# Hull's concrete vessels



## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

In years gone by if you were to go to the far south eastern corner of KG & QE dock in Hull. When you looked over the dock wall you would see beached (in this instance is the correct term "mudded"?) a concrete vessel of some sort.

It appeared to be a small coaster or a barge with stern accomodation.

To my everlasting shame I never took a photograph. At the time I had just swallowed the anchor and was visiting foreign ships to repair all the nasty things the sparkie couldn't be bothered with so my reaction was "Oh that's nice" and just walked away.

The dock has changed somewhat since 1978 and extensions have probably buried it. I've tried Google mapping (Hull is a high resolution area) but can find no sign of it.

Does anyone know anything about it or have photos?


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## Peter4447 (Jan 26, 2006)

I don't have a great deal of knowledge regarding these but I think you will find a number of concrete tugs and barges were built during the second world war.
Regards
Peter4447


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## mikeg (Aug 24, 2006)

Peter4447 said:


> I don't have a great deal of knowledge regarding these but I think you will find a number of concrete tugs and barges were built during the second world war.
> Regards
> Peter4447


Heres some info on USSB Concrete ships:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/ussb-concrete.htm

Mike


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## Mad Landsman (Dec 1, 2005)

I have recently discovered, & need to research further, that Concrete 'ships' were built in Poole, Dorset during WW1.
At the end of that war the yard managed to diversify into building houses. Precast concrete sections were used to construct social housing for Poole council. The houses were apparently expected to last about 50years but are still standing today.
Just think, if there had been a continued market for concrete ships from 1919, would any still be around now?

MIG.


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## Paedrig (Jan 7, 2006)

Clockman said:


> I have recently discovered, & need to research further, that Concrete 'ships' were built in Poole, Dorset during WW1..............
> Just think, if there had been a continued market for concrete ships from 1919, would any still be around now?
> 
> MIG.


 I believe Camper & Nicholson may have produced one or two concrete hulled yachts in the 50s.


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## Mad Landsman (Dec 1, 2005)

Paedrig said:


> I believe Camper & Nicholson may have produced one or two concrete hulled yachts in the 50s.


Yes I believe that there are quite a few around, I even came across one that was home built, but what I was dreaming about was the thought of an original 1918 concrete ship, still in service, or even laid up somewhere. 

MIG.


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## sam2182sw (Jul 24, 2005)

hi it was a cocrete barge it was sunk there and laid for yrars and had a marker light on it before Q.E.was built it looked as if ti was in the river so to speak that it when you looked at it from KING GEORGE DOCK but when q.e.was built you could wade accross the mud and climb on to it it was covered over to make part of the road way round the dock. sam


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Hi Sam
Thanks for that. Do you remember when QE extension was built? I seem to remember that the container berth was already there in '78 and I had to drive round via the road just in from the river wall to get to the berths closer to the lockpit.
Cheers


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## Paedrig (Jan 7, 2006)

Clockman said:


> Yes I believe that there are quite a few around, I even came across one that was home built, but what I was dreaming about was the thought of an original 1918 concrete ship, still in service, or even laid up somewhere.
> 
> MIG.


 Came across a reference to someone who worked at Harland & Wolfe in 1918 ,on concrete ships so perhaps Tmac on here might be able to help, given his connection with H & W.


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## sam2182sw (Jul 24, 2005)

cannot remember the year but will get some paper work out and let you know i should know the years i had a lot to do with the build i had to referb the cutting heads of the two dredgers that came from holland to dredge the new dock and that is how the barge you ask about came close to the edge of the dock now all the silt from the new gock was pumped on to the mud flats next to saltendso you can see how far that barge was out into the humber the two dredgers where called HEJEX AND LINQUNDA THAY HAD 7FEET DIA CUTTING HEADS ON A BIG SHAFT cutting all and every thing in its way and sending it down a 24ins dia pipe about 3000 yards long up to saltend. going on the qe2 on tues cruise the med for two weeks so i will keep look out for you when i grt back on the 14 sept seeyou sam


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## Peter4447 (Jan 26, 2006)

One of the concrete barges was used for many years as the Headquarters of the Harwich Yacht Club, certainly in the 1950's and possibly the 60's. Not having been in that direction for many years it could still possibly be there!
Peter4447 (Thumb)


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## Frank P (Mar 13, 2005)

They were still building concrete boats at Preston docks in the 1980's, maybe still today?

Frank


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## ronnie r (Mar 15, 2006)

*Google earth*

The concrete tug "Cretehawse" is visble in the mud of the river Wear at Sunderland less than mile west of The Manxman which is near the Queen Alexander bridge .i believe the tug was damaged in an air raid WW2 and beached there .


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## Phill (Jun 17, 2005)

A few pics can be found on this site , .


*Stronsay coal hulk*
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/21197/password/0/sort/1/cat/all/page/1


used as a jetty in Greenhithe 
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/25843/password/0/sort/1/cat/all/page/1


The concrete tug "Cretehawse"
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/5647/password/0/sort/1/cat/all/page/1

Phill


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## fredkinghorn (Jul 28, 2005)

Was there not something about concrete barges on a river in Ireland ?

fred

" how are things in Glockamorra ?"


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## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

Hi Guys,

Try this site, Concrete Ships at Harland and Wolff 1919

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/topics/work/Y040226.shtml

Chris.


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## DAVIDJM (Sep 17, 2005)

Just to the north of SHARPNESS DOCKS there are quite a few concrete barges (about 10 -20 I think) that were moored on the embankment to stop the erosion by the river, there is now a book (just printed) that give the names and details of the barges.


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## dundalkie (Mar 15, 2006)

Just for the record there is a concrete ship built around 1915 as part of the marina in Carlingford lough. Its still afloat just about. It was called the Cretegaffe. i'll dig out the history of it and post it on this thread.


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

There were a number of concrete barges built for use on the Thames. Some still around,one for example at Lambath bridge used for moorings.


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## Seafordpete (Sep 5, 2005)

*Concrete*

Surprised no one has mentioned "Mulberry Harbour" The Thames and Medway have many of the pontoon barges about and no doubt elsewhere. Pete


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## Peter4447 (Jan 26, 2006)

Seafordpete said:


> Surprised no one has mentioned "Mulberry Harbour" The Thames and Medway have many of the pontoon barges about and no doubt elsewhere. Pete


Yes there are still some of the concrete 'breakwaters' afloat in Portland harbour.
Peter4447 (Thumb)


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

J.Pollocks of Faverham built some concrete ships during WW2 .. i know one of them hit London Bridge and was badly damaged.


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## Clem (Apr 27, 2006)

*Concrete Tug, Amble, Great War*

I came across this today, the launching of a concrete tug. Built in Amble, Northumberland, late in the Great War.


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## Jan Hendrik (Feb 14, 2005)

The subject of concrete ships has been dealt with at few earlier occasions.
Jan

The first one, : http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=1431&page=1&highlight=concrete+vessels


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## swilsonburgess (Apr 14, 2007)

Of concrete barges, on my travels to Stranraer from Ayr, I noticed what looked like concrete barges on the approach to cairnryan ,(as you travel along the A77 ,the road swings sharp left- following the coast ) the " barges" are opposite Jamiesons Point, 

Can anyone confirm this ?

Have a Good Week

Regards and Good Health

Steve Wilson-Burgess


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## swilsonburgess (Apr 14, 2007)

of concrete barges/ships, I was chatting to a colleague who recalls a concrete ship wrecked just south of Whitby between the two light houses
can anyone identify the ship ?

Have a Good Week

Regards and Good Health

Steve Wilson-Burgess


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## PollY Anna (Sep 4, 2006)

Hi Guys 

Started my sea career at Gravesend Holiday Camp and seem to recall that there were quite a few concrete barges on the North side of the river. My mother informed me that a lot of barges were used for water storage during the war. Every time the tide came in it filled the barges so that the Firemen had a good supply during the bombing, and especially with all the incendiary bombs that Herr Hitler dropped on the docks in London.

Ron


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## frances.donnachie (May 4, 2006)

yes steve correct they are from w.war they are as far down as garlieston ask older people they will tell you how important they were as far as i beleave they made floating bridges ask the press about garlieston you will be amased what you will find out. my name is sandy


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## frances.donnachie (May 4, 2006)

frances.donnachie said:


> yes steve correct they are from w.war they are as far down as garlieston ask older people they will tell you how important they were as far as i beleave they made floating bridges ask the press about garlieston at war you will be amased what you will find out. my name is sandy[ask also about the mullberry harbours i think the last one colapsed under the sea at rigbay garlieston in 2006.


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## Meze (Jan 8, 2008)

Just come across your post Clockman ref homebuilt concrete yacht. I sailed with a skipper for a number of years and he had rebuilt an old Bristol pilot cutter(I think it was) and eventually was looking for a new project. He decided to build a concrete version in his front garden. He made the hull framework out of chickenwire and on the big day got in a couple of barrels of beer and a crowd of friends to throw the cement onto the frame. A couple of plasterers smoothed the surface and that must have been the cheapest hull ever made.
He made the rudder and other bits from material scavanged from shiprepairers and scrapyards whilst on board. A very clever and multiskilled man he was.

I saw the finished yacht in Poole harbour one summer and a he had certainly made beautiful job of it. Good enough to make money chartering it out.


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## charles henry (May 18, 2008)

Can see that not too many of you are sailors (Sailboat types). In the seventies concrete hulls became a fad mainly for home builders building their own yachts. Only knew of one chap who actually built (And more to the point, finished it). It was a 25 footer and used the sails designed and sold for the "Shark".
de chas (Pint)


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## hughesy (Dec 18, 2007)

*Concrete Yacht*

Met a guy in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. English guy ex 2nd Off
he'd built a concrete boat. He was fitting it out, that would be in 1979ish.
I askew him how they performed on the water, he just smiled and say "we'll find out eh lol"

all ther best
Hughesy


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## Strath101 (Aug 13, 2008)

About 1969 while on a day trip to Le Havre I saw what looked like a ship made from cement annexed off and obviously had not been in use for some time. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_ship


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## peter drake (Jan 16, 2009)

Kris
Queen Elizabeth dock was opened in 1969

Pete


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## joebuckham (Apr 1, 2005)

there was a yacht( wild knight ??) built in hartlepool in the earl 80s using concrete which finished up in the gambia on some sort of charter business.
as a child i remember seeing the remains of a concrete barge, which had been wrecked during the war, lying near souter point


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## duquesa (Aug 31, 2006)

*Hull's concrete boats*

A good friend took about 25 years (!) to build his own 40' concrete yacht in the back garden. We all thought it would NEVER be finished never mind float. Well, it was and it did and is luxurious as one would expect from a master cabinet maker. Immaculate in every detail, it is now his pride and joy and based in Turkey where he sailed it to three years ago.


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## Klaatu83 (Jan 22, 2009)

You might be interested in this web site concerning a company in Tampa that built ferro-cement ships during World War II. The idea actually predates that period, at least to World War I. Many ended up being sunk as breakwaters and, since the hulls are impervious to rust, they are still occasionally encountered. However, they required thicker hulls and were heavier than steel hulled ships. The greater weight meant less cargo capacity, and I suspect that consideration had more than any other to do why the idea never caught on. 

http://www.concreteships.org/ships/ww2/


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## nick olass (Apr 30, 2009)

*Concrete Ships*

Go to google maps, type in 57 52' 37.11N 6 42' 1.11"W. This should take you to the Isle of SCALPAY; you will see some thumbnail pictures, one of them will reveal a superb picture by David Graham of a concrete ship named CRETETREE.
Here's another snippit.
http://www.mareud.com/Ferro-concrete/Aberdeen_concrete_shipbuilding_co.html

I hope this is some use to the thread.
Regards
Nick


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## erlbon (Feb 25, 2020)

K urgess said:


> In years gone by if you were to go to the far south eastern corner of KG & QE dock in Hull. When you looked over the dock wall you would see beached (in this instance is the correct term "mudded"?) a concrete vessel of some sort.
> 
> It appeared to be a small coaster or a barge with stern accomodation.
> 
> ...


Yet another awful act of necromancy, but the answer to OP's question is the Concrete Barge PD133 Creetstreet, whch was built by John Ver Mehr Shipyard in Shoreham in 1919.

-------------
Remains of 1920 wreck of British barge which foundered in the King George Dock at Hull. She was subsequently recovered and incorporated into a pier wall in 1925, where she still remains, south of the Queen Elizabeth Dock. She was built of concrete in 1919.

Ordered 1917 as PD 133, completed for the Shipping Controller as CRETESTREET; 10.02.1920 sank in the King George Dock at Hull. Later raised by the dock's owner and permission granted by the Humber Conservancy Board to sink her in a dredged hole at the end of the training wall in 1925. In 1949 the barge LINGDALE H ran into her in poor visibility. In 1954 conical day marks and red night marks were put on the vessel, later moved to the extended river wall. (4) 

04-DEC-1973: Stranded wreck shown in 53 44 07N, 000 15 24W on Hull survey.

In 1999 the vessel was filled over to form part of a pier in a land reclamation scheme. 

http://www.pastscape.org.uk/maps.aspx?a=0&hob_id=907881


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## Richard Lewis (Jan 27, 2021)

karbine said:


> J.Pollocks of Faverham built some concrete ships during WW2 .. i know one of them hit London Bridge and was badly damaged.


James Pollock's Faversham shipyard built Molliette and Violette - concrete schooners - during WW1. I believe it was Tower Bridge that Molliette hit . . .Molliette is a wreck at Mersea and Violette is a 'mooring hulk' at Hoo


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## Peter Hewson (Mar 12, 2019)

Huge sections of the mulberry harbours where constructed of concrete. The Forts at the Humber mouth where built the same way, as where (I assume) the ones on the Thames? and Southampton?. I distinctly remember a Guy in Hull back in the 50`s or 60`s who was Buliding a "concrete" hull in his back garden. They would have had to crane it over the house on completion!. Aparently it was rendered onto a Chicken wire Former, braced with steel reinforcing?. The one by KG-V/Q/E is a new one on me though?.


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