Ship and boat building in Whitby[note 2] was a staple part of the industry of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England between the 17th and 19th centuries. In 1792 and 1793, Whitby was the second largest ship-building port in England and Wales. Building continued throughout the 20th century but on a smaller scale both in terms of output and overall size of the vessels being built.
The position of the town, being geographically hard to reach due to the surrounding moorland, meant that until the coming of the railways, the town was largely reliant on the sea for imports and trade. Whitby was a safe haven from storms in the North Sea and was also a useful stop-off point for the resupply of ships. Given Whitby's status as a whaling port, and supply port, it developed a burgeoning ship and boat-building business that ranged from ocean-going barques, to small fishing cobles. One builder still exists in the town, Parkol Marine, which up to 2019 had constructed over 40 trawlers and other ships, mainly for the fishing industry along the Yorkshire coast, and other businesses in the north-east of Scotland.
During the height of the ship and boat building industry in Whitby (the 1790s), the town was ranked as the third largest boat building centre after London and Newcastle. The town had at least 20 shipbuilders spread across different yards, though not all were in operation at the same time as each other. As some businesses went bankrupt, others assumed control of their yards, which led to some shipbuilders switching yards during the years of their operations.
- ^ Waters 2011, p. 38.
- ^ "What's the Difference Between a 'Boat' and a 'Ship'?". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ Kantharia, Rank. "7 Differences Between a Ship and a Boat". www.marineinsight.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
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