Yacht-Club Leverkusen-Hitdorf e. V.
The Yacht-Club Leverkusen-Hitdorf e. V. (YCLH) is one of the largest yacht clubs along the Rhine and is located at the end of the harbour basin at Rhine kilometre 705.8 in Leverkusen-Hitdorf. The club offers around 60 berths for boats up to twelve metres in length, a well-maintained jetty sheltered from waves, a slipway and a rail slip. Facilities include a clubhouse with sanitary facilities, a lit car park and guest berths with water, power and Wi-Fi. Active and supporting members as well as guest boaters are welcome; the programme features season openings and closings, harbour festivals with boat christenings, summer trips and events such as the Rhine Week. Founded in 1973 and celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, a long chronicle of harbour development, clubhouse and jetty shapes club life.
History
Yacht-Club Leverkusen-Hitdorf e. V. was founded in 1973 under the name “Monheimer Yacht-Club Hitdorf” and initially used facilities rented from IG Marina; Hitdorf then still belonged to Monheim. After territorial reform assigned Hitdorf to Leverkusen, the club took the name Yacht-Club Leverkusen-Hitdorf e. V. and was entered in the register of associations under that name. The first jetty was built near the harbour exit; later the basin was dredged to about 2.50 metres depth by 1975 and the jetty moved to the end of the harbour basin. In 1975 the club bought a workboat from the Oldenburg waterways authority, had it brought over 352 kilometres and 22 locks to Hitdorf, and inaugurated it on 7 December 1975 as the “Skippers Inn” clubhouse; dinghy stations were also built. In 1977 steel floats were replaced by plastic floats; in 1978/79 a rail slip and sports-boat slipway followed. On 9 March 1979 the club finally became owner of the jetty. In 1979 and 1981 it purchased club-owned Pirate dinghies with grants from the DSV, the NRW sailing association and the municipal sports federation. In 1982/83 the clubhouse was moved onto the car park and secured against flooding; in 1985 a new harbour master’s house was added and in 1988 the slipway was rebuilt. In 1989 YCLH hosted the Rhine Week from Oberwinter to Wesel. In 1993 the club celebrated its 20th anniversary and withstood a century flood (Cologne gauge 10.63 m), again in 1995 at 10.69 m. In 1997 it took over the boatmen’s mast from the Cologne boatmen’s association. In 2004 the new clubhouse with modern sanitary facilities, showers, kitchen and club room was inaugurated. From 2006 plastic floats in the main jetty were renovated; in 2009–2011 municipal flood protection works affected the club grounds. In 2010 new steel floats were fitted at the head jetty; in 2011 the cutoff wall and floating clubhouse proved themselves in high water. On 11 March 2023 the club celebrated its 50th anniversary, crowned by a harbour festival in August 2023 and an anniversary commemorative publication.
Information
Facilities
Jetty at the harbour head at Rhine kilometre 705.8 with around 60 berths for boats up to 12 metres, slipway for trailerable boats, rail slip for vessels up to about 12 t, clubhouse with indoor and outdoor seating and sanitary areas for women and men including showers (code access), lit and fenced car park, guest berths with water, power and Wi-Fi, handcarts by arrangement.
Activities
Season opening and closing trips, harbour festivals with boat christenings, multi-day summer trips, knot school for children and young people, Martinmas goose dinner, winter magic events, cruising competition, participation in and hosting of regattas such as Rhine Week, camaraderie visits to partner clubs, star voyages and social club events.
Youth section
Youth officer and youth support; club-owned Pirate dinghies; knot school for children and young people at the harbour festival
Parking
Yes, lit car park at the jetty
Guest berths
Yes, day and seasonal berths