The Hayden Island Yacht Club began in a time prior to 1956 when several boaters would gather to cruise together and occasionally meet in the basement of Dillabaugh Boat Works. These boaters thought it would be a good idea to form a club, so in 1956 Portland Small Craft Club was formed, and Bill Marble was the first Commodore.
 
In the first years, the members worked hard to negotiate a lease for Property on Hayden Island, clear the grounds, build a boat ramp, and tear down old Army buildings. Club boat lengths were limited to " inboard or outboard not to exceed 23 feet".
 

By 1961 club boat lengths were changed to accommodate a growing club with larger boats, and there was no longer a "maximum" boat length. The members through their own hard labor built a clubhouse, and worked together hosting activities to raise money.
 
In 1963 the name of the club was changed from "Portland Small Craft Club" to "Hayden Island Yacht Club".
 
1968 was a terrific year, Jack Patton composed the club song, and for the first time surplus money is raised and placed into a "reserve building fund".
 
The next year however was not so good, there was a hard freeze with a downed moorage and nine boats sunk. Once again the members worked together to build, and rebuild. A guest dock and additional moorage for larger boats were built and the grounds improved. Plans were made to build the new clubhouse which was completed in 1972. This building was leased however, not owned.
 
By 1975 the club had accepted new rules and By-laws and the first Board of Trustees had been elected and were in place handling the clubs legal and financial affairs. In 1975 the membership climbs to the largest ever with 203 members.
 

In 1979 the "Activities" officer ran off with about Four thousand Dollars of club money, that was later recovered. The next year another deep freeze in the winter, and most of the club docks collapse under the weight of snow and ice.
 
In 1982 HIYC looses the boat ramp and picnic grounds when the "Hillman" building is built. In 1986 HIYC was honored to present Jacques Cousteau with a club burgee onboard his research vessel "Alcyone". In 1992 was the darkest ever for the club. A huge fire destroyed 18 boats and the moorage. It was a miracle in itself that nobody was seriously injured, or worse. Still the club survived.
 

In 2004 the club made the monumental decision to go back to it's roots and become a cruising club once again. The lease on the clubhouse was discontinued, but the spirit of HIYC remains the same.
 
The members have built this club from the ground up, and kept our founding members "can do" attitude alive. We have built more than just a club, a sort of extended family. We have shared both great joy, and deep sorrow and continued forward. We know that our club can only be as good as we the members make it. The members of today will determine where our club goes in the future, just as our members of yesteryear helped us to get where we are today. To view pictures of former commodores, please click here.