The 40-year-old rescue boat recently received a much-needed makeover thanks to the donation of some paint and signage from Perrows Automotive Paints in Bendigo - not to mention a can-do attitude by the sailing club's former commodore Craig Ginnivan.

Mr Ginnivan said former life member, the late Jack Wagstaff, was a big part of his motivation in restoring it. 

"It's the first time it has ever been refurbished," he said.  

"I wanted to get the boat back to pristine condition to name it after Jack. It's in honour of his great contribution to the club."

Jack's son, John Wagstaff, said his dad would be honoured having the boat he spent plenty of time on named after him.

"They bought the new boat in 1960s or 1970s," he said. 

"But he (Jack) used his own boat for 10 years or so (before that). 

"It’s done a lot of work since the '70s, Craig’s done a great job doing it up."

Mr Wagstaff, himself a member of the club for about eight years, says his dad's passion for the water revealed itself with time.

"I decided to take up skiing at a young age, and every Saturday he put the bouys out, he was out there," hes said. 

"I changed from boats to cars, but he was always a member of the club."

He said Jack built his first boat soon after the family kitchen was built in the early '60s.

"As soon as floor was finished, he built the boat," he said.

He said his father, who passed away in 2006, was more than just an active member of the Cairn Curran Sailing Club yet far different to the average member. 

"Jack was an active member of the club, but never sailed," he said.

"He was happy being in his boat, doing his thing, helping rescue people.

"He was there from start to finish every day."

Mr Wagstaff joked about the irony Jack was a life member of the sailing club without ever having sailed.

"He never sailed a day in his life," he laughed.

"And he never hopped in the water because he couldn’t swim.

"But he loved it, he loved rescuing people and he devoted his whole weekends out there."

Mr Wagstaff said his father happily spent almost every weekend of the year at the club. 

"They sailed every Saturday, but we were always out there on Sunday as well," he said.

According to Mr Wagstaff, regardless of the day or season, there was no shortage of rescues out on the water.

"When you tip over a yacht, people always get tied up in ropes," he said. 

"He (Jack) saved people left, right and centre. It got rough out there." 

The amount of time Jack spent on the water was something he was proud of, Mr Wagstaff said.

"I remember once he told me how much fuel he had put through the boat, it was in the tens of thousands," he said.

"He lived for it." 

Mr Wagstaff will christen the boat on October 4 as part of the club's official open day for the sailing season.

He said a nice touch was that his new grandson - named Jack after his great-grandfather - would be present for the christening. 

Mr Ginnivan said the boat was now primarily used for setting courses at the club, but still occasionally performed a rescue on the water.

He thanked family-owned Perrows Automotive Paints owner Ken Sheers for the paint donation to help do up the boat. 

"If we can save $600 for the year, that's good for the club," he said.

"Any money we can save is money we can put into the club."