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PRESENTATION OF GUARD DINGHY TO EDWIN FOX MUSEUM

Our pre-season outing to present the ‘Guard’ dinghy to the Edwin fox went very well and was enjoyed by all who attended.  It was an honour to have John and Nerelle Guard with us for this presentation of their ‘family’ dinghy and John Legget, our Mayor, expressed his appreciation at having been invited and we were delighted that he could join us.

Club Commodore, completed the formal handover by passing the painter to Karen, the Manager of the Edwin Fox.

Some years ago John and Edward Guard gifted their dinghy to the club after they retired from commercial fishing.  It had been in storage until this year, when club members decided it would not be economical to make it operational again.  As the boat had so much local history attached to it was decided, in conjunction with the Guard family to tidy her up and put her on public static display. With the good will of the Edwin fox, this dinghy can be added to the rich local maritime history of Marlborough.

This dinghy was built in the early 1900’s  by Albert Guard of Kakapo Bay, Port Underwood, for recreational fishing, firewood collecting, and as a tender for their launch ‘Dreadnought’, plus in later years as a butterfish netting dinghy by Albert’s sons John and Edward in conjunction with their commercial fishing operations.  It must have been extremely well built for it has not only served as a ‘jack-of all-trades’ for over eighty years now but it withstood the punishment of being smashed against the mother vessel when unloading nets and catch in all manner of weathers during its commercial netting career and for this it is a credit to its builders.