Naval Marine Archive - The Canadian Collection
Library Catalogue Ships database Research Collections Bibliography About us Donate

Georgia Shipbuilding, St. Marys GA

This shipyard was known as MacDonnell Boats until 1952, when it was awarded a contract to build six gunboats for the Navy. Alex MacDonnell then sold 50% of the business to Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Gefen and renamed it Georgia Shipbuilding Company. Unfortunately, the Navy contract put them out of business. What was the Navy thinking, awarding a contract for such sophisticated boats to a shipyard with no track record? The shipyard is generally described as being in Savannah, and there was a Georgia Shipbuilding in Savannah in the era of wooden sailing ships, but this yard was actually in St. Marys, on the downtown waterfront, at the east end of St. Marys Street. I can find no record of any vessels built by either McDonnell Boats or Georgia Shipbuilding other than the six gunboats: the other six boats listed below were all built in St. Marys since WWII, but I don't know by whom. If anyone can connect any of them to either McDonnell Boats or Georgia Shipbuilding, or add any other data, please email info@navalmarinearchive.com.

Most recent update: 6 August 2016.

Hull # O.N. Original Name Original Owner Type GT Ft. Built Disposition
253642 Willie James W. R. Register Fishing 35 48 1947
268240 Amberjack K. J. Doss Fishing 18 39 1954
274474 Li'l Andy S. E. Chancey Fishing 24 45 1957
279153 Big Sis A. C. Dickey Fishing 30 48 1959 Later Lady Jane, Rush, Miss Kathy, Uncle Bubba, now Hard Times
282148 Big Mack L. C. Ballenger Fishing 29 48 1960 Sank 2005
289306 Miss Irene Irene Ballenger Fishing 31 42 1962
PGM 33 Camarines Sur (PG 48) Philippine Navy Gunboat 143d 110 15-Sep-54 Struck 1974
PGM 34 Sulu (PG 49) Philippine Navy Gunboat 143d 110 22-Nov-54 Struck 1974
PGM 35 La Union (PG 50) Philippine Navy Gunboat 143d 110 3-Jan-55 Struck 1974
PGM 36 Antique (PG 51) Philippine Navy Gunboat 143d 110 18-May-55 Struck 1974
PGM 37 Masbate (PG 52) Philippine Navy Gunboat 143d 110 2-Mar-56 Struck 1965
PGM 38 Misamis Occidental (PG 53) Philippine Navy Gunboat 143d 110 3-May-56 Struck 1974

 

These shipbuilding pages are part of an ongoing project; new material and data is added regularly.

Back to Shipbuilding History main page.

 



Naval Marine ArchiveThe Canadian Collection
205 Main Street, Picton, Ontario, K0K2T0, Canada
Telephone: 1 613 476 1177
E-mail: for comments, queries and suggestions.



Copyright © 2024
Naval Marine Archive
The Canadian Collection

Revised: 8 April 2023