Yacht club launches new wharf

THE Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) has completed an important safety feature for its vessels and for those sailing to the coastal town.

A small crowd gathered at the QCYC clubhouse on Sand Island on Sunday for the official opening of the club’s new north wharf.

The $600,000 project, which has been in the pipeline for many years, is now complete and ready to take boats.

The facility will offer improved berthing for visiting sailors while maintaining a safe harbour just inside Port Phillip Heads for vessels in distress.

Speakers at Sunday’s opening included QCYC commodore Stuart Dickson, Corangamite federal member Libby Coker and new Borough of Queenscliffe mayor Donnie Grigau.

“It has been a pretty long and tough journey at times but it’s pretty good that we stuck at it and we’ve got a magnificent north wharf,” Mr Dickson said. “It’s also a credit to this club and our members that this project has been completed and has been funded totally from our own funds.

“That’s a pretty good achievement for a small club like QCYC.”

He said the club would now look towards carrying out substantial repairs on its south wharf.

Ms Coker thanked Mr Dickson for his efforts towards the project.

“You have played an amazing role, as has the entire team, and I do want to give a shout out to you because together we actually had to unlock some real barriers in terms of bureaucracy to make this happen, and you led the charge there,” she said.

Cr Grigau congratulated QCYC for completing the wharf.

“Clubs like the Cruising Yacht Club are the heartbeat of our coastal towns and they shape our identity, strengthen our economy, welcome thousands of people to this beautiful part of the world,” he said.