52 years ago – a Hydrographic Survey Project in BROADMEADOW

Malahide Yacht Club refurbishment of their Broadmeadow  Club house had a start back in 1959 with a survey carried out by Sea Scouts

Broadmeadow Water is the impounded semi-tidal area of the inner estuary at Malahide, created by the construction of the Viaduct on the Dublin / Belfast Railway line. Malahide sailing Club started in 1957, with its club house on the outer estuary, where the larger boats were kept. In 1958 the club was considering using the Broadmeadow area of safe water for dingy sailing.

Cecil Woodman, the Sailing Club Secretary, was also Scoutmaster of the 15th Dublin (Malahide) Troop. In that capacity he had heard about a hydro graphic survey of the Carnadoe lakes on the Shannon conducted for the Inland Waterways Association by Rover Sea Scouts of Port Dublin (Dollymount). There were no Sea Scouts in Malahide at the time, so he contacted the Dollymount Rovers and asked if they would undertake a survey of the Broadmeadow for the Sailing Club.

The Rovers were delighted with opportunity for another interesting and challenging project, which required the acquisition of some new skills. A fair amount of preparation was required, and the practical work was undertaken in Summer 1959. Preset transits taken from Air Corps aerial survey photos (by kind permission) were transferred to 6” OS maps and Rovers learned to use a sextant to obtain horizontal angular bearings between pre-chosen fixed points. But of more practical importance later, they had the use of an outboard motor – a piece of equipment pretty well unknown in Sea Scouting at that time!

The job was completed, the Sailing Club was very pleased with the result and built a club house and a boat slip on the Broadmeadow, which are still used regularly today for the dingy sailing programme