Welcome to Aberdour Boat Club

Welcome

Welcome to Aberdour Boat Club. We are located in the beautiful village of Aberdour in the Kingdom of Fife, on the North shore of the River Forth. The harbour makes an excellent base for exploring the river, including the famous Isle of May, Inchcolm Island, the Bass Rock and The Lamb, which is owned by the famous spoon-bending paranormalist, Uri Geller. Skerries, strong currents and a 5m tidal range provide a challenge for even the most experienced sailor.

About Us

Our History

Aberdour Boat Club was founded in November 1930 on the instigation of Ernest E Cooper, who served as Secretary until shortly before his death in 1950, having kept the Club going through the war. Originally, almost all the boats were launches converted from ship’s lifeboats, but post-war fuel shortages and the emergence of plywood class dinghies, followed by Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) and the “pocket cruiser” changed the emphasis to sail. Aberdour Regatta dates back to (at least) 1857. When taken over from a village committee by the Boat Club in 1953 it quickly became established as one of the premier yachting events on the Forth, attracting big entries (up to 150) until the early 1980s. It has not been immune from the general decline in Regatta interest, but can still boast better entry numbers than most.It was the success of the Regatta, plus an enthusiastic dinghy-racing section, which led to the purchase in 1971 of the Rescue Boat. Within less than a year it saved its first two lives, and over the years has logged numerous rescues and salvage missions of both local and visiting craft that have experienced difficulties, as well as serving as an all-purpose work-boat.

Aberdour Boat Club Today

Today, the Club has about 60 boats of various sizes up to 28ft., moored in the harbour and the bay. Despite tending to be more orientated towards cruising than racing, the annual sailing programme caters well for the competitive owner. The comfortable and well-equipped Clubhouse (with associated workshop)is the culmination of decades of investment and (more significantly) hard work by the membership. From the earliest days, the Club has operated on a “self help” basis, with members undertaking all but the most specialist construction and maintenance tasks. This policy has extended to co-operating with the totally separate Pier and Harbour Committee in keeping the harbour in sound condition.
A site once earmarked for a clubhouse is today occupied by accommodation for tenders, and when a boatbuilder vacated land to the north-east of the harbour, the Club took over the lease to establish a dinghy park, which also provides winter storage for smaller craft. The need to keep the membership together during the close-season was recognised in the Club’s early years, and a varied programme of monthly social events takes place in the Clubhouse throughout the winter.