Club Náutico de Ponce Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Club Náutico de Ponce
Burgee
Full name	Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club
Short name	Club Náutico
Founded	1 July 1941
Location	Ponce, Puerto Rico
Website	Website

Club's emblem.

The Club Náutico de Ponce is a special place in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's also known as the Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club. This club is a yacht club, which is a place where people who love boats and water sports can gather.

The club is located right next to Isla de Gatas (Gatas Island). It's also very close to the fun La Guancha area and the Port of Ponce.

At the Club Náutico, you can find many cool things. There are two restaurants and a private beach. You can also use a gym, a running track, and two swimming pools. For sports, there are courts for basketball, tennis, and volleyball. The club also has a big marina where boats can dock.

A great feature of the club is its sailing school. Here, children can learn how to sail. The Club Náutico de Ponce was started in 1941. A group of people from Ponce who loved the water and fishing created it. It is one of the oldest marinas in all of Puerto Rico.

History of the Club Náutico
- The Club During World War II
Gallery
See also

History of the Club Náutico

Club Náutico de Ponce looking southwest

The idea for building this club on Isla de Gatas began in 1935. Seven men, including Pedro Juan Serralles Galiano, thought of it. At that time, the island was very small, only about 1 acre (about the size of a football field). People had to take a small boat to get there.

The main clubhouse building was finished in 1938. Over the years, the island grew much bigger. It expanded from 1 acre to about 13 acres. A club member named Tito Castro helped a lot with this growth. He owned a construction company. He used extra rocks from his road and building projects to fill in the shallow water around Isla de Gatas. This made the island much larger.

Now, Isla de Gatas is connected to the mainland by a special road called a dike. This dike is at a place called Punta Carenero.

Later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a breakwater. A breakwater is like a wall built in the water. It protects the area from big waves. This breakwater, along with the land filled in by Tito Castro, made it possible to build a road. This road finally connected the island to the mainland.

The Club During World War II

During World War II, the U.S. Navy used the Club Náutico. They kept five PT Boats there. These were small, fast boats used by the Navy.

After the war, in 1946, the club started to grow a lot. At first, there were only about 100 members. By 2006, more than 900 families were part of the club. The first clubhouse, which had two stories, is now a restaurant. It's called "El Comodoro" (The Commodore). Today, the Club Náutico has space for 250 boats to dock.