Robb Caledon Shipbuilders

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The Henry Robb Ltd. Robb-Caledon Shipbuilders , Robb's emerged shipbuilding company for short , was based in Leith on the east coast of Scotland. The company was best known for building smaller vehicles, particularly tugs and dredgers.

history

The company's founder Henry Robb was the managing director of the Ramage and Ferguson shipyard until 1918. Against the background of the large number of ships damaged in the First World War , he started his own repair yard on April 1, 1918, initially with leased dry docks.

After buying the leased shipyard and two slipways from the neighboring Hawthorns and Co. shipyard in 1924 , Robb also acquired the nearby Crane and Somerville shipyard in 1926 and has been trading as Henry Robb Ltd ever since .

In the 1920s, the construction of dredgers began , followed by coastal freighters and also somewhat larger steamers. The company survived the depression years relatively well despite a few idle times thanks to constant orders.

A number of larger and smaller cargo steamers and colliers were built in the 1930s . During this time, the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand in particular became one of the shipyard's main customers. In 1934 Robb's took over a shipyard that previously belonged to Ramage and Ferguson, which increased the number of newbuildings to eight. All slipways flowed directly into the sea.

During the Second World War , a large number of Royal Navy warships were built at Robb's: six corvettes , fifteen frigates , two mine-layers , two naval trawlers and a deep-sea rescue tug to support the convoys . The draft and the type ship of the (anti-submarine / minesweeper) baset class were also created by Henry Robb. In addition, other cargo ships and tugs were built for civil clients.

In the 1950s, the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand again ordered more than twenty coasters . Other large cargo steamers, coastal freighters, ships for the Mediterranean trade and small liner freighters were built for other shipping companies. In addition, a number of larger passenger ships were built. In 1955 the company is converted into a stock corporation .

Robb's expanded again in the 1960s. The slipways were enlarged and a lock was built as an entrance to Leith's Outer Western Harbor, so that deeper ships can also be built. In addition to several coastal tankers and a number of marine tugs, Robb's also constructed a helicopter carrier. In 1968, the Dundee- based Caledon Shipbuilders shipyard was acquired and the combined company now traded as Robb Caledon Shipbuilders . Operations in Leith continued with the construction of cargo ships, research vessels for the Antarctic and RoRo freighters . In addition, smaller car transporters , a wine tanker and a dredger continued to be built.

The 1970s began with a series of three large deep-sea tugs for the shipping company United Towing Co, which were followed by orders for salvage tugs . In addition, research ships, liquid gas tankers and colliers were built. On July 1, 1977, Robb Caledon was incorporated into the state-owned British Shipbuilders Corporation as part of the implementation of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977 .

The Ocean Terminal Mall

The shipbuilding operation in Leith initially continued to run as usual, while the operation in Dundee was closed in 1981 due to the lack of orders. A RoPax ferry, a dredger, two crane barges, two oil platform suppliers, a sea mark and two other ferries were built, of which the second, St Helen , was launched on September 15, 1983 as the shipyard's last ship.

Since no further order could be won, the shipyard closed in the spring of 1984, ending the 600-year shipbuilding tradition of the city of Leith. The Ocean Terminal shopping center, where the former royal yacht Britannia has its permanent berth, is now located on the site of the former Robb's shipyard .

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