Letter from WPA to editors thanking Laurie Pincini
Dear Sir,
Laurie Pincini is well known at Walkerville and throughout both local shires to all those that love recreational fishing and boating.
Laurie is a “founding father” of The Walkerville Blue Water Boating and Angling Club, which was formed in early1995. Laurie is the immediate past President.
For fifteen and a half years Laurie has fought tirelessly for the boat club and its members.
His energies have been directed at efforts to obtain a boat ramp that would lead to safer and easier launching and recovery of boats for all boat operators.
Laurie has given an enormous amount of his time in these fifteen years and it has come at a cost of a lot of hard work and on many occasions cost from his own pocket. He has given his time and effort unselfishly and generously for what he believed could be a better way for all recreational boaters and fishermen.
If anyone was in trouble at Walkerville with boats or at sea the person that was turned to was usually Laurie. He has always been willing to assist all others in any way he could.
About nine or ten years ago a boat had broken down in the lee of Shellback Island.
A distress call had gone out from the broken down boat in the early evening and the Police Boat which was in Morwell at the time was coming to attend. When the police boat did arrive at Walkerville the tide was far to low to launch their boat. Laurie had also been advised of the situation. Laurie launched his boat and about 9.0 pm set off, on his own, to Shellback and towed them back. This is only one of many times when Laurie has gone to the aid of those in distress.
His vision has not been limited to just a boat ramp but also for facilities that would allow search and rescue teams quick and ready access to Waratah Bay in an emergency. He has also a great concern for the safety of all other beach users and has tried to see that boating operations could be carried out safely with the lowest risk or inconvenience to all others. He had foreseen the need to have boat launching and retrieval facility that was segregated from other beach activities. The original boat ramp plan produced in 1996, largely through his experience and knowledge is basically the same as the one which was endorsed by an overwhelming 78% in submissions to the Foreshore Committee Coastal Erosion Study 2006.
Laurie has worked so hard for a facility where it would be relatively easy and safe to launch and recover a boat. A facility where one person be they fifteen or ninety or those with women and children, had a reasonable chance, of launching and recovering a boat, without being half drowned, wet, buffeted by waves, uninjured and without loss or damage to their boat, vehicle or trailer. He wanted all those that went out in boats to have a safe and enjoyable experience. Laurie’s strived for a decent boat ramp which was for all boat operators.
A boat ramp has not come to fruition; this is not from lack of any effort on Laurie’s part but the selfish mean spirited agenda and duplicity of others.
Laurie, On behalf of the Walkerville Progress Association I sincerely thank you for your time, effort and dedication in the pursuit of better facilities for all. May you have many more long and happy times in Waratah Bay.
Steve Graham – President WPA
