BURUTU

Ship No 527

The sister ship to BAJIMA part of the two ship order from the Nigerian Port Authority, was next on the berth.

The Second of the two tugs BARUTU was 326 grt, with a length between perpendiculars of 34 metres, and a beam of 9.2 metres, with a design draught of 4.5 metres.

She was launched from the Leith Shipyards of Robb Caledon on 15th of May 1980.

This same year saw the closure of the fine shipyard in Dundee which was part of the “Nationalised British Shipbuilders” The Caledon yard was closed down due to lack of orders and all the men were made unemployed at a time when work was scarce to say the least.

Tough times for shipyard workers in the U.K. and not helped in the least by a government who were hell bent on there ongoing policies of turning the U.K. from a manufacturing powerhouse into a “Service based non industry country” (You will be able to follow more on this subject on the new website at www.leithshipyards.com )
The results of those decisions taken all those years ago, are all around us today in this country. 

BAJIMA

Ship No 526

In the continual fight for ship orders, the yard was awarded an order from the Nigerian Ports Authority for two harbour tugs, the same as three others that had been built in the yard during 1975/76 (POCHARD etc)

The first of the two tugs BAJIMA was 326 grt, with a length between perpendiculars of 34 metres, and a beam of 9.2 metres, with a design draught of 4.5 metres.

She was launched from the Leith Shipyards of Robb Caledon on 28th of March 1980.