The private club has an open membership for those interested, but it’s not as well known despite celebrating its 76th year of existence this upcoming season.

“Yes, it is (surprising it isn’t as known),” West Branch Motor Boat Association member Bob Nitschke, who joined the club in 2017, said. “We want to get the word out. But families, a lot of guys have pontoon boats and have parties. It’s an instant patio on the river.”

The organization is a private club which features docking facilities, storage facilities and a private launch ramp into the river.

“We have eight acres over there with a club house and pavilions and a gas dock,” West Branch Motor Boat Association commodore Ed Metzger said, a member since 2004. “We’re the only gas dock on the river for fuel for boats. There are 51 docking members.”

PHOTO PROVIDED Docks are put into position at the West Branch Motor Boat Association in South Williamsport. The private club has been in existance since 1949 and welcomes new members to apply every year. Currently, the club has more than 100 members.

There are various membership types for people to join. An associate membership for the whole season runs $115 and allows members to park their boat and use the launch ramp, club house, bathrooms and picnic pavilions all season.

“It’s really nice and it’s a great deal for $115 to get started,” Nitsche said.

There’s also docking members which range from $325 to $425, depending on if there’s a bigger slip for a boat. That price, however, is nearly $1,000 cheaper than other marinas on the Susquehanna.

“The boat club relies heavily on its members doing all the work.That’s what really helps keep our costs down,” Metzger said, noting there’s not many donations the club gets.

Currently, the association has 51 docking members, 14 senior members and roughly 100 associates, although the numbers do vary year to year.

PHOTO PROVIDED Newer ramps are shown at the docks of the West Branch Motor Boat Association in this photo from 2010. The private club has been in existance since 1949 and welcomes new members to apply every year. Currently, the club has more than 100 members.

For Metzger, a love of boating and having friends with boats was his main factor for joining more than 20 years ago.

“Having friends who have boats and wanting to get a boat,” Metzger said. “You start out with an associate membership, you don’t get a dock (immediately). There’s a waiting list to get a slip. You keep your boat on site, launch it every time you want to use it. You have to put in your time for work days and put in a request to get a slip where you can keep your boat in the river. It’s just a love of boating.”

For Nitschke, it’s a similar story.

“I live beside the river in DuBoistown and for years — decades — I’d canoe up and down the river and I’d fish and I’d go by the boat club. I’d say ‘someday I want to get a motor boat and join the boat club,'” Nitschke said with a laugh. “I retired, bought a motorboat, I joined the boat club and it’s delightful. When you have a dock, you just park your car and go down and you’re good to go.”

The association’s lot is maintained and it’s always inviting as Metzger noted for members to come and have picnics or hangout whenever they want. New docks were put in recently.

PHOTO PROVIDED Shown is a drone shot of flooding from August, 2024 at the West Branch Motor Boat Association in South Williamsport.

The group did get some donations over the years, including from a nearby church who used the launch ramp for baptisms.

“We keep that stuff to a minimum though because we don’t want to impact our users so we actually had a couple members tied into using the groups to that,” Metzger said. “It isn’t open to the public to just come over and use it. Our launch ramp is probably the nicest on the river.”

Metzger noted that the club saw an uptick in memberships during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when lockdowns prevented a lot of traveling out of state.

“COVID was actually a big bump because when people couldn’t travel, they stayed home. We had a big uptick there,” Metzger noted.

“I think the docking membership has been steady,” Nitschke added. “We see fluctuations with the associate members from year to year, but I don’t think since I’ve been a member we’ve had any slips open during the summer (since 2017). Someone always wants a dock.”

PHOTO PROVIDED The Hiawatha goes down the river in front of the West Branch Motor Boat Association in this photo. The club is a private organization in South Williamsport that has more than 100 members.

The boat club started in 1949 with 20 boat owners who docked their boats at the former Susquehanna Canoe Club which was located on Maynard Street. The following year saw an expansion of additional floats and in 1951, a marine railway was constructed. The club saw growth in 1958, going from 30 members to 80 docking members and 150 associates. In 1964, the club improved the launching ramp and paved it with black top.

Any boater who wishes to join the West Branch Motor Boat Association can reach out to the club at wbmbaoffice@gmail.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED Members of the West Branch Motor Boat Association help install a ramp at the boat docks for their organization.