A beached barge, a hut, and a clubhouse in the river

For many years the clubhouse was on the beach adjacent to the current clubhouse. Originally it was a beached Thames sailing barge, Iverna, then later a hut on the Mudlarks Way beach (there are pictures in the club bar). In more recent times the club was based in what is now referred to as the old clubhouse at the end of River Way near The Pilot pub. Those premises were acquired by English Partnerships to form part of the site for the Millennium Dome, and English Partnerships provided the club with new facilities on the then redundant Peartree Wharf.

Greenwich Yacht Club took possession of the site early in November 1999, with temporary clubrooms in what is now the landside function rooms, and that is where the club celebrated the Millennium. The club finally moved across to its clubhouse standing on the Thames in June 2000.

Today the club is one of the most successful yacht clubs on the Thames with more than 400 members. It is an official RYA Training Centre offering shore based and practical courses, with a strong contingent of active cruising yachts, dinghies, rowing cutters and motorboats. The annual cruise to the East Coast of England is one of the biggest sailing events in the calendar, and throughout the year the club organises and competes in many races on the Thames for dinghies, yachts and rowers.

The riverside function rooms are a sought-after venue for weddings, conferences, events and parties, booked months in advance. The club has diverse social events all year round, and activities open to the wider community such as Open House and the RYA's Push the Boat Out.

The book

The club's first century is written up in The Yacht Club: GYC 1908-2000 by Paul Woodhead. There are pictures of the barge and the hut in the club bar.