The harbor’s member-run club is in the middle of a facelift, keeps its door open to visiting yachties, and has a rumor about the Mayor’s Ball floating around.
Late afternoon on Warner Avenue, the traffic hums toward PCH. Just off the road, the water in Huntington Harbour goes flat and occasionally sparkles like the cases at the nearby Isabella’s jewelry as the wind graces the afternoon water. Masts tick in the slips. Somebody coils a line on the dock. Behind it all sits Huntington Harbour Yacht Club at 3821 Warner Ave., the kind of place a lot of you drive past every day without ever going in.
The club turned 60 in 2025. That’s six decades of harbor living, from regattas to holiday gatherings, in a building that, the club admits, needs some work. Its own fundraising page puts it plainly: “like anything that has survived this long, it needs a little overhaul.” In fact you’ve probably driven buy the old building next to the firehouse for years and never noticed it until its new white paint scheme appeared.
Time to Shine
The overhaul has a name: “Time to Shine.” The flag officers launched the campaign in September 2024 with a $160,000 goal and a sale of engraved bricks. The target has grown since then. According to Fundraising Chair Jennifar Kaplan, as she told Beach Street News publisher Scott Bourquin, the goal is now $200,000, and more than 60 percent has been raised.
The club’s published wish list shows where the money goes. Outside, the plan calls for dry rot repair and fresh paint in new colors (which you can see now, along with new thermal-glass windows, clad doors and mahogany front entry doors. Keycard entry is on the list so boaters can come straight up from the dock. Inside, the kitchen gets a new exhaust and cook line to bring it up to code. The rest of the list covers new electrical systems, LED lighting, a water heater (already installed) and a better beverage system.
Then comes the part you’ll see from the street. The plan includes new exterior signage and a monument sign on Warner. Rich Lewis of OCRector told Scott the new signs are going up soon.
The club says the goal is “an iconic waterfront facility” for the whole Huntington Beach community, not just its members. So watch it change. The next time you’re stuck at the Warner light, look over.
Visiting from another club? Come aboard
If you fly another club’s burgee, HHYC says it’s “pleased to welcome visitors from approved reciprocal yacht clubs.” The club belongs to the Southern California Yachting Association and welcomes visiting SCYA members. Here’s how it works:
- Reserve ahead. Email officemanager@hhyc.org or call 562-592-2186.
- Bring your current membership card. You need it to get in.
- Wear your club’s name tag. If you don’t have one, the club will give you a guest badge.
- Six visits a year. Reciprocal privileges are capped at six visits per calendar year.
- Coming by boat? Contact the club first for details.
If your club isn’t in SCYA, email the commodore at commodore@hhyc.org at least a week before your visit. Your club needs to send a Letter of Introduction requesting the courtesy visit. Clubs that want to exchange burgees should reach out the same way. Reciprocity is limited and requests are reviewed case by case.
The Mayor’s Ball rumor
Word on the docks is that the 2026 Huntington Beach Mayor’s Ball might come to HHYC. For now, that’s harbor talk. Beach Street News hasn’t found an announcement from the city, but the buzz is late October. The ball is a yearly tradition. It honored Mayor Tony Strickland in 2023 and Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark in 2024. Casey McKeon is the mayor this year. Until the rumor is confirmed, October 28th 2026 is the “change of the watch” where the new flag officers will be installed. The public is welcome to join the festivities and get a tour of the club. The full club calendar is at HHYC.org.
Beach Street take
Plenty of the harbor has gone glossy. HHYC is doing it the community way: members fixing their own clubhouse one brick, one door and one sign at a time. That makes this a good moment to drop by. You’ll see a 60-year-old harbor landmark mid-makeover, before the new signs make it the highlight of the harbour.
If you go
Huntington Harbour Yacht Club, 3821 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92649. 562-592-2186, hhyc.org. It’s a private club, and you don’t need a boat to join. Hours and services vary, so call before you go, and reserve ahead if you’re visiting under reciprocal privileges.