| Cockle Island Boat Club is located in Groomsport, | | | | work. |
| County Down, Northern Ireland on the south shore | | | | As interest in "messing about in boats" continued to |
| of Belfast Lough | | | | grow around Groomsport harbour, friendships were |
| The club is one of the clubs on the lough that form | | | | made amongst the owners and two people in |
| part of the Belfast Lough Yachting Conference | | | | particular, Francis McAuley and Dougie Cowan, were |
| Cockle Island, from where the club takes its name, | | | | keen that a club be formed to encourage and cater |
| guards a small bay in Groomsport Co Down from the | | | | for the needs of those moored in the harbour. |
| ravages of the north-north easterly winds and is | | | | So it was in March 1974 that thirty nine enthusiastic |
| probably one of the best natural harbours anywhere | | | | folk, mainly motor boaters, but also some sailors and |
| on the coast. The bay is occupied by a variety of | | | | fishermen, crowded into Francis' front room and |
| small draught yacht, motor and fishing boats on | | | | agreed that a boating club with the name of "Cockle |
| swinging moorings with a couple of visitor's moorings. | | | | Island Boat Club" be formed. Most of us there that |
| Larger boats owned by club members are moored in | | | | night did not know of any cockle island until Francis |
| Bangor marina just a couple of miles further into | | | | told us that it is the small cluster of rocks in the |
| Belfast Lough. | | | | middle of the bay, but the title sounded both |
| While we are small club, we run an active events | | | | appropriate and a little romantic and so the gathered |
| programme all year round. Summer season runs from | | | | friends heartily agreed to it. It was important that |
| May through September and plays host to our | | | | the title be a boat club rather than a yacht club to |
| weekly "Crowe Cup" racing every Wednesday, our | | | | show that it was inclusive of all those who an |
| Round the Lough races, Round the Islands races, and | | | | interest in boats and the sea. |
| offshore races to Portpatrick and Glenarm as well as | | | | In the summer, sailing, motoring and fishing events |
| our annual Regatta. | | | | would be held and in the winter evening social |
| A loose association of gentlemen from within and | | | | gatherings, instructional classes and cruising talks etc |
| outside the club, known as "The Wrinklies" also run a | | | | would continue the year round programme. |
| series of Monday afternoon races to which everyone | | | | Since the early days, the harbour has been dredged |
| is welcome. | | | | so that the deeper draught boats can moor onto |
| During our close season, club life continues with our | | | | heavy ground chains laid by the council. The mooring |
| Wednesday evening winter events programme. This | | | | fees are no longer £4 mind you and vhf radios |
| can involve anything from interesting talks to musical | | | | are no longer the preserve of the elite, but the ethos |
| evenings, quiz nights etc and is very well attended by | | | | of the club remains the same |
| members and visitors. | | | | Back in these early years a trip to Portpatrick was a |
| We look forward to seeing you in the future and be | | | | major achievement and a trip up the Clyde quite |
| assured you will receive a very warm welcome. | | | | wonderful as the boats had none of today's hi-tech |
| Come visit our website | | | | navigational or communication equipment. Running |
| History of Cockle Island Boat Club | | | | fixes, dead reckoning, prominent landmarks and |
| In 1974, Groomsport harbour dried out but various | | | | careful chart plotting were the essentials to a safe |
| sorts of boating were becoming more popular and | | | | passage and since marinas were few and far |
| affordable, though most of the boats were of timber | | | | between, careful anchoring was the order of the day. |
| construction with either Seagull type outboards or | | | | In more recent years many of our members have |
| else old petrol car engines which had been modified | | | | chosen to berth their boats in one of the local |
| to fit into the boat. | | | | marinas but even so all our events are well attended |
| Of course there was no council mooring fee but a | | | | and the club is well supported. |
| local man was presumed to be in charge of the | | | | We are proud of the fact that our members have |
| harbour and some of us would go out of our way to | | | | sailed or motored around Ireland, Scotland, the |
| find him and pay the standard fee of £4 and | | | | Hebrides, down to the Mediterranean and further |
| sometimes we even got a receipt! There was plenty | | | | afield as boats have become bigger and more |
| of room then as there were probably around twenty | | | | advanced - all things that the early founders of club |
| or so boats in the entire harbour, so finding room for | | | | could only have imagined. |
| your own mooring was not a problem. | | | | The years continue to pass and not many of the |
| No ground chains or deep water moorings existed in | | | | original thirty nine members remain, but our numbers |
| the early days. You simply decided on a suitable spot | | | | have increased greatly and our ethos remains - to |
| and then with the help of friends, dug in an old lorry | | | | provide companionship, help, encouragement in a |
| wheel, engine block or the like as a permanent | | | | family friendly environment to all those interested in |
| mooring, before the incoming tide undid all your hard | | | | the sea around us. |