MG30 history update

[Tony - Santana]

Hi all...  Spend a very interesting couple of days down at Teignmouth, looking up Morgan Giles things.

This included a visit to the Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum, where I spend some hours with the deputy archivist looking over the papers relating to the Morgan Giles yard.  I saw several documents and plans for the various layouts proposed, and the original drawing for the MG30 hull.  They put me in touch with someone who worked at the yard and was able to tell me about the circumstances surrounding the closure. He confirmed that MG built just six MG30s before the closure.  He also told me about Genesis, the wooden boat from which the hull mold was taken.

I have also been able to trace and get in touch with David Briggs - the son of the father & son partnership that was Somerset Plastics.  He has told me about the history of the production, including that they produced over 70 MG30s.  The on-line register contains just 28 (apart from Out of the Blue, which I believe was one of the original MG -produced six).  The Briggs kept in touch with the owners and he says that at least two were lost at sea, including one pooped in the Portland race, so almost 40 remain unaccounted for.

I have updated the History section of the web site to summarise my discoveries.  I hope you find that useful.

Tony

[boudewijn]

Hello Tony,

great, all this history.
The link did not work for me, but an old bookmark
http://mg30.antipole.co.uk/Morgan_Giles_30_yacht.html
did. Ah, missing i.

Is it a navigable harbour for a MG30? Then we may have "club" meeting
there? Maybe next year.

mvg Boudewijn

Tony - Santana wrote:
> Hi all... Spend a very interesting couple of days down at Teignmouth,
> looking up Morgan Giles things.
>
> This included a visit to the Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum, where I
> spend some hours with the deputy archivist looking over the papers
> relating to the Morgan Giles yard. I saw several documents and plans
> for the various layouts proposed, and the original drawing for the MG30
> hull. They put me in touch with someone who worked at the yard and was
> able to tell me about the circumstances surrounding the closure. He
> confirmed that MG built just six MG30s before the closure. He also told
> me about Genesis, the wooden boat from which the hull mold was taken.
>
> I have also been able to trace and get in touch with David Briggs - the
> son of the father & son partnership that was Somerset Plastics. He has
> told me about the history of the production, including that they
> produced over 70 MG30s. The on-line register contains just 28 (apart

> from /Out of the Blue/, which I believe was one of the original MG

> -produced six). The Briggs kept in touch with the owners and he says
> that at least two were lost at sea, including one pooped in the Portland
> race, so almost 40 remain unaccounted for.
>
> I have updated the History section of the web site

> <http://mg30.antpole.co.uk> to summarise my discoveries. I hope you
> find that useful.
> Tony