WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Augusta Community Rowing Association

Location: Yacht Club Road, Augusta, Western Australia

About:

Augusta’s new community rowing skiffs were launched with colour, music and enthusiasm on Sunday 27 September 2020, beginning with a parade through the main street of Augusta and culminating in a toast of single malt whiskey as they were launched at Turner Street Jetty.

The St Ayles skiffs, built by local enthusiasts over 18 months in a shed on a local farm, are part of an international initiative that sees the four-oared rowing boats being built by communities for community use. Many fundraising activities were held to raise the funds for the project.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings were devoted to skiff building, with a group of like-minded active retirees, which included a dentist, doctor, lawyer, builder, a logistics expert, banker, farmer, a wine maker, all with varying skills and abilities making up the skiff building team.

This also included wives, friends and visitors who all made some contribution. Every turnover of the skiffs to work on the inside/outside, or to paint, was celebrated with a dram of whiskey.

At the launch crowds lined the main street to watch the parade, consisting of the two new skiffs ‘Zoom’ and ‘The Colour Patch’, led by bagpiper Adam Christensen, drummer Deb “Spoons” Perry, community builders and supporters, with traffic management by the local police.

Members of the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club were in attendance with their own St Ayles skiffs, having provided valuable support throughout the planning and building process.

Speeches were given by St Ayles Skiffs Captain John Longley of the RFBYC; Member for Forrest Nola Marino; and ACRA President Bill Perry, with Peter Wallace as the entertaining MC.

Cliff Owen was presented with the inaugural life membership of the Augusta Community Rowing Association in recognition for his outstanding contributions to the project, including the long-term use of his shed and tools.

The skiffs were then carried to the foreshore where Reverend Dr Sarah MacPherson gave a blessing of the skiffs together with her rendition of The Skye Boat Song.

Generous local naming sponsors, Di Ellis and Steve Wall, toasted the respective skiffs, ‘Zoom’ and ‘The Colour Patch’ with words of encouragement and a splash of whiskey. With that the skiffs were officially launched into the water ready for all to enjoy.

The skiffs are housed at the Augusta Yacht Club and are available for community use. Everyone is welcome and holiday time sees a huge increase in the number of visitors and those wanting to “have a go “. Membership numbers are increasing all the time.

It has been a wonderful project for all involved, and for now Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays are regular rowing days (other times can also be organised), as we all come to grips with rowing technique and terminology.

Contacts:

Links:

https://www.augustarowers.org.au

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