The Gauteng Model Boat Club proudly carries forward a legacy that began almost seven decades ago with the founding of the Johannesburg Model Power Boat Club in 1956. Visionaries Norman Brittain, Dennis Courtenay, and Dr Jan Becker established the club out of a shared love for precision engineering, craftsmanship, and the tranquil joy of sailing model boats. In those early days, before Emmarentia Dam became their home, members gathered on MacDonald’s farm, where the gentle waters first mirrored the gliding hulls of their handmade boats. With time, the club relocated to Emmarentia Dam, constructing an impressive harbour at what became known as Port Norman—a fitting tribute to one of its founding figures. The harbour was a place of community, creativity, and competition, where model boats powered by small diesel engines, like Dr Jan Becker’s 70-year-old Sea Commander with its ED246 engine, brought craftsmanship to life.

Though the passage of years saw the original facilities fall into disrepair and the lower dam silt over, the spirit of the club endured quietly in the memories of those who had once gathered there. In 2013, former members salvaged the old club signs from near-oblivion, rescuing them from a scrapyard and proudly displaying them once more as symbols of an era that refused to fade. Today, the Gauteng Model Boat Club has been lovingly revived at the upper Emmarentia Dam—the same waters that once hosted the pioneers. With the generous support of the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens and Johannesburg City Parks, the club has reclaimed its place in the city’s recreational and historical landscape. It stands not merely as a group of hobbyists, but as a living monument to passion, perseverance, and the enduring beauty of craftsmanship that transcends generations.