Cammell Laird Gibraltar
Encyclopedia
Gibdock is a shipyard
in the British overseas territory
of Gibraltar
.
in Gibraltar was built at the end of the 19th century; three large Graving docks to be known as docks Number 1, 2 and 3 were built.
Number 3 dock was the first to open in 1904 and was named King Edward VII
, Queen Alexandra
named Number 2 dock after herself, and the largest, Number 1 dock, was called the Prince and Princess of Wales
dock, having been named by their Royal Highnesses, subsequently King George V
and Queen Mary
.
, docking many of the Navy’s most prestigious ships. In the early 1980s a decision by the United Kingdom
's Ministry of Defence
to cut back the Royal Navy surface fleet
meant that the dockyard was no longer financially viable.
In 1982 the dockyard passed into the hands of the UK ship repair and conversion company, A&P Group
. A government grant
and a prospect of lucrative Royal Fleet Auxiliary
refit contracts did not help A&P Group however and they passed the yard into the hands of the Government of Gibraltar.
A company was set up to run the yard and it became known as Gibraltar Ship Repair. In the early 1990s the dockyard was taken over by Norway
-based engineering and construction services company, Kværner
, who ran the yard until 1996, the yard then closed for a period of approximately 18 months.
company Cammell Laird
based in Merseyside
, were looking to expand their operations outside the UK and in early 1998 a management team arrived at Gibraltar. The yard was reopened and the first ship docked within a few weeks. The dockyard's future was again put at risk when in early 2001 Cammell Laird Group PLC ran into difficulties, which eventually led to its closure.
When it became inevitable that Cammell Laird Group PLC was to close, senior management in Gibraltar, with the backing of the Government of Gibraltar, were successful in their quest to source the necessary financial assistance to keep the company's Gibraltar operations running.
in the UK for an undisclosed sum.
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
in the British overseas territory
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
.
History
The Royal Navy DockyardRoyal Navy Dockyard
Royal Navy Dockyards are harbours where either commissioned ships are based, or where ships are overhauled and refitted. Historically, the Royal Navy maintained a string of dockyards around the world, although few are now operating today....
in Gibraltar was built at the end of the 19th century; three large Graving docks to be known as docks Number 1, 2 and 3 were built.
Number 3 dock was the first to open in 1904 and was named King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, Queen Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
named Number 2 dock after herself, and the largest, Number 1 dock, was called the Prince and Princess of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
dock, having been named by their Royal Highnesses, subsequently King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
.
Ownership
The dockyard was used extensively by the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, docking many of the Navy’s most prestigious ships. In the early 1980s a decision by the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
to cut back the Royal Navy surface fleet
Royal Navy surface fleet
The Surface Fleet is the name given to the collection of surface vessels of the Royal Navy. In 2008 it consisted of two flotillas based at Portsmouth and Devonport, both on the south coast of England and a flotilla based at the Clyde Naval Base at Faslane in Scotland.The Surface Fleet consists of...
meant that the dockyard was no longer financially viable.
In 1982 the dockyard passed into the hands of the UK ship repair and conversion company, A&P Group
A&P Group
A&P Group Ltd is the largest ship repair and conversion company in the UK, with three shipyards located in Hebburn, Middlesbrough and Falmouth. The Company undertakes a wide variety of maintenance and repair work on commercial and military ships with projects ranging from a two day alongside repair...
. A government grant
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
and a prospect of lucrative Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
refit contracts did not help A&P Group however and they passed the yard into the hands of the Government of Gibraltar.
A company was set up to run the yard and it became known as Gibraltar Ship Repair. In the early 1990s the dockyard was taken over by Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
-based engineering and construction services company, Kværner
Kværner
Kværner was a Norway-based engineering and construction services company in existence between 1853 and 2005 when it was merged with Aker ASA. The Kværner name was used in the subsidiary Aker Kværner until April 3, 2008 when it changed name to Aker Solutions. Kværner re-emerged on 6...
, who ran the yard until 1996, the yard then closed for a period of approximately 18 months.
Cammell Laird
In 1997 the British shipbuildingShipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
company Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company...
based in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, were looking to expand their operations outside the UK and in early 1998 a management team arrived at Gibraltar. The yard was reopened and the first ship docked within a few weeks. The dockyard's future was again put at risk when in early 2001 Cammell Laird Group PLC ran into difficulties, which eventually led to its closure.
When it became inevitable that Cammell Laird Group PLC was to close, senior management in Gibraltar, with the backing of the Government of Gibraltar, were successful in their quest to source the necessary financial assistance to keep the company's Gibraltar operations running.
Renaming to Gibdock
During the first quarter of 2006, Cammell Laird Group was sold in its entirety to private investors. The new owner's intention was to continue with the existing business. The company continued to trade as Cammell Laird Gibraltar Ltd until 7 December 2009 when it was renamed Gibdock following the sale of the rights in the historic brand to Northwestern Shiprepairers & ShipbuildersNorthwestern Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders
Northwestern Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders was a British shiprepair company based in Birkenhead on the River Mersey.-History:The Company was founded by John Syvret, a former Cammell Laird manager, in 2001. In 2002 50% of the business was sold to Mersey Docks & Harbour Co. in exchange for the use of...
in the UK for an undisclosed sum.