As part of 1967’s centennial celebrations, The Reef Boat Club was founded on the shores of Georgian Bay, in the Town of Thornbury, Ontario. Some years later, the club moved west along the bay, purchasing a clubhouse in the Town of Meaford. Meaford is a bustling small town with great restaurants, exceptional fishing and fantastic boating. Everything in town is within easy walking distance of the harbour. The harbour, which lies in the lee of Cape Rich, is the perfect place to launch an afternoon sail under the brow of the Niagara Escarpment, or a longer cruise to Christian Island, just visible on the eastern horizon, and the 30,000 Islands. It’s the ideal place to start a cruise past the imposing cliffs of the Bruce Peninsula, to such fabled Georgian Bay ports of call as White Cloud Island, Wiarton, Wingfield Basin and Tobermory – beyond that the North Channel.
The Reef Boat Club continues to occupy the same spot in Meaford, but our surroundings have changed dramatically. A new yacht basin, which is a virtual hurricane hole, safe in any weather, has easy access to and from the bay. The town is constantly improving the harbour, and 1997 marked the opening of a new harbour-amenities building with a lounge and washroom facilities. Hard by our clubhouse is the Southern Georgian Bay Base for the Canadian Coast Guard and the search-and-rescue cutter, ‘Cape Providence’.
The club is a working club, which depends on its members to donate their time, talent, and elbow grease to maintain the clubhouse and property. The emphasis of the RBC is on camaraderie, co-operation and enjoyment of the “sweet-water sea”.
Our season begins with a clubhouse cleanup and “Ice Breaker Party” in May, and wraps up in September with our annual general meeting, and awards banquet. In between are lots of club races, cruises and social events. One of the highlights is the Meaburywood Challenge (Claire Norris Memorial), a hotly contested race with the clubs from Thornbury and Collingwood.
RBC The Early Days
…a nice article with pics – thanks to Marilyn and Dave Sutherland