In mid-June 1946, a s mall group of businessmen lunching at Deals Hotel, fell into conversation with a well-known Natal Yachtsman, Mr. H Sephton, who had been transferred to East London.
Mr. Sephton suggested that a Yacht Club be formed in East London. The idea took root and a convenor’s meeting was help on 24th September 1946. Work started immediately on the building of six “Sprog” type yachts, land was leased on the Buffalo River above the site of the new B.J. Vorster Bridge and two army huts were purchased.
The club has actually enjoyed five ‘homes’ in its history of 60 years, but first a word or two of its early formation. The first public meeting was held at the Deals Hotel on 22nd July 1947. David Lazarus, and honorary life member of ELYC, and who has been accorded the freedom of the City of East London, chaired the meeting where Mr. Sephton was elected Commodore. On 8th May 1948, the burgee of ELYC flew from the new club house (the Minister of Railways and Harbours gave the club a six months probation), and the late Jack Coutts and Gordon Laurie won the first place.
Power and sail, however, did not work well in the narrow confines of the Buffalo River, so the assets were realized in 1949/50 and valued down, totaling 50 pounds, and the Club move to the upper reaches of the Nahoon River to the site of the East London Country Club where gear was housed in a “wendy” house and boats launched in the Lido Avenue Creek. It took a few moths and this spot was abandoned for a site on Torquay Road further upriver, where one of the two original huts of the Buffalo was erected. There was lots of mud and fluky winds. Concrete slabs twenty foot square were removed from the roof of Mannin and Patterson Motors and put down as a slip, but disappeared into the river. The club then moved closer to the mouth. That too proved unsuccessful.
Harbour Mouth – many moves later
In 1954 the Harbour and Railways System Manager, Mr. Harry Taylor, granted the Club permission to sail on its present waters. Again a military hut proved the initial temporary building, being procured from the Woodbrook Military Camp for the princely sum of £144-6-8d! It still stands and the Club has grown like Topsy Turvy. Liquor was first dispensed by locker system, later a ‘license’ was invented and finally this was leglised. The club has had a long hard battle against the elements, slipways have disappeared into the Buffalo River/Harbour, rescue boats have come and gone )mostly down) and so too have a lot of racing craft and, finally, freak storms have distributed our fleet up the coast to the Bashee River and down to Cape Agulhas, but never have we lost a life.
The ELYC has been in existence since 1946. We always welcome new potential members. If you would like to make further inquiries about joining, please use our contact form in the first instance.