|
The Dalhousie Yacht Club’s white low-rise building sits
in un-imposing fashion on the pier wall on the east side of
the harbour. It has been a Port Dalhousie icon for half a
century. On the dining room wall next to a fireplace is hung
a framed photograph from a page of the diary of Frank A. Cornelius,
the club’s first Commodore. The December 11, 1936 entry
is one of note. It records the abdication of the throne of
England by King Edward VIII. Below it, a second entry on that
same day reads “Arthur and I and about eight others
held a meeting at the YMCA for the purpose of discussing the
possibilities of forming a yacht club in Port Dalhousie.
Now, well past its 50th anniversary celebration,
the club has grown significantly with docks for members on
both sides of the harbour. The club continues to evolve and
now boasts 249 members with 106 being full boating members
who both own and dock their boats at DYC. The balance is made
up of associate and social members. This past year, Anne Rosler,
the much loved and appreciated manager for the past 18 years
stepped gingerly into retirement and Rick Myers was contracted
to replace her. Energetic and capable, he has taken a new
view into making the operation of the club work more efficiently.
One of the first things he changed was the
computer system with which the club maintained its accounts
and records. “It had been a long time since I’d
seen a DOS prompt,” Rick whimsically stated, explaining
that a Windows based system had been purchased but not yet
installed when he arrived. Now he is proud to announce that
the new accounting system has been integrated to not only
expand and secure membership information but to also include
the kitchen, bar and gas shack operations.
A better accounting system allows for better
management which includes forecasting income and expenditures.
Registered as a not-for-profit corporation—the Letters
Patent of 1945 are still in the safe—profits must be
re-invested back into the operation.
This year, new docks are being constructed
on the west side of the harbour. The motivation for this,
according to Rick, is a disease called ‘one-footitis’.
This is where boaters are plagued by needing a boat just one
foot larger than their current one. As club members boats
grow in size, so must the docks. The problem faced with the
old slips was that the larger boats berthed in undersized
docks extended into the travel lane making it difficult to
negotiate turns. In addition, the docks were approaching the
end of their life and electrical services were undersized.
The Port Dalhousie harbour is the envy of every
other yacht club and marina on Lake Ontario. Low water levels
of the recent past have created problems for several and,
due to strict regulations regarding dredging and other under-water
operations, many clubs were not able to maintain their existing
clientele. The deep harbour of Port Dalhousie has attracted
displaced boat owners as a result.
These same strict regulations applied to DYC
in the construction of their new docks though they did not
have to do any dredging. With permission to proceed from the
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and other provincial
agencies, the old piles were removed. Those that could be
extracted were; those that couldn’t either broke off
or were cut off. Then the bottom was raked to remove any debris
that may have been left behind.
The operation was a challenge for the contractor
who first had to build the barge which carried the piles and
the equipment. Pulling up the old piles caused the barge to
submerge while setting the barge on stilts caused the stilts
to sink in the soft mud; but ultimately, they succeeded. The
new piles were driven down through the silt to an average
depth of 19 feet before bottoming out. The new location, further
out in the harbour, provides more room between the two rows
to allow for larger docks. When completed this spring, the
docks will have grown from 24-foot to 30 and 36-foot and upgraded
from 100amp to a 400 amp service. The total cost of approximately
one-quarter million is paid for through short-term financing
and a special assessment on membership.
Expanded facilities allow for an expanded membership
and new members are always welcome. Boat ownership is not
a prerequisite and social members have the opportunity to
crew with owners who are often looking for just that. The
only commitment is paying dues and a monthly bar tab which
can normally be reached in one sitting. The club is open to
members all year long except for two weeks in January and
the social calendar is filled with both annual themed events
and other ad-hoc events usually held monthly. Not to be missed
by anyone is the June Sailpast and the Labour Day weekend
Cornucopia Regatta, one of the largest and most prestigious
on Lake Ontario. A calendar of events is listed on the club’s
website at www.discoverdyc.com.
HARBOUR AMMENITIES
Boaters are never alone for long. Where there
is a boat there is someone looking to not only sail it but
to repair it, outfit it, dock it and store it. Around the
corner, built off the east side of the east pier, is the Port
Dalhousie Marina that can accommodate close to 500 boats in
a variety of sizes. This year they plan to extend one dock
to add eight 50-foot slips and eight 40-foot slips. The 41
slips on another dock will all be converted to 30-foot slips.
Steven’s Yacht Sales operates out of the
marina building and lists both cruisers and sailboats.
At the base of the Marina is the Riverboat
Restaurant. A converted steel icebreaker that has operated
as a restaurant both in Toronto harbour and here, the main
floor is now being remodeled for use by larger groups.
Hidden within the marina property but well
known to boaters is Aperocho Boat Repair. Jorge Aperocho offers
a vital service to boat owners who need professional maintenance
and repair performed on their crafts. Whether exterior repair
to the gelcoat and fiberglass or interior carpentry work,
it is often best left to the professionals. Aperocho can also
look after maintenance issues such as oxidation removal and
antifouling treatments, along with hardware and electronic
installations and repair.
Next door, in the same building, with its entrance
on Lighthouse Road, is Harbour Marine Services specializing
in inboard motor sales, repair and installation. It’s
also a place where you might find that emergency or convenience
retail item that you need before you launch or set sail.
Things have changed significantly in the Port
Dalhousie harbour since Frank Cornelius and friends sat down
to talk about forming a yacht club 72 years ago. The commercial
operations have disappeared completely and the pleasure craft
has taken over. Fortunately, it’s a large harbour and
there are still several years of growth in our future. ¤
|
