Annapolis Yacht Club fire

LaRea

This is kind of a big deal for Chesapeake Bay boaters: there was a huge fire at Annapolis Yacht Club this weekend.  (The building, not the boats.)  Everything in the building was destroyed - historic artifacts, trophies, artwork and so forth.  No lives were lost, but it pretty much destroyed the place.

The building, built in the early 60's, did not have a sprinkler system.  I'm not sure how that's even possible in the heart of downtown Annapolis, but it certainly played a factor in the outcome.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/annapolis-lost-an-institution-when-its-yacht-club-burned-down/2015/12/13/71fc6022-a1d1-11e5-ad3f-991ce3374e23_story.html

Dream_Inn

Well, I have to say we were there for the entire event.  I was on my buddy's boat decorating it for the parade.  We heard the fire alarm in the building go off, but nothing really happening, so just figured it was nothing.  A few minutes later, I looked back up from decorating and saw some smoke.  Now, we about a football field in length away (in the same marina as the yacht club).  We turned the blower on and had things started because we weren't sure it anything was going to explode.  It was a few more minutes before we finally saw people (the cooks/chefs) come running out of the 3rd floor (down outside stairs).  & it must've been 15 more minutes before a ladder truck and EMS truck first showed up.  I don't know that I've ever personally seen more fire trucks together at one time.  We lost count around 30.  We all still did drive around with the lights on our boats, but they had officially cancelled the event. 

We had also made the channel 7 news (out of DC).  The boat is "Eagle's Nest".  I was the guy in the OH State sweatshirt.  Was definitely sad to see the building burn, but at least no one was injured.

Dream_Inn

We were a bit too close for comfort....

Dream_Inn

oh, and the next morning we got back and sold my buddy's boat.  Took a lot of cleaning after having 12 people on it and tracking a bit of black all around from the fire.  What a weekend!

LaRea

Wow.  That's what I'd call "fully involved."

raybo3

What a shame but at least no one was injured...........

06Rinker270

Here you can see @Dream_Inn in the news.

I was down there, a very sad day for a great city.  

http://wjla.com/news/local/fire-erupts-at-yacht-club-in-annapolis

Handymans342

I was going to apply to run that place!.

LaRea

Man, you'd have been hatin' life right about now.

Black_Diamond

Sad loss. Especially all the historical stuff. 

Handymans342

Handymans342

Handymans342

Handymans342

They will rebuild

LaRea

I'm betting total teardown -- and the new building will be taller with a bigger footprint.  It'll cover that entire area where the tents are now.  And it will take a long, long time.

Dream_Inn

Well, I'll say, after being there the entire time, it is a teardown.  The heat and duration that it burned, there is some structure damage.  And by the way, that first picture, see the boat leaving??  I'm in it.  That was us leaving Sunday morning, just pulling out of our slip.

luckydog

WOW SO SAD!

Michael T

Wow, when you see it from the air you can see that the center acted as a chimney. Sadly it will be a tear-down but hopefully it will rise from the ashes to be better and safer. It was so great that the boats did not catch fire too.

Dream_Inn

Looking at the aerial pictures, you can see the slips that were luckily empty.  When the ladder truck used its high pressure, the water shattered the glass thru both sides of the building and went out about 200 feet.  Was absolutely amazing.  Hearing the glass shatter and seeing the water go so far, they were so lucky the boats weren't there.  In the summer, there are multimillion dollar boats there (I mean big ones).

Handymans342

Nothing wrong with the slips!

Dream_Inn

Nope, nothing wrong with the slips or docks.  If you look at the top picture, you can see the large slips to the right.  Those are where there are usually a half dozen or so 100-150' yachts.

Michael T

From the satellite shots it looks like a beautiful big (really big) club could be built on the location, and from the size of the marina it looks like there should be lots of cash to do it. I imagine state and federal money might also become available given its location and heritage?