A RIVER CLUB
The Yeocomico Club was formed to provide waterfront for everyone. Based in charming Kinsale, Virginia on the banks of the Yeocomico River, the club gives easy access to the water and a place to meet and socialize with other members. Here you’ll find a welcoming group excited to share their passion for the many activities you can do on and along the river.
KINSALE’S STORY
A protected and historic deep-water port on the Yeocomico River, the village of Kinsale was founded in 1706 and named after a village in County Cork, Ireland, meaning “Head of Salt Water.”
The village’s most vibrant days came at the beginning of the 20th century with the Steamboat era. Kinsale prospered as a strategic port and commercial center, serving as the distribution point for the area’s rich agricultural offerings and functioning as a busy stop for passengers on steam ships from D.C. and Baltimore. The village was home to hotels, taverns and barrooms, commercial stores, and canning factories.
CLUBHOUSE HISTORY
In the heart of Kinsale and adjacent to the steamboat landing, this property was first the site of a tomato canning factory in the 1880s. In 1956, more than a decade after the tomato canning factory closed, local Harry Lee Arnest, Jr., converted it into a marina. Here he traded in everything from Johnson outboards, to Browning shotguns, to chocolate milkshakes and created a lively riverside hub.
He sold it in 1984 and the cannery was torn down by the next owners, replacing it with the building you see today. Harry Lee’s granddaughter, Annie Arnest, purchased the property in 2020 and is reviving it as The Slips marina and Yeocomico Club.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to those who share a love of the river and desire to use the club for river-related activities and socializing with other members. The club hosts regular events focused on river recreation, education, community building and fun.