‘Big deal’: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron sells off huge island site and historic home

[ex Elly 276]

David Blakey, commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, told OneRoof that the squadron bought the land 37 years ago to preserve it for the boating community. The sale has been tough news for some members. “There is a deep emotional connection to the property, and an understanding of its uniqueness in the Hauraki Gulf. So it has been a lot of work taking members on this journey, why we’re doing this.

“We hope, depending on who purchases it, that it can be preserved for the use of boaties in Auckland into the future,” he said, adding that he did not know what the property would sell for. “We will be as interested as anybody on what the market thinks it will be worth. We’re hoping it’s actually worth a lot to the right people.”

The squadron, which faced an over $1.4 million trading loss in 2023 after the America’s Cup, will use the money from the sale for RNZYS Foundation Fund to support yachting, as well as invest in its premises at Westhaven.

Next door to Lidgard house, the Kawau Boat Club bought their clubhouse from the squadron in 2024 for $635,000. That has a covenant that it remains in use as a yacht club, but Blakey said the land at Smelting House Bay could go into private hands.

https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/royal-new-zealand-yacht-squadron-lists-major-kawau-island-waterfront-site-49325

 

[Psyche 942]

Nice spot

[waikiore 523]

Controversial move

l 

[Psyche 942]

I am sure they have their reasons, but do you know anyone who thinks granddad selling off the family bach was a good idea? 

[Bad Kitty 346]

Yeah madness really, 

[waikiore 523]

But its not Grandad doing the selling.....

[Bad Kitty 346]

2 hours ago, waikiore said:

But its not Grandad doing the selling.....

Sorry too cryptic for me?

[El Toro 125]

Its a committee

[Psyche 942]

Maybe they should move out of that decaying white elephant instead? 

[aardvarkash10 1,175]

they are doing what almost every sports club in New Zealand is doing.

Retrenching. 

No matter how you slice it, community sport in New Zealand is dying.  RNZYS is a symptom, not the problem.  Similarly strong clubs across a range of activities are contracting or closing.

Bowls, ski clubs, RSA, rugby union, football, surf clubs and yachting.  I have seen four ski lodges at Ruapehu close in the past 20 years.  The larger clubs have spent ten years slowly divesting assets to get down to their core.  They continue to downsize.  The remaining clubs are in various stages of contraction. 

The reality is that, like snow sport, the heyday of sports and cruising yachting in the gulf was 25 years ago.  Hanging on to Kawau makes no sense in this environment.

[SHK 18]

And the dinghy pontoons are already gone from the jetty, replaced by a "no tenders" sign. 

[El Toro 125]

14 minutes ago, SHK said:

And the dinghy pontoons are already gone from the jetty, replaced by a "no tenders" sign. 

It was damaged in a storm, wasnt removed, had a look at it few days back, needs bit of work to repair

[SHK 18]

6 minutes ago, El Toro said:

It was damaged in a storm, wasnt removed, had a look at it few days back, needs bit of work to repair

OK, one was removed quite a while but I noticed at the weekend that they're now both on the beach. Just coincidence in that case

[Psyche 942]

6 hours ago, aardvarkash10 said:

they are doing what almost every sports club in New Zealand is doing.

Retrenching. 

No matter how you slice it, community sport in New Zealand is dying.  RNZYS is a symptom, not the problem.  Similarly strong clubs across a range of activities are contracting or closing.

Bowls, ski clubs, RSA, rugby union, football, surf clubs and yachting.  I have seen four ski lodges at Ruapehu close in the past 20 years.  The larger clubs have spent ten years slowly divesting assets to get down to their core.  They continue to downsize.  The remaining clubs are in various stages of contraction. 

The reality is that, like snow sport, the heyday of sports and cruising yachting in the gulf was 25 years ago.  Hanging on to Kawau makes no sense in this environment.

Demographics mainly, boomers dying out with the remaining elderly contingent lamenting the good old days. The fact is that the lifeblood of any club is the new and younger members coming through. In the past there was an endless supply of people wanting to join and sail boats, now its a sinking lid at Westhaven and all the clubs are struggling. The only group doing well are wealthy retirees and buying launches. Many factors contribute to the decline of community sport but thats a whole other discussion. Regarding selling of assets or retrenching, I get it but I doubt its dealing with the root cause of their financial woes.

[aardvarkash10 1,175]

In 1980 there was about 1.4m people in the 18 to 45 age bracket.

There are currently about 2m.

The % of population has dropped, but the raw number has increased.

If there are 700,000 more people in the target age group, demographics is not the problem.

[Psyche 942]

I am referring to the boomers to whom yachting was part of the culture and who fed into all aspects of the pleasure marine field. The culture is dying off with those who presided over the greatest period of NZ yachting.

Of those 700,000 how many have been introduced to sailing via dinghies or through clubs, how many are immigrants unfamiliar or unable to access the culture, where do these people live.. the devil is in the detail and part of the larger discussion.

To add, the class system is far more stratified than it was in previous decades. 

[Priscilla II 492]

How many aspirant younger sailors have enough spare coin to pay $900 a month for a 10m marina berth.

[Psyche 942]

One wonders how a community facility built by and for boaties somehow became a profit making organisation? 

[Priscilla II 492]

I know I bang on endlessly about the impact that berth costs has on savaging vessel values, however this low wage high cost economy is far divorced from the time that saw me initially take up boating ownership.

Swing moorings ready and affordable access to hardstands ,a do it yourself maintenance program etc etc all now fond but faint memories.

Student loans little job security moonbeam housing costs the list of barriers to boat ownership are many and varied in this neo liberal financial landscape.

 

[aardvarkash10 1,175]

5 minutes ago, Priscilla II said:

Student loans little job security moonbeam housing costs the list of barriers to boat ownership are many and varied in this neo liberal financial landscape.

...an environment no doubt celebrated by Committee Members at the more high-profile clubs...