Clean Pak Sha Wan Day 2022

白沙灣清潔日 2022

If there’s one thing that can be said about the Hebe Haven Yacht Club, it’s that community spirit is given high priority. Practically every day of the week there is something happening on the dock, in the Garden Bar, on the hardstand and, of course, out on the water. And here’s the thing : it’s not just for members. There is outside participation and people come from far and wide to get involved in what the club is doing. And it works, like it did on Sunday, the 25 September 2022.

Set up some 16 years ago by former commodore, Mark Houghton, the Clean Pak Sha Wan Day has become so popular that a limit of 100 volunteers has been imposed. Last year the same, although because of a typhoon there was a late change of date, and fewer people turned up. As if to make up for this, 2022 saw more people arriving through the day, asking if they could take part, unaware of the limit.

Clearly, the club is doing something right. In fact, one commentator on the club’s facebook page suggests that the clean up should be monthly.

提到白沙灣遊艇會，不得不 說其對社區精神的重視。這 星期幾乎每一天，在無論碼 頭、花園酒吧、硬地，以及水 上都有活動進行。值得留意 的是，這些活動都不只限於 會員參加。外來的參加者和 遠道而來的各方人士均參與 了遊艇會的活動，使其有如 2022 年 9 月 25 日，星期日時 一樣成功。

16年前由前會長Mark Houghton成立的白沙灣清 潔日成為炙手可熱的活動， 需要設上100名上限的義工 人數。即使受颱風影響以 致活動延後，並只有較少人 參與活動，去年活動仍如 常進行。為了彌補去年的遺 憾，2022年有更多人前來， 無視人數限制，照樣詢問能 否加入活動。

本會的活動方針正確，顯而 易見。事實上，本會Facebook 上的其中一個留言者建議將 清潔工作改為每月一次。

Of course, there is one other big attraction: the buffet. After a hard day’s work in the sun, along Pak Sha Wan’s shorelines, who wouldn’t want to be rewarded with a delicious plate of tuna spaghetti, chow faan, samosas or spring rolls?

Over the years, the clean up has gained increasing support from government and, importantly, the village kai fong. Local kaito services are utilized and, according to the club General Manager Paul C. Arkwright, the ratio of participating non-members to members has risen to about 40 : 60. “The cost for us to stage these clean ups is very little and the longterm advantages are enormous,” he said.

Clean Pak Sha Wan Day 2022 started with a briefing in the Garden Bar with Rob Allen stressing the need for everyone to stay “hydrated. It’s hot out there,” he warned, “so drink plenty of water.”

The volunteers were arranged in six groups and told what they should do. They would head for Ma Lam Wat, Scout Beach, Trio Beach, Nam Wai, Campsite Bay and outside into Port Shelter and Lo Fu Ngam. Black bags, baskets, garden gloves, tongs and water dispensers were loaded onto a kaito and the first group left for Ma Lam Wat just after 1100. The other groups followed in succession and, by midday, the shores of Pak Sha Wan were receiving the attention of more than 100 enthusiastic volunteers, young and old, happy to do their part for a cleaner environment.

The good news this year was that there was less rubbish collected than last; fortunately there haven’t been many typhoons but there is no room for complacency. Even an exceptionally high tide can bring litter to our shorelines and Pak Sha Wan seems to suffer disproportionately – who can forget the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut (September 2018) when Little Trio Beach was knee deep in polystyrene?

Bags and baskets full of lap sap were brought back to the club and left at the end of the dock for collection by the Marine Department.

Happy to have done their part, the volunteers then made their way to the Garden Bar to tuck into the buffet, tell stories and make new friends. Led once again by the Hebe Haven Yacht Club, environmental awareness has been raised and Pak Sha Wan is now a cleaner place!

當然，這個活動另一個吸引之處 便是自助餐。經過一整天在烈 日下沿白沙灣海岸帶辛勞工作， 美味的吞拿魚意粉、炒飯、三角 餃和春卷自然是犒賞自己的最 佳晚餐！

多年來的淨灘工作得到政府和村 中街坊的支持。據本會經理 Paul C. Arkwright 所指，使用本地街 渡服務的非會員及會員的比例上 升至約 40: 60。他指出：「我們進 行這些清潔工作的成本很低，卻 能帶來極大的長遠益處。」

白沙灣清潔日 2022 以Rob Allen 於花園酒吧的簡介開始，強調大 家必須「喝夠水，因為外面非常 炎熱。」他提醒大家：「一定要多 喝水。」

義工分成6個小組並按指示行 動。他們分別前往麻籃芴、童軍 總會一帶海灘、三星灣泳灘、南 圍、露營灣及牛尾海與老虎岩一 帶。將垃圾袋、籃子、手套、夾 子和灑水器載上街渡，第一組於 11:00率先出發前往麻籃芴，其他 組別緊隨其後。到中午時分，白 沙灣聚集了過百位熱心的義工， 無論男女老少，都積極爲清潔環 境盡一份力。

好消息是今年收集到的垃圾量 比去年少；幸好並未遇上太多颱 風，但也不能自滿。即使潮水高 漲亦會將垃圾帶進海岸線，而 白沙灣的污染程度似乎特別嚴 重——大家一定記得 2018 年 9 月颱風山竹的影響，令當時小三 星灣泳灘深陷於高至及膝的發 泡膠污染。

裝滿垃圾的膠袋和籃子被帶回本 會碼頭，並由海事處收走。

義工為一天的工作感到滿足，並 回到花園酒吧品嘗自助美食，互 相交談認識新朋友。白沙灣遊 艇會再一次帶領大家，提高環 境意識並讓白沙灣成為更潔淨 的地方！

CLEAN PAK SHA WAN DAY 2022

Volunteer's Perspective

By Carol Biddell

The annual HHYC Clean Pak Sha Wan Day took place on Sunday 25 September. It was an extremely successful day with around 140 volunteers taking part.

The weather gods were kind to us and held off the rain. Volunteers were ferried to various beaches (see map) by sampan and a Hebe rib. The tide was high to begin with, but as it receded volunteers were able to make their way along the coast collecting rubbish that had been washed up and trapped in the rocks, bushes and mangroves.

The rubbish was bagged and brought back to Hebe for collection by MarDep, who also helped to collect a wrecked inflatable dinghy (full of trash), abandoned on the Nam Wai beach.

A Bit of History - HHYC held its very first clean-up, organised by Mark Houghton, many many years ago (Does anyone remember the exact year?). That first time volunteers brought back a massive amount of trash and an interesting collection of items that had somehow found their way to the beaches – including a cement mixer and a tractor tire.

In 2015 HHYC decided to make it a regular event and has have been holding an annual Clean Pak Sha Wan Day every year since.

A big thank you to everyone who made the day a success, including: • All the Volunteers and Hebe Staff • FEHD for supplying the bags and gloves • MarDep for collecting the rubbish from Hebe

一年一度的「白沙灣清潔日」在9 月 25 日舉行，活動反 應熱烈，獲得大約 140 名義工參與。

天氣女神亦眷顧我們，讓雨勢暫停。一眾義工乘坐舢 舨及快艇出發前往不同海灘（見地圖）。潮水一開始 甚為高漲，但隨着潮水退去，義工可沿着海岸前進， 一邊收集被海浪沖上岸上卡在岩石、樹叢和紅樹林中 的垃圾。

這些垃圾被裝袋並帶回白沙灣遊艇會，交由海事處收 集，他們亦協助收集了一艘被丟棄在南圍海灘的破損（ 並裝滿垃圾）的小艇。

一點歷史—白沙灣遊艇會在很多很多年前（有人記得 確切年份嗎？）由 Mark Houton 籌辦了首個淨灘活動。 該次活動的義工帶回了大量垃圾和一些不知如何流落 至海灘的有趣物品 — 包括一架水泥車和拖拉機輪呔。

在2015年，白沙灣遊艇會決定將淨灘活動設為常規活 動，自此每年都舉辦一次「白沙灣清潔日」。

在此感謝所有讓當日活動成功的人士，包括： • 所有義工與白沙灣遊艇會職員 • 為我們提供垃圾袋及手套的食環署 • 從白沙灣遊艇會收集垃圾的海事處

Beaches we cleaned