Abels Shipbuilders

Abels Shipbuilders Ltd is a ship and boat builder in Bristol, England. They are now the largest remaining shipbuilder in Bristol. In addition to boat building, the company have branched out into architectural sculptures, tidal energy and marine restoration. David Abels boat builders in currently in receivership.

Founded in 1980 by David Abels, the company took over part of the Albion Dockyard formerly occupied by Charles Hill & Sons who went out of business in 1977. The site includes the large covered dry dock originally built by Hilhouse in 1820, and has a capacity of 350 tonnes.

The company builds a wide variety of vessels up to 250 tonnes and 25 m (82 ft) in length in steel and aluminium, typically tugs, passenger and Roll-on/roll-off ferries, survey vessels, launches and work boats. Around 80% of orders are for UK customers although recently the company delivered aluminium patrol and ambulance boats to Nigeria. The company also built Pero's Bridge (the horned foot bridge) which opened in 1999. Recent and current work includes a 180 tonne, 250 passenger catamaran for Clyde Marine and the rebuild of the Medway Queen for the Medway Queen Preservation Society.

The company has been building ferries since at least 1985, when the 60 passenger Island Princess was delivered to Scottish owners, and she still operates as a whale watching boat off the Isle of Mull. Several further ferry orders followed including the 29-metre (95 ft) Roll-on/roll-off ferry Eynhallow for Orkney Ferries in 1987, and the 19-metre (62 ft) Maid of the Forth for the Forth River in 1989. In 2001 Abels secured a contract to build a twin deck ferry for the Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company. Shortly afterwards the company was awarded a follow-on contract for a second ferry. The first ship, Spirit of Gosport was delivered successfully, but the second, Spirit of Portsmouth was only partially constructed when the customer cancelled the order, however in 2016-17, 'Spirit of Portsmouth' was completed and renamed 'Forth Hope', she has become a medical ferry for Vine Trust in South America.