Bobby Steers Support to Northcote & Birkenhead Yacht Club

Based at Birkenhead Wharf on Auckland's North Shore, with sailing activities carried out on the Waitemata Harbour, the Northcote & Birkenhead Yacht Club caters to both competitive sailors and those who wish to learn to sail in a family-oriented environment.

Integral to all sailing activities is the ability to provide various on-the-water services which means that safety boats are essential.

With one of their boats at the end of its life – the motor had failed and the pontoons were badly worn – the club decided that instead of scrapping it and fundraising for a replacement, they would renovate, and repower it with a new outboard motor. The boat was completely stripped down to the bare hull and then rebuilt, which included getting the hull powder coated and the fitting of new pontoons. 

Once the initial works were complete, an application was made to The Bobby Foundation for $5k to cover half of the cost of the motor for this now refurbished boat. We were pleased to be able to support this request and the boat is now back in the water.

Acting Commodore, Chris Bowman, shared the importance of this renovation. “We are extremely grateful to the Bobby Foundation for helping us purchase a new outboard motor for our refurbished patrol boat. This boat is essential for our operations, allowing our coaches and volunteers to provide on-water safety, coaching, and race control. We also use it to train our junior coaches. Simply put, we couldn't operate safely without it, and your support made this restoration possible. Thank you!”

Not only has this project breathed new life into an otherwise discarded piece of equipment, but it has also been a great experience for those involved and provided a valuable learning experience for their younger sailors. The refurbishment also means that this boat will likely provide another 10-15 years of use.

We are proud to be a part of this success story.

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