In February, the Navantia shipyard hosted dignitaries from government and the Royal Navy to celebrate work starting on the bow sections of the new Fleet Solid Support Ship RFA Resurgent for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.At 216 metres long, these new ships will provide munitions, spares, food and other essential stores to naval vessels enabling the Royal Navy to remain at sea for prolonged periods. 

At the end of May, a major next step was completed when Seahorse, a 200-metre barge manufactured at Navantia’s Methil yard in Scotland, was towed through the early morning fog into the Torridge estuary and eased into the Appledore shipyard. The completed bow sections will be loaded onto this barge which will then be towed to Belfast where all the components will be ‘stitched together’.

On 4 July, a celebration of a different kind was held around the paddling pool in Victoria Park. Pupils and parents from East-the-Water, Westcroft, and St Mary’s schools gathered to watch the culmination of the Young Shipwrights project, arranged by Steamship Freshspring Trust and sponsored by Navantia. Over the last couple of months, teams of young people, have built and decorated 1-metre-long sailing vessels, entirely from folded and glued cardboard. These were sailed across the paddling pool in a knockout competition, eventually won by a ship from Westcroft. The project, now in its second year, was supported by apprentices from Navantia and Freshspring volunteers, working with teams of pupils in schools. In a break from the three Rs, this community project gave youngsters valuable lessons in design, engineering, and working together on a practical project. The decoration and design of the finished ships demonstrated creativity and pride in the pupils’ finished vessels. A winner’s trophy was presented by Laura Correa Mendioroz, General Manager of Navantia Appledore. Thanks go to Torridge District Council for use of the pool and to their staff who helped prepare and clean up after this happy community celebration. 

In September, as part of Heritage Open Days, Heritage Harbour will be launching a Shipyard Trail celebrating the history of shipbuilding along the river. Following the South West Coast Path from Bideford to Appledore, the route encompasses twelve historical and active shipbuilding sites. An accompanying website will outline each site’s history and the vessels it launched. North Devon Maritime Museum, Appledore is preparing a new shipyard display to accompany the trail.