Club History

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 became established as one of the premier yachting events on the Forth, attracting up to 150 entries the popularity peaked in the 1980s. The Regatta is a less raucous affair now, but is still attractive to sailors from the Forth and further afield.

The success of the Regatta, which included dinghy-racing led to the purchase in 1971 of ‘Rena’ our club Rescue Boat. Within less than a year she was involved in extracting two individuals from the river, and over the years has provided assistance in rescues and salvage missions of both local and visiting craft in difficulty, as well as serving as an all-purpose club work-boat.

Aberdour Boat Club Today

Today, the Club has about 60 boats of various sizes moored in the harbour and Aberdour bay. The current sailing trend is orientated more towards cruising than racing but the club ensures the annual sailing programme caters well for the competitive owner.

The comfortable and well-equipped Clubhouse (with associated workshop) is the result of the hard work of the ABC membership over the years. 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. Assistance is provided by club members to the Pier and Harbour Committee to facilitate regular maintenance this ensures that Aberdour Harbour is kept in a sound working condition.

Accommodation for tenders was obtained when a boatbuilder vacated premises to the north-east of the harbour, the wooden building on the site was moved to its current position at the north of the harbour. The Club took over the lease of the land and established a dinghy park with winter storage for smaller craft. A secure kayak storage facility was added to accommodate a growing interest in this water sport.

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.