Man-O-War Cay Boat Building
Coordinates: 26°35′15″N 77°00′25″W / 26.58750°N 77.00694°W
Boat building on Man-O-War Cay in the Bahamas dates back to the 1880s. During the middle of the last century, numerous boat yards – large and small – lined the harbor.
William H. Albury (“Uncle Will”) built some of the largest in his yard where the hardware store and Edwins #2 now stand. When a big boat was under construction, he might employ 15 or 20 men to work on her. Many of these men also had small yards where they built smaller boats – "Abaco Dinghies" which became the backbone of the fishing and commercial industry of the Bahamas.
In 1960, Edwin Albury started Edwin's Boat Yard. He, Keith Albury and Darvin Sands built boats of varying sizes during the 60s and were joined by Blake Albury in 1969. Edwin expanded in 1976 when he bought out legendary boat builder William H. Albury.
Joe Albury still builds Abaco Dinghies in his yard. And Willard's sons, Don and Jamie, of Albury Brothers Boats build modern center-console and runabout boats in their facility next to the water - thus continuing the tradition.
This page is intended to archive the names of the boat builders and boats built on Man-O-War Cay from the 1800s into the late 1900s.
Boats built on Man-O-War Cay in the 1900s[1]
| Boat Name | Length (LOD) | Date Launched | Boat Yard | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Sound | 65–75 ft. | Basil Sands | Built for Mr. Herman Ahrens who lived on MOW for some years. She was a freighter type power boat that was used to haul freight from Florida and as in private yacht etc. | |
| Yum Yum | 40–50 ft. | Basil Sands | Sailboat built for Mr. Herman Ahrens. | |
| Teepee (re Double Eagle) | 85 ft. | 1947 | Delbert Albury | 2-masted Schooner, 110' LOA, 33' Beam, 15' Draft, 75' Main Mast |
| Spinner | 1956 | Edwin's Boat Yard | ||
| Malolo | 40 ft. | 1965 | Edwin's Boat Yard | Ketch, 13' Beam, 4'6" Draft, 20 ton Disp. |
| Barbara W. | 40 ft. | 1965 | Edwin's Boat Yard | |
| Abaco I | Edwin's Boat Yard | |||
| Wynne I | 30 ft. | Between 1918 and 1935 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Wynne II | 30 ft. | Between 1918 and 1935 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Man O'War | 60 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Joyce Roberts | 85 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Donald Roberts | 60 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Sweet Heart | 48 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Langasta | 47 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Barge | 130 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Lucaya | 50 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Abaco Queen | 35 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Several unnamed hulls | 35 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Mary Eleanor | 35 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Obeah | 30 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Frigate Bird I | 30 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Frigate Bird II | 42 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Boat for Leach | 42 ft. | Between 1935 and 1947 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Safari (now Tribute) | 40 ft. | 1948 | William H Albury Ship Yard | Ketch, 48' LOA |
| Lugger | 35 ft. | 1951 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| McCoy | 35 ft. | 1952 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Bagatelle | 35 ft. | 1955 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Romarie (re Jaunty Jess, now Flying Circus) | 45 ft. | 1956 | William H Albury Ship Yard | 61' LOA, 45' LOD, 14' Beam, 5' Draft |
| Challenge B. (now Tamar II) | 35 ft. | 1957 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Arawak | 31 ft. | 1959 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Dolphin | 30 ft. | 1963 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Esperanto (now William H Albury) | 56 ft. | 1963 | William H Albury Ship Yard | 2-masted schooner, 70' LOA, 25 ton Disp. |
| Baracuda | 41 ft. | 1964 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Chubbins | 44 ft. | 1967 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Frigata | 1960s | William H Albury Ship Yard | ||
| Sea Fever | 29 ft. | 1969 | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Rough Waters | 30 ft. | 1975 | William H Albury Ship Yard | LOA is same as LOD |
| Abaco Rage | 1980 |
Man-O-War Cay Boat Builders during the 1800s[2]
| Edwin Albury | Richard ‘Uncle Dick’ Albury | Benjamin Thompson |
| Henry Albury | Thomas Albury | Napoleon Thompson |
| Jeremiah Albury | William Albury | William "Billy Bo" Thompson |
| Joe Albury | Winer Albury |
Man-O-War Cay Boat Builders during the 1900s[3]
| Name | Boat Yard | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Alma Albury | Maurice Albury | |
| Benny Albury | Albury Brothers Boats, also Maurice Albury | Founder |
| Blake Albury | Edwin's Boat Yard | Partner |
| Cyril Albury | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Dalbert Albury | Dalbert Albury | his yard |
| Dalphone Albury | Dalphone Albury | his yard |
| Eddie Albury Jr. | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Captain Eddie Albury Sr. | Captain Eddie Albury Sr. | his yard |
| Don Albury | Albury Brothers Boats | |
| Edwin S. Albury | Edwin's Boat Yard | Founder |
| Emanuel "Manny" Albury | Emanuel "Manny" Albury | his yard |
| Emerson Albury | Emerson Albury | his yard |
| Floyd Albury | Dalphone Albury | |
| George Albury | Emerson Albury | |
| Glenn Albury | Albury Brothers Boats | |
| Harold Albury | Harold Albury | his yard |
| Hartley Albury | Lewis Albury | |
| Haziel Albury | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Jamie Albury | Albury Brothers Boats | |
| Joe U. Albury | Lewis Albury, also his yard | |
| Keith Albury | Edwin's Boat Yard | Partner |
| Lewis Albury | Lewis Albury | his yard |
| Marcel Albury | Edwin's Boat Yard | |
| Maurice Albury | Maurice Albury | his yard |
| Mauricio Albury | Albury Brothers Boats | |
| Nelson Albury | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Norman Albury | Norman Albury | his yard |
| Paul Albury | Albury Brothers Boats | |
| Redith Albury | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Richard Albury | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Richie Albury | Richie Albury (with Edwin Albury) | his yard |
| Roland Albury | Lewis Albury | |
| Samuel "Sammie" Albury | Samuel "Sammie" Albury | his yard |
| Victor Albury | Captain Eddie Albury Sr. | |
| Walter Albury | Maurice Albury | |
| Warren Albury | Maurice Albury | |
| Willard Albury | Albury Brothers Boats, also Maurice Albury | Founder |
| William H. Albury | William H Albury Ship Yard, also Maurice Albury | Founder |
| Wilton Albury | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Henry Fisher | Dalbert Albury | |
| Derek Lee | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Basil Sands | Basil Sands | his yard |
| Charles Sands | Charles Sands | his yard |
| Darvin Sands | Edwin's Boat Yard | Partner |
| Harry Sands | Treason Sands | |
| Lavern Sands | Treason Sands | |
| Robbie Sands | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Treason Sands | Treason Sands | his yard |
| Wilson Sands | Wilson Sands | his yard |
| Junior Sweeting | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Pat Sweeting | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Roger Sweeting | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Tweedie Sweeting | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Kenneth Thompson | Kenneth Thompson | his yard |
| Lanard Thompson | Thompsons (with Percy Thompson) | his yard |
| Percy Thompson | Thompsons (with Lanard Thompson) | his yard |
| Scott Weatherford | William H Albury Ship Yard | |
| Stanley Weatherford | William H Albury Ship Yard |
Man-O-War Cay Boatbuilding slide show video[4]
The following table is an index of the video, Boatbuilding on Abaco Thesis Collection (M.A.). The video was made by Sister Patricia Ann Finnerty in 1973. She presents 35mm slides and recorded interviews from her project on boat building in the Abacos at that time. Several of the Man-O-War Cay boat builders are included.
| Time (into the video) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Introduction to the Bahama Islands |
| 1:06 | Introduction to Man-O-War Cay - The boats in the harbour are almost all fiberglass now. The shoreline is a bit more built up. Golf carts now ply the narrow streets. Otherwise much is the same. |
| 9:35 | Mr. Basil Sands |
| 10:00 | Mr. Maurice Albury |
| 12:27 | Mr. James Jenkins Roberts (of Hope Town) |
| 15:33 | Mr. William H Albury |
| 17:35 | Mr. Clarence Sands, Mr. Norman Albury |
| 18:10 | Mr. Basil Sands |
| 19:32 | Mr. Maurice Albury |
| 19:48 | Mr. Charles Sands |
| 20:10 | Mr. Norman Albury and his Sail Loft |
| 23:09 | Abaco Dinghy |
| 24:10 | Abaco Fishing "Ketch" |
| 24:43 | Sponge Schooner |
| 27:15 | Woods used in boat building |
| 28:03 | Abaco Dinghy Construction (w/ Mr. Maurice Albury, Charles Sands & Willard Albury) |
| 50:53 | Charles Sands completed dinghy |
| 51:07 | Basil Sands completed 21 1/2' deep-well boat |
| 52:32 | Maurice Albury completed Abaco Sailing Dinghy |
| 55:33 | Leaving MOW |
| 56:11 | The End |
References
- ↑ Primarily from research done by the students of Mary E. Albury High School, Man-O-War Cay, 2/2014. Also from information provided by Nevile Albury, Jay & Jan Manni, Rosie and Lon Munsey, Howard and Donna Ray, David Wright, Scott Weatherford, et al.
- ↑ Interview with Ms Patricia Albury by Jeremy Sweeting, 2013
- ↑ Mainly from interviews with Ms Patricia Albury and Roland Albury, 2013–2014. With edits from the students of Mary E. Albury High School, Bill Albury, Hartley Albury, Jeremy Sweeting, Peter Sweeting, et al.
- ↑ Boatbuilding on Abaco Thesis Collection (M.A.), Sister Patricia Ann Finnerty, Ball State, 1973