60 Years of ABYC on Auction

Workers from PAB Trading remove the historical Diaz Cross from the front entrance of the ABYC Building Photo: Alan Straton

On Friday morning 2 March 2018 the Transnet Ports Authority (TNPA) evicted the 60 year-old Algoa Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) from premises they had occupied within the Port of Port Elizabeth. Effectively the club administration moved to other temporary premises whilst The Chartroom Restaurant and Pub ceased to exist.

A long standing dispute over unfair rental increases led to the eviction. During 2009 ABYC laid a formal complaint with the Port Regulator over TNPA’s unfair treatment. The long standing dispute led to TNPA charging a higher rental whilst ABYC paid a lower rental. To date the TNPA have not taken ABYC to court over the disputed rental ‘owing’ – the rental determination is still to be heard by the Port Regulator in Durban for the 2009 complaint.

In a Facebook post announcing the eviction ABYC said; “Our thanks and love to everyone who has supported us through this long and oftentimes bewildering time. Of course we are left with more questions than answers and some of us have taken this very hard. Please bear with us as we chart our way through these rocky waters, regroup and give thanks for the respite from having to ensure that we had enough money in the bank to pay our rent and other obligations.”

After a period of respite the members of the Algoa Bay Yacht Club voted at a SGM to auction off furniture and unneeded equipment currently in storage at various Port Elizabeth warehouses per kind favour of the Grand Hotel and Leen Mulckhuyse Construction.

Closing off this 60 Year ‘Chapter’ in members lives will happen at the Pieter Rademeyer Complex, 6 Woodpecker Road, Cotswold on Friday 7 September from 10:00 am under the hammer of Neil Mclaggan of McLaggan’s Auctioneers.