The Seafarers Club was founded by a Lee-on-Solent resident who had completed a 15-year career in the Royal Navy. When he read of the death by drowning of two boys who were enjoying a day’s fishing he asked “How could this happen?”. It was a sunny, calm day in the summer of 1961 and the only reason why such an accident should occur was lack of knowledge of behavior in a boat. Because of his experience of the dangers of the sea gained during his Naval career when dinghy sailing in various seaports, he approached Lee-on-Solent Sailing Club and Hill Head Sailing Club to form an education section. Neither club was interested, so he set about forming a club to teach safe sailing on the Solent.
Starting from scratch and with a burning determination to illustrate the fact that a pleasant easy relaxed situation can easily turn into a tragic occasion without taking proper and simple precautions. He advertised in the local press for those interested to form a Seafarers Club to promote safe boat handling and was happily surprised by the enthusiastic response. Meetings were held in individual homes and Fareham Council was approached to rent the derelict pump house on Cottes Way in Stubbington as a suitable building for temporary quarters. Permission was given that we could remove the heavy concrete engine beds. This we did in the evenings by chipping away with hammer and chisel.
It was realised that money would be required to continue our plans and a fee of two shillings and six pence per week was levied on membership. A provisional committee of Commodore, Vice Commodore, Secretary and Treasurer was formed. A training program of lectures interspersed the concrete chipping details. A manual for the training program was raised and the syllabus contained dinghy construction, rigs and rigging, sailing theory and aerodynamics, rule of the road, knots and their uses, buoyage systems, safety and rescue drill, cordage and splicing, weather and tides. “The Seafarers” was accepted as the original name of the club and a club flag embracing the colours of orange denoting rescue, and white denoting the fury of the sea was struck.
Plans for a GP14 sailing dinghy were procured and construction commenced between evening lectures. Meanwhile the committee wanted to provide practical experience. A WW2 airborne lifeboat was purchased and converted for sailing duties and named ‘Airborne’. It was mounted on a trolley and stored in the compound, being manhandled to the beach launch at Stubbington. The GP14 was completed, christened ‘John Harmer’ and launched in honour of the founder of the Seafarers Club.
A test of proficiency in dinghy handling was incorporated and a certificate issued to successful pupils. From there, with the aid of his family and an original founding membership of five believers, the club flourished with the vision and purpose of the Seafarers Club, and later to be renamed The Seafarers Sailing Club when the program embraced dinghy cruising, and certified RYA instruction to what it is today.
