W. A. Robinson, Inc., Ipswich MA

William A. Robinson was an engineer from Kenosha WI whose early years were spent sailing the world.  In 1937, he bought an existing small shipyard on Fox Creek, near Ipswich.  The exact location is not clear but it was in the Argilla Road area.  The plan was to build wooden sailing vessels but the war changed that.  Sources say that the yard built over 200 vessels during the war, so there must have been many small craft as well as the 31 small ships listed below.  Robinson moved to Tahiti after the war and the yard was razed.  If anyone can add to the table below, please e-mail me at timcolton@aol.com.

Original Name Original Owner Type Navy Type Pennant # Tons Delivery Disposition
Swift W. A. Robinson Sailing Ship     46 1939 Later "Swift of Ipswich", owned from 1940 to 1958 by Jimmy Cagney, now owned by the Los Angeles Maritime Institute
Santa Cruz   Sailing Ship       1940  
Caribee   Sailing Ship       1940  
Accentor US Navy Minesweeper AMc 36 205 24-Jul-41 Sold private 1946, disposition unknown
Bateleur US Navy Minesweeper AMc 37 205 26-Aug-41 Sold private 1946, disposition unknown
Barbet US Navy Minesweeper AMc 38 205 29-Sep-41 Sold private 1946, disposition unknown
Brambling US Navy Minesweeper AMc 39 205 15-Oct-41 Sold private 1946, disposition unknown
Energy US Navy Minesweeper AMc 78 205 1-Jan-42 Reclassified 1943 as YDT 3
Exultant US Navy Minesweeper AMc 79 205 14-Jan-42 Reclassified 1943 as YDT 4, sunk as target 1973
Fearless US Navy Minesweeper AMc 80 205 Feb-42 Reclassified 1943 as YDT 5, sunk as target 1973
Fortitude US Navy Minesweeper AMc 81 205 Mar-42 Reclassified 1943 as YDT 2
US Navy Transport APc 75 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 76 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 77 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 78 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 79 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 80 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 81 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 82 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 83 100 1942  
US Navy Transport APc 84 100 1942  
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 676 136 27-Jul-42 To France 1944 as CH 105, scrapped 1950
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 677 136 29-Aug-42 Sold 1946
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 760 136 10-Sep-42 Later PCC 760, to the NDRF 1948
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 761 136 24-Sep-42 To the NDRF 1948
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 762 136 7-Oct-42 To Brazil 1942 as Jutai
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 763 136 20-Oct-42 To Brazil 1942 as Javari
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 764 136 1-Oct-42 To Brazil 1942 as Jurui
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 765 136 3-Dec-42 To Brazil 1943 as Jaguarao
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 766 136 11-Nov-42 To Brazil 1943 as Juruena
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 767 136 2-Jan-43 To Brazil 1943 as Jaguaribe
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1288 136 12-Feb-43 To Brazil 1943 as Jacui
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1289 136 12-Mar-43 To Brazil 1943 as Jundiai
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1290 136 15-Apr-43 To Cuba 1948
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1291 136 3-May-43 To Cuba 1948
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1292 136 19-May-43 To the NDRF 1948
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1293 136 4-Jun-43 To the NDRF 1948
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1294 136 7-Jul-43 To the NDRF 1948
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1295 136 12-Aug-43 To the USSR 1945 as BO 320
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1296 136 16-Sep-43 To USCG 1945
  US Navy Sub Chaser SC 1297 136 8-Oct-43 To USCG 1945 as Air Swallow (WAVR 469), sold 1948
Achigan  US Navy Tug YT 218   9-Jan-45 Sold 1975
William J   Fishing Vessel       1944? Sold to EFO 1945, renamed Terehau, sunk in Papeete 1974 
Mother Ann   Fishing Vessel     125 1944  
Varua W. A. Robinson Brigantine       1945 Abandoned in Anacortes WA