The Hardy Owners Club

The Hardy Owners Club was started in 1981 and this coming year (2007) will be 26 years old. Andrew Andrews, at that time the proud owner of a brand new Family Pilot, wondered if other Hardy boat owners were interested in getting together in some sort of association to swap mutual problems and experiences, meet socially, etc. They were! The first members signed up in August of that year. Membership numbers 1 and 2 were assigned to John Hardy, the then MD of Hardy Marine Ltd. and Colin Mudie, the designer of several of the Hardy boats, both as Honorary Life Members

From a very modest beginning the Club grew quickly and membership has settled down at round about the 300 mark. Ownership of a Hardy boat is not a pre-qualification for membership. A number of members have stayed on with us after moving on from their Hardy's to boats of a different marque, and we always have members who have joined without a boat at all. The usual reason for this is that they have in mind buying a Hardy at some future date and, having access to existing, experienced Hardy owners via the magazine and socially, get the flavour. As a result they are usually able to avoid the I wish I'd only known/thought of that before I bought it syndrome which strikes a lot of people, often too late.

From the start the Hardy Owners Club has always intentionally remained independent of Hardy Marine Ltd, unlike some other boat owner's clubs which are run by the boat builders almost as a branch of their PR activities. However we have always been on good terms with Hardy Marine and enjoyed their cooperation. They bring our existence to the attention of their customers, they will always help out with technical queries if they can, and from time to time in the past have organised factory visits [always popular and always over-subscribed] for Hardy Owners Club members

The club is run voluntarily by several of its members - Membership Secretary, Advertising Officer, Magazine Editor, Supplies Officer and Treasurer. Membership is widespread ranging from Co. Cork on the West coast of Ireland to East Anglia and from Devon/Cornwall to Shetland with concentrations of boats on the upper Thames, the Norfolk Broads and the Solent and Strathclyde areas. We also have a members from overseas including Switzerland, Germany, Republic of Ireland and Australia etc.

Where there is enough interest generated week-end meets are arranged giving members the opportunity to get together socially with and without their boats. These events are not organised centrally but are groups of members getting together on their own initiative if they feel there is enough demand. So far these have taken place on the Norfolk Broads, Loch Lomond and several venues on the South coast. They are made known via the magazine and/or the website pages.

The main means of involving the membership is via the club magazine, "The Hardy Owner" which is published quarterly. This is produced for the members and by the members, relying heavily on contributions compiled and/or provided by them. It includes a Mariner's Mart feature [members' sales and wants] carrying entries free to members and at a modest charge for non-members. It also carries some advertising such as a broker who specialises in the insurance of Hardy boats, marine brokers, agents selling Hardy Boats and similar related subjects.

Increasingly the internet is providing an active link between members particularly via the club Forum pages, which provide a rapid means of solving problems, exchanging information and general discussions about all aspects of Hardy boats. There are many topics under discussion at any one time and by this means members comments and queries are often responded to within a very short space of time

A membership list is produced for club members and is currently re-printed every other year.

Contributed by the late D Shipley