Ferguson Shipbuilders

Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited is a shipyard in Port Glasgow on the Clyde in Scotland. Ferguson is the last shipbuilder on the lower reaches of the Clyde and the last trading shipyard along the entire river. Famous products of the yard were dredgers and car ferries.

History

The company was founded in March 1903 as Ferguson Brothers of the four brothers, Peter, Daniel, Louis and Robert Ferguson. Previously, all had worked at the shipyard Fleming & Ferguson Paisley and meanwhile briefly entertain a technical advisory office before. Clyde Shipping Co. Ltd. had had a contract awarded through two steam tugs and the former Newark leased for this purpose shipyard in Port Glasgow for £ 500 per year. The brothers continued to build tugs and dredgers and acquired in 1907 the site of the shipyard of Messrs. W. Hamilton. After the company in 1912 to the Ferguson Brothers ( Port Glasgow ) Ltd. Company was transformed, succeeded John Slater Ltd.. ( Amalgamated Industries) to take over the company after the end of the First World War. The yard produced next to hopper dredgers and cargo ships, the polar research and exploration ship Discovery II However, it was the Ferguson family in the late 1920s to get back into the possession of the company.

During the Second World War built trawler Ferguson, corvettes, network Leger, Navy tugs, twin screw pump dredger and four passenger and vehicle ferries to Turkey.

On 1 July 1977, the shipyard was incorporated in the State British Shipbuilders Corporation. From 1980, a cooperation between Ferguson Brothers and the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company was started before they were legally merged in 1983, Ferguson - Ailsa, Limited. In 1986 they separated, both companies but again to Ailsa to sell and merge with Appledore Shipbuilders in Devon Ferguson to Appledore Ferguson. In the late 1980s, the relatively small Appledore and Ferguson shipyards were among the last remaining state-owned. Ferguson and Appledore in 1989 divided again and Clark Kincaid acquired Ferguson in the same year, to operate the shipyard as Ferguson Shipbuilders on. The following year Clark Kincaid was itself taken over by Kvaerner and renamed Kvaerner Kincaid. Only a year later sold Kvaerner Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd.. turn to Ferguson Marine plc. The complete package of shares Ferguson Marine was acquired in 1995 by the Holland House Electrical Group and continues to operate.

Yard numbers

A special form of the yard numbers Ferguson shipyard. The yard numbers of vessels formed in Ferguson joined the Baunummernfolge used by Fleming & Ferguson until 1902. Only in 1985 a new numbering system was introduced by again simply continued the Baunummernfolge used in Ailsa.