M/V Captain Roberts, built for Sir George W. K. Roberts but destroyed in a storm that same year (1945)

by Eric Wiberg

MAILBOAT NAME: M/V Captain Roberts
PAST NAMES: not known – named after Sir George William Kelly Roberts’ father
DIMENSIONS: 111 feet long, shallow draft, Fairbanks Morse diesel motor, official # 176971
CONSTRUCTION: wood
YEAR BUILT:1945
BUILDER: Earl and Gerald Johnson of Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, Eleuthera
EARLY CAREER: ship never completed its maiden voyage 
BAHAMAS CAREER: As part of the fleet in the Richard Campbell Limited company she plied from Nassau to unknown out islands with mail and freight, but her career was cut short by a freak storm.
CAPTAINS: not known
FATE: sunk and destroyed in a freak storm which hit Harbour Island, during its maiden voyage, in October 1945. According the “The Harbour Island Story,” a number of boats were lost in the storm.
OWNERS: Sir George William Kelley Roberts, Harbour Island, Bahamas, owner of Richard Campbell Company Limited of Nassau. 
NOTES: There are three mailboats in Bahamian History named after Sir George W. K. Roberts’ sons: The M/V Richard Campbell, the M/V Gary Roberts, and the M/V Noel Roberts. There is the only one known to be named after one of his daughters – the S/V Alice Mabel. His father was a sea captain.

The following biography of Sir George W. K. Roberts was found at http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roberts-10989:

“George William Kelly Roberts, born in 19 Jul 1906 in Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas, was the second child of George Campbell Roberts (occupation: Mariner) and Nellie Maud Kelly.” 

And from http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roberts-10990:

“George Campbell Roberts was born November 29th, 1880 in Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas to William Roberts (merchant) and Maria Elizabeth Johnson.[1] George was a seaman when married Nellie Maud Kelly of Harbour Island in the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Harbour Island on September 10th 1902. Their wedding certificate was witnessed by Harvey B. Roberts and Annie Felecia Higgs.[2] He was a mariner when his son George William Kelly was born on July 19th 1906. George advanced to Captain[3] and was a civil servant upon his death on May 10th, 1940 in St. Anne’s Parish, New Providence, Bahamas.[4]“

Source: “Harbour Island Story,” by Anne & Jim Lawlor, MacMillan Caribbean, 2008, p.151

Thanks to Mrs. Eldwyth J. Roberts and Danielle Roberts of Abaco, descendants of Sir George Roberts’ for their assistance.