Some Organisations we have come across
Sailing is a passion shared by Ann and myself, in fact Ann introduced this pastime to me. Being involved in sailing, especially keel boats has brought us into contact with a number of organisations. Looking after G-whizz has increased that organisational contact.
Ann and/or I are members of these Clubs. For anybody that is thinking, …..yes we believe that it is important to be a member of a yacht club located some 2000km to the north.
Abell Point Yacht Club
Blues Point Yacht Club
Greenwich Flying Squadron
There are a number of commercial organisations that we have had contact with during our ownership of G-whizz, ranging from slipping to finding that one special bolt, these include, but are not limited to:
Dolye Sails Sydney
Michael Bartley Shipwrights
Buckingham Marine Services
Quadrant Marine
It can quite often be a challenge to find that particular component or a retailer that understands what you are talking about (in my case that can at times be quite a challenge). While we don’t spend a lot of time with these organisations or have not developed a particular relationship with them, they have provided us with good service, and mey do the same for others. They can be found on the links page under the resources menu or jump straight to them at:
Shops: On-line and/or bricks and mortar.
Greenwich Flying Squadron.
I have heard GFS described as a boat shed that becomes a yacht club on Summer Wednesday evenings, and long may it be so. GFS has an active Keel Boat schedule, Enthusiastic Laser contingent and very importantly a strong following of juniors in Sabots.
The above picture shows the position of the GFS Clubhouse (Picture right) on the Lane Cove River. The yachts are jockeying for the start of Black Division in a Twilight event, with some blue division waiting for their turn to start mooching along the Northwood shore.
The Deck of Knowledge
In front of the GFS club house is a large dinghy rigging deck, to which a small floating pontoon is attached. The deck not only serves its primary function as a rigging deck for the dinghies and Lasers, but also becomes an outdoor eating area after the Wednesday twilights. At other times, after racing or maybe just a convivial get-together of like souls, the deck plays host to discussions that variously solve the problems of the World, the rules of racing, the Club’s committee performance, boat set up/trimming or just a critique of an individual’s sailing performance. Hence it being known widely as the Deck of Knowledge (I first saw this description in an article written for the Club Magazine “Humbug” by Michael Coleman, Etchells “Eggshells” so, on this site at least I give naming credit to Michael).
GFS is where G-whizz does most of her racing, the results of club
events can be seen http://gfs.org.au/yachts/results.
Abell Point Yacht Club
Inhabited by some of the nice people in the Whitsundays. While APYC may not have the profile or membership of the Whitsunday Sailing Club, they have found a niche in the Whitsunday sailing community, now complimenting the larger WSC in sailing/boating organisation in the area. APYC are the organisers of the most enjoyable Coral Coast Rally.
Blues Point Yacht Club.
The Blues Point Yacht Club is an unusual Club in that it is based in a Hotel on the lower North Shore of Sydney – The Blues Point Hotel. It is also quite unusual in that it does not take itself too seriously.
The BPYC understands that many of its members have lives outside of sailing so they only have organised races every 2 to 3 weeks, and never during holiday periods, they also organise a couple of very well attended social sales each year. Although they don’t race every week it will be a fair chance that you will run into some of the members at the bar or in the dining room of the hotel on any given day.
BPYC races are normally “Pursuit starts” (Handicap applied to determine a boats starting time) which means that the starts are quite relaxed with normally on one boat on the start line at any any time. Their races are also held at the eastern end of the harbour which make for a pleasant change of scenery from our normal sailing area west of the bridge.
Some of the Commercial operations we have come into contact include:
Doyle MacDiarmid Sails
Since new G-whizz has had a sail wardrobe exclusively of Doyle sails. Shane Guanaria the current Doyle franchisee in Sydney has continued to provide an excellent level of service and advice. Shane’s attitude to customer service along with Doyle quality, will ensure that G-whizz will continue to remain Doyle powered.
Michael Bartley Shipwrights
Update:- Late 2021 Michael moved his operation from rented premises at Woolwich marina to premises that he and his wife Catriona board in Phoebe Street Balmain (Cameron’s Marina), the downside to us is that G-whizz’s draft means that she is limited by the shallowish entry the Michael’s new slipways, he was however good enough to recommended and introduced us to Mitch Buckingham (Buckingham Marine Services) located at Woolwich Dock.
Michael is located at Woolwich Marina. Michael does not have a web page, (Update:- his web site at his new facility) nor does he need one. It would appear that most of Michael’s work is generated from repeat business and word of mouth recommendations. We are not too sure that we would entrust G-whizz’s annual bottom maintenance, or general maintenance, with any one else. While Michaels work in wood is legendary it is his ability in gel coat repairs that has us spending a bit too much time at his slip.
Buckingham Marine Services (link to Facebook page)
We were introduced to Mitch Buckingham by Michael Bartley, Mitch has been looking after the shipwright needs of G-whizz since Michael moved to his new premises in 2021. Mitch has a great reputation and is also held in the highest regard by a number of people that we hold in regard. While he is younger than most in his position his attitude towards customer service and quality work is very mature, he has forged relationships with a number of associated organisations (Rigger, Electrician etc.) ensuring that it is a specialist that is performing the work. We did have an instance whera a racing incident necessitated an insurance repair, one call to Mitch with the first word on the telephone being “Help” and he pretty much organised everything, to say that we (along with a number of our acquaintances) are satisfied with the services of Buckingham Marine Services would be an understatement.
Quadrant Marine
Colin and Kerrie have sold this business to enjoy a life of cruising on their much loved Catalina 350 “UpYerKilt” (Forgive them Colin is a proud Scot!). From all accounts the comments below are still valid, just that the names have changed.
Is a smallish ship’s chandlery and rigging service located in the North Village of Abell Point Marina, Airlie beach. If owners Colin and/or Kerrie are in the shop it is almost worth an entry fee just to listen to the good hearted banter between them and their customers. Quadrant Marine is extremely well stocked and very competitively priced. They will quite often have in stock items that are very hard to find in larger capital city chandlers. Colin tells me that this is probably due to him servicing a very large charter fleet. Colin, Kerrie and their staff do know their “stuff”.