In the Beginning

On the 2nd of June 1967, the first 'formal' meeting (AGM) of the Trailer Sailer Association of South Australia was held, the Constitution was adopted, and a committee was elected.

The first TSASA newsletter, a single foolscap sheet of paper, was produced by the Secretary, D. Hodgson, and published on the same day as the AGM. It provided details of the new committee and requested that anyone who had built or was currently building a boat could have it inspected by the Safety Officer, A. Crawford. Once inspected and approved, the Association could issue the boat registration number. At that time, the TSASA was able to issue boat registration numbers starting with "TS" to members' boats on behalf of the government marine authority.

The newsletter concluded with a reminder for members to pay the $2.00 annual membership fee promptly.

The First Bilgewater

In September 1967, the first 'Bilge Water', a two-page foolscap newsletter, was published. This format continued for ten years, with the first folded A4 multipage design published in June 1977. This Bilgewater included a list of all 82members' boats and an annual calendar of 8 cruises, 8 races, and 5 social events. A year later, the June 1978 edition included, for the first time, a photo on the front cover.

From its humble beginnings as a simple one-page typed newsletter in 1967, "Bilgewater" has evolved into a high-quality publication, available in both printed and digital formats to TSASA members and supporters every month. The quality and frequency of Bilgewater have been key factors in the continued success of the TSASA, thanks to the outstanding efforts of past and present editors.

Successive Bilgewater Editors have worked diligently over many years to produce a regular, quality  Bilgewater newsletter.                                                     

Bilgewater Style and Format

• 1967-06: The first TSASA newsletter was produced immediately after the first official meeting. The early publications were A4 or foolscap-sized, single-sheet documents, stapled together in one corner when multiple sheets were used. Editions were produced at random intervals.
• 1977-06: The format changed to a folded A4 double-sided book produced on a typewriter.
• 1988-10: The format included a preprinted cover jacket, while the internal pages were typed. Editions were generally published monthly, except for January.
• 1995-07: The first fully printed edition was created using word processing or publication software.
• 2000-07: The first digital files were saved and are now stored in the TSASA Digital Archive. With few exceptions, editions were published monthly, excluding January
• 2009-02: The start month of a near-complete set of digital files that have been saved to the digital archive. These editions feature three-colour covers and black-and-white internal content.
• 2010-02: A full-colour cover jacket was produced and saved in a separate file from the B/W internal content.
• 2016-07: The full-colour cover jacket and B/W contents were combined into a single file.
• Present: The Bilgewater features full-colour front and back covers, as well as inside cover pages with black and white contents sheets, generally totalling 16 pages of news, sponsor advertising, cruise, race, and social event reports, upcoming event notices, and even the occasional camp cooking tip.

 Bilgewater Archive - Our History Preserved

The TSASA maintains an archive of important material, including both printed and digital copies of Bilgewater. This material holds virtually the entire history of the Association for future generations to learn from.

Hard-copy (paper) newsletters for every edition from 1967 to the present, totalling over 590 editions, are stored in the TSASA hard-copy archive. Digital files from June 1967 to April 1977 have been digitised, and files from June 2000 to the present, totalling over 400 files, are stored in the digital archive.

Despite the availability of instant digital communication systems, the internet and social media, Bilgewater remains vital to the function and character of the TSASA. It is expected that hard copy and digital publications will continue to be enjoyed by members well into the future.