MORDIALLOC Boating and Angling Club sailed into its 70th anniversary celebrations at the weekend when a flotilla of boats took part in a “sail past” from Mordialloc pier to Mentone at 10am on Sunday (3 June).
Club president David Flew said the boating and angling club, which now has 70 members, held its first meeting in July 1946 so the sail past was timed to coincide with that landmark.
“A group of boat owners got together then and formed what was then the Mordialloc Boat Owners Association,” he said.
“A whole heap of interesting people have been members of the club over the years. Jack Pompei was the original secretary.”
The sail past was followed by a luncheon at Doyles Hotel.
Kingston mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley and councillors Geoff Gledhill and Ron Brownlees attended the celebrations on the day.
The mayor was involved in an on-water operational matter when a boat owner from Ballarat “ran out of fuel” and was towed in to the creek by a vessel with Cr Bearsley onboard.
Mr Flew said the so-called “rescue” was a perfect example of how boat owners in the area have looked out for each other over the past seven decades.
“All the people in the creek look after each other,” he said.
Mr Flew, who has been involved with the club for 15 years, said investment by Kingston Council in the dredging of the creek in the past few years had improved access for all boat owners.
“We’re really looking forward to the investment by Parks Victoria in replacing the wave baffles,” he said.
“My understanding is the tender has closed and we hope they’ve got a successful bidder.”
New wave baffles will calm creek flow and protect boats anchored in the creek from potential damage.
“Boat owners come and go, boats come and go but the character of the creek with old-style wooden boats has continued,” Mr Flew said.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 6 July 2016
