What a great photo.

A lovely shot of the Lord Nelson in full sail.

Another Cook's boat.

Another Cook's boat the HOOKNESS. Built at the yard in 1969 as a salvage vessel for the Port of London Authority.

Blackbeard would not look out of place on this fine ship.

The Lord Nelson seen here in full sail with her handicapped crew pushing her hard, built at Cook's shipyard she looks a beauty.

One of a pair.

The Crossness and her sister ship Hookness both salvage vessels used in the Thames and built at James.W.Cook shipyard at Wivenhoe

We have lost some valuable tradesmen now it has closed

Another fine vessel being fitted out at James.W.Cook's yard at Wivenhoe, this is one of many coasting boats they built ,as well as tugs and dredgers and cattle boats.

Wait till you see her in full sail.

Work on the Lord Nelson, sail training ship being built at James .W. Cook Shipyard at Wivenhoe for the jubilee sailing Trust in the 1980's.

It was all creepers and dogs

The Lords Nelson under construction at James .w. Cook's shipyard early 1980's.

Great shot, showing port side, including the areas, side shell and frames forward of W.T. Bulkhead Fr.34,Engine Room and engine girders Fr 23 (W.T. Bulkhead 23 not erected above end of girders at this time,)Ballast Keel between Frs 19 and 63. on.
Thanks Mike .

They called her the ship that vibrated.

The Moler Venture launched at James W.Cook shipyard , she carried brick e\arth up to the moler factory at the Hythe now the site of new flats. the brick earth was used for making fire bricks.
Thanks to John Holden for the picture.

They were craftsmen!!

A fast motor torpedo boat under Inspection in W.W.2 in the shed near the folly now part of Cook's housing complex. The yard the belonged to Vosper's of Portsmouth who came here in 1941 as well as building they also repaired a lot of boats that were damaged during the war.
225 Men worked here then, The firm stayed here until 1946 and in 1947 the Yard was taken over by James W Cook of London.
 the MM.T.B.RML 547 in the shed is there for inspection after running aground.
Vospers built 16 MT B's and two high speed rescue launches for the R.A.F  while they were in Wivenhoe

All we need is more cockles now

Cockle boats with suction dredges in Cooks' basin date 1980-1990's.
I would say that this picture was taken around 93 or 94.
Thanks to Simon Bowes.

What a lovely sight.

The Hopper dredger barge ,yard no.1512 completed and launched in 1986for the Northern Ireland harbour Authority, Belfast.  This was the last completed ship to be launched at James W, Cook.

Just found out MV Kilbourne has been in for a refit and had some changes made in 2012 :- Outboard engine removed and replaced with 2 inboard engines twin props and Rudder(s). Stern well removed, engine casing and funnel added. Dredging crane and seat removed and space obtained, to allow other types of dredging equipment to be fitted (Hydraulic Crawler crane, Pile Driving, Winches and other types as of machinery required for a particular job.) The above changes and general maintenance has given her approx. another 20 years Will send photo asap.
Thanks to Mike ex Cook's drawing offfice.

A great time for Wivenhoe Ship building.

The Admiral Day in Cooks Shipyard ready for fitting out circa 1972 at Wivenhoe.
 Admiral Day Yard No.1414 1971 2006 working Great Yarmouth still in her original build. 2009 has a new dredging crane and addition stores container aft of wheelhouse on raised platform. 2011 Hull is now painted Red and working on the River Mersey.
Thanks Mike.

Photo Pat Marsden.

Perhaps they could make another drama series here.

Brian Nevard's magnificent steam engine which took part in the filming of plotlands at Wivenhoe.

Here it is seen on the set at Cook's shipyard.


Photo. by Mike Downs.

Were any local people extra's.

The Film set at Wivenhoe .  This BBC drama series Plotlands was filmed at the redundant Cook's shipyard site in 1996.

Left click on image for super size.
If you were an extra please could you leave a comment.

Photo. by Mike Downs.

Recollections from the drawing office.

John

Just  been looking at your blog “Wivenhoe Heritage”

I arrived in Wivenhoe Oct.1961 with my Mother, Father and Sisters from Colchester.

My Father  Harold (Mac) Mckea was the new landlord of the “Park Hotel” . (20+ years)

I was behind the bar filling up the shelves one day, dad was talking to a customer and

the outcome was a question from the customer (Mr Watkins) asked if I would like to

work in the shipyard, he suggested I applied to be a Plater apprentice.

A Saturday  morning interview with Mr A. Smith General Manger , he asked me what I

was good at school, I replied Metalwork and Technical Drawing and he offered  me a

job as a Ships Draughtsman in the Drawing Office, I started January 1962 and left in

1986 when the yard closed, at this point I was the Steel Buyer and ordered and arranged

the cutting of steel for vessels under construction and new orders.

 

Looking at your blog, I remember  most of the people John Bines (Admiral)and Jack Taylor

(spent 6 months with him , Harry Hatch and Eric Dadds learning how to roll plates  and remember

the time Jack asked for a dog??, and many others Rolf, Jack (loft) and Fred Payne(Steel stockman and

Yard Tug skipper), Len Roly Foreman Fitter( remember him telling me not to sit on the gearbox of

Tug “Touchstone” as it could cause piles), Frank Smith Joiner Foreman and Harry Watkins Forman Painter

who started it all, many others from the yard and those in the Office when I started Gordon Curry

Chief Draughtsman, Bob Bristow Account, Walter Macleod  Steelwork, Peter Boyle Engineering

(remember asking him if I could borrow this ruler, he said no, rulers sit on throne, but I could borrow his scale rule).

also Mr Spencer Buyer I remember asking him for a 2H pencil and he reply, what do you want it for? I said to

draw with, he replied in his day they used HB . Robin Page, Jeff Dobby, Brian Osborne and others I could name

over the years including Secretaries and Wage Clarks.

Photo attached showing a meeting in the drawing office with from the left

Bill Lindsey Chief Draughtsman ,Me and Gordon ? Naval Architect and Jeff  Dobby at the other drawing board.

Your Blog  Monday, February 3 2014 Cooks Yard

The photo of yard  shows two ships being constructed on Berth 4, I believe they  are Yard no’s 1461 Belema and

1462 Baruka  Year 1979/80, Passenger/Cargo Vessels for Crown Agents. I have a copy of the Alresford Advertiser

Dated Aug/Sept 1987 showing Belama tied up in Auki in the Solomon Islands and the  article mentions  the shipbuilders

plate James W Cook & Co 1980.

Also I have a copy of the yard as drawn by J.M.Lee dated 30.8.83 showing overall site including berths, cranes, and

list of all buildings, If I remember correctly this was drawn so that prefabricated barge sections from Poland ?

could be arranged within the working range  and space about cranes and yard. Barges Nos 1470-1506 for

Cory Waste Management(see attached).

The first job I worked on was Yard No 1225 Riverbridge 500 ton Tank Barge checking drawings for As Built General Arrgt.

Last job was 1512 Kilmourne Hopper Dredger.

Some jobs were small and completed, this happened and the last recorded job was Yard No.1515 Harbour Tug.

One other bit of info the delivery crew to sail the ” Forrest” Yard No.1349 to the Falklands stayed at the Park Hotel.

Just recalled one of my jobs was to print plans for the yard, this day I had plans for Yard No 1231 “Touchstone” and went

to find the Forman Plater, he was onboard, so I looked for him and handed them over, I then watched them riveting

for some time, then decided to go back to the office, just past the stores and realised I could not hear a thing.

I could go on ,but from time the yard closed, I have been employed by Cable & Wireless as Design Draughtsman

and travelled to Canada, America and Hong Kong supervising cable ship conversions and now Self-employed at present

updating cruise ship refit plans.

Hope the above fill some gaps and the attached PDFs.

Ps I still have my foot stool I used to reach the top of the drawing board, it was made in the yard.

this is really a very helpful article. I go through this site, really very nice information.thank for sharing such  nice information.  Jimmy.

Best Regards.

 Mike McKea.

Looks good from the end of the pier

This once busy Cook's Shipyard is now the elegant Cooks shipyard estate with it's new boardwalk pier and fisherman's dock does not look out of place in this small town. picture taken ,summer 2013.  The boat Merlin is a cockle suction dredger.
The houses are designed on the original boat building sheds and the same colour, not a bad match.
Left click for super size image.


Wivenhoe memories collection.

I bet he feels a proper Harry

Harry Hatch standing next to one of the propellers used on a ship built at James w Cook Shipyard at Wivenhoe , sometime in the 1960's.

 The information I have on this photo is that the yard used to offer a repair service for cast iron propellers.The damaged tips were cut off, new tips were welded back on before being annealed in a forge. The man standing by the prop is Harry Hatch & was a plater, who beleive lived in Rowhedge. Steve.

Not sure when this photo was taken, but on reviewing blog, it brought to mind we built 4 tugs for Manchester Ship Canal MCS Victory 1440, MSC Viceroy 1441, MSC Viking 1449 and MSC Volant between 1974-76. I recall they had twin propellers made from Cast-Iron,it may be one of them, also remember draughtsman Jeff Dobby spent sometime with the fitters and saw him, "bedding in" one or more of the propellers to fit the taper end of the tail shaft. That's 8 off. (Propellers 7ft7in.Diameter) on I bet he feels a proper Harry Remove content | Delete | Spam	mikedraft	on 12/08/15
	Gre

Wivenhoe Memories collection.

How did they get it down to the Falkland islands?.

M.V. Forrest, Built at James W Cook Wivenhoe.Yard no.1349 and launched 6-9-1967.
Seen here in the Falkland's.

 The delivery crew stayed a number of weeks at the Park Hotel, visiting the yard and ship to familiarize them selves with the layout and engine controls and arrange stores etc. It took them 37 days to reach Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands

Wivenhoe memories collection.
Thanks to John Collins.

One picture to look at a lot.

This picture was taken after 1947, because the Nottage Institute had moved from Black Buoy Hill down to the Quay. You can still see the old Gas Works chimney in the center of the picture so it must have been taken in the 1950's.

Wivenhoe memories collection.

Thanks to John Collins.

Cook's Yard.

A view of James W Cook's Shipyard, Date unknown.


 The photo of yard shows two ships being constructed on Berth 4, I believe they are Yard no’s 1461 Belema and 1462 Baruka Year 1979/80, Passenger/Cargo Vessels for Crown Agents. I have a copy of the Alresford Advertiser Dated Aug/Sept 1987 showing Belama tied up in Auki in the Solomon Islands and the article mentions the shipbuilders plate James W Cook & Co 1980.

Thanks to mike Draft for additional information.

 The photo does indeed show yard No 1461 & No1462 Baruka is at the head of the slipway & Belama nearer the water. The crane is lowering the tailshaft into the vessel prior to fitting the prop. I was a marine fitter at the yard & fitted engines & stern gear to both vessels. The larger vessel to the right is yard No1463 when finished became Saint Angus. Steve.

Thanks Steve for additional information.

Wivenhoe Memories collection.