Cairns Yacht Club at Ellis Beach needs help to rebuild damaged beach access

Cairns Yacht Club at Ellis Beach was smashed by the destructive flash flooding that washed away beach access in December, but with the community’s assistance, members will rebuild. How you can help.

At first, members of the Cairns Yacht Club at Ellis Beach thought they had come through Cyclone Jasper relatively unscathed, and then the rain came.

The off-the-beach sailing venue on the Captain Cook Highway in the aftermath of the Jasper copped 780mm in one day, increasing to a total of 1600mm during a four-day period.

Though the actual clubhouse came through OK, the incredible deluge running off the mountain washed tonnes of earth and sand into the ocean and deposited large rocks throughout the shaded rigging area, that two generations of volunteers had toiled to create from an inhospitable swamp.

The Cairns Yacht Club at Ellis Beach has begun the long process of rebuilding after huge amounts of water swept through the Captain Cook Highway club in December. Picture: Supplied

Ellis Beach fleet captain Rob Lattimore said the disaster could not have come at a worse time given the work to introduce the full curriculum of Australian Sailing’s Discover Sailing Centre program.

“It’s hard because we were just starting to build the momentum to form a solid sailing hub at Ellis with training, racing and social activities all gaining popularity,” he said.

The dinghy rigging area has been decimated, boats have been damaged, both water pumps on site were washed away and the water left gouging scars in some places 1.8m deep.

“It was a stupid amount of rain,” Mr Lattimore said.

The Cairns Yacht Club's Ellis Beach property has suffered significant damage in the recent flood, after a nearby creek became blocked by flood debris and millions of litres of water was diverted through the club's grounds. Cairns Yacht Club committee member and Ellis Beach fleet captain Rob Lattimore surveys the escarpments created by the flooding, which will need to be levelled before so the boats can access the ocean again. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Rocks blocked the drain and all the water came through the property and trapped the caretaker.

“And we were going to send a helicopter out but he did manage to make it out along the beach.”

A major concern was the loss of large 100-year-old shade trees along the foreshore which after expert advice can be saved, but a strict regimen must be followed, according to the arborist.

Erosion at the Cairns Yacht Club. Picture: Supplied

With no insurance cover for grounds damage the club is applying for all disaster recovery grants they are eligible for, but the earth works are massive and the prohibitive cost of excavator machinery had the committee reaching out for help.

“We have sailing people from as far away as Townsville willing to help, we have had huge offers for help,” he said.

The club requires heavy earthworks to be completed, to remove flood debris and to level escarpments, so that the boats can access the ocean again, and the grounds are safe for junior members to use. Picture: Brendan Radke

State authorities had been approached with a view to supplying clean landslide material that had been cleared off the highway, but to date a response had not been forthcoming.

“It’s been 40 years and one or two generations to turn the place from a swamp to what it is today and lots of volunteer hours to make it a sailing venue that had bred a couple of world champs and it’s something we need to rebuild,” he said.

The highway linking Ellis Beach to Cairns reopened last Saturday after being buried under tonnes of rock for weeks.

Ellis Beach Bar and Grill the same day reopened after being hit by mudslides on December 18.

Donations can be made at the Help Ellis Beach sail again! GoFundMe page.

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Originally published as Cairns Yacht Club at Ellis Beach needs help to rebuild damaged beach access