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The Broad Bay Boating Club are celebrating their centenary in 2023 and hope they'll have a shiny new building to show off for the festivities.
Club secretary Marty Brash said they were "chomping at the bit" to begin construction, especially after receiving confirmation this week of $150,000 in funding from the Otago Community Trust to go towards the project. They're presently waiting for both resource and building consent before the first sod can be turned, which they hope will be later this year.
The present clubrooms, situated on the eastern side of the Otago Harbour, date back to the early 1960s but boating activity in the bay goes back even further than the establishment of the club in 1923.
Broad Bay was a popular holiday destination for Dunedinites, with many of the city's well heeled having holiday homes there.
One of those families was the Speights, who are more well known for the brewery across town, and who played a key role in the establishment of the club. They later gifted their boat shed to the Broad Bay Boating Club, with the land now home to the existing clubhouse.
Broad Bay Boating Club in 1959.
An annual New Year's Day regatta from Dunedin to Broad Bay was staged from the early 1900s, which came complete with crowds and a carnival atmosphere. It's an event the present committee would love to see back on the sailing calendar as well as a host of others.
"We will be able to hold South Island and national events," Brash said. "Broad Bay is a great bay for sailing but we just don't have the facility right now.
"The plans look great and we just about have all of our ducks in a row. We are hoping now we have the money in the bank, momentum will gather."
A model replica of the planned new clubhouse.
A new clubhouse is estimated to cost about $800,000-$900,000 and Brash said it would become a focal point for the community, with other groups being able to use the facilities.
The club presently have a variety of fleets from Optis to Elliotts and Lasers to Noelex 22s as well as a number of power boaties and kayakers. There are also plans for Sailability to operate out of there.
The intention is for the new clubhouse to be built in front of the old one, which will allow them to continue operating throughout the rebuild. They will also build it 800mm higher than the present facility to help future-proof it from a rise in the sea level.
You can learn more about the Broad Bay Boating Club, including their rebuild, here
