Saturday 27 February 2010

M.V.BRITISH COAST

Ship No 198

Was the first order for a Twin Screw Motor Cargo Vessel for the famous Coast Lines Ltd shipping company.





At 888 tons with a length overall of 230 feet and a beam of 35 feet she was a fair size of vessel built for the coastal trade around the British Isles. She was launched from the Leith yard on 6th September 1933.

She was to go on to have an interesting “War service” which you can read more of in the page dealing with Leith Built ships on war service.


British Coast (Ship No 198)

LECTRO





Ship No 197

An order from The Union Lighterage Co Ltd for a Single Screw Diesel Electric Tug, from my records this would appear to be the first such vessel powered by a Diesel Electric Motor built by Henry Robb at Leith.

She was 120 tons with a length overall of 86 feet and a beam of 22 feet. She was launched from the Leith yard on 4th November 1933.

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WAVERLEY

Ship No 196


Was a small 10 ton Motor Cabin Cruiser, length overall of 35 feet and a beam of 9 feet and 6 inches.

COCHIN

Ship No 195

Was an order for a Twin Screw Salvage Tug from the Indian Government.

She was 273 tons with a length overall of 110 feet and a beam of 29 feet and 6 inches.

She was launched from the Leith yard on 14th February 1933.

Do not have any more info on this vessel.

Wednesday 24 February 2010

THE MILLER

Ship No 194

The MILLER (Ship No 194) 
This small Motor Coaster of 118 tons was launched in the Leith yard on 5th of July 1932 She was 85 feet length overall and had a beam of 19 feet.
This vessel built for E. Marriage & Son, Limited was pressed into service early in the war and took part in many of the stirring events of the South East Coast of England.

She became a tender to the Thames balloon barrage, and later to the balloon barrage in Harwich Harbour. When this work was concluded, she served the Churchill forts erected on the sandbanks off the east coast, her hold accommodation having been fitted with large water tanks and other supply facilities for the men stationed on the forts.

The MILLER

H.M.S. BISHOPSGATE

Ship No 193

Was a very welcome order from the Admiralty at a time when the great depression was really setting in and most yards were being closed or mothballed along with the yard that was building the great Queen Liners on the Clyde in Glasgow.
The order was for 3 vessels and they were designated with the Ship No’s 193, Ship No 193a and Ship No 193b.
Any work was welcome and this order was for a Gate Lifting vessel of 210 tons. She had a length overall of 93 feet and a beam of 26 feet.
Ship No 193a was for a Net Laying Vessel of the same size and tonnage given the name
H.M.S. ALDGATE, and along with her Ship No 193b another Net Layer of the same, completed the order. Ship No 193b was named H.M.S. WATERGATE.

As yet I do not have any more info on these vessels.

Sunday 21 February 2010

S.S.GOTHLAND

SS GOTHLAND Ship No 192

The steamer Gothland had a long and full “War Service” during the conflict now known as World War II.
She was built in Leith at the Henry Robb Shipyards, ordered by The Currie Line, a famous shipping line associated with Leith.
She was of 1286 tons gross and was launched 9th March 1932 with an overall length of 250 feet and a beam of 38 feet; she was used on the Leith to Hamburg trade route in peacetime, a fine looking steamer.
With the outbreak of war every thing changed and The Gothland was taken over by the Ministry of Defence.


She was given a special role as a Convoy rescue ship, being half way between a fighting ship and a merchant vessel.
During the first two years of the war, the Gothland was employed in what was for her, long runs to Italy and North Africa.
Then in October 1941, she was called to higher service as a rescue ship attached to North Atlantic Convoys.
Many a ships master must have felt a bit more reassured as he saw the Gothland take up station at the tail of the many convoys knowing that in case of emergency she could help with every practicable rescue device known at the time and her hospital could cope with any injury or exposure.

Her skipper Captain Hadden and his men knew the huge risk they themselves ran in this most demanding of roles both on men and ship.
She was not designed for the stress of the long Atlantic rollers, nor the bitter weather off Nova Scotia and Labrador, which added tons of snow and ice to her upper structure.



For the next four years the Gothland continued the arduous and responsible duty, fortunately without serious damage from the constant threat of U Boat attack and air attacks which became so frequent that because of her great value and the large numbers of survivors from sinking ships onboard she was provided with a fighting ship escort.

Her experiences, exciting and tragic, would take a small volume in themselves to relate. But one interesting occasion should be recorded.
Near the end of April 1944 a request was made from the corvette HESPELER of the Canadian Navy to take on an appendicitis case from one of her crew. During the transfer the officers of the two crews met and discovered to there great joy that the corvette had only recently been completed at the Victoria Shipyards in Leith and she was making her maiden voyage, it seems that both Commanders were full of praise for there Henry Robb built ships.

Before being demobilised after the end of hostilities she came back to the yard for inspection.
To the satisfaction of the owners and the firm of Henry Robb it was found that after a prolonged period of excessive strain, the hull showed no sign of any structural defects, and the worst that could be found was a few slack rivets, a real testament to the shipbuilders who built her.

MIRA

Ship No 191


Was a Single Screw Tug ordered by Wilson Son & Coy, at 66 tons with a length overall of 65 feet and beam of 16 feet and 6 inches.

SHEILA OF PENRYN

Ship No 190


A Motor Grab Dredger of 50 tons with a length overall of 67 feet and beam of 18 feet she was ordered by the Penryn Corporation.

Saturday 20 February 2010

LAFONIA

Ship No 189


An order for The Falkland Islands Company, the Lafonia was a Passenger Cargo Vessel of 768 tons with a length overall of 165 feet and a beam of 32 feet and 6 inches.
She was launched from the Leith Yard of Henry Robb on 18th of August 1931.

LAFONIA Ship No 189

LAFONIA Ship No 189

I have no more info on this vessel up to now.



Ship No’s 187 & 188.

Given the allocated names of No 187 and No 188 both of those vessels were Train Ferries ordered by the Santos Dock Company in Brasil.
With both vessels at 335 tons each and with a length overall of 164 feet and beam of 29 feet and 6 inches.

I have been unable to find out any more about this order.
RSS BRANSFIELD Ship No 508




Photograph courtesy of Greame Hart a member of the Antarctic Survey Team this shows the Bransfield leaving Maggies Ditch at the end of summer 1994-95

Ship No’s 185 & 186.

Was an order for 2 Cargo Lighters for the Anglo Persian Oil Company, they were both of the same tonnage at 309 tons. Both vessels with a length overall of 160 feet and a beam of 25 feet.

Saturday 13 February 2010

Scot II

Ship No 184


A single screw tug ordered by the Ministry of Transport,
but eventually handed over to British Waterways Board.
She had a lengh overall of 75 feet and a beam of 15 feet.
In 1960 her 2 cyclinder steam engine was replaced with a Kelvin Diesel.
From 1960 to 1991 she did summer passenger cruises on Loch Ness from the Muirtown Basin at Inverness.
In winter she was used for general duties in the canal.
In 1992 she became a floating pub at Laggan (on the canal) and in 2001 conversion works started, these were suspended and she was sold to a Doncaster owner in 2005 and towed from Inverness to the old Macalpine yard at Ardyne Point.

In April of 2006 she was reported as being sunk.

The sad end of Ship No 184.
Perhaps someone will find the cash to bring her back to her former glory, although dont know where they would find the riveters nowadays.

Ship No 183.

An as yet un-named Grab Dredger ordered by the Belgian Government, at 92 tons.


Length overall of 80 feet with a beam of 32 feet.

Ship No 182.

An un-named Pumping Barge ordered for Bangkok City at 35 tons, with a length overall of 53 feet with a beam of 16 feet and 4 inches.

Saturday 6 February 2010

AGUILA

Ship No 181


Was the largest vessel to date to be built by the Henry Robb Shipyard, at 1,369 tons she was an order from Forrestal Land & Timber Co Ltd for a Twin Screw Motor Cargo Vessel, with a length overall of 260 feet and a beam of 42 feet. She was launched from the Leith yard the 8th of December 1930.

Bringing to a close the first year of the 1930’s.

Ship No 180.

Was an order from The River Wear Commission for a Saddle Back Grab Hopper Dredger of 275 tons, with a length overall of 92 feet with a beam of 32 feet. Don’t have a name for this vessel.
South Steyne Ship No 267.
At the quayside in Australia.