HMS EDINBURGH

HMS EDINBURGH

HMS Edinburgh sets sail for scrap in Turkey

A HISTORIC Navy destroyer left Britain for the last time to be sold for scrap in Turkey after a campaign to turn it into tourist attraction in Edinburgh ended in failure. 

It had been hoped that HMS Edinburgh, the last of the Royal Navy’s Type 42 destroyers, would find a new home in Leith. But after proposed costs for the venture were deemed too high, the ship – the largest in its class – was sold to a Turkish scrap merchant, a fate which befell her sister ships, HMS Manchester and HMS Liverpool. Click for more on HMS EDINBURGH

Under the Italian Flag

As the ex ST HELEN is prepared for her voyage out to Sardinia as the ANNA MUR she will now be flying the Italian flag proudly on her stern.

The ANNA MUR will be taking passengers and cars while sailing in the warmer waters off the coast of Sardinia now that she is being looked after by Delcomar, it is hoped that she will have many useful years left to fly the flag.

ST HELEN Re-Named

We are happy to let you know that the last ship launched at the Leith Shipyards of Henry Robb Ltd bringing to an end some 660 years of recorded shipbuilding history in the Port of Leith, is now been looked after by her new owners.

ST HELEN Ship No 535 has been re-named to ANNA MUR BY HER NEW OWNERS Delcomar of Italy with a new registration port of Cagliari.

She is still at her berth at Hythe being looked after by her new crew from Delcomar and with a new lick of paint and other necessary maintenance work she will soon be ready to take up her new role in Sardinia.

Working along side her sister ship ST CATHERINE which has been out there for a couple of years now and also re-named to GB CONTE

ST HELEN Re-named as ANNA MUR

Photograph of the re-named ANNA MUR sent in to the website by Anni
 Good to know that her shipbuilders name plate remains to show her build yard at Leith You will see more photographs on the ANNA MUR on the website.

J. Bolson & Son Ltd, shipyard

We like to bring you the old and the new in shipbuilding and like to feature some of the perhaps less known of the shipyards, which all formed the mighty shipbuilding industry that used to be prevalent in the British Isles.

This small to medium shipyard was based in the south of England on the Dorset coast in the town of Poole, a place perhaps better known today for it’s very wealthy residents in there very expensive house’s.

This old yard had a pretty long history of building fine ships and in fact the yard also built the very first U.K. built offshore supply ship Yard No 552 and named as NORTH SHORE along with many other types of ship.

The LADY BRIGID Yard No 555 was sister ship to the first U.K. built offshore supply ship NORTH SHORE built at the J. Bolson & Son Ltd, shipyard in Poole, England

The smaller yards such as Henry Robb Ltd and J. Bolson & Son Ltd, were dotted all around the coast of the British Isles and contributed to the shipbuilding industry in Britain being at the very top of the tonnage list of ships built in the world for many years.

These shipyards also employed many people and along with the long list of suppliers required for the building of a ship from engine makers right down to suppliers of linen to the small corner newsagents shop (remember them) all put cash into the country.

The Bulk Carrier MV CHICHESTER CITY Yard No 571 ready for launch 1968

We are pleased to feature many original photographs from the shipyard from the 1960’s all sent into the Leith Shipyards website by an ex-Draughtsman (John King) who was employed at the Bolson shipyards for many years until closure.

This particular draughtsman in fact ended up in his own business still in the maritime world and was in fact the last owner of the MV CRESSWEL Ship No 474 and launched from the Leith Shipyards of Henry Robb Ltd in 1959 

Many more exclusive and original photographs can be found on the ship photo’s pages on the website.

Part of this old shipyard is now the well know yacht makers “Sunseeker”

Aircraft carrier section leaves Clyde shipyard

Lowe Block 04 Prince of Wales

A massive 11,200-tonne section of an aircraft carrier built on the Clyde has begun its journey around the coast of Scotland to Rosyth for final assembly.

The section, called Lower Block 04, is the largest part of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.

It is 20 metres high, 80 metres long and comprises a fifth of the overall vessel.

We like to bring you news of new and old shipbuilding matters, for more on this story and some very good photographs please see the rest on the BBC website.

Largest aircraft carrier section floated

Another of the many "Super Blocks" which once joined together will form the second of the Royal Navies new "Aircraft Carrier Force" was successfully floated out at Govan Shipyard in Glasgow last week.

Block 04 of the CVF "Prince of Wales" in Glasgow


The interesting thing for me in the photograph above from the BBC/Scotland website is the massive "Aft" poppet arrangement, built under the after lower hull to support the huge weight of the hull until she is joined together and floats.

 An 11,200 tonne aircraft carrier section has taken to the water for the first time on the Clyde.

Lower Block 04 is the largest hull section of HMS Prince of Wales.

For more from the BBC website see here