McTay Marine was a shipbuilder in Bromborough, Merseyside from 1974 to 2016.
History McTay Engineering had been set up in 1963 by James McBurney and Jim Taylor. McTay Engineering specialised in the construction of storage tanks and associated plant. Taylor and McBurney had previously been employed by another shipbuilding company, and in 1973 they began to consider the building of small workboats and launches, leading to the formation of the subsidiary McTay Marine Ltd in 1974. The group was acquired by Mowlem in the late 1970s and by Daniel Contractors of Warrington in 2006.
McTay Marine Ltd was founded as a subsidiary of McTay Engineering. Over the following 39 years the company went on to build over 120 vessels, including several UK firsts. The company built the first beam trawler in the United Kingdom, which was also the largest built up till that time. The company also built the United Kingdom's first "Voith" tug and first "Azimuth" fitted tug. The McTay-built tug Trafalgar became the world's most powerful "Voith" tug on its completion and delivery in 1998.
The company went into liquidation in 2015 and the shipyard was taken over by Carmet Marine Ltd.
Facilities
McTay Marine Limited was involved in the design, build and delivery of specialised ships and workboats since 1974. Located at its 6-acre site, at Bromborough on the banks of the River Mersey, the company built over 120 vessels over a period of forty-two years.
The shipyard had a build hall and engineering workshop. The build hall is 80 metres in length by 25 metres in height with 10.4-metre-high doors opening directly onto the slipway. The engineering shop is 50 metres in length and is directly adjacent. Overhead cranage is available in the form of one 25-ton and two 5-ton travelling cranes; engineering shop has similar capacities to hand.
The slipway has a maximum 300-tonne capacity, and can be used for both vessel repairs and also launch activities.
Ships built Shannon is a harbour and coastal tug, originally built in 1981 as the Eldergarth. The tug is noteworthy as the first British-built Azimuthing Stern Drive tug. Shannon has been acquired by Emu Limited and re-equipped in Southampton with a suite of specialist winches and a stern mounted 'A' frame.
During heavy rain, London's sewage storm pipes overflow into the River Thames, sending dissolved oxygen levels plummeting and threatening the species it supports. Two dedicated McTay vessels, oxygenation barges Thames Bubbler and Thames Vitality are used to replenish oxygen levels, as part of an ongoing battle to clean up the river, which now supports 115 species of fish and hundreds more invertebrates, plants and birds.
The £6.5M contract, to build the superstructure and assemble CRV Leonardo for NATO, safeguarded the jobs of McTay's 60-strong workforce. The Coastal Research Vessel now monitors submarine activity in the Mediterranean.
Yard No Name Date Type Owner 1 Unknown 1973 Launch Timbacraft Ltd. 2 Quintail 1973 Workboat Tarbert Boatyard 3 Unknown 1974 Survey Launch Scott Watson 4 Sterling Steel 1974 Yacht R Talbot-Smith 5 Sue Anne 1974 Workboat T H Jones 6 Sharon Vale 1974 Fishing Vessel Geo Moody 7 Unknown 1974 Workboat Grangemouth Boatmen10Ocean Herald1975Fishing Vessel SeinerVessel ordered from James N. Miller & Sons Ltd, St Monans, where the vessel was completed. Construction of hull subcontracted to McTay Marine.11Fisher Rose1976Fishing Vessel TrawlerCompleted by James N. Miller & Sons Ltd., St Monans.12Adelphi1976Fishing Vessel SeinerCompleted by James N. Miller & Sons Ltd., St Monans. Foundered 26 October 2006 when on guard vessel duties 160 mile East of Aberdeen. 19Catriona of Kishorn1976Crew Boat, now FerryHoward Doris Ltd., Glasgow, now Rose of Aran with Doolin Ferry Co. Ltd., Galway20Shonag of Kishorn1976Crew BoatHoward Doris Ltd., Glasgow, now Queen of Aran22Solbrun1979Fishing Vessel Trawler1982 Hradfrystihus Stoduarfjordur, Stoduafjordur, now Frosti24Sine of Kishorn1976Crew BoatHoward Doris Ltd., Glasgow, now St. Bridget25Mersey Trader1977CoasterAlexandra Towing Co. Ltd., Liverpool, now Medway Trader29Girl Pat III1978Fishing Vessel Trawler1985 T. Thomas & others, Penzance, now Georg Lou N.30Lothian Rose II1978Fishing Vessel Seiner / TrawlerRobert & Linus Clark, Musselburgh. Completed by James N. Miller & Sons Ltd, St Monans 31Ben Loyal1979Fishing Vessel Trawler1982 Peray S.A., Casablanca, now Atlassy Yasmine32Ben Roy1979Fishing Vessel Trawler1983 K/S Ben Hav, Floro. Scrapped in 2002.33Glenugie IV1980Fishing Vessel TrawlerDonald Anderson & Caley Fisheries (Partnerships) Ltd, Peterhead. Foundered 24 February 1999 100 miles East of Shetland. 36Harvest Venture1980Fishing Vessel Trawler1983 Alf Snorre Isaksen, Tromso. Scrapped in 2008.37Sea Harvester1980Fishing Vessel Trawler1983 Orjan Carlsson, Donso, Sweden, now Astrid Ann 38 Canada 1980 Tug Alexandra Towing Company Ltd., Liverpool Later SMIT Canada, now Wellington39Traveller III1981Fishing Vessel TrawlerWilliam B. Reid & others, Fraserburgh, Foundered, while fishing on 23 March 2000, 16 miles NNE of Shetland. 40 Eldergarth 1981 ASD Firefighting Tug Rea Towing Co. Ltd., Westport, later with Svitzer as Shannon, now Safe Supporter 1 41 Rowangarth 1981 ASD Firefighting Tug Rea Towing Co. Ltd., Westport, later with Svitzer43Sun Thames1982Firefighting TugAlexandra Towing Company (London) Ltd. Later Svitzer Sword, now BSV Anglia44MDB1982Fishing Vessel Trawler1985 Ronald, David & Derek Bond, Fleetwood 45 MV Hendra 1982 33m ro-ro Ferry Shetland Islands Council Ferries 46 Bon Marin de Serk 1983 Ferry Isle of Sark Shipping Co.47Seal Carr1983Firefighting TugForth Estuary Towage Ltd., Leith 48Beamer1983TugForth Estuary Towage Ltd., Leith 49 Stirling Elf 1983 Offshore Supply Vessel Stirling Shipping Co. Ltd. Scrapped in 2016. 52 Deft 1984 Voith Firefighting Tug Dover Harbour Board, now HT Scimitar 53 Dextrous 1984 Voith Firefighting Tug Dover Harbour Board, now HT Cutlass 54 Bramley Moore 1984 Firefighting Tug Later Smit Liverpool, now Jersey Shore55Oakgarth1984Firefighting TugCory Ship Towage Ltd., Liverpool, now Mentor56Yewgarth1985Firefighting TugCory Ship Towage Ltd., Liverpool, now BSV Irlanda 57 Hamtun 1985 Tractor Tug Red Funnel Group, Southampton. Since 2006 operated by Multraship Towage & Salvage in the Netherlands under the name Multratug 1658Sir Bevois1985TugRed Funnel Group, Southampton. Later Svitzer Bevois, now Tug Beaver59Sun Anglia1985Firefighting TugAlexandra Towing Company Ltd., London, now Svitzer Anglia60Meridian1985Survey VesselGovernment of Trinidad & Tobago ?Tarv1986Naval TenderRoyal Navy?Ohm's Law1986Naval TenderRoyal Navy?Cormorant1986Naval TenderRoyal Navy65L-7131986Naval Landing CraftRoyal Navy66L-7141986Naval Landing CraftRoyal Navy67L-7151986Naval Landing CraftRoyal Navy68Point Halifax1986ASD Tugnow Leonard M owned by McKeil Marine Ltd. https://mckeil.com/our-fleet/leonard-m69Shabwah1987TugYemen Ports and Shipping Corporation, Aden 70Almahrah1987TugYemen Ports and Shipping Corporation, Aden 75 Cathy M 1986 Ferry James Molinary Ltd, Gibraltar 77 Waterloo 1987 Tug Alexandra Towing Co Ltd, Liverpool78Dorothy Gray1988Fishing Vessel TrawlerTerence Taylor, Aberdeen. Scrapped in 2003. 79 Thames Bubbler II 1988 Oxygenation Barge Thames Water Utilities80Livinea1989Fishing Vessel TrawlerBankstar Ltd., Buckie. Scrapped in 2008.81Seafalke1988Fishing Vessel TrawlerSeafalke Shipping Co. Ltd., Newhaven, now Jacoba 82 Moorhen 1989 Naval Mooring Vessel Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service 83 Moorfowl 1989 Naval Mooring Vessel Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service 84 Chartwell 1989 Survey Vessel Osiris Hydrographic85Einar1989Firefighting TugOrkney Towage Co. Ltd., Kirkwall 86Erlend1990TugOrkney Towage Co. Ltd., Kirkwall 87 1990 45m ro-ro Ferry Orkney Ferries 88 1990 45m ro-ro Ferry Orkney Ferries89Sun Mercia1990Firefighting TugAlexandra Towing Company (London) Ltd. Later Svitzer Mercia, now Mercia.90Lady Anya1990TugHumber Tugs Ltd., Grimsby, later Svitzer Laceby, now BSV Franta 91 Lady Kathleen 1991 Tug Humber Tugs Ltd., Grimsby, now Svitzer Kathleen92Lady Sarah1991TugHumber Tugs Ltd., Grimsby, now Svitzer Sarah93Lady Cecilia1991TugHumber Tugs Ltd., Grimsby, now Svitzer Cecilia94Lady Josephine1991TugHumber Tugs Ltd., Grimsby, now Svitzer Josephine95Cluain Tarbh1992Firefighting TugDublin Port & Docks Board?Oileain Arann1992ro-ro FerryOrder obtained by Miller's, St Monans at yard 1047. Vessel construction subcontracted to McTay Marine Ltd, where the vessel was built and completed. 100Oil Bonny1993TugO.I.L. Marine Ltd., later Tidewater Marine101Oil Benin1993TugO.I.L. Marine Ltd., later Tidewater Marine102Oil Benue1993TugO.I.L. Marine Ltd., later Tidewater Marine?Oil Razee1993TugO.I.L. Marine Ltd., later Svitzer113AL 501994Naval Patrol BoatGreek Navy114Sayyaf1994Firefighting TugAbu Dhabi Petroleum Ports Operating Co. 115 Fidra 1995 Firefighting Tug Forth Ports PLC, Leith 116 1996 35m ro-ro Ferry Caledonian MacBrayne 117 Lyndhurst 1996 Firefighting Tug Howard Smith Towage Ltd., Southampton, now Svitzer Lyndhurst 118 Lady Alma 1996 Tug Howard Smith (Humber) Ltd. now Svitzer Alma [Svitzer Marine] 119 Trafalgar 1998 Firefighting Tug Howard Smith Towage Ltd., Liverpool. Later Smit Trafalgar, now Sky 501 120 Thames Vitality 1997 Oxygenation Barge Thames Water Utilities 121 1998 ro-ro Ferry Argyll and Bute Council 122 Marigold 1998 Fishing Vessel Trawler Hull by MC Fabrications, Falmouth, completed by McTay Marine. 123 Oban 2000 Naval Tender Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service 124 Oronsay 2000 Naval Tender Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service 125 Omagh 2000 Naval Tender Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service 127 Portaferry II 2001 ro-ro Ferry Strangford Lough ferry 128 Leonardo 2002 30m Coastal Research Vessel NATO 129 Loch Portain 2003 50m ro-ro Ferry Caledonian MacBrayne 130 Vital 2013 Multi-Role Vessel Carmet TUG Company
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