With Madeira becoming a regular port of call for the Union and the Castle Lines, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and the African Steam Ship Company and others, Charles Ridpath's sons, Graham John, John Burden and Raleigh Blandy together with Maurice Faber, John Burden's brother-in-law, developed the shipping side of the business: steam tugs and larger lighters were built as well as steel water barges for the supply of water to steamers.

In order to ensure the supply of pure drinking water to shipping and to their offices and wine stores Blandy's laid down the first system of piped water. Up to that time drinking water was only available at a few public fountains.

A fleet of small coasting vessels was built for the coastal traffic and an Engineering and Repair yard managed by Raleigh Blandy. During World War II, the "Gavião", a 150 ton vessel, performed several useful services in the allied cause in the rescue of crews whose ships had been lost.

Blandy's heritage has also been tied to Madeira Wine since John Blandy came to Madeira with the British garrison in 1807, and established himself as a wine shipper in 1811. The initial house at Rua de S. Francisco Nº 8 and the adjacent spacious wine stores, is were the wine business continues to this day. Blandy's wines have been famous for quality since that time and are exported today all over the world.

Wine shippers in those early days often undertook the handling of the sailing vessel's business, receiving cargo and then shipping a cargo of wine, and it was in this way that a start was made in the shipping business.