The Ship Café was an Ocean City landmark for nearly 40 years. Constructed in the late 1930s as the Ocean City Yacht Club and designed to resemble a ship, its marina was used by the Coast Guard during World War II.
Located on the bay at 14th Street, the Ship Café became one of the town’s most popular restaurants following World War II under the ownership of William and Ethel Ahtes. Along with a marina where yachts and charter boats made use of its deep harbor, there was a private airstrip on the property for small planes in the late 1940s and early ‘50s.
The building was destroyed in a fire on May 9, 1977 and the Harbour Island development built on the site a few years later. Today the weigh-ins for the White Marlin Open are held there each August.
Postcard image from Bunk Mann’s collection
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Postcard image from Bunk Mann’s collection