Leland Yacht Club Barbecruise

Barbecruise will be Saturday, August 3, 2024!
Co-chairs for 2024 are Mike & Stacey Wenstrup


A typical BBCruise schedule is shown below. We will update this page as new information is available. The date, August 3, 2024, is set in stone.

LYC Members can login in to the members area of the web site to pay for the Barbecruise dinner tickets Member's Area

The Barbecruise has become a time honored family day of fun on and off the water!

The day begins with corn husking at 9am at the Workum family cottage on Terrace Court.

At 10:30am, cleverly decorated boats in every size and shape parade by the crowd at Nedow's Bay and a panel of expert judges seated on the Yacht Club dock, all hoping to win one of the many awards that will be given at the evening festivities. Awards are given for several categories which usually include 12 years and under, teens, family, adult, and over 50. The famous "Mermaid Flag" will be awarded for the most outstanding decorated boat.

Following the parade, all are invited to bring a picnic lunch to Bartholomew Park. There are games like a pie eating contest and egg toss for the kids. A booth is set up offering LYC logo merchandise from the Chandlery. Bring your shingles, saved from years past, and have them branded with the current year. New shingles are also available.

As members disperse for an afternoon on the lake, the cooks grill a feast for the dinner to come.

At 7:00 p.m. dinner and entertainment begin in Bartholomew Park. In recent years we have served 750-800 members and their house guests a barbecued treat of over 285 lbs. of beef, 150 lbs of fresh pork, 115 lbs. of leg of lamb, brats and turkey, plus succulent racks of ribs charcoaled in an old bath-tub. Cheese and crackers, locally grown corn on the cob boiled in a special gas stove, salad and brownies complete the bill of fare. All of this is traditionally served on a cedar shingle. Since 1978, we have monogrammed the shingles with our own Barbecruise branding of the BBC logo and the current year.

Dinner tickets are required. Over the years many families have come to make this annual event their prime opportunity to see other member friends and thus are eager to participate in the many committee assignments necessary to create such an exciting day for all.

The event started in 1960, in modest fashion as a Commodore's picnic held on the Lake Michigan beach in front of the Hall cottage. The all day job of the cooks has grown with the numbers though their secret recipes are still known only to Andy Richardson and his loyal crew of charcoalers. To this beginning Gerry and Norb Gits added the stage, screen, and sound system that has done so much to help present the talent for the evening performances, led for so many years by Bill Gard. For many years Keith Burnham provided beautiful slide shows and pictures of the morning float parade for the evening show. The tradition continues with slide shows provided by Peter and Albert Strietmann and Freddy Heslop. After all awards, skits, singing and entertainment is finished we conclude with a DJ and dancing as the moonlight glistens over the lake.

What a day! Our final event happens at 9am Sunday morning when a cast of cheerful volunteer members show up for cleanup. Once again ALL members are invited!


BBCruise History
BBCruise History