In 2017, We proudly announced that SS Robin was returning home but things did not quite work out that way because of various issues. However, we can bring the news that the move from the Royal Docks to Trinity Buoy Wharf will eventually bring SS Robin home to the Orchard Yard on the River Lea where she was built by Mackenzie, MacAlpine & Co in 1890. SS Robin is the world’s only surviving complete Victorian steamship, she was laid down at Orchard House Yard at Bow Creek, Blackwall, London, in December 1889, ‘Robin’ and her sister ship ‘Rook’, were launched into the River Lea in 1890. Bow ..read more

Friday saw the arrival of a couple of ships from the Royal Netherlands Navy into West India Dock, another ship the HNLMS Karel Doorman is moored in Greenwich. The HNLMS Groningen is a Holland-class offshore patrol vessel operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy. The vessel was built in the Romanian shipyards in Galati, by the Dutch firm Damen Group. The ship was laid down in 2010, launched in 2011 and commissioned in 2013. It has a length of 108.4 m (355 ft 8 in) and beam of 16 m (52 ft 6 in). It has a crew of 54 and carries helicopter on board. The ship has been used counter-drug operations ..read more

There is an unusual assortment of yachts in West India Dock at the moment, the latest arrival is the 46.2m/150’11” long Pioneer motor yacht. The yacht built by Palmer Johnson in the United States and was launched in 1996. Pioneer was previously named Dione Sky, Putty VI, Turmoil, and features exterior design by Vripack, while her interior was designed by Axel Vervoordt, with naval architecture by Vripack. Up to 10 guests are accommodated on board the superyacht, and she also has accommodation for 8 crew members including the captain of Pioneer. Pioneer is known as a explorer yacht because i ..read more

At the beginning of the holiday weekend, we have the arrival of the Stardust superyacht which has a length of 62.5m. The yacht was built by Amels in Netherlands who delivered the superyacht to its ownder in 2020. The Stardust exterior design is by Tim Heywood Design Ltd., while her interior was designed by Studio Laura Sessa and Amels, with naval architecture by Amels. She can accommodate up to 12 guests in 6 staterooms and has accommodation for 14 crew members. Other than this information, little is known about the owner or plans for yacht. The yacht does have a very unusual design and i ..read more

Another newcomer to the dock is Slipstream superyacht, the 60 m (198 ft) yacht was launched by French shipyard CMN Yachts in 2009. The interior of the yacht was designed by British design firm Winch Design, There is accommodations for 12 guests in 7 cabins with one master, 1 VIP, two doubles, and two twin rooms. There are accommodations for 15 crew onboard. The yacht’s exterior also features a design from Winch Design with a striking black hull and a silver superstructure. She was built by CMN Yachts, a French shipyard based in Cherbourg Cedex, who delivered the award-winning yacht in 2009 ..read more

After a quiet few years, we are certainly seeing more ships and boats coming into West India Dock, the latest arrival is the INS Tarangini which is a sail training ship for the Indian Navy. INS Tarangini is a three-masted barque, commissioned in 1997 as a training ship for the Indian Navy. She was constructed in Goa to a design by the British naval architect Colin Mudie, and launched in 1995. In 2003–04, she became the first Indian naval ship to circumnavigate the globe. The ship sails across the Indian Ocean region for the purpose of providing sail training experience to the officer cadet ..read more

Well, shiver my timbers, is that a pirate ship in West India Dock ? No, but it is the Götheborg of Sweden which is a sailing replica of the Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg I, which was launched in 1738 and sank in 1745. When the wreckage of the original Götheborg was found in 1984, the idea to make a replica of the vessel was considered. The keel for the replica was laid in 1995 at the Eriksbergs wharf by the Göta älv in Gothenburg. The construction and historical design of the ship was made by Joakim Severinsson. The vessel was built using old, traditional techniques, and it was made as cl ..read more

After a few days in Canada, it was a surprise to see a rather crowded West India dock on my return. One of the more interesting visitors is the Shabab Oman II is a sail training ship for the Royal Navy of Oman and is 87-metre (285 ft) long with a beam of 11 metres (36 ft). When fully rigged there is a total of 2,700 square metres (29,000 sq ft) of sails. Shabab Oman II was built to replace the popular ageing Shabab Oman. The new ship is a three-masted squared rigged clipper, with a sailing speed of up to 17 knots. She has a crew of at least 90 made up of 54 permanent crew and 36 trainees. S ..read more

It is like the old days (pre Covid) in West India Dock with the arrival of another superyacht. The latest visitor is the Gitana which has a length of 48.2m and was built in 1997 at the Feadship yard in the Netherlands. The Gitana which was previously named Carolina, Noa VII and Katrion, features exterior design by Guido de Groot Design, interior design by John Munford Design, with naval architecture by De Voogt Naval Architects. Up to 12 guests are accommodated on board the Gitana, and she also has accommodation for 10 crew members. The yacht Gitana has a steel hull and aluminium superstru ..read more

On a beautiful spring day, I took a wander into West India Dock to see the latest arrival. The motoryacht A2 has a very interesting history of owners. The yacht A2 was built by Feadship in 1983. She was built as Circus II, for William Bennett. He was the founder of the gaming giant Circus Circus Enterprises. She was later sold to Les Wexner who named her Limitless. Later she was bought by Sir Thomas Ogden, who named her Masquerade. In 2011 she was bought by George Lindemann, who named her A2 and sent her for a refit to Pendennis. The yacht’s classical design led to her use as a support vess ..read more