History has a habit of repeating itself in the port. The new Pendennis super yacht dock complex about to be built near the Eastern wharf adjacent to the Pendennis Shipyard is where the docks was first developed 153 years ago in 1861.
Pendennis already has the contractors creating the non-tidal wet-basin directly in front of the recently completed construction halls. With the longest arm of the basin planned to be 100m this will enable several 40-50m visiting yachts, or larger 80m+ projects, to be based directly alongside before and after their refit or build period at Pendennis. This next phase is due to be completed in 2015, finalising the transformation of Pendennis into one of the most impressive and accessible super yacht facilities in the world.
Although in its embryonic state construction work was progressing well in June 1861 when the Eastern Arm or Prince of Wales breakwater as it was known in those days was 780 feet in length with the 1,400 feet jetty being completed in the late summer of that year.
Where Pendennis Shipyard is building the new dock complex, the granite wall, which can still be seen from the sea, formed part of a gridiron in the 1860's. The 470 feet long wall was faced in granite supplied by the Penryn firm Freeman and Co. Incidentally, the Pendennis Shipyard now owns Freeman's wharf and the marina berths on the Penryn River.
Building the gridiron wall proved to be very difficult with divers having to position large granite boulders used as foundations in seven to ten feet of water.
Timbers were then laid to enable small sailing ships to lean against the wall and sit on the gridiron to carry out minor repairs without having to enter the newly built number 1 dock.
The Danish sailing ship Frederick 7th became the first vessel to dock in the number 1 dry dock in July 1861. The totally covered dock is now home to Pendennis Shipyard. Dredging of the main channel into the docks had to be stopped in 1863 after Dock Company funds were exhausted.
Falmouth Docks in 1861, with the gridiron at the bottom right of the harbour
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