the Anacostia and climate change
Organized in 1945, the Seafarers Yacht Club has a lot of history being the oldest African American yacht club in the U.S. This club on the Anacostia river holds a huge significance to the members and the older D.C. community, with many fond memories of love and companionship attached to it. Seafarers is an oasis amid the heart of Washington, D.C. However challenges with climate change prevent them from getting on the water day after day.
As the years go by, the Anacostia River has lost some of its beauty. The river is polluted by industry waste, sediment, sewage, and garbage of all kinds. It is gradually getting shallower, and the area adjacent to the club is silting in. This makes it impossible for bigger boats to enter and exit the dock unless it is a high tide. When a low tide comes, boats might be sitting in mud, ruining their engines.
In recent years, there has been an attraction to building luxury condos, event venues, and parks all around Seafarers bringing new activity to the river. There are conservation efforts on the Anacostia, however boat clubs like the Seafarers Yacht Club are being left behind.
These longtime DMV residents and yacht club members are missing the days of taking their boats out at any time of the day. Now, they must plan out their schedule so their boats do not fall victim of the low tide on the river.