1923 to
2014 - Ian Francis Morch , 1944 to Present - Belleville
Marine Yard
When I
create these article’s I do my research and it usually
leads to falling down the rabbit’s hole and getting lost
for a few days, emerging usually with more questions. And
Ian Francis Morch lead me on a wonderful journey, please
pack a lunch and join me….
During
WWI, John J. Morch, from a shipbuilding family in Denmark
worked as management for an English aircraft factory. His
son Ian was born in London, 1923 and a brother John Edward
Morch. The family soon emigrated to Port Credit, Ontario
where J.J. found a job as treasurer with Algoma Summit
Gold Mine. It had started to develop a gold mine in
Northern Ontario in 1934.
During
the family’s time in Port Credit. John, also known as
Jack, would help create the Port Credit Yacht Club in 1936
and becomes their first Commodore for 4 years. The club
continues to flourish to this day. Sadly the gold mines
production costs outweighed the value of the recovered
gold and by 1939 it was sold and closed in 1940. The
tailings were re-examined in 1984 and still found to be
lacking feasible recovery of gold ore.
With the
closing of the mine, in 1939, J.J. Morch takes his family
to Belleville and buys a piece of water frontage in
Belleville where Atalanta, the first Canadian challenge
for the America’s Cup had been built and designed by
Alexander Cuthbert in 1881. On the property is located an
old factory used for war materials during the First World
War. World War II has begun and he opens Reliance Aircraft
Company and soon has an initial contract with De Havilland
that would reach a value of $4.3 million.
On the
16th of March 1944, Margaret Moffat, Robert Pringle and
Edward Butler gather together at their lawyers office in
Belleville to form the Belleville Marine Yards Limited to
manufacture, buy, sell, repair implements of all kinds,
automobile trucks, aeroplanes, steamboats, tugs and other
floating equipment. The next day they had come to an
agreement with Reliance to purchase a section of their
property previously arranged by Mr. Pringle and would soon
proceed to build workshops and sheds. On March 20th. Mr.
Morch buys a third of the Marine Yard from Mr. Butler and
Mrs. Moffat sells her third to K. Soden, who had worked
for JJ. Morch in Toronto. By 5th of June 1944, Reliance
request the use of the new sheds built by BMY and against
the objections of Mr. Pringle, a deal is struck. By Jan 6
1946, Robert Pringles plans for the Belleville Marine
Yards had been dashed and he sells his third and leaves
the company.
1947, two
years after the war and contracts drying up, Reliance
Aircraft has laid off most of its staff and the main
buildings are leased for 5 years by Northern Electric
Company including a provision that Northern Electric
retain the remaining staff. J.J. Morch sells his share in
Belleville Marine in 1948 but BMY is still around and
launches the M/V Tops II in Feb 1949.
During
WWII, J.J. Morch’s son Ian joins the Royal Canadian Navy
having received the joy of the sea from his father, having
served he returns to Toronto. To support the veterans of
the Canadian military, the Government of Canada provides
scholarships to all military personnel. Ian Morch soon
enrolls in the University of Toronto, School of Practical
Science in Ajax, Ontario where he meets George H.
Cuthbertson. Having achieved his Engineering degree he
follows it up with a MBA from Stanford University.
Returning to Belleville, in 1952 he and his brother John
E. buy into the Belleville Marine Yard in 1952. They each
own a third, with the last third belonging still to K.
Soden, the former associate of their father’s. The Company
did not do well during the 50’s, John E. Morch having to
infuse money in with an issuing of more stock allowing him
to hold the majority of the company.
The Avro
Arrow of Canadian aviation lore, was to showcase the
skills and technology of the fledgling Canadian aircraft
industry. But sadly in Feb 1959, the government of the
time shut it the development down releasing all of the
staff and cancelling all contracts. One repercussion was
that George Cassian a draughtsman at Avro would show up at
George H. Cuthbertson’s doorstep, the second was the
cancellation of contracts with Morch Manufacturing
Limited. ( the renamed Reliance Aircraft Limited ).
In 1960,
Ian Morch now with the aircraft contracts drying up
contacts George H. Cuthbertson and buys the first bare
steel hulled CN 35 Ca Va that is imported from Germany.
Belleville Marine Yards which now has Ian’s full attention
proceeds to finish the interior. As the company grows
providing marine work to the Bay of Quinte and beyond,
they supply mast and rigging to various boats including
Red Jacket. In 1964, North Star, a GHC Design ( #63-8 )
was the first boat Belleville Marine Yards completes from
keel up, it being a strip-built wooden construction. With
this successfully completed, Ian Morch contracts
Cuthbertson and Cassian Limited to design the 31’ Corvette
of which over 170 were eventually built in fiberglass. The
40’ Crusader ( # 66-2 ) came two years later and also sold
well.
1968,
GHC, Hinterhoeller, Ian Morch ( Skippering ) raced Electra
II a Corvette owned by Gordon Stonehouse in the Southern
Ocean Racing Conference, against Perry Connolly and Red
Jacket. She did well, finishing second overall with a
fleet of 92 boats in the Miami to Nassau Race.
By late
1969, with Morch having success with Cuthbertson and
Cassian designed boats, Robert Sale approached Ian to join
with Hinterhoeller, Bruchmann and Cuthbertson to form ….
C&C
Yachts Limited.
But it
was not to last, in 1971 Ian Morch leaves C&C,
purchases the plant in Belleville back and starts Morch
Marine. A well respected facility, much to Mr. Pringles
original plan for the property, which lasted until 2007,
Ian passed away in October 2014. His family’s love of the
water continues with his niece Karen Morch, a Gold
Medallist in 1984 Olympic Windsurfing. Julia and Tim
Morch, his children continue to enjoy sailing and their
parents and grandparents love of the water.
Belleville
Marine after being merged into C&C would become
C&C Sales Limited until 1978 when its charter was sold
to George H. Cuthbertson and renamed Motion Designs
Limited to serve as a management entity for GHC and later
he designed the Mark 19 / Harbour 20 with Henri Adriaanse,
who had worked as a draughtsman with C&C. Also
designed was the Ontario 30 for Ontario Yachts, refits
including the 1984 refit of Red Jacket. I bought MDL from
Dad in 2010 and provided CNC ( Computer Numerical Control
) cutting to the film and theatre Industry in Toronto and
now providing the history of GHC through stories and
reproduction of items from the history of C&C.
It did
always confuse Dad on what I did for a while, I would
explain I do CNC work, not C&C or CNC- Canadian
Northern Company ( his first company )
If you'd
like to read other articles I've posted on the history of
GHC, C&C yachts and a few reproduction of promotional
items, go to www.candcyachts.com