In 1922 the Brisbane Tug and Steamship Co. felt the demand for additional excursions merited the acquisition of a second vessel to supplement their existing single passenger ship. The result being that the company began negotiations for the purchase of HMS Wexford which had been built in 1919 under the Emergency Naval Programme by Wm. Simons & Co. of Renfrew Read more...

By John Aitken 1922, the reputation of the Coaster Construction Company shipyard on Rossie Island, Montrose for high class workmanship was obviously travelling far and wide as they received an order for a twin-screw ferry for Eastbourne Council in North Island, New Zealand. Their successful tender was one of several which had been vetted by a prominent naval architect of Read more...

By John Aitken In the edition of April 6th, 1923 the “Montrose Review” reported on the launch of the TST Alsatia from the Rossie Island shipyard of the Coaster Construction Co. Ltd, an event which was witnessed by a large company of spectators.  She had  been named by Mrs Lyon, wife of the marine superintendent of the new ship’s owners the Read more...

By John Aitken The Coaster Construction Company Limited started off in a rather modest way on Rossie Island, Montrose in 1920. Their first commercial vessel was the small coaster appropriately named Rossie, constructed on spec to give the new workforce experience in costing, estimating, design and construction including riveting and the finishing trades. On completion, she was used to fit Read more...

By John Aitken Late March, 1922 saw the launch of the Newcastle-registered ship Emilie Dunford launched from the relatively-new shipyard of the Coaster Construction Company on Rossie Island, Montrose. She was completed as the first ship of the Dunford Steamship Company and entered the South Esk without a hitch having been named by Mrs. Dunford. Generally described as a 201-foot Read more...