Haxby Gallery

Steamship Haxby.

Steamship Haxby.

FOR LOCAL OWNERS.

LAUNCH AT GRAY’S CENTRAL YARD.

Northern Daily Mail. April 26th 1929.

Yesterday, Messrs. William Gray and Co., Ltd., launched from their Central Shipyard. West
Hartlepool, the handsome steel screw steamer Haxby, which is being built to the order of Sir R.
Ropner and Co., Ltd., West Hartlepool.

The vessel which will take the highest class in Lloyd’s Register, and is of the following dimensions:
Length overall 434ft. 4in.; breadth, 54ft. 3in., depth moulded to upper deck, 30ft. 1 in.; with long
bridge, poop, and forecastle.

Constructed on the cellular double bottom principle, with fore and aft peaks, for water ballast, the
framing being of the deep channel type, she has seven watertight bulkheads, together with a steel
centre line bulkhead and wood shifting boards dividing the holds for grain carrying.

                                                  GOOD ACCOMMODATION

Spacious accommodation for the officers is arranged in a steel house amidships. The engineers will
be berthed in large steel houses alongside casing, and the crew in cubicles in the forecastle, with
separate mess rooms.

For the quick handling of cargo, ten powerful steam winches are provided which work 12 derricks. A
direct-acting steam windlass forward and steam steering gear amidships are also fitted. The
topmasts are telescopic, lowering to a height suitable for the Manchester Canal Bridges.

The Haxby will be completed in all respects as a first-class cargo steamer, her equipment including
an efficient wireless installation and electric light throughout.

                                             THE ENGINES

Triple-expansion engines having cylinders 26 ½ in., 43in., and 73 in. diameter x 48 in. stroke, and
three large boilers working at a pressure of 180lbs., will be supplied by the Central Marine
Engineering Works of the builders, and a number of auxiliaries of the “CMEW” type, will be installed,
including an evaporator, general service pump, ballast pump, combined drain and scum tank, winch
condenser with duplex circulating pump, surface feed water heater, and singlex harbour feed pump.

The ship and machinery are being built under the supervision of Mr. J. B. Nicol on behalf of the
owners, and the ceremony of naming the steamer Haxby was gracefully performed by Mrs. T.
Kitching, of Lannercost, West Hartlepool.

The owners were represented by Mr. W. Guy Ropner, Mr. J. R. Ropner, and Mr T. Barker
(directors). The builders were represented by Mr. F. C. Pyman (managing director), Mr. J. H. Farmer
(director), Mr. Thos. Simpson (general manager) and Mr. W. Hird (yard manager).



In convoy Haxby left the Clyde 8 April 1940 on a voyage for Corpu Christi in ballast. On 17 April she left the convoy & was sunk by German merchant raider (Orion) on 24 April 1940. 24, including master, were made prisoners. 16 lives lost.

Lives lost April 1940: Cannell, Walter, deck hand, 32, Settle, Yorks.; Collins, Cyril, 3^rd engineer, 20; Ennis, John, fireman/trimmer, 44, Margate; Flight, Herbert, ordinary seaman, 33 (son of George & Cecilia); Gallagher, Richard, fireman/trimmer, 36, Balornock, Glasgow; Henderson, Hugh, carpenter, 26, Kilchoan, Argyllshire; Kulvinskas, Peter, galley boy, 19, Glasgow; MacArthur, Donald John, ordinary seaman, 25, Carloway, Isle of Lewis; MacIver, Norman, ordinary seaman, 27, Carlaway, Isle of Lewis; MacLean, Robert Alexander, able seaman, 23, Dalaburgh, South Uist; McCormick, Martin Leo, 4^th engineer, 20, Stockton-on-Tees; McNeill, Thomas Austin, cabin boy, Canada; Robertson, Edward George, mess room boy, 15; Robertson, Neil, boatswain, 54, Breakish, Isle of Skye; Steensohn, Edward, greaser, 60 ; Stidolph, David Norman, cook, 31, South Shields.

FOR ROPNER LINE.

Trial Trip of the s. s. Haxby.

Northern Daily Mail. 30/5/29.

The steamer Haxby built by Messrs. William Gray and Co., Ltd to the order of Sir R. Ropner and Co., Ltd., West Hartlepool, ran her official sea trials on Wednesday.

The vessel is built to the highest class in Lloyd’s Register, and is of the following dimensions: Length overall 434ft. 4in.; breadth, 54ft. 3in., depth moulded to upper deck, 30ft. 1 in.; with long bridge, poop, and forecastle.

Constructed on the cellular double bottom principle, with fore and aft peaks, for water ballast, the framing being of the deep channel type, she has seven watertight bulkheads, together with a steel centre line bulkhead and wood shifting boards dividing the holds for grain carrying.

The propelling machinery, supplied by the Central Marine Engineering Works of the builders, consists of triple-expansion engines having cylinders 26 ½ in., 43in., 73 in. diameter x 48 in. stroke,

The owners were represented on the trial by Mr. J. B. Nicol, superintendent engineer, and
Mr. G. D. Chambers.



Haxby Yardbook pages

Founded in 1874 by Robert Ropner, the company owned, managed & built ships.