The Blockhouse Bay Yacht and Motorboat Club
The Bill Glen Collection
The Blockhouse Bay Yacht and Motorboat Club was founded on February 2nd 1944, lasting nearly 50 years before succumbing to mounting financial pressure in 1993.
Many members were taken in by the French Bay Yacht Club in neighbouring Titirangi. The closure of the BHB club prompted longtime member Bill Glen to record and preserve the history of the club. Thus, the ‘Bill Glen Collection’ was born.
Bill utilized his expertise as both a researcher and yachtsman to gather extensive information on every yacht; Where and whom by they were built, who sailed them, as well as results of various races and social activities over the years.
This collection also includes the history of the clubhouse and the individuals who organised club affairs, plus a large photo collection spanning half a century.
The collection was prone to deteriorating in the conditions it was stored in, prompting the Blockhouse Bay Historical Society to have the collection digitized, with the records being available to browse at the Armanasco House.
With the digital collection availble, the Society donated the physical collection to the Auckland Maritime Museum, which has the ideal conditions for storage.
In November 2019 ‘The Bill Glen Collection’ was deposited in this museum, allowing for a much wider appreciation of this research project, and preserving the hard work of the late Bill Glen.