New Channel Islands yard, July 1947
A long-felt want in the Channel Islands waters is to be met by the establishment of a boat-building yard at St Sampson's, Guernsey. Basil C de Guérin in Ship and Boat Builder, July 1947, from de Guérin Scrapbook H.
For many years these islands, which were once the centre of a prosperous trade in building ships that sailed the seven seas, have had no means of repairing their own boats, all of which have had to be sent to South Coast yards for overhaul and refitting.
This state of affairs is to be rectified by a new company which has been registered on the island under the title of Guernsey Yacht Yard Ltd, the founders being Mr W R Moitie, A.M.I.M.E., of Castle Emplacement, Guernsey, and Captain Mervyn Wood, of Poole, Dorset.
The company has leased the site of one of the thirteen ship-yards that existed along the east coast of Guernsey about a century ago, which is ideally situated at St Sampsons Harbour, and alterations and preparations are already well in hand. It is hoped to have the yard functioning in September.
Easy of access by land and sea, there will be accommodation for between 20 and 30 yachts of average overall length, and the cradle and runway will be capable of careening any vessel of up to 98 tons gross weight.
Eight hundred feet of rails have already been laid and plans made for reclaiming a large area of waste space upon which will be built stores for ship chandlery, and sheds for the construction of new craft.
Apart from repairs and overhauls to visiting as well as local yachts, it is planned to make a speciality of laying up all types of craft for the winter, which can be done either in the tidal basins or on the adjacent quay. In both cases the boats will be on enclosed property under care of a watchman.
[See p. 140 of the Scrapbook for a photograph of the premises of Guernsey Yacht Yard Ltd, once the site of Peter Ogier's boatyard.]