The Robertson II
This page is dedicated to the Robertson II - following her recent grounding on Mink Reef it seemed a good time to provide some thoughts, facts, and figures all in one place about this beautiful ship.My first trip aboard "The Robby" was in 1988, my first time as crew in 1989. She is a vessel you never forget. There was something magical about being aboard and knowing that at some point the hold we were standing in was full of fish. We would read Captains Courageous at night sometimes. You didn´t really need too much imagination because you were standing right in the middle of the story.
Specifications for the Robertson II
Built 1940
Launched Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Displacement 96 tonnes
Length Overall 130´
Length On Deck 105´
Beam 22´
Draught 12´
Sail Area 5637 sqf
mainsail 2189 sqf
Power 6110GM Diesel (250 hp)
Robertson II Deck Plans
Lashing on new sails July 1991 Tribune Bay
Our History
The Robertson II was the first vessel I ever served on as crew. She was, to a large extent, the inspiration for this web site. Her lines hang framed in a place of honour in our living room. I miss her smells, her sounds, and that wondrous sensation of standing at the tip of her bowsprit with a hand on the fore stay under sail, letting the world wash past me and fall aft...I have many fond memories of the Robby - too many to recount here, but there are certainly quite a few vivid memories that come to mind. Sleeping in the furled mainsail, for example. In the summer, she was hot below decks (42 other people sharing that small volume with the stove still cooling down and a day´s worth of sun on her black hull will do that) so we slept on deck when we could. My favorite place was snuggled into the folds of the mainsail with the solid steel belaying pin for the reefing tackle to keep me from rolling off the boom and the folds of the sail as both mattress and blanket. You would drift to sleep watching the myriad of stars and the bioluminescence glide past. In the morning you would wake to the sounds of the morning watch scrubbing down her decks and open your eyes to the new day. At night, sometimes, you would awake to more amazing sights never sure if you were entirely awake or still dreaming. In the photo below (taken July 1991 Tribune Bay) I stayed behind whilst most of the crew ventured ashore - I suppose you could say, I was just making my bed...
