Heritage - Ship Building

Ship building in Guernsey was big business in the 19th century, mainly between 1815 - 1880.  Many men were employed building vessels from small domestic fishing boats to fully-rigged ships, destined for the tea trade of China and the coffee trade of South and Central America. 

In the shipbuilding heyday there were over 20 shipbuilding yards,  with the main ones being at Les Echelons (south beach) in St Peter Port, then known as Le Galet Heaume, and further north, around St Sampson's harbour. 

The most well-known was owned by Peter Ogier who was known for his ingenuity and quality of construction. Guernsey's largest vessel 'Golden Spur' was built here in 1864 weighing 656 tons. Sadly, the ship went on the rocks off the coast of China just 15 years later.