Gadfly Jack 
(ex Gadfly, i.e. Gadfly I)

Awaiting Design Information : Published ---- 

  
 

GadflyJack

Progress made with Gadfly Mystery
Confusingly, the boatbuilders Anderson, Rigden & Perkins built a number of boats called Gadfly, of which the boat now called Gadfly Jack was the first. Built by eye, Gadfly Jack was inspired by a Harrison Butler design although not sufficiently closely for it to be immediately obvious which design !
In July 2019 she was up For Sale with the Wooden Ships brokerage and, at long last, the association experts have some photographs to study from which to determine her pedigree. If anyone is willing to call in at Thornham Marina to accurately measure her, we'd love to have a 'hands on' set of measurements.
She first appears, as Gadfly, in the Lloyd's register of 1959. From 1960 onwards, Harrison Butler is named as the designer. She was enthusiastically raced throughout the 1960s by owner, Jack Merricks, with sail number 17 Y and RORC rating of 15.45'.
In 1974 ownership changed, and she became registered to three Royal Navy Officers, all with the surname Durnford.
In 2010, Shane bought Gadfly Jack and began restoring her in a boatyard in Wadebridge, Cornwall. He replaced the deck including a number a deck beams and the entire cockpit. He hoped to have her back in the water, late 2012, but I've heard nothing since then and her coming up for sale Summer 2019.

Gadfly Jack Statistics
Built : 1937 by Anderson, Rigden & Perkins Ltd of Whitstable, Kent
LOA : 26' 5"
LWL : 22' 5"
Beam : 8' 7"
Draught : 4' 5"
Displacement : 6 tons TM
OGA Boat Number : 0017

Gadfly Jack Custodians & Home Ports
Shane (2010-2019...) Cornwall, England
Jonathan and Deborah Clift (?-1982-?) Devon, England
Durnford Family (1974-1979-?) St Just-in-Roseland, Falmouth, England
Jack Merricks BEM (?-1959-1973) Rye, England
Harold Doughty (1937-1945-?) Kent, England

Gadfly Jack Links
Gadfly Jack For Sale with Wooden Ships, July 2019
A list of Harrison Butler designed boats built by Anderson, Rigden & Perkins 

Page last updated : July 2019

 
  

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