The "Big Shed" at the Wagstaff & Hatfield Shipyard

email Kerr Canning


Large Version of the launching Of Minesweeper number 1063 Launch

The yard of Wagstaff & Hatfield built wooden minesweepers during WW2. The first minesweeper, #991, was built outdoors and the time required for its construction showed that the delays caused by building outdoors, especially during winter months, could not be tolerated in wartime. To prevent delays due to weather conditions the Wagstaff & Hatfield Co. erected a shed to build the minesweepers in. This large imposing wooden structure became known as “Big Shed".

References

1Private communication: Email 4/21/2007
Question
Jack what was the sheer water" wharf in Port Greville. Why was it called sheer water?
Kerr Canning
Answer
I suppose that it prevented the tides from eroding the point of land behind the wharf, thus, it performed a sheering effect . In fact, the 1st minesweeper ( # 99 ) was constructed so that it could be launched out into the Bay while, from then on, all construction was done in the big shed and the launching took place towards the Government Wharf, i.e. up stream. Before the move to the big shed area, there was erosion until the Sheer Water Wharf was built by the Federal Government. Eventually, the Wagstaff & Hatfield Shipbuilding Co. purchased the Sheer Water Wharf and (a) stored lumber on it, and (b) did final rigging of fishing boats that tied up at the wharf.
Jack Wagstaff

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