Ropes cut, holes drilled: Mystery vandals target Sydney boat club

Boats on Sydney Harbour worth thousands of dollars have been burnt and had holes drilled into their hulls by vandals, after paddling clubs were forced to vacate their usual training grounds to make way for a new development.

The state government is funding a flash makeover of Pyrmont’s Bank Street Park, underneath the Anzac Bridge, with new paths, a playground, a cafe, and a new storage facility for dragon boat and outrigger canoe clubs, which have used the spot for decades as a launch point for training at Blackwattle Bay.

Li-Ray Kin and his fellow club members were grateful for the offer of a temporary base for their boats at Glebe Foreshore Parks – but then vandals struck.Credit: Janie Barrett

While the clubs overwhelmingly support the development, they must find temporary spaces in the city’s already crowded harbour while the new facility is constructed over the next two years.

Bluefins Dragon Boat and Outrigger Canoe Club thought they were one of the lucky ones when they, and other members of Dragon Boats NSW, were provided access to a location at Glebe Foreshore Parks, until they began being targeted by vandals.

First came the graffiti, then ropes were cut and burn marks left on the boats. Last Tuesday, club coach Li-Ray Kin was at a 5.30am training session when his boat began filling with water.

These holes were drilled into one of the Bluefins’ canoes. Credit: Janie Barrett.

The paddlers brought their boats to shore to discover several large holes drilled through the fibreglass.

“We weren’t expecting it. Since we are paddling in the same waters, we thought the same welcome would be given to us on the other side of the bay. But obviously not,” Kin said.

The vandalism, which Kin said could cost thousands to repair, was reported to police.

“We are definitely grateful that we still have a place to train … [but] we were definitely not expecting to be victims of vandalism and destruction,” he said.

Another club, Purple Storm Outrigger Canoe Club, have put their boats in storage as they look for a new base. They’ve suspended all activities and fear they may fold entirely.

An artist’s impression of Pyrmont’s Bank Street redevelopment, which will be constructed over the next two years.Credit: Infrastructure NSW

The state government says all clubs that held a license to occupy the Bank Street site will “have the opportunity” to return. The new park will provide a better experience for paddlers, with toilets and showers.

“Unfortunately, the NSW government does not own any suitable sites in the immediate area to accommodate relocation of paddle craft,” a spokesperson said. “Therefore, since 2024, Infrastructure NSW and Transport for NSW have worked closely with paddlers on various temporary relocation options and provided contacts to local councils in the area to assist with identifying locations and access.”

It is not the first time watersport enthusiasts have taken issue with the effects of the $836 million redevelopment of the old fish market site.

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Rowers are concerned plans for a recreational wharf will push rowers and paddlers into the paths of ferries and cause congestion on the waterway.

“Our biggest fear is people getting run over by a ferry, particularly younger or older people who might be less experienced,” Glebe Rowing Club captain Nick Galea said earlier this year.

The new Bank Street Park will sit next to a new residential development of 1500 homes, the first of which is expected to be built in 2028, with construction expected for another six to eight years.

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