OGA Member, John Rogers reflects on his responsibility of being the custodian of John Scarlett’s boat ‘Essex Melody’ and the significance of Maldon Little Ship Club, of which he is also a member, to the founding of the OGA. Our cover photo from the OGA Archive shows the first East Coast OGA Race, 1963. The Cherub sailing under sail no. CC19 is ‘Sea Pig’ with Tom Titheridge at the helm.
My wife Diana and I found ‘Essex Melody’ in 2008 languishing in a caravan storage facility near Nottingham and brought her back to Maldon for a full restoration. Recognising that she had an intriguing history we were very grateful for all the information we gleaned from her previous owners and from John Scarlett’s widow Miriam. The more we found out, the greater became the intrigue as we delved into areas unknown to us. This included the exploits of Patrick Ellam and Colin Mudie in their little Junior Offshore Group (JOG) ‘Sopranino’ in 1954 and the origins of the OGA in September 1963. We also recognised that John Scarlett’s exceptional intelligence and methodical scientific research at Marconi’s led him to design and build his perfectly balanced Bermudan rigged JOG ‘Essex Melody’, which has proved to be a delight to sail and a winner of races.
Although Bermudan rigged, I consider that it was through ‘Essex Melody’ that John Scarlett became involved with the OGA; he was so inspired by the Atlantic crossing by ‘Sopranino’ that he created his own version suitable for family sailing on the East Coast. It was whilst building ‘Essex Melody’ in 1958 at Dan Webb and Feesey’s yard in Maldon, that he met up with John Bray who was repairing the gaffer ‘Nell’ from her wartime neglect. The story goes that ‘Nell’ had a coke stove around which they gathered on cold winter nights. Apparently the discussion often led to the demise of gaff rig against the more fashionable Bermudan rig.
It seems that John was a man looking for a mission in life which led him on a crusade to revive the popularity of gaff rig and save it from extinction. He lived in Maldon and convened a meeting at his home with Mike Peyton, Tom Bolton, Robert Simper, Tom Titheridge and John Bray to arrange for an East Coast Old Gaffers race on Saturday, 20 July 1963. The East Coast Race attracted far more entries than predicted and made a wonderful spectacle of gaff rig as they started off Osea Island pier. Despite not being a resounding success due to the light airs, the race proved very popular and was here to stay.
Based on the success of the first East Coast Old Gaffers race and the newfound appetite to save and promote gaff rig, John Scarlett arranged a formal meeting on Saturday, 14 September 1963 at Maldon Little Ship Club. At this meeting the Old Gaffers of the Solent and those of the East Coast met to form the Old Gaffers Association, now known as the OGA. John Clarke from the Solent Area was elected Chairman and John Scarlett from the East Coast became Secretary. Such was the foundation of the OGA, but in Robert Simper’s words “I don’t think John Scarlett would have ever imagined that it would become the international organisation it is today.”
This is my understanding of the origins of the OGA; I am proud to have restored and own John Scarlett’s ‘Essex Melody’ which almost certainly played a coincidental yet key role leading to the formation of the OGA. Sadly, John’s untimely passing in 1984 at the age of only 53, meant I was unable to verify with the man himself if indeed, his unique Bermudan JOG ‘Essex Melody’, played any part in the saving of gaff rig and formation of the OGA!
‘Essex Melody’ now has a new Custodian Ed Bird and she is kept in the boatyard where she was built ‘Shipways’ Maldon. This was formerly Dan Webb & Feesey, now called ‘Marinestore’.
Words: John Rogers, OGA & Maldon Little Ship Club Member, former owner of ‘Essex Melody’
Extract from article previously published in OGA Newsletter Gaffers Log and Practical Boat Owner
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