The Ship Draughtsman

I came across this brilliant article some years ago and present it without permission, for you to read, which I'm sure was Colin's Tipping's intention in writing this factual history of the decline of the Ship Draughtsman.

Colin Tipping served an apprenticeship as a ship draughtsman on Tyneside, and currently combines work as a computer draughtsman with research into technical aspects of maritime history.

I also served an apprenticeship as a ship draughtsman on Tyneside, believing that I was entering a technically skilled trade full of hope and ambition.   But alas the decline described in the following had already began.

I had the pleasure during my first year in the Drawing Office to occupy the board next to Colin, that was in 1970 when two of the directors (Gillchrist & Christie) still wore a bowler hat when walking through the shipyard as did all Managers and Foremen when promoted from the shop floor, in days gone by. Denham Christies daughter Susan was the first woman to graduate in Naval Architecture in 1936, working in Swan's Design Office till retirement in 1953.     

Attempts to trace Colin Tipping to gain permission have failed.

History of Swan Hunters on the River Tyne

Technical Change and the

SHIP DRAUGHTSMAN

Since the development of iron shipbuilding in the late nineteenth century, ship Draughtsmen have made a considerable contribution to the growth of the industry both nationally and regionally. Because of their expertise in design and construction, they were also able to move into other disciplines, to take up senior management positions, and provide staff for the world’s marine classification and regulatory bodies.

With the considerable technical advances and commercial and political changes in the industry since 1945, the job of ship draughtsman underwent radical changes. This paper, based on the author’s personal experience in the Tyne and Wear shipyards of the north-east of England, will examine the technical factors to show how this particular group of shipyard workers changed from skilled craftsmen to a less demanding role.

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