Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Barge "Afpet 6" launched at Ardrossan Dockyard

From The Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald dated Friday 14th February, 1964

Barge Takes To Water

First launch since 1961

Ardrossan Dockyard Limited came back into shipbuilding when, at 11:15am on Wednesday, the all-welded 750-ton oil barge "Afpet 6" was launched by eight-year-old Mairi Kelly, daughter of Mr A. D. Kelly, managing director of the yard.

It was the first vessel to be launched at Ardrossan since June 1961.
And Mr Kelly, who took over the yard in May 1962, states that the prospects of more shipbuilding work being obtained are good.

"Afpet 6" was built in about five months to the order of African Petroleum Terminals Ltd, which is jointly owned by the British Petroleum Company and the Texaco Company.
Within the next two weeks the vessel will be towed to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The yard, which was put up for sale as a "going concern" in January 1962, has now enough work on hand to keep its present labour force of 200 occupied for the next six months.

Since the beginning of the year, four ships have been overhauled and work has now commenced on the lighthouse tender "Hesperus" which, apart from the hull, is being completely rebuilt.

Mr Kelly intends to install 30-ton cranes at the building berths and fitting out quay of the substantially modernised yard.
This will mean a stepping up of the size of prefabricated units.
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From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 21st February 1964

HER BIG DAY
No wonder eight-year-old Mairi Kelly had a big smile when she was presented last week with a bouquet of flowers by 15-year-old Thomas Blackman, youngest employee of Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd.
For Mairi, daughter of Mr. A.D. Kelly, Managing Director of the yard, was about to launch a 720-ton oil barge - the first vessel to be built at the yard since her father took it over in May 1962.
And as our photo below indicates, the ceremony went off without a hitch - "Afpet 6" slid gracefully into the water.