40th Anniversary of the Voyage of the Abegweit, April 15-17

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April 17, 2023

1 min

Summary

On April 15-17, 2023, Club Callsign K9CYC, operators KC1NBT, KB9CZ, will activate Abegweit, a 372 foot motorcraft.

A bit about the significance of our special event…

ABEGWEIT: Celebrating 40 Years as Columbia’s Club Ship

QSMV Abegweit – known affectionately as “Abby“ and home of the Columbia Yacht Club – celebrates the 40th anniversary of her arrival in Chicago, on April 15, 2023.

Now permanently moored in Monroe Street Harbor, Abby began her service in 1947 as an icebreaker and railroad car ferry that connected Canadian provinces Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In April 1983 Abby set sail from its home port in Pictou, Nova Scotia on a two-week journey to her new home. Guiding the vessel were several of the ship’s original crew and Columbia members.

Known as the Queen of the Northumberland Straits while in Canadian service, Abby’s last voyage took her up the St. Lawrence Seaway and through the Great Lakes to Chicago. With Illinois registration numbers painted on her bows and being 372’ in length Abby holds the record as the largest privately owned yacht to make this voyage.

Columbia Yacht Club, founded on Chicago’s lakefront in 1892, proudly stands as an iconic symbol of Chicago’s maritime tradition. The Club is member-run, dedicated to promoting the sport of yachting, and the sciences of seamanship and navigation. It offers a full complement of sailing and boating activities, including student, one-design, inshore and offshore racing, cruising and social activities, as well as casual and gourmet dining aboard its vintage Club Ship, the QSMV Abegweit. The Club supports over 60 non-profit efforts in Chicago including the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation (JGASF), the Columbia Sailing School and Sea Scout Ship 5111.