Our corporate history bears the unmistakable stamp of the man who founded Alden in 1909, and then ran the company until 1955 - John G. Alden. The three divisions of the John G. Alden firm (yacht brokerage, naval architect and marine insurance) continue in business today, forming an unbroken chain of continuity that goes back to the original company - and to the man who started it all: John G. Alden- yacht designer, yachtsman and yacht broker.
John G. Alden
YACHT DESIGNER

John Gale Alden stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the great American yacht designers of the 20th Century. He is ranked with such designers as Starling Burgess, Nathaniel Herreshoff, Olin Stephens and Philip Rhodes.



Alden’s contribution to yacht design is written in the lines of his yachts. Seakindly and comfortable, these ocean-going yachts were made for the real world. He was critical of some of the overly tender cruising yachts of his day, of which he said, they sail “on their ear.”

John G. Alden
Yacht Designer
MALABAR VIII
Design No. 331
Built 1927
LOA 54’ • LWL 39’
MALABAR X
Design No. 453
Built 1930
LOA 58’ • LWL 44’
TIOGA TOO
Design No. 687
Built 1939
LOA 53’6” • LWL 37’6”
Click to see photo of MALABAR
Click on Ad
to see full-size version
Many of John Alden’s designs show the influence of New England fishing schooners and cargo carriers. When Alden was a young man, these sail-powered working vessels were being built locally, with lines and proportions shaped for the sea.
He got to know the character of the area’s workboats especially well during a winter delivery of “FAME,” a 123-ft. fishing schooner. Alden, then 23 years old, together with 3 inexperienced companions, were to sail from Halifax to Boston. After a blizzard blew them off course, they fetched the New Jersey coast four days later, wet, weary and half-starved.
Typical gaff-headed schooner sail plan
Alden said Fame brought them home, despite their inadequacies. And so the enduring virtues of fisherman-type yachts would become part of the John G. Alden legend. Of Fame, he said: “ . . . from then on, I was very much in love with this type of boat, a vessel who sails on her bottom, not on her beam ends. “

For more on John G. Alden, naval architects click here.
 
John G. Alden
YACHTSMAN
For himself, John Alden built a series of schooners, all named “MALABAR.” The first MALABAR was built in 1921. He then built one a year, ending in 1930 with MALABAR X. These were the quintessential Alden yachts, and when they won races, Alden’s fame grew.

 In 1923, not only did his MALABAR IV win the Bermuda Race, his Malabars took three of the first five places. In 1932, MALABAR X set the record with three other of John's schooners right behind. This time period was his “golden age” – when his designs dominated ocean racing and when Alden listed more boats in Lloyd’s than any other designer.

The MALABAR name would be used again by him, for ketch-rigged cruisers (up to MALABAR XIII) and for an early production boat, the sloop-rigged MALABAR JUNIOR (of which some 65 were built).
 
John G. Alden
YACHT BROKER

John G. Alden opened his design office in 1909, and right from the start he was involved in building and selling yachts. John Alden would occasionally build a yacht “on spec” – acting as designer, owner, broker and insurer.

By the time the first world war ended, Alden’s brokerage department was well-established, with full-time yacht brokers on staff.

In a full page ad that appeared in YACHTING magazine’s January 1928 issue, John Alden set the policy that guides Alden’s yacht brokerage to this day:

“Based on the belief that to buyer and seller alike the reliable yacht broker is of the utmost importance, this department has enjoyed a constantly increasing business for the past ten years. To establish a reputation as a dependable broker, a conservative policy in selling second-hand yachts is necessary.
Our policy, which has resulted in an increasing business every year since the war, is conservative. We endeavor
To supply reliable information
To express our frank opinion of boats we know
To sell yachts suitable to the particular needs of our clients at prices fair to both seller and buyer.”

This tradition of service to our clients goes back to the earliest days of our company and continues to this day at the Alden Yacht Brokerage. Honesty, frankness and fairness have been part of John G. Alden's corporate culture and we are proud to carry on this tradition of service to our clients in today's Alden Yacht Brokerage.
The Last 50 Years At Alden

Unlike some companies that are bought and sold, and change hands frequently, John G. Alden, Inc. (our parent company) has remained remarkably stable. In over nine decades, the company has changed ownership twice.

The first change in ownership came when John G. Alden retired in 1955. He sold the company to Donald Parrot, Bill Anderson and Dave Heilner. Donald Parrot, who went to work for John Alden as a broker around 1950, carried on the business with his associates until 1967, when they sold it to the present owner, Tillotson Corporation.

Under Mr. Tillotson's guidance, Alden expanded and modernized its operations in the Yacht Brokerage, Naval Architect and Marine Insurance divisions. The company’s offices were also moved from Atlantic Avenue to our present location on Commercial Wharf.
Donald G. Parrot

Don Parrot has played a pivotal role in the history of Alden. As a former owner, he is the bridge between the days of John G. Alden and the modern era. He is also a walking archive of everything that makes Alden, Alden. Whenever the brokerage or design divisions have a question on "What's the 'Alden' way to do this?" Mr. Parrot has often been whom we consult.


Today, although he is semi-retired, Mr. Parrot still has an office at Alden. He does a fair amount of consulting work for his customers and comes into the office a couple of times a week or as needed.

Neil Tillotson
1899 – 2001
Mr. Tillotson deserves special mention, not only in the history of Alden, but in his own right. Born in Vermont in 1899, he lived in three centuries, chased Pancho Villa with Pershing’s cavalry from Texas into Mexico, and served in World War I. Mr. Tillotsen invented the surgical latex glove and created the first shaped and decorated balloons.

He built and operated a number of international businesses (including Tillotson-Pearson, Inc., builder of Pearson yachts) and was considered a quintessential Horatio Alger. This self-made man also achieved fame of a different sort, becoming known as the ?first voter? because he cast the first vote in every U.S. presidential election for four decades, voting from his beloved Dixville Notch, NH.

A respected entrepreneur, distinguished industrialist and philanthropist, Mr. Tillotson passed away on October 17, 2001 at 102 years of age.

Alden Yachts,
A Separate Company

1987 Alden Yachts 52 Cruising Sailboat

During the 1960's Alden began building its own designs at various yards including Hodgdon Brothers in East Boothbay, the Danish Molich yard, and the Dutch LeComte yard and later at its facilities in Rhode Island. In April of 1996 the RI operation was sold to a group of investors. In order to distinguish themselves from the original John G. Alden Company in Boston, they were at one time licensed to use the name "Alden Yachts".


< Back to Top
HOME