​

THE CARAVAN PARK

The caravans needed to move above the high-water mark so I headed the committee which constructed the configuration we have today. The Provincial authorities limited us to 150 sites which was insufficient so we added “A”s to existing site numbers to meet our needs. Armed with a theodolite, a 60-meter steel measuring tape, hammers and a few hundred steel pegs my late dad, Meshack and I pegged all 150 sites.

​

There was one little tree on the property but plenty of khakibos with blackjacks - Dave and Doreen Rice planted Penny Gums to start the greening of LDYC. We were the first to move our van to the new area now the front row of sites east of the Clubhouse, where we stayed until 2018 when the Lee family took occupation.

​

JETTIES

Our first jetty at LDYC consisted of several steel platforms we could move when the water level shifted. It was replaced with a wooden jetty and became the power boat jetty. Superbly designed and built by Carlie Lion Cachet it comprised several platforms on legs that could be ‘walked’ up or down the slope. Following years of excellent service, the Committee decreed a replacement was needed. I was in my fifth stint as Vice Commodore in 1987 and approached a firm of civil engineers to design a steel jetty with wheels able to travel up and down on a railway track. The jetty, as it still stands today was constructed at a cost of R96, 000. My late dad was a retired railway engineer and arranged for all the railway lines and concrete sleepers donatedl

 

FAMILY AFFAIRS

We invited Jean’s brother John Fisher, his wife Cynthia and kids Lark, Luke, Pamela and Simon to LDYC. A sail with us on the dam pretty well sealed the fate of the Fisher family – they went on to become respected sailors and LDYC stalwarts. Until his recent retirement Simon Fisher proved to be a major asset as the Club Manager for 11 years.  Prior to their emigration to Oz our son Brian, wife Karen and children were member with a site and also avid sailors

​

INTERESTING AND AMUSING EVENTS

I must mention Dorothy Randall - the amazing and wonderful blind wife of John Randall who served 18 terms as Commodore between 1974 and 1997. She maintained a genuine and sincere interest concerning the club, its activities and its members. When John was telling her about a proposed or new development or an event that had occurred on the property he would use his index finger to draw a map on the palm of her hand. The ‘map’ would indicate to her where the matter of interest had occurred, its position relative to the position of their caravan or the foreshore or maybe the position of the clubhouse.

​

Known members only had to say a word or two and she would greet them by name. Dorothy had a beautiful black Labrador guide dog. She often took our son on a walk to the village and back. When asked how she found her way she replied “I just listen for the noise of the overhead telephone wires”.

​

During 1975 I was asked by the Committee to chair probably the first Disciplinary Hearing. Two well-known members were caught late one night relieving themselves against Ma Hamilton’s caravan tent near the Tin Temple pub. She came out to see what all the merriment was and was not amused. Both accused received a 6-month suspension from the club.

​

One evening those of us in the Tin Temple pub heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the ladies’ toilet. The occupant was found standing on the toilet seat with a rinkhals on the floor. Alan Tiley fetched his Colt 45 pistol and proceeded to totally demolish everything except for the snake and the wooden toilet seat. Springbok baseball player Bob Hart finally eliminated the snake with his bat. The story titled the ‘Ode to the Snake’ was framed in the surviving wooden toilet seat and hung on the pub wall for many years.

​

Catamarans arrived on the sailing scene but no Vaal Dam clubs were prepared to grant them membership as they were not considered to be “true” yachts. Various groups accessed the water wherever farmers allowed access.  Two of the groups that regularly lobbied LDYC were called “The Roving Cats” and the “Meerkats”. Clubs slowly relented and eventually Stilbaai Club was established as the ‘Home of the Catamarans’.

​

LDYC developed a sizeable catamaran fleet. One owner hurrying to join the race start line was about to replace a missing hull cap only to find a huge rinkhals in the hull. Undeterred, he quickly screwed the cap on and the snake went racing. Back on land the cap was removed and one extremely annoyed snake shot out. Gathered spectators immediately scattered at similar speed!

​

In another encounter with wildlife a sailor left his toolbox open on the shoreline.  A passing swarm of bees settled into it.  The young and brave in the club hatched a plan to attach a long rope with a hook to the box handle and run into the dam dragging the box into the water. The bees had no intention of being displaced and each ‘brave’ received a sting or two when trying unsuccessfully to hook the box. The objective was eventually achieved and the bees abandoned the sodden box of tools.

​

Jean and I arrived at the club one wintry Saturday morning to find a police diver and a constable on the shoreline along with a stranger very warmly dressed. He and his mate had apparently entered the club property illegally the night before and taken a club dinghy from which they planned to fish. When some 30 to 40m from the shore the partner fell into the water and being dressed in a heavy overcoat and gum boots drowned.  The police diver was searching for the victim but the young police constable tasked with going out on the dinghy and retrieving the body was far too squeamish and I had to volunteer. With the family of the unfortunate fisherman watching and waiting it was a tragic and distressing experience.

 

During the 1980’s I also had an office in Sasolburg and during the odd lunch break I’d visit the club. One day I found the police on the shoreline with an extremely intoxicated gentleman from the local township.  The club gate guard had contacted the police as the said gentleman had threatened him and entered the property. This person then found a dinghy with oars. He managed to find an unlocked yacht from which he filched a couple of bottles of liquor. Back on shore he consumed the contents to the last drop. When asked to indicate the yacht from which the liquor was taken he continued to point with a sweeping arm from left to right – that yacht was never identified.

​

There are still many more stories to be told…

LDYC has been an integral and extremely enjoyable part of our lives for so many years. Although we are no longer active members of the club we still have a Baronet 17 and visit now and again to run the 2 motors. I always enjoy seeing what is new at the club and of course the outstanding condition of the entire property. May the club continue to go from strength to strength and continue to remain

‘The Best Dam Club’.