Schooner Richard Robbins Sr. has not appeared in this blog for almost 11 years, but once last summer while I was looking for something else, there she came into view, and sporting a fresh coat of paint.
Richard Robbins Sr., built in 1902 as a Delaware Bay oyster schooner, is one of five that remain. An NPS report on one of the others —Isaac H. Evans–can be read here.
More on RR Sr. here.
Anyone know how deep the centerboard swings?
I don’t know if she’s still out of the water. When she went (or goes) in, she’ll need to hang in the slings awhile to allow the planks to swell shut again.
All photos by Will Van Dorp, back last August.
tugster: a waterblog 
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February 13, 2018 at 11:24 pm
James M.
The Richard Robbins sank on the Hackensack River in the NJ Meadowlands in the summer of 2015. I heard about a month after that that it had been floated and moved and that there was a buyer for it. I tried googling it later to see what had happened but couldn’t find anything. In late 2016 I was headed into Liberty State Park and was delighted to spot the Robbins there (I spooked my car passenger by gasping audibly, jamming the brakes and jolting into a k-turn to go and check it out).
Here’s a photo of the boat in 2015 before it was raised up: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6YPJfKh993U8CZc82
February 14, 2018 at 7:59 am
tugster
Thx for the update, James. When I saw it last summer, it looks frail in spite of that new coat of paint. Now I understand why it looked so frail.
March 31, 2018 at 7:51 am
Deborah Felmey
Any idea if SV Richard Robbins has been put back out? She was one of three boats that my mother’s family owned; she sailed out of Port Norris. Brothers owned them, two were drowned when the load of oysters shifted and it flipped, trapping them in the pilot house. In the early 80’s she made the trip back to the shipyard that built her – and I sailed on her then; I’d love to find her again.
July 22, 2018 at 9:34 am
Dan Rimg
Where is the Richard Robbins located? Robbins is my wife’s family and we would like to see this?
July 22, 2018 at 9:45 am
tugster
I took this photo a yer ago in the back area of Liberty Landing Marina. Jersey City NJ
July 22, 2018 at 9:54 am
Dan Ring
Thank you for quick response. Are you saying that it has been raised and restored? I am sitting next to the daughter of one of the brothers who perished.
July 22, 2018 at 10:07 am
tugster
It sank again in 2015 with no injury. Some folks were saying last fall that she would be cut up. I have not been back to that marina since, so I don’t know if it’s still there. http://libertylandingmarina.com
October 28, 2018 at 7:21 pm
Karin Lochner
What a shame she ‘ll go to scrap and her end at Liberty Marina. This work boat bears so much history . Not enough interest and money perhaps to save them for the bay and teaching about traditions of bygone days. I
May 13, 2019 at 12:48 pm
Ruth Emmett
I worked as weekend outfitter/reservationist crew when she was owned by Dave Johnson and sailed out of North End Shipyard, near Rockland Harbor back in the 70s. Sad to see how things changed over the years.
May 13, 2019 at 6:20 pm
tugster
Thx, Ruth. I didn’t know RR worked in Maine.
July 11, 2019 at 7:58 pm
tugster
She was broken up today. :((
July 12, 2019 at 4:44 am
Deborah Felmey
darn…I’dve paid good money to have her nameplate since she started in our family and was the last of the 3 the Robbins brothers had.
July 12, 2019 at 6:11 am
James Malchow
Yeah. I would have liked to see if any of the metal boat fittings could be removed and reused.
July 23, 2022 at 3:09 pm
Yoel
I worked on this particular schooner, for two summer, back in 2002, and 2005, as first mate, and second mate, respectively. One of the best summers I ever had. The captain, Alan, was a a real gentleman.
July 26, 2022 at 5:36 am
tugster
Yoel– Thx. Unfortunately she was cut up.
May 30, 2023 at 10:49 am
Noah
Anyone know how to contact Alan Jadro, her former owner? I worked on her as first mate in the summer of 1987