Goole Shipbuilding and Repairing Co
The Goole Shipbuilding and Repairing Co., based on the Dutch River at Goole in Yorkshire, England.
The yard had a towering reputation for building coasters, tugs and trawlers for the Hull and Grimsby fishing fleets.
1901 The yard was founded when Mr. Craggs and others bought the Goole shipbuilding yard of T. Scott and Co.[1]
1900s The yard initially made paddle minesweepers for the Admiralty. The company moved to a more spacious yard in 1917 following a fire, so that it could launch ships directly onto the Ouse.
1920s Throughout the 1920s the yard built ever-longer ships for both overseas and home companies. The yard was financially restructured in 1927 due to poor trading.
1930s The yard's main activity was repair work as it was seriously affected by the Depression.
1934 The Craggs family acquired two more yards, one of which was Cleland's (Successors). The yard made coasters, dumb barges, deep sea trawlers and defence vessels. In addition, Goole's made the yacht Bluebird for Sir Malcolm Campbell
WWII Output consisted of minesweeping trawlers, boom defence vessels, salvage craft, tugs, twin screw launches, waterboats, four "VIC" type Clyde puffers, 26 dry cargo coasters, 12 coastal tankers. In addition, a number of coasters were built for private customers too. Repairs also played an important role in the yard's business activity.
1950s The main customer was the Everard Company and the yard was involved in constructing a number of dry cargo-coasters and coastal tankers for them. This was one of many sets of orders for coasters for many companies around the world. Trawlers, colliers, minesweepers and motorships were also significant vessels completed by the company.
1955 Death of Herbert Foxton Craggs, chairman of the company[2]
1960s The yard started to specialise in stern trawlers.
1967 Kenneth Craggs was a member of the board of the company[3]. The Craggs family sold the Goole and the Cleland's yard to Swan Hunter which became part of their Small Ship Division. The Goole Yard then received work orders via Swan Hunter for large tankers, stern trawlers, sand dredgers and dry cargo coasters.
1970s In July 1977 the yard became a member of British Shipbuilders; Everard remained a steady customer though, for dry cargo coasters and tankers.
1980s The yard's name was changed to Goole Shipbuilders in 1982, coasters, oil rig supply vessels and a coastal tanker were the last ships built under the Goole name.
1984 The yard closed on 27th April 1984. However, it was briefly resurrected in late 1984 by Cochrane and Co who made four further ships, the last of which was launched in 1987. After this, the yard has mainly been used for shipbreaking.
See Also
Sources of Information
- L. A. Ritchie, The Shipbuilding Industry: A Guide to Historical Records (1992)
- British Shipbuilding Yards. 3 vols by Norman L. Middlemiss