Fifty years of friendship

THE Geilston Bay Boat Club has been a place of friendship for its commodore and longtime member Laurie Dean.

The club is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month, and Mr Dean will celebrate 50 years of membership later this year.

“I think there are only three of us alive from that original year,” Mr Dean said.

He has seen the club grow from a small group of 27 members with humble clubrooms to a club of about 250 members.

“We built slips, we built jetties, we built launching ramps,” Mr Dean said.

Most of the work was done by members, with some help from the council and others.

“It’s been a very friendly club.

“I have made lifelong friends ... we have what’s called a dad’s army and we join up every Tuesday and do a few of the odd jobs.”

Club members had also represented the club in some of the big yacht races.

“The club has been well involved in the Launceston to Hobart ... we’ve had entrants in the Sydney to Hobart, and the West Coast Melbourne to Hobart,” he said.

Mr Dean said that like many other yacht clubs, Geilston Bay Boat Club was struggling to attract younger members.

“We’ve got to get some younger people,” he said.

Mr Dean said there had been some disagreement over the exact date the club was formed, but it was definitely some time in May 50 years ago.

In December of that year, the club was founded, and a matter of days later, Mr Dean joined.