Our Legends
OUR LEGENDS
Phillipa Bolt, with Allan Bolt
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Phillipa and husband Allan bought a Trimaran V720 Aquillo ~2007.
They enrolled in a sailing course at QCYC when Sailability Shorncliffe was just forming and soon after Phillipa became the first treasurer, a role she continued until June 2024. Phillipa not only brought her bookkeeping skills to Sailability Shorncliffe, but her passion and commitment for sailing and the disability community.
Phillipa diligently ensured the financial affairs were always in order. Grants were managed effectively and with respect, expenditure controlled and efficient, and a healthy reserve available for contingencies. Phillipa facilitated and oversaw the growth of Sailability Shorncliffe with the purchase of its sailing fleet, RIB 'Safety 1' and pontoon boat 'Grumpy Walker', plus the building and expansion of the shed.
Phillipa’s talent and efforts were not just financial. She started early on sailing days making batches of delicious muffins for the volunteers. She made customised cushions for some of our disabled clients, covers for the dinghies, and clothing and other items for sale to raise moneys. She repaired sails, washed slings, serviced PFDs, improved storage - whenever Phillipa saw a need or an opportunity, she quietly filled that need and brought improvements to life.
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Sometimes she enlisted the help of her husband Allan as she sought to bring an idea to fruition. The most notable of these would be the fabrication of a 4-wheel trailer to bring our equipment from the shed to our operation, which continues to be of great service some 8 years on. And more recently the daggerboard crane.
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The Bolts have their finger prints on so much of what Sailability Shorncliffe does and is. Sailability Shorncliffe is in the position it is today because of Phillipa, her diligence and dedication, but most of all because she is such a beautiful person.
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The Bolts constructed and now sail on their beautiful cruising catamaran “Bolt-out of-the Blue”.
Ted Balneaves
Ted joined Sailability Shorncliffe after seeing an article in the Bay Star newspaper. He brought with him a lifetime interest in community activities that connected him to his boyhood experiences including school P & C, Rural Fire Brigade, Guides and the build of a Kindergarten.
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When Ted joined Sailability Shorncliffe Ron Walker was President. Ted became vice president. Ron and Ted were a great team with Ron being the sailing aficionado and Ted more involved with non-sailing matters. After Ron died in May 2015, Ted nominated for the Presidency and was so elected at the AGM.
His time as president was eventful as Sailability Shorncliffe was developing. The team with Ted in charge submitted grants and were successful with many projects including the build of the shed and acquisition of the Golf Buggy to tow the dinghies from the shed, the Grumpy Walker pontoon boat, and the Safety 1 support rib boat. These endeavors had set up Sailability for future operations where Sailability Shorncliffe was able to take clients in wheel-chairs on the Grumpy Walker pontoon boat as well as giving clients the sailing experience in the Access 303 dinghies.
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The next challenge Ted and the club faced was the covid pandemic. The lockdowns prevented Sailability servicing our clients and carers, so Ted set up training and maintenance days to keep the core of the club together and ensure our skills did not drop and our equipment stayed in tip top shape. And to keep the finances on track Ted organised sausage sizzle fund raisers at Bunnings. Sailability Shorncliffe emerged from the pandemic in good shape financially with morale of the volunteers high.
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During Ted’s time as president, he spent time getting to know the clients, their organisations, the carers and volunteers personally. A friendly chat created bonds of friendship and good working relationships with all. He also spent time ensuring our relationship with our host QCYC was healthy with easy two-way communications.
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Ted should be proud of his achievements as a member and president of Sailability Shorncliffe. He faced many challenges, was a steady hand and lead the club to a very strong position. Sailability Shorncliffe is most grateful for his leadership and contribution, making the organisation well respected in the community. He is greeted with warmth and enthusiasm on his visits from the Northern Territory to the club. Click this link to read even more of Ted's story and contribution.
Mike Rickens
Mike always had a love of the water. He was a surf lifesaver and a member of a local Masters swimming club as well as enjoying fishing from his own boat at some of our local waterways. It seemed quite natural therefore that in 2013, he joined Sailability Shorncliffe as a volunteer as it was an ideal location for Mike to combine his passions for the water and boating. He quickly established himself as a valuable member of the organisation and was a strong advocate for water safety and improving the training of Sailability members in these areas.
​For many years, Sailability Shorncliffe had used a borrowed Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) as its safety boat. Mike realised the design shortcomings of this boat and began to advocate for Sailability to have its own RIB, more suited for its needs. Grants were successfully sought to purchase a RIB, in addition to purchasing a pontoon boat that could accommodate young people in wheelchairs. The two boats were launched in October and November 2018. Mike regularly took the helm of the safety boat which patrolled the waterways ready to assist our sail boats. Mike was elected as a Committee Member in 2014 and in 2019, he accepted the role of Vice President where he served in this position until September 2023. Sadly, Mike passed away in November 2023.
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As a mark of respect and as a tribute for the invaluable role Mike played at Sailability Shorncliffe, the purpose built R.I.B. safety boat has been renamed ‘The Mike Rickens Boat’. A plaque to this effect has been mounted on the console of the RIB as a tangible reminder of Mike’s 10-year involvement with Sailability Shorncliffe.
Ron Walker​
To sum up Ron Walker’s life in a few words is difficult but loyalty, dedication and consistency would come close.
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Ron Walker lived all of his life in the Karthina Street, Bulimba home which he inherited from his mother.
Ron began sailing as a young boy at the nearby Brisbane Sailing Squadron (BSS) in Quay St, Bulimba. After learning the basic skills, he progressed to Flying Fifteen – a class that he stayed true to. Ron represented Australia at a Flying Fifteen World Championship in England, meeting the Duke of Edinburgh who was the Patron. He was still a member at BSS when he passed.
Ron worked at automotive parts distributor Martin Wilson Bros all of his life. Ron often did not take his annual holidays so that he would have time available to go to sailing championships.
Ron became a Freemason at the age of 21 when he joined the Mt Pleasant Masonic Lodge at Cleveland St, Stones Corner. Ron held many positions there. Ron was still a Brother of the Lodge when he passed.
Ron also became involved with Volunteer Marine Rescue at Shorncliffe, and also with QCYC. Ron was one of the organisers of the Flying Fifteen Qld State Championships in 2014. It was held at QCYC, and many of Sailability’s volunteers assisted.
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Ron Walker joined Sailability Shorncliffe in 2007 as a founding member and became the President in 2011, a position he held until his passing in 2015. Ron expected all skippers to be sailing at the highest standard as he monitored the sailing from the pontoon. Those who didn’t soon became aware of Ron’s displeasure.
Ron oversaw the expansion of the Access 303 fleet with new boats obtained under a Gaming Community Benefit Fund Grant in 2014. Ron was keen to have a shed built to protect the dinghies from the elements. He did not live to see this achieved but in 2016, with a grant from the Gaming Community Benefits Fund, a shed was built and named in his honour.
It was because of Ron’s long connection with the Freemasons, that they wished to honour their Brother by donating our pontoon boat through their charity “Hand Heart Pocket”. A donation that keeps on giving. Ron was widely known as Grumpy in the Sailing, Freemason and Sailability worlds. His last two boats were called Grumpy and Grumpy 11. And it is for this reason the pontoon boat is named the Grumpy Walker.
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Ron Walker a.k.a. Grumpy – the personification of loyalty.
Peter Garden, with Carol Garden
The foundation president of Sailability Shorncliffe in 2007, Peter, with Phillipa Bolt as treasurer, Rob Adamson as secretary, and Ron Walker as vice-president. They started the venture with borrowed boats and loads of enthusiasm. Sailability Queensland and QCYC got behind the venture. Clients from Woody Point Special School and other organisations rocked up for freedom on the water. Amazingly we have a core of active members from those times still contributing today. They quietly go about their work making our operation run smoothly. Our 17 years of operation owes a lot to these founders.
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Peter was president until 2010, handing the reins to Ron Walker. Peter brought such a wealth of life experience to the role and tells of a life well lived. He started his career as a school teacher and then went on to become an air traffic control officer. In the 1970s he built a Trimaran he named “Peter Pumpkin Eater” which he campaigned in the yacht races of Multihull Yacht club in SE Queensland with considerable success, including two Brisbane to Gladstone wins.
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He took up ham radio as a hobby and set up a base out on Willis Island in the Coral Sea. He took incoming calls from all over the world and was involved in a medical evacuation from this remote spot in the ocean.
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Peter with his wife Carol took a 1/6th partnership in a French canal boat. Their holidays were a cultural adventure and he developed some rare skills. Peter brought all these skills and the joy of sailing, with the support of Carol, to Sailability Shorncliffe. A great start to our people-oriented venture, and as they say in the classics, the rest is history.
Paul Garden,
with Nancy Garden
Paul was a valued member of our organisation who unfortunatley left us on the 21st May 2021 after a battle with cancer. Paul, and his wife Nancy, joined as members in 2012. Paul was always willing to do whatever he could if it meant that it would benefit Sailability Shorncliffe.
I think it would be correct to describe Paul as a quiet achiever, one who could do whatever he could without any recognition or fanfare. However, that depreciates the time and effort that he contributed. He helped out on the Safety Boat, and he assisted on the the pontoon. He enjoyed helping with the Sausage Sizzle, often with Nancy by his side.
Paul said it was an honour to be able to assist our clients. Paul with his energy and compassion made a truly tangible difference, that benefited all - volunteers, clients and carers.
We are very fortunate that Nancy continues to volunteer each week. She is an integral member of the Registration team, and to the joy and life of Sailiability Shorncliffe.