Robertsons of Woodbridge:
Past, Present & Future
The Boatyard sits on the banks of the river Deben, opposite Sutton Hoo, and records show it has been used for trade and boatbuilding since the Middle Ages. From the 1500s, large commercial ships and, for a while, Admiralty ships were built here. However, by the late 1800s, shipbuilding in the area suffered a decline, partly due to the arrival of railways, which proved to be a swifter and more reliable mode of transport for goods.
Ebenezer (Khartoum) Robertson established Robertsons Boatyard in the early 1880s, Ebenezer saw a future in building small wooden yachts for the leisure market, and the then-vacant Lime Kiln Quay shipyard was the perfect spot. The yard remained in the hands of the Robertson family for three generations and continues to trade under their name to this day.
Although no longer owned by a Robertson, the yard today is still a family-owned business. In recent years there has been significant investment in most areas. The main buildings have been refurbished, machinery and lifting equipment replaced and upgraded, improvements made to sewage treatment facilities and specialist training for new staff members.
Whilst firmly keeping hold of our traditional roots of working with wooden craft we have diversified by introducing new services such as rigging and composite deck replacement.
We have reclaimed over an acre of land to provide more boat storage space, fully serviced with electricity and water supplies.
An old dilapidated office/storage building has been replaced with an award-winning modern building, housing two commercial office units and a stunning three-bedroom holiday apartment with views over the yard and river. Income from this building helps weather the peaks and troughs of the core boatyard business.
Having made the Boatyard fit for the 21st Century we are always willing and ready to take on a full range of marine work to help keep our team busy and thriving.
We are also happy to share our knowledge, will be flexible and support customers taking on their own projects, and do our bit in helping to clean up the river environment.