Model of the SCOT II

Pleased to announce that the start of a model build is now under way and at approx 1/25th scale being made by "ace" model maker Steve we shall have some photographs to record this feat in its entirety as the model progresses. (Keep checking the Leith Shipyards website)

The model is being built to original drawings and will be based on her original steam engine condition (pre-1960's) as she was intended before her conversion to diesel power in the 1960's by the Leith Shipyard of Henry Robb Ltd.
The SCOT II was launched at Leith as Ship No 184 in 1931
The only Leith built ship on the British Historic Register, and it is hoped that the actual vessel will also be restored to her former glory in the fullness of time.

SCOT II ice breaking historical ship

Historic Ship SCOT II

SCOT II Steelwork

Just as an example of what was and what is now with regard to the condition that the old historic ship is now in and just looking at some of the photographs taken at her last survey before the waterways sold her on, would make any old shipbuilder just shake his head while containing the many expletives that would want to burst forth.
Just what the F**k were they thinking!

SCOT II Ship No 184 almost un-recognisable 

Difficult to put into words, what can be said about this conversion attempt circa 2005

It has to be said that her steelwork was still in pretty good condition after some 75 years the majority of the time spent in fresh water. As the photograph below shows taken as part of her last survey in 2005/6

SCOT II Steelwork circa 2005/6

All that changed when she was sold and she ended up sunk in the salt water of Ardyne Point where she sank and was under water  for 10 months just a few years later.

SCOT II Steelwork circa 2010

Her steelwork is still in pretty good condition but for how much longer without the proper care that she needs sooner rather than later.

With any luck she will not have too much longer to wait before some serious work can be carried out on her to begin her proper restoration.

Keep checking the Blog and website for regular updates, and once the work begins for real we shall be following the progress on the website and on the Blog.

The Thames Tug GENERAL IV

GENERAL IV Ship No 222 built at the Leith Shipyards of Henry Robb Ltd and launched in 1936

 

Last heard/seen at Bowling Harbour half sunk just a hull sitting in water now wasting away a bit similar to the state of the SCOT II BEFORE SHE WAS MOVED TO THE Caledonian Canal  (Whatever happened to the rescue attempts to restore the SCOT II)
 

Seems like the same story with the old GENERAL IV very similar lines to the SCOT II as well and looks like there is no one around to attempt a restoration project on this fine old Steam Tug.

You will see a photograph of her here from early this year.
Do not know how she has ended up here but there was another far more recent tug that also sank at Bowling Harbour

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37457215@N02/12072114576/

 

We cannot save then all, but still a shame to see such fine plate work rusting away.

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SATURNO Ship No 81 - Update

This Ocean going Salvage Tug was the first in a long line of pedigree vessels of this type built at the Leith Shipyards of Henry Robb Ltd, a line of tugs that lead to the two mightiest and most powerful in the world when they were launched at Leith as the LLOYDSMAN and the S.A.WOLRAAD WOLTEMADE in the 1970's.

The SATURNO was built and launched in 1928 and was only taken to be broken up in 2010 safe to say that she had a useful working life of around 75 years quite remarkable for a ship and a testament to the craftsmanship and pride in workmanship that went into her build.
Now thanks to the Grand Son of an old ex Foreman Loftsman at the Henry Robb yard we have lots of information and photographs of the build and sea trials of this fine ship, so our thanks go to Peter Wallace and to his Grand Father William Wallace who had the book originally.

From the original book made for the launch of the SATURNO in 1928

This amazing ship undertook a maiden voyage of more than 9,000 miles towing at first her two satellite vessels which were lighters of 95feet with a 200 grt to Dakar in Senegal, then back to the Canary Islands to pick up 3 crane barges that had first been built at Robb then dis-assembled and re-erected in the Canaries ready to be towed across the Atlantic by the SATURNO to home port of Santos in Brazil.
Fair to say they don't make them like that any more with most ships today lucky of a useful life approaching 30 years before going to the breakers.

 Many more original photographs will go into the forthcoming books on the ships built at Leith

Ship Photo Gallery

The WOLRAAD WOLTEMADE Ship No 516

(Photo courtesy of D.Walker)

The Leith Shipyards website goes from strength to strength with more and more interested visitors who are now contributing to the website and to the story of the Henry Robb Shipyard and the ships that started off in the yard at Leith.

Have a look at the featured pages on what at the time was the World’s mightiest Ocean Going Salvage Tug

The S.A.WOLRAAD WOLTEMADE Ship No 516 and also the largest Commercial Vessel built at the

shipyard, the Bulk Carrier GARRISON POINT Ship No 520

Our Ship Photo’s Gallery is also growing thanks to contributions by others and in particular Gordy Ross and Barry Noel for the many photographs sent into the website and they are not all ships built in Leith but a wide range of old and new ships make up the galleries now, we hope to build this into a gallery of ships to help with anyone searching for a particular ship.

S.A.WOLRAAD WOLTEMADE

WOLRAAD WOLTEMADE
Ship No 516
The Daddy of them all when it came to powerful mighty tugs working the world’s oceans.

The “Z” Tug S.A.WOLRAAD WOLTEMADE was a real thoroughbred and she looked like the ship that she was, unlike today’s even more powerful square and squat looking tugs.

She was a sister ship to one that was built in South Africa and launched a bit later than the WOLTEMADE.

The order for this ship was from Safmarine who where contracted to set up two powerful ocean going salvage tugs to be stationed off the coast of South Africa ready for any emergency at a time when the worlds oil had to be routed around the Horn of Africa due to the Suez Canal being closed to ships.

She was 2822 gross tonnes, with a length between perpendiculars of 85 metres, with a beam of 15.2 metres, and a design draught of 8.6 metres.

She was launched from the Leith Shipyards of Robb Caledon on 23rd of April 1976.

She was to drop the S.A. part of her name when Safmarine were taken over by Smit’s.

You will soon be able to read all about this mighty vessel on the new website, which will be online soon.

If you are looking for books on ships and the sea then look no further.

LLOYDSMAN

LLOYDSMAN
Ship No 509

The tug LLOYDSMAN was one of the most powerful tugs of the time that could be called on by the British.

She was even a major player in what was to become known by the British press as the “Cod War” a dispute between the U.K. Government and Iceland over fishing rights. This was a dispute that was to turn pretty violent at times.

The LLOYDSMAN was ordered by United Towing Company Ltd of Hull.

She had a specially designed rudder system which gave her superb manoeuvrability and pulling power.

Built around just one propulsion system with a single screw, she was 2041 grt, and was a pretty special salvage tug at the time.

She had a length between perpendiculars of 67.21 metres, and a beam of 14.172 metres, with a design draught of 8.5 metres.

The LLOYDSMAN was launched from the Leith Shipyards of Henry Robb on 19th of September 1971.

You can read a whole lot more about this fine vessel on the new website coming soon.

H.M.S. TURMOIL

TURMOIL (With her Leith Registration on the stern bulwark)

Ship No 337

Turmoil was the seventh and perhaps most well known of the eight ship order for Ocean Going Diesel salvage tugs, all of the “Bustler Class” With Turmoil being the seventh of the class built by Henry Robb in Leith.

They were required to carry out salvage and rescue work along with convoy escort duties.

They were large and very powerful tugs put to good use during World War II and for long after as well. A fleet of the “Bustler class tugs along with others were stationed in Campbeltown on the Scottish coast during the long “Battle of the Atlantic”

Nicknamed the “Campbeltown Navy” they were instrumental in saving many thousands of tons of shipping badly needed for the war effort against Hitler’s Germany and they also saved countless seamen from the ravages of the U-Boats.

She was 1,100 tons with a length overall of 190 feet and beam of 38 feet and six inches, with a draught of 19 feet.

Laid down 14 Jul 1944

Launched 11 May 1945

Commissioned Jul 1945

Powered as all the “Bustler Class” with 2 x Atlas Polar 8 cylinder diesel engines producing, 1 shaft, 4,000 BHP

This ship became famous for the unsuccessful attempt to salvage the US Merchant Flying Enterprise in January 1952. After a long and adventurous working life she was sold for scrap in 1986.

“Bustler Class Rescue Tugs”, were to have a crew of 42 men, and powered by Diesel engines with a single screw, producing 4,000 hp. giving a top speed of 16 knots.


They had an armament of 1 x 3” AA Gun, 1 x 2 pounder AA. Along with 2 x 20 mm AA guns and 4 machine guns, all for anti-aircraft defence.

New book on the mighty Bustler Class built at Leith, just click on the picture of the cover to go to the book. 

 

H.M.S. BUSTLER

Ship No 321

“Bustler Class” Rescue Tug.

Was an order for the supply of Ocean Going Diesel salvage tugs, all of the “Bustler Class” With the first in class being the tug “H.M.S. BUSTLER”. Designed and built by the Henry Robb shipyard.

They were required to carry out salvage and rescue work along with convoy escort duties.

They were large and very powerful tugs put to good use during World War II and for long after as well.

She was 1,100 tons with a length overall of 190 feet and beam of 38 feet and six inches, with a draught of 19 feet.

She was launched 4th December 1941 and was to go on to have many wartime adventures. His Majesty’s Rescue Tug BUSTLER was used by the Royal Navy until being sold to a Yugoslav Company in 1973. She was still on Lloyd’s register in 1995.

An amazing, working life of more than 50 years. A real testament, to the shipbuilder’s expertise in the design and build of tugs, to ply the oceans of the world in peace and war.

“Bustler Class Rescue Tugs”, were to have a crew of 42 men, and powered by Diesel engines with a single screw, producing 4,000 hp. giving a top speed of 16 knots.


They had an armament of 1 x 3” AA Gun, 1 x 2 pounder AA. Along with 2 x 20 mm AA guns and 4 machine guns, all for anti-aircraft defence.

The new book on the mighty Bustler Class built at Leith, just click on the cover to go to the book. 

 

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.

WESTMERE

Ship No 16


Was the first Henry Robb built Ship; she was a Single Screw Tug.
She was 44 Gross Tons and the customer was Bromports & Co, She was 60 feet long and 16feet across the beam.I have since found out that she must have been built in Dry Dock as Henry Robb had no waterfront until they took over the yard of Hawthorns & Co Ltd, with there 2 building berths. This was done in 1924.
I don’t have any photo’s as yet as she was launched such a long time ago, it must have been around the early 1920’s so if anyone out there has a pic or any further info then please feel free to get in touch.


Bhavsinhji

Ship No 17

Was next on the stocks, She was a far larger vessel, 139 ft 6 inches long and with a breadth of 29ft 6 in with a gross tonnage of 443 for a customer in Bhavnagar State in India.
She was a Twin Screw Grab Dredger.She was also built in Dry Dock.
I don’t have any photo’s as yet as she was launched such a long time ago, it must have been around the early 1920’s so if anyone out there has a pic or any further info then please feel free to get in touch.
This order from India came at the same time as a further 2 Pontoons for Bombay P.T. and The India Office, the pontoons at 81 and 65 tons respectively were numbered as Ship No 18 and Ship No 19.

Garrison Point (Launch Name) Ship No 520