Displaying items by tag: Cockle Island Boat Club
Cockle Island Boat Club Honours Three of its Original Founding Members at Mayor’s Reception
The Eagle Wing emigrant ship is reputed to have sailed from Groomsport on the south. shore of Belfast Lough in 1636 with 140 passengers and was the first attempt by Ulster-Scots folks to emigrate to America. At 140 tons, it was larger than any of the boats moored in the harbour now, most of which belong to Cockle Island Boat Club. The harbour at one time also was home to 20 fishing boats and 80 fishermen and the RNLI stationed a lifeboat there from 1857 until 1920. The lifeboat house is now rented by the Cockle Island Boat Club, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the CIBC 50th anniversary burgee is below.
Mayor of Ards and North Down Council, Councillor Jennifer Gilmore, along with Councillor James Cochran, hosted a Civic Reception in the City Hall to mark the Anniversary. During the reception, Commodore Harry Patterson had the privilege of presenting three of the founding members, Jim Gibb, Willie Wickens, and Jim Howell, with Honorary lifetime memberships of CIBC. Their invaluable contributions and steadfast dedication have been instrumental in keeping the rich legacy alive.
Mayor Jennifer Gilmore with right Commodore Harry Patterson and founding members Jim Gibb, Willie Wickens and Jim Howell Photo: Co Down Spectator
Posting on Facebook Councillor Cochran said “Great to attend the reception held in Bangor City Hall tonight in honour of the 50th Anniversary of Cockle Island Boat Club. My late father was a member of the Club and I have many fond childhood memories sailing back and forth to Portpatrick from Groomsport so it was particularly nice to see the Club recognised”.
Groomsport Harbour is located on the northeast coast of Ireland and immediately inside and on the southern shoreline of Belfast Lough Photo: Amanda McWhinney
CIBC is a relatively small club but certainly pulls its weight with sailing activities. Over 50 races, including offshore races and a regatta, are held from May to September, and club nights are held weekly from October to March. It also claims to be the first boat club to elect a female Commodore when Pat Kerr took the post in 1993.
Councillor James Cochrane who proposed the reception for Cockle Island Boat Club and the Mayor Jennifer Gilmour here with Pat McAllister Photo: Co Down Spectator
Commodore Harry Patterson remarked, “To be honoured at Bangor City Hall by the Mayor in recognition of our 50 years of existence was a significant milestone for the Cockle Island Boat Club. Recognising the three founding members added a fitting touch to the occasion, marking their contribution to the club's legacy”.
CIBC sail measuring in the Cockle Island Boathouse
Northern Ireland's Cockle Island Boat Club Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Cockle Island Boat Club may be in the minority in Northern Ireland as it doesn’t have its own clubhouse, but for the 50 years of its existence, it has used the local Council facility, the original lifeboat house on the pier in the small village of Groomsport on the North Down coast.
The first of the celebrations was held recently with an illustrated presentation with stories, milestones and insights into the Club’s journey by three original members – Jim Howel, Willie Wickens and John Cleary. Also marking the Golden Anniversary, the club has produced new branded clothing.
Neither is Cockle Island one of the larger clubs in the region, with 135 members, but it has grown steadily over the half-century to a hub of year-round activity, with regular twice weekly racing and offshore races from May till September, and weekly club nights in the Boathouse during the winter.
Three of the original members of Cockle Island Boat Club (from left to right) John Cleary, Willie Wickens and Jim Howell
The harbour was first built in the 9th century, probably by the Vikings, but now it is a safe haven behind the rocky Cockle Island, after which the club is named, for the boats owned mostly by members as well as the very reduced number of fishing boats, down to two from about 20 in the late 1800s.
Groomsport Harbour on the North Down coast of Northern Ireland Photo: Paul2000ni
Benefitting from harbour improvements in the 70s, the boat club had a new slipway and dinghy park as well as more car parking space.
Commodore Harry Patterson reflects, “Many of our members have been sailing since before GPS and electronic navigational aids became affordable and available. Because of this, they sailed using the traditional methods of the time. I always think that because of this, they are more *sailorly' compared to today’s generation of sailors. What I mean is, I think they maintain a link to the traditional past by keeping these skills alive and by passing them on to today’s sailors”.
This busy club can look forward to the remainder of the Winter programme talks and then weekly local racing as well as offshore passages to Glenarm on the Antrim Coast and Portpatrick on the Mull of Galloway.
Enthusiastic Cockle Island Boat Club Prepares for April Lift-In of Boats at Groomsport
One of the smallest clubs in Northern Ireland, Cockle Island Boat Club at Groomsport on the North Down coast certainly isn't lacking in enthusiasm. A Lift - In of about 20 boats is planned for Thursday 15th April with a reserve date for the following day if the weather is unfavourable.
Terry Graham, who is organiser, reassures members; " If the Lift - In cannot go ahead on the proposed dates, it will be two weeks later to get appropriate tide times".
With the Northern Ireland's Executive's planned easing of restrictions in early April, the lift in looks likely to go ahead next month.
The boats have the advantage of a sheltered harbour protected by the island which gives the Club its name but racing is tide dependent.
Members are keen to start their busy season's programme which has about 60 fixtures including the quaintly named 'Wrinklies' Monday racing, Round the Copeland Islands race, offshore races to Portpatrick on the Scottish Kintyre coast and Glenarm on the Antrim coast, Belfast Lough Regattas and regular Round the Lough Races.
Cockle Island Boat Club Lift-in Postponed
Members of Cockle Island Boat Club in Groomsport near Bangor on Belfast Lough have had to cancel indefinitely the lift-in planned for 27th April and organised by Terry Graham, due to restrictions on the size of gatherings in the current COVID-19 crisis.
In last night’s communication to members, Sailing Secretary John Cathcart said, “Following the Prime Ministers' broadcast earlier this evening, and the prohibition on gatherings of more than two people, Terry Graham has postponed his lift-in until further notice”.
The harbour is one of several managed by Ards and North Down Borough Council and the club is unusual in that it doesn’t have a clubhouse but meets every week in winter in the old boathouse, which used to be a lifeboat station from 1858 till 1920.
Many of the 120 members’ boats are on swinging moorings in the harbour, sheltered neatly inside Cockle Island, after which the club is named.
Cockle Island Boat Club
Cockle Island, from where the club takes its name, guards a small bay in Groomsport Co Down from the ravages of the north-north easterly winds and is probably one of the best natural harbours anywhere on the coast. The bay is occupied by a variety of small draught yacht, motor and fishing boats on swinging moorings with a couple of visitor's moorings. Larger boats owned by club members are moored in Bangor Marina just a couple of miles further into Belfast Lough.
While we are small club, we run an active events programme all year round. Summer season runs from May through September and plays host to our weekly Crowe Cup racing every Wednesday, our Round the Lough races, Round the Islands races, and offshore races to Portpatrick and Glenarm as well as our annual Regatta.
A loose association of gentlemen from within and outside the club, known as 'The Wrinklies' also run a series of Monday afternoon races to which everyone is welcome.
During our close season, club life continues with our Wednesday evening winter events programme. This can involve anything from interesting talks to musical evenings, quiz nights etc and is very well attended by members and visitors.
We look forward to seeing you in the future and be assured you will receive a very warm welcome.
History of Cockle Island Boat Club
In 1974, Groomsport harbour dried out but various sorts of boating were becoming more popular and affordable, though most of the boats were of timber construction with either Seagull type outboards or else old petrol car engines which had been modified to fit into the boat.
Of course there was no council mooring fee but a local man was presumed to be in charge of the harbour and some of us would go out of our way to find him and pay the standard fee of £4 and sometimes we even got a receipt!
There was plenty of room then as there were probably around twenty or so boats in the entire harbour, so finding room for your own mooring was not a problem.
No ground chains or deep water moorings existed in the early days. You simply decided on a suitable spot and then with the help of friends, dug in an old lorry wheel, engine block or the like as a permanent mooring, before the incoming tide undid all your hard work.
As interest in ‘messing about in boats’ continued to grow around Groomsport harbour, friendships were made amongst the owners and two people in particular, Francis McAuley and Dougie Cowan, were keen that a club be formed to encourage and cater for the needs of those moored in the harbour.
So it was in March 1974 that thirty-nine enthusiastic folk, mainly motor boaters, but also some sailors and fishermen, crowded into Francis' front room and agreed that a boating club with the name of ‘Cockle Island Boat Club’ be formed. Most of us there that night did not know of any cockle island until Francis told us that it is the small cluster of rocks in the middle of the bay, but the title sounded both appropriate and a little romantic and so the gathered friends heartily agreed to it. It was important that the title be a boat club rather than a yacht club to show that it was inclusive of all those who an interest in boats and the sea.
In the summer, sailing, motoring and fishing events would be held and in the winter evening social gatherings, instructional classes and cruising talks, etc., would continue the year round programme.
Since the early days, the harbour has been dredged so that the deeper draught boats can moor onto heavy ground chains laid by the council. The mooring fees are no longer £4 mind you and vhf radios are no longer the preserve of the elite, but the ethos of the club remains the same.
Back in these early years a trip to Portpatrick was a major achievement and a trip up the Clyde quite wonderful as the boats had none of today's hi-tech navigational or communication equipment. Running fixes, dead reckoning, prominent landmarks and careful chart plotting were the essentials to a safe passage and since marinas were few and far between, careful anchoring was the order of the day.
In more recent years many of our members have chosen to berth their boats in one of the local marinas but even so all our events are well attended and the club is well supported.
We are proud of the fact that our members have sailed or motored around Ireland, Scotland, the Hebrides, down to the Mediterranean and further afield as boats have become bigger and more advanced - all things that the early founders of club could only have imagined.
The years continue to pass and not many of the original thrity nine members remain, but our numbers have increased greatly and our ethos remains – to provide companionship, help, encouragement in a family friendly environment to all those interested in the sea around us. Willie Wickens (2008)
Cockle Island Boat Club, Groomsport Community Hall, Pier Road, Groomsport, Bangor, Co Down BT19 6JP, N. Ireland. Email: [email protected]
(Details courtesy of Cockle Island Boat Club)
Have we got your club details? Click here to get involved
