We drive past the old HBYC premises site and never give it a second thought?
There were those who wanted to stay there too, would the move to the inside of the harbour be the right thing to do was the question?
Eleven years later and the answer is there for us all to see, excepting from some places you may be viewing from there is nothing to see anymore.
The clubs race control and view room, named the crows nest is now the only part of the old HBYC building visible from the sea these days, looks more like a WW2 gun emplacement, this whole area was once wide open space and room to park campers, trailers and beach catamarans.
Gone is the view from the clubs ground floor restaurant, we used to take a window table and look out past the clubs low boundary wall. The other side of which was a hard surface parking area, then the beach and down to the sea, now you can see nothing but sand.
The beach used to be clear and free of sand dunes 20 years back.
Our 1967 Singer Chamois and parked in front of the sand dune in the once large and attractive car park, there is a double story building on the other side!
The dunes are now as high or higher than the old club house.
Val and Annes ground floor office is full of sand, so is that view deck on the slab above where we raised the new South African flag. The stairs to the bar on the first floor are filled in with sand and the area on the first floor where the bar used to be has sand nearly to the roof! thats three meters high?
The stairs from the ground floor to the first floor have vanished, so have all fittings and glazing.
The main lounge area, bucket and spade anyone?
Our sea view was through these spaces, the whole upstairs front of the club was glazed and we had the best sea views in the village.
The front entrance to the old HBYC club house.
Hout Bays view that never was, check my small Singer Chamois to the right, that gives scale to the sand dunes size.
What a good move we made to the new club house in the harbour, what bad planing by those who wanted to re instate the sand dunes, we were advised they would only grow a meter high?
Roy
There were those who wanted to stay there too, would the move to the inside of the harbour be the right thing to do was the question?
Hout Bay, South Africa.
All pictures by R McBride, click on them to enlarge and see more detail.
I am standing about seven meters up in the air for this shot, having climbed a massive sand dune that now stands center on the beach access car park and outside the old HBYC club house.
Eleven years later and the answer is there for us all to see, excepting from some places you may be viewing from there is nothing to see anymore.
The clubs race control and view room, named the crows nest is now the only part of the old HBYC building visible from the sea these days, looks more like a WW2 gun emplacement, this whole area was once wide open space and room to park campers, trailers and beach catamarans.
Gone is the view from the clubs ground floor restaurant, we used to take a window table and look out past the clubs low boundary wall. The other side of which was a hard surface parking area, then the beach and down to the sea, now you can see nothing but sand.
The beach used to be clear and free of sand dunes 20 years back.
Our 1967 Singer Chamois and parked in front of the sand dune in the once large and attractive car park, there is a double story building on the other side!
The dunes are now as high or higher than the old club house.
Val and Annes ground floor office is full of sand, so is that view deck on the slab above where we raised the new South African flag. The stairs to the bar on the first floor are filled in with sand and the area on the first floor where the bar used to be has sand nearly to the roof! thats three meters high?
Sand invasion, those windows low down were for the main office.
Val and Annes front office.
What was the center point of the club and a long bar lies under this mound of sand.
The main lounge area, bucket and spade anyone?
Our sea view was through these spaces, the whole upstairs front of the club was glazed and we had the best sea views in the village.
The front entrance to the old HBYC club house.
Hout Bays view that never was, check my small Singer Chamois to the right, that gives scale to the sand dunes size.
Spot the old HBYC club house? no I can not see it either, click on the picture for a larger view.
What a good move we made to the new club house in the harbour, what bad planing by those who wanted to re instate the sand dunes, we were advised they would only grow a meter high?
Roy
