Merchant Ships: Various

Clyde

2020

Introduction

As of this year any non-military nautical traffic photographed on the Clyde, including Marine Scotland and Border Force vessels, will be listed on a single Merchant Shipping page. A combination of less ships coming upriver to Clydebank or the Glasgow city docks, currently further reduced as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, and less opportunity for me to get out and snap any vessels that do appear, means that it`s no longer worthwhile creating individual pages each year for bulk carriers, tankers, container ships and coasters etc. Now, these vessels will be listed in chronological order with the most recent entry at the bottom of the page.

Due to circumstances I didn`t start paying attention to river traffic until April. My first `ship shot` of 2020 was the Bulk Carrier Sebat, heading downriver on her way out to sea on 15 April after calling at Shieldhall, Glasgow. If and when I get the time, I plan to redo pages from previous years to include all merchant types together, but meantime here are links to my original bulk carrier pages, some of which are incomplete. Entries relating to ships in other categories, both in the UK and abroad, can be found via the search box.

April 2020

Sebat

I snapped the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier Sebat (IMO: 9151383) from Newshot Island at Erskine on the afternoon of Wednesday 15 April 2020 as she made her way out to sea after a visit to Shieldhall. The bulker had left the town of Dernice, Turkey, on March 21 and sailed via Istanbul to Liverpool then north to the Clyde with soda ash after partially discharging her cargo on the Mersey. Derince`s port is one of the few ports in Turkey under government control, in its case operated by Turkish State Railways.

I very rarely see anyone on the fields at Newshot Island and as it`s only a few minutes walk from home, it`s an ideal location for a bit of daily exercise during the pandemic lockdown. Although Glasgow Airport`s Runway 23 was operational, there was absolutely no airborne traffic whatsoever, the scanner was dead and the sky above was devoid of contrails from high-flying jets - very unusual on such a clear day, especially at this time of year.

Sebat was built in Japan in 1997. Her carrying capacity is 18,315 tonnes DWT and her current draught is reported to be 5.2 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is just under 150 metres. Previous names are Sir Henry and Rubin Lark and she is currently owned and managed by Hellas Marine Services, Athens.

It looked as though only some of the vessel`s crew were wearing face coverings. There is still some debate as to whether these types of masks offer protection from Coronavirus, although they may prevent an infected person from passing it on. A couple of Roe Deer (below left) bounded off in the distance as Sebat sailed past.

After heading down the Firth, the big ship dropped anchor off the southern end of Arran to await further orders.

Murray Star

On Tuesday 21 April, after spending just over a week anchored in Brodick Bay, Maltese-flagged tanker Murray Star (IMO 9527635) finally made her way to the Clydebank Oil Terminal at Rothesay Dock. The day before, for the first time ever, US oil prices turned negative after oil producers ran out of space to store the oversupply of crude left by the Coronavirus crisis, triggering an historic market collapse which left oil traders reeling. The price of US crude crashed from $18 a barrel to -$38 in a matter of hours, as rising stockpiles forced oil producers to pay buyers to take away the barrels they couldn`t store!

Murray Star`s details are: Gross tonnage 8,581 tons (DWT 13,019 tons); Year of build 2011; Builder 21st Century Shipbuilding of Tongyoung, South Korea. She is currently owned and managed by Rigel Schiffahrt of Bremen, Germany. The Kilpatrick Hills were still very much ablaze due to a wildfire which had broken out almost 24 hours previously. Gale force winds had escalated the situation to such an extent that on Monday evening the Fire Service abandoned their efforts to contain the blaze until morning. Towering flames on the ridge, even more dramatic against the clear night sky, could be seen from miles away.

The blaze continued throughout Tuesday with the smoke plumes being blown well beyond Dumbarton. Bell 212 G-BIGB appeared over my house late afternoon. This large all-white chopper, which dates from 1977, had been brought in to assist with the fire-fighting operation, possibly transporting personnel as well as acting as an `eye-in-the-sky`.

On this occasion Greenock-based tug Battler led the way for Murray Star with Ayton Cross bringing up the rear.

Above: The Newshot Island reed bed. The massive plume of smoke from the wildfire can be seen in the distance.

The tanker had sailed from Kalundborg which is located about 68 miles (110 km) west of the Danish capital Copenhagen on the island of Zealand. The municipal self-governing port plays a central role in the town's economy. Facilities include a container terminal and Statoil Refining Denmark operates the country`s largest oil refinery on the harbour with a capacity of 6.6 million tons of oil products per annum. As of 2015, the port is being expanded with a new west harbour on the south side of the Asnæs peninsula.

Newshot Island hasn`t been an actual island for many, many decades. In years gone by, when shipping on the Clyde was at its peak, there was a constant battle to keep the riverbed free of silt and sand and the area around Newshot Island was particularly troublesome. During dredging operations, numerous wooden mud punts were filled and towed further downriver to dump the spoil. Many were abandoned and can still be found, scattered along the muddy stretch of riverbank at Newshot alongside several wrecked wooden schooners which were towed here and dumped after they were damaged in a serious fire at Glasgow`s Kingston Dock in 1914.

The punts, along with the larger vessels, are fully exposed at low tide. In addition to the wooden schooners, there`s this steel-hulled craft which experts believe could possibly be the world`s first purpose-built diving-bell boat. The pillar at the stern supported a crane which lowered and raised the specialised equipment.

I took a walk out to the wrecks several years ago, on a day when the tide was exceptionally low. The whole area can be extremely hazardous underfoot with hidden channels and very soft sand and mud, even in fine weather. Warning signs discourage exploration and although I have wandered over the adjacent fields on many occasions, Newshot Island should be avoided during storms or flood conditions, especially during high spring tides.

The above drone image © SCHARP (Scotland`s Heritage at Risk).

FPV Minna & FPV Hirta

Marine Scotland`s Patrol Vessel Minna is seen here passing Newshot island en route to Glasgow`s KGV Dock on the morning of Sunday 26 April 2020. Marine Scotland was formed on 1 April 2009, when the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) and Fisheries Research Services were merged with the Scottish Government Marine Directorate. MPV Minna was built at Ferguson's Shipyard, Port Glasgow, and was launched in 2003. She is 42 metres in length, has a gross tonnage of 781, and normally operates with a crew of 15. With a top speed of 14 knots she is used mainly for inshore enforcement tasks.

Riverbank erosion is an ongoing problem on the Upper Clyde, particularly between Erskine and Renfrew and it`s not just stretches of soft, sandy banking being undercut. Sizeable lengths of the stone embankment and concrete supports beside the Riverside Walkway west of Park Quay near Erskine`s Riverside Shopping Centre, have crumbled or been swept into the water over the years. Given the current financial situation repairs will likely be a very low priority.

Marine Scotland is a non-military government agency, but the rest of UK waters are the responsibility of the Royal Navy. The Fishery Protection Squadron is the RN`s oldest front-line squadron - even Admiral Lord Nelson served in it. Originally, the squadron was based on the coast of North America, Iceland and the UK, patrolling much of the North Atlantic against French and American incursions.

Over the past hundred years it has been slimmed down to follow a more policing-oriented approach, dealing mainly with infringements by civilian fishermen. Despite this, the Fishery Protection Squadron still has a strong military role, as evidenced in its role in the Cod Wars of the 1960s-1970s. With a small headquarters staff based at Portsmouth, the FPS currently utilises a number of River-class offshore patrol vessels and a helicopter.

The FPS not only carries out inspections of all fishing boats in UK waters but can act as an arbitrator between rival vessels when disputes arise. Access for foreign fishing boats following the Brexit transition period is still under discussion but overfishing by non-British vessels has always been an emotive and politically sensitive issue. Regaining control of Britain’s rich fishing waters was a major factor for many Brexit campaigners before the country formally left the EU, but many British fishing communities rely heavily on selling to EU markets, particularly with regard to shellfish. Although the majority of Scots voted to remain in the EU, Scotland’s fishing industry overwhelmingly voted for Brexit in June 2016 so that the UK could take back control of its waters.

The water level was fairly low when Minna sailed upriver. A small stretch of beach was exposed opposite the old John Brown`s Shipyard, the company responsible for producing many of the world`s most famous ships. I noticed small sections of thick chain, most of which were still anchored to algae-covered rocks, amongst the pebbles and debris.

No doubt this side of the river here was once a busy place, especially in the days leading up to a launch, when support craft and smaller vessels such as safety boats would be standing by. The chains may have been among those used to help slow ships being launched, or secure them after they came to rest in the river, once the huge slipway drag chains on the opposite bank had done their work.

I didn`t wait to catch Brufjell which was following on about 20 minutes behind Minna. The St. Vincent-flagged coaster was delivering soda ash from Liepaja, Latvia, which was off loaded at Shieldhall. She made a quick turnaround and left the following morning. Her next port of call was Ballangen in Norway.

Around lunchtime on Tuesday 28 April, Hirta, (below) sailed upriver to berth alongside Minna at the KGV.

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May 2020

Eeborg

Superb weather greeted Netherlands-flagged cargo ship Eeborg (IMO Number: 9568328) when she sailed upriver to Glasgow on Wednesday 6 May. Built in 2012 by Dutch firm Niestern Sander Delfzijl, she is currently owned and managed by Wagenborg Shipping. On this occasion Eeborg was delivering agricultural products which were discharged at Shieldhall.

The Fire & Rescue Service`s boat St Mungo 2 motored past rippling the water just before lead tug Ayton Cross sailed into view round the Dalmuir bend.

Eeborg is 145 metres in length with a Gross tonnage of 7,680 tons. (DWT 12,000 tons).

Skylark, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler were all active in or around the Newshot Island salt marsh but proved challenging to photograph.

These were my best Sedge Warbler shots.

Numerous Orange-tip butterflies were flitting around an isolated clump of flowers in the breeze, landing only briefly.

FPV Hirta

Late morning on Tuesday 19 May, FPV Hirta of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency was en route to the King George V Dock at Glasgow again. Just before I nipped over to Newshot Island to catch her, I saw the police helicopter from the house, circling in the area of the Erskine Bridge, obviously in response to a call out. As I made my way out to the very tip of the island, a call from Bowling Coastguard heard over the scanner confirmed that there was a report of a body in the water. The crew of the Fisheries Protection vessel were asked to keep a lookout.

Given the location, it`s likely that the emergency services were in attendance following the report of a jumper from the bridge. In any case, it`s a reminder that many emotionally disturbed, and often desperate people suffering from mental illness throughout the UK are unable to access appropriate care during the current Coronavirus crisis, sometimes with tragic consequences. The Erskine Bridge became notorious as a suicide spot but it was only after two young teenage girls, absconders from a nearby secure unit, plunged to their deaths hand-in-hand in October 2009, that long-overdue plans were put in place to upgrade the barriers. Although the new structures are not totally insurmountable, their addition has drastically cut down the number of these sad incidents.

The water level was fairly high and a few cormorants were roosting on or beside the dilapidated wooden gantry which may have once held a navigation light. A pair of Red-breasted Merganser, or perhaps Goosander, were drifting close-in to shore but disappeared as Hirta approached.

An unidentified helicopter using a `Pipeline` call-sign crossed the Clyde at the Erskine Bridge and continued over the airport, routing for Inverkip. Another Marine Scotland vessel, Minna left the KGV mid-afternoon and headed back out to sea.

Sometimes at Erskine the ships pass close enough for onlookers to overhear what`s being said by the crew on deck.

"Ah ken ah should huv insisted oan a Macaw, but the guy in the pet shoap said this wan wiz a stoatin` talker!"

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Mila

On Wednesday 20 May, I caught general cargo ship Mila (IMO: 9501681) from the roadside as she passed the Newshot Island reed bed at Erskine. Her deck was stacked with wind turbine blades, the first such cargo I`d seen destined for Glasgow for a few years. They used to be fairly frequent. Her latest voyage had originated in Izmir, Turkey, and I believe the components were picked up at Ceuta, Spain. Mila was built in 2013 and currently sails under the flag of Antigua Barbuda. Her carrying capacity is 8,227t DWT and her draught is reported to be 6.9 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 128.95 meters and her width is 16.61 meters.

BBC Georgia

BBC Georgia arrived from Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday 28 May during a spell of superb summer weather. This vessel is also designated a General Cargo Ship but, with a DWT 12,796 tons (Gross tonnage 9,625 tons) is considerably larger than Mila featured in the previous entry. Like Mila, she flies the national colours of Antigua Barbuda. BBC Georgia dates from 2008, a product of SANFU (fortunately not SNAFU!) Ship Engineering, at Taizhou, Central Jiangsu, China. German operator Bockstiegel Reederei of Emden currently own and manage the vessel.

I snapped BBC Georgia from the fields above Longhaugh Point near Bishopton as she made her way upriver to the King George V Dock but I`m unaware as to whether she was carrying cargo. It was a quick turnaround and she left the next day in the late afternoon sunshine, showing Panama as her next port of call.

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June

On 19 May, BBC News reported that three cruise ships from the Azamara Line were due to be berthed at Glasgow amid a dispute related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peel Ports initially planned to receive a number of vessels from different companies with skeleton crews for short-term lay-ups at Greenock`s Ocean Terminal and at Glasgow`s King George V Dock, but Inverclyde Council strongly opposed the move. The Council feared added pressure on an already stretched Health Service as Inverclyde was at that time the worst-hit area in Scotland for Coronavirus-related deaths. However, Peel Ports maintained there was a strict, well-established protocol in place, and that there was no reason to treat cruise ships with minimal crews any differently to cargo vessels. Even so, in light of mounting local unease, Peel Ports agreed to cancel their plans to berth cruise ships at Greenock.

With cruise programmes suspended for the foreseeable future, several other ships were laid-up on the Forth due to lack of demand including the Black Watch, Braemar and Balmoral. Even two of P&O`s Dover-Calais car ferries Pride of Burgundy and Pride of Canterbury ended up at Leith. On 22 June, Norwegian cruise ships Viking Sky, Viking Sea and Viking Sun arrived at Belfast, Northern Ireland, to lay-up there.

Azamara Pursuit

The first of the Azamara cruise ships to arrive on the Clyde for lay-up was Azamara Pursuit, which made her way upriver to the KGV Dock on Monday 1 June. She had been due to berth around 09:00 hrs, which coincided with the first high tide of the day. My plan was to head along to Gourock early to get some initial shots of the ship with Arran as a backdrop but my vision may have been a bit blurry so, taking the lead from Prime Minister Boris Johnson`s Chief Adviser Dominic Cummings, I had a quick run down to Carlisle and back first to check my eyesight. It was a 220 mile round trip but it confirmed that I was okay to drive along the coast to get my photos!

This ship has undergone several owners and name changes since being built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at their shipyard in St. Nazaire, France in 2001. Originally constructed as the last of eight 'R' class ships for Renaissance Cruises, Azamara Pursuit was first known as R Eight, and entered service that year, however, almost immediately Renaissance ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy. The vessel was seized by creditors and laid up in Marseilles, France.

She returned to service in 2003, this time as the sole cruise ship in Swan Hellenic's fleet. She became Minerva II, named after both the Roman goddess and the company's previous vessel, Minerva. Minerva II completed her final voyage with Swan Hellenic in April 2007 and was transferred by the parent company to Princess Cruises. She was renamed Royal Princess. On 18 June 2009, a major fire broke out in her engine room while off the coast of Egypt on a 12-day Holy Land cruise and as result the ship was temporarily withdrawn from service.

Royal Princess was subsequently transferred to the P&O Cruises fleet and was renamed Adonia. In March 2013, two of the ship's passengers, believed to be a man in his 70s and a woman in her 50s, were shot in Bridgetown, Barbados, on her 2013 world cruise. Both were taken to hospital after the incident and additional support was provided by the ship's staff and medical team.

After completing a major refit in 2016, Adonia became involved in a new project transporting travellers who wanted to work alongside local communities to assist in areas such as education, the environment and economic development. She sailed out of Miami to the Dominican Republic and Cuba on an alternating weekly basis. On 2 May 2016, Adonia docked in the port of Havana, becoming the first ship belonging to a U.S. cruise line that had sailed from the U.S. to Cuba in over 50 years. In November 2016, these voyages were discontinued and Adonia returned to Carnival’s P&O Cruises fleet. Thereafter followed another transfer of ownership, this time to her current operator Azamara. Following yet another name change, Azamara Pursuit underwent a substantial refit at Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, bringing her decor and image into line with Azamara's other ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest.

Her first cruise under Azamara Club Cruises took place on 13 August 2018. I took the following shot of sister ship Azamara Quest from my hotel room in Sorrento, Italy, in 2017. Nautica is alongside.

On 2 March 2020, Azamara Pursuit set off from Buenos Aires, Argentina, on a cruise that was scheduled to end in Lima, Peru, on 23 March. Carrying 675 passengers and 389 crew, she left Ushuaia, Argentina, on 8 March 2020. She was then denied landing at Puerto Chacabuco, Chile, after Chilean authorities suspected that she was carrying passengers infected with Coronavirus. However, the company said that it had confirmed that there were no positive cases on board. From Chile, the `Pursuit began sailing to Miami, via the Panama Canal, with all passengers and crew still on board.

By 24 March, she was off the coast of Ecuador, and finally arrived in Miami on 29 March; no passengers had become ill from Coronavirus during the cruise. They were all subsequently off loaded and the ship sailed across the Atlantic with only the crew on board.

Azamara Pursuit is pictured above passing the Cloch en route to Greenock.

Next, a brief stop at Lyle Hill, an outstanding and easily accessible vantage point. Tugs Ayton Cross and Svitzer Milford met the `Pursuit at the the Tail of the Bank and escorted her all the way upriver to Glasgow.

I had hoped to catch her again from the Erskine Bridge but the Dumbarton (west) side was closed to pedestrians and cyclists so I walked out to the tip of Newshot Island from the house. With the previous month setting the record for the sunniest May since records began, and the sunniest in Scotland since 1955, the ground was very dry and any long-lasting pools had completely evaporated.

The preceding days had been quite breezy but the wind had dropped considerably enabling a decent reflection to form all along this stretch.

A very Happy Crew - possibly due to the fact that with no passengers on board they now have complete use of the facilities!

Above images © Travel Weekly.

A few Gannets flew past at the Cloch and along at Erskine there were lots of Skylark, plus a few Cormorants, Mute Swans and a Magpie chick.

The last shots of the Azamara Pursuit were taken as she approached the Titan Crane at Clydebank.

Peak Bordeaux

Wednesday 10 June 2020 saw the first heavy rain of the month, but there was a respite for a couple of hours around midday when Peak Bordeaux (IMO: 9545039) sailed past the Riverside Walkway beside Erskine`s Bridgewater Shopping Centre. The vessel had reached this point sailing from Aveiro, Portugal, on a voyage lasting 4 days.

Most of the Clyde between the Erskine Bridge and Glasgow City Centre is steeply banked with concrete protection along both sides of the river. Erosion, especially between the Erskine Bridge Hotel and the Cart confluence has been a problem for years causing the edge of the Riverside Walkway to crumble and fall into the water. Patch up operations take place periodically and I saw the latest efforts when I went down to snap this inbound vessel. Geese overwinter here in their hundreds but these overflying birds were an unexpected sighting at this time of year.

This general cargo ship was built in 2011 and is presently sailing under the flag of the Netherlands. Gross Tonnage: 2,978 (DWT: 3,931 t) and her current draught is reported to be 4.4 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is just under 90 meters with a width of 14.056 meters. After offloading her cargo of wind turbine parts at Glasgow`s KGV, Peak Bordeaux left light for Invergordon on the afternoon of June 12.

Oceanic

Oceanic (IMO:9624550) arrived upriver on Friday 12 June, having brought a deck full of wind turbine blades from Izmir in Turkey. This general cargo vessel dates from 2012, a product of the Partner Shipyard at Szczecin in Poland. Her original name was Ocean which she kept until receiving her current identity in 2018. Currently sailing under the flag of the Netherlands, her vital statistics are: gross tonnage is 2,989 tons; Deadweight 3,000 tons; Length 92 m and Breadth 14 metres. Oceanic is owned and managed by Global Seatrade, a company based in Urk, a municipality and town in the Flevoland province in the central Netherlands. She left Glasgow for her next next port, Gedynia located on Gdańsk Bay in Poland, on the morning of June 15.

Transwind

On Sunday 14 June 2020, I went down to the old Erskine Harbour just east of the bridge to catch this one. It was another overcast day and there was no one else around. The rain stayed off and there would have likely been a decent reflection were it not for a slight breeze. Two swans added to the ripples.

Ayton Cross and Svitzer Milford provided escort.

Transwind (IMO: 9537472) was built in 2009 and is currently sailing under the flag of Portugal. Her former names were Sanna and Skagen. A product of Zhejiang Haifeng Shipbuilding, Linhai, China, she is 147 metres in length with a Gross tonnage of 11,927 tons (16, 807 tons DWT). On this occasion she was delivering agricultural products and had sailed here from Derince in Turkey via Londonderry.

Cembay

Tuesday 16 June 2020: Cembay is a familiar sight on the Upper Clyde having transported cement to and from Glasgow city docks for many years. This time it was heading for the KGV to unload a supply from Belfast. Built by the Slip shipyard at Rybinsk in Russia, but completed by Peters at Wewelsfleth in Germany in 1997, Cembay began life as a conventional coaster named Borneo but was almost immediately renamed Gutshof. By 1999 she had reverted to her original name.

In 2005, she was acquired by her present German owners and converted in Poland to become a specialised cement carrier, placed under the management of the Briese group, and renamed Cembay. As such, she now has a deadweight of 4,216 tonnes and is 88.2 metres in length. The same company operates similar vessels, all of which have visited the Clyde over the years.

After leaving Glasgow, Cembay`s next port of call was Santander in northern Spain.

Azamara Quest

Azamara Quest sailed upriver on the second high tide of Friday 19 June, which unfortunately for photographers coincided with sundown. This wouldn`t necessarily have been a problem on one of the longest days of the year but overcast skies made it a dull affair. Even so, I haven`t seen the Erskine / Clydebank stretch of the Clyde as busy with sightseers since the Commonwealth Games Flotilla passed by en route to the City Centre six years ago.

Around the same time that the `Quest approached Braehead, the last of the trio, Azamara Journey, originally due at Glasgow on Monday 22 June, was off northern Portugal. Like her predecessors, she would have to be deep-cleaned on arrival at the KGV and this gave the reception committee time to prepare.

The water level when the big ship passed Newshot Island was almost high enough to cover all of the sand forming the inner pool of the reed bed but Oystercatchers had begun to gather at the far end to feed on an exposed area in the fading light...

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Eems Dover, Azamara Journey and Garrion Owl

Wednesday 24 June 2020 was a fairly busy day on the Clyde with coaster Eems Dover and cruise ship Azamara Journey arriving at Glasgow`s King George V Dock, plus American Supply Ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) departing the MOD depot at Loch Striven. Bro Distributor was bound for Clydebank but joined her sister Bro Developer and two other larger tankers, Frankopan and Sloman Helios in Brodick Bay to await a slot, the latter three bound for the Finnart Oil Terminal on Loch Long. Tug Garrion Owl sailed upriver behind the `Journey, heading for the Clyde Boatyard at Rothesay Dock.

Eems Dover (IMO: 9613630) was delivering wind turbine components from Rostock, Germany.

Eems Dover was built in 2012 by Shipkits-Groningen, Netherlands and currently sailing under the flag of that country. Formerly known as Eems Doves#X, Eems and Abis Dover, the vessel has a gross tonnage of 5,198 tons. She is now owned and managed by Abis Shipping, Harlingen.

The arrival of the last of the three cruise ships destined for Glasgow was well publicised and combined with fine weather the event became a major attraction. Most of the publicly accessible vantage points were well attended, the most popular soon becoming congested, and as it was unlikely that all spectators would exercise the recommended social distancing, I decided to head for the Kilpatrick Hills. Normally on a sunny day shots of the Clyde have to be taken directly into the sun from here but the sky was partially overcast. It was very warm but heat haze wasn`t a problem either. I had my chosen spot to myself and was able to monitor the `Journey`s journey from Longhaugh Point at Bishopton all the way to the entrance to the KGV.

Another of the R-class cruise ships, Azamara Journey was built in 2000 at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire for Renaissance Cruises as R Six. After the bankruptcy of Renaissance Cruises, she sailed for Pullmantur Cruises who renamed her Blue Star in 2003 and then Blue Dream in 2005. When last in service she had a capacity of 694 passengers (double occupancy), plus 390 crew members. Her Gross register tonnage is 30,277 tons.

Approaching the Erskine Bridge: As the west (Dumbarton) side was closed to pedestrians and cyclists due to maintenance work, only a couple of people opted to stand on the Glasgow side and watch her sailing away towards the city.

Above: Eems Dover passing the crowded walkway at the Braehead Shopping Centre. The first two Azamara-line cruise ships tower above the IKEA store which only opened a couple of days before and would likely be just as busy! The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, at the forefront of Glasgow`s fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, is in the background.

A packed stretch of the Clyde Riverside Walkway beside Erskine`s Bridgewater Shopping Centre. Most of the publicly accessible vantage points were congested and not all spectators would be exercising recommended social distancing. As can be seen on the left hand side of the shot, work to repair the badly eroded embankment here has resumed following some easing of the lockdown restrictions.

I took the above views of the ongoing work a few days later.

The Azamara Journey heading for lay-up with her sisters at the KGV, plus a Virgin A330 and numerous BA Airbuses in long term storage at nearby Glasgow Airport, act as a small reminder of the catastrophic impact that the pandemic has had on the travel / leisure industry worldwide, with worse yet to come.

Erskine`s Garnieland Road which overlooks Newshot Island was another popular viewpoint.

Above: Eems Dover slowly heads into the KGV to berth. HMS Spey (P234), the last of five River-class Batch 2 Patrol Vessels to be built on the Clyde for the Royal Navy, can be seen bottom right. She was launched on 19 June 2019 further upriver at Govan and is currently being fitted out at BAE Systems` Scotstoun yard. She is due to be commissioned next year.

Following on behind the cruise ship and unconnected with her arrival was MV Garrion Owl which had sailed up from Girvan, South Ayrshire. This wee tug, previously named RM Listrac of tsmgroup.eu, was recently sold to Offshore Workboats Ltd (OWL) of Glasgow and given her current identity. She has a bollard pull of 20 tons provided by Deutz M528 @ 1060-hp. Garrion Owl departed Bordeaux on Friday 22 May 2020 and arrived at Girvan on the 25th, making the 750 mile trip in 75 hours at an average speed of 10 knots. Thereafter she was slipped, surveyed and painted as well as having an autopilot fitted.

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HC Eva Marie

Yet another batch of wind turbine towers was brought to Glasgow on a very blustery Monday 29 June, this time by HC Eva Marie (IMO:9369071). Had the weather been better, I`d have went down to Erskine Harbour and caught her coming under the bridge but I decided to stay dry in the car and settle for a quick snap as she passed Newshot Island.

HC Eva Marie dates from 2007 and since being built by the Damen Shipyard at Gorinchem in the Netherlands, she has undergone several name changes: originally sailing as Yepa, this was changed to Maxima within a couple of months. Then it was Nordana Maxima before reverting to Maxima, a name which she kept until receiving her current identity in November 2013.

Like many of the cargo ships that visit the Clyde, she flies the colours of Antigua & Barbuda. She is currently owned and managed by IMM Shipping Management of Ahrensburg, Germany. She has a Gross Tonnage of 7,878 tons (DWT 11,104 tons). Her length overall (LOA) is 145.63 meters and her width is 18.25 meters.

July

Annelise Theresa

It was pouring down with rain on the morning of Saturday 4 July when Danish-flagged oil/chemical tanker Annelise Theresa made her way upriver to Rothesay Dock. She was delivering grades from the Port of Plymouth on England`s south coast. A product of Mingde Heavy Industry, Nantong, China, she dates from 2009 and is currently on the strength of Herning Shipping of Denmark. Due to the adverse weather, it was another shot from inside the car as she passed Newshot Island.

Cembay returns

Glasgow International has seen an increase in military training flights during the lockdown although Prestwick Airport continues to attract the vast majority of military movements, whether with regard to training, repositioning across the Atlantic or aircraft on delivery. Having already photographed Cembay just last month I wasn`t going to bother when she sailed upriver to the KGV Dock again on Tuesday 7 July. A chance glance at flight tracking website adsbexchange.com, however, revealed that I`d just missed a NATO E-3 Sentry which had made a go-around of Runway 23 a few minutes before. Then a German Air Force Global 5000 VIP transport called up requesting permission to do a couple of similar manoeuvres so I headed across Newshot Island opposite the Titan Crane to catch it close in.

The sky was overcast but heat haze spoiled shots of the jet and distant views of Cembay which coincidentally appeared soon after the Global`s second pass. The fields were quite colourful with masses of buttercup-like flowers and thistles in bloom attracting numerous two-toned smokey brown coloured butterflies. Seven Cormorants flew down river together while I was waiting for the coaster to reach my vantage point. Pied Wagtails were hopping over the exposed sand and seaweed covered rocks picking off insects.

As per the previous occasion Cembay was on a cement run from Belfast. She left light for Dunkirk the following afternoon.

Atlantic Twin

Monday 13 July 2020: The oil / chemical tanker Atlantic Twin (IMO: 9341328) sailed under the Erskine Bridge around 18:00 hrs on the final stage of her journey to deliver grades to the Rothesay Dock Oil Terminal at Clydebank. Local tug Battler had went ahead and was in position beside the Titan Crane, ready to assist with manoeuvres. Svitzer Anglegarth was tied on at the stern.

Flights at Glasgow Airport had begun to pick up with KLM operating two Boeing 737 flights per day and easyJet back in action on a limited basis.

I hadn`t seen Atlantic Twin before. She dates from 2008, a product of the Norwegian Vard Brevik shipyard. She currently flies the flag of Gibraltar and on this occasion she had sailed from Mongstad.

The tanker`s former identities were Atlep4IC Twin (2017, Gibraltar), B (2017, Gibraltar), Maasen (2013, Norway), and Marida Notos (2008). She is owned and managed by Peters Carl F. of Hamburg. Stats are: Gross tonnage 10,549 tons (Deadweight 15,212 tons), Length 149 m.

These shots were taken from the Riverside Walkway at Erskine, near the Bridgewater Shopping Centre, and for much of the year the adjacent fields are occupied by a stud of heavy horses which, in between sampling lots of carrots and assorted munchies from the locals, keep the grass well-trimmed. The hungry horses haven`t appeared yet, possibly due to circumstances connected with the recent lockdown, so they`ve got a lot of work to do when they finally do appear.

Amke

More wind turbine parts, this time delivered by Amke (IMO: 9374387), another general cargo vessel built SANFU Ship Engineering in China. She completed the final leg of her journey, which had originated in Taranto, Italy, on Tuesday 14 July 2020, having been at the B1 anchorage off Greenock since the 12th awaiting a slot. Amke dates from 2006 and has visited the Clyde many times over the years. Prior to receiving her current identity in 2017, she previously sailed as AMHD4 and Strandplate. At 115 metres in length she is slightly longer than most of the coasters seen on the river. Although she sails under the flag of Portugal she is owned and managed by Briese Schiffahrt, of Leer, Germany.

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August

Cemvale and Ham 316

August means dredging time on the Upper Clyde but this year, rather than WD Mersey or Shoalway and her sisters which have been tasked with the clean-up in in the past, Ham 316 arrived on 5 October. The Dutch-flagged suction dredger was ably assisted by tug Afon Cefni (below) which had sailed up from Holyhead in Wales. Although both vessels were operating between the Tail of the Bank and the Upper Clyde for a couple of weeks, the following `top half-only` shot is the only one I have of the Afon`.

Cemvale

Saturday 8 August 2020, saw Cemvale city-bound on the cement run from Belfast. She was running just a few hundred metres ahead of the Ham` and as it was a still, clear morning, I headed down to the old Erskine Harbour, just east of the bridge. The excellent reflection only lasted until the coaster`s wake rippled the scene.

The moon was still visible...

Ham 316

Ham 316 passing the old Erskine ferry slipway.

Ham 316 is just one of 24 trailing suction hopper dredgers in the Van Oord fleet. This Dutch-owned company, which operates globally, also has a variety of vessels including other types of dredger, stone dumping craft, cable-laying barges and offshore installation vessels.

A trailing suction hopper dredger, like Ham 316 and her sisters, has large, powerful pumps and engines that enable it to dredge sand, clay, sludge and even gravel from sea or river beds. The vessel stores the dredged material in its own hopper and discharges the leftover water overboard. The hopper can be emptied in a variety of ways which include depositing the material through doors or valves on the bottom of the vessel; using pumps and jets to make the material fluid again and pump it ashore through a pipeline, or rainbowing, where the hopper contents are pumped directly from the vessel to the desired site.

Waverley

The paddle steamer Waverley had been due to sail to Rothesay on Friday 21 August on its first voyage after a long absence following costly repairs to her boilers but a last-minute technical issue left many would-be passengers disappointed. They had to settle for a tour below decks at the quayside rather than the scheduled trip Doon-the-Watter.

Fortunately the matter was resolved in time for the following morning`s excursion to Loch Long and, unlike the previous day, the sun even made an appearance. I took these shots as the historic vessel passed the Riverside Walkway at Erskine. Unsurprisingly, passenger numbers had been drastically reduced due to COVID but there didn`t seem to be a great deal of social distancing out on deck and not a face covering to be seen.

Waverley`s return to operations, however, was to be short-lived.

It may well be that these will be my last ever shots of the iconic vessel underway. (see following entry).

September

It`s not only aerial re-starts that struggled this month. On Thursday 3 September, a number of passengers were injured after the paddle steamer Waverley collided with Brodick Pier on Arran. The alarm was raised at about 17:15 hrs and various agencies responded including Scottish Fire and Rescue, Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland. A Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick, plus two Heli-med air ambulances were dispatched, along with the Arran Coastguard Rescue Team.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said that of the 213 passengers and 26 crew that were on board Waverley at the time, 24 people reported injuries, mostly of a minor nature. These casualties were treated at the scene but several with suspected head and spinal injuries were transferred to hospital, either on Arran by road, or on the mainland by helicopter. Most of the passengers stranded on the island were later returned to Ardrossan by an emergency sailing of a CalMac ferry.

Passengers both on board Waverley and on the pier described how she came in bow first at speed, clearly much faster than normal. The resultant impact, accompanied by a loud bang, brought the steamer to a sudden stop. Many people fell over where they stood, or were launched headlong along the decks. (Waverley accident images © Herald Scotland).

Waverley was built by A & J Inglis of Glasgow and launched in October 1946. Her maiden voyage was on 16 June 1947 and she has been sailing frequently ever since, not just in Scottish waters, but at various locations around the UK. She had only recently resumed operations after a two-year layoff, missing out on the entire 2019 season due to a lack of funding for essential repairs. An appeal was launched last June and hit its target in December after receiving a £1 million grant from the Scottish government. She is seen here at James Watt Dock in Greenock, minus funnels, at the turn of the year. They had to be removed so that her new boilers could be fitted.

Trips `Doon the Watter` on the historic vessel are very popular and many people were eagerly awaiting her return to service; then her first scheduled sailing of the year was cancelled due to an unexpected technical and administration issue. The ship, described as the world's last seagoing paddle steamer, is fast becoming one of the unluckiest! Waverley has been involved in numerous accidents over the years but only a few have been relatively serious. Recent mishaps include colliding with the pier at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute and striking the breakwater at Dunoon.

The latest damage will take hundreds of thousands of pounds to repair and sourcing the necessary capital will be problematical, especially during the current pandemic. She was already operating a very short, socially distanced, summer season and usually runs at a loss. Even if she did get back in action next year, which is highly unlikely, passenger numbers would still have to be well below capacity.

Joint Warrior 20:02

Twice a year the UK hosts Exercise Joint Warrior which is designed to enable the armed forces of participating countries to practice procedures and operate as a multi-national coalition. The event incorporates a wide variety of training scenarios, and each can include small boat attacks, boarding operations, large-scale amphibious assaults, air defence and anti-submarine warfare. Although JW 20:01 went ahead in March despite the escalating Coronavirus situation, it was on a far smaller scale than usual and there wasn`t much evidence of increased naval activity on the upper Clyde.

The second of this year`s Joint Warriors (see October`s entry below) ran from 4 October until 15 October 2020 and, as usual, some of the warships involved arrived on the Clyde several days before kick-off for a pre-exercise briefing. Normally the crews would also enjoy some time ashore, but this wasn`t the case in 2020. Some of the planes involved, including these Breguet Atlantic Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the French Navy and Cobham Aviation Falcon, took up temporary residence at Prestwick Airport for the duration of the exercise, with others calling in.

The French Navy`s FS Premier-Maître L'Her (F792) was the first warship to berth at Glasgow prior to the exercise, sailing upriver on a gloomy 30 September.

Of all the non-military ships to appear on the Clyde while exercise 20:2 was running, by far the most interesting was Southern Star. This hardy wee vessel made her way upriver to the Clyde Boatyard at Rothesay Dock on Wednesday 30 September at 18:00 hrs soon after the French warship had passed. Southern Star was built in 1973 by Carrington Slipways in Tomaga, Australia, as a Patrol Vessel for the Australian Government. She entered service the following year, operating along the country`s North East coast, which includes the Great Barrier Reef, transferring lighthouse and pilot station personnel while supplying necessary equipment and provisions.

In 1988, she was sold to the Falkland Islands Government and after extensive modification and refurbishment, undertook scientific work in the surrounding waters. She arrived in the UK in 1992 and after further modifications served as a Survey and Diving Support vessel. In 1996/97 she carried out an archaeological survey of sunken treasure ships around the Cape Verde Islands. On the 28th February 2013, Southern Star completed a three-year Environmental Charter in the North Sea after which she was put up for sale and relocated to the Clyde. The asking price was £825,000.

I`d previously photographed Southern Star back in September 2014, when she first arrived on the Clyde, badly in need of a makeover, but now, as of May this year, she has a new owner and will become an integral part of a 25-hectare seaweed farm off the Yorkshire coast following a major company expansion.The Southern Star has been bought by SeaGrown Ltd to accommodate a seaweed and shellfish hatchery, marine laboratory, company office, visitor outreach centre and a small cafe. The timetable has been pushed back due to the pandemic, but following some engineering works, fitting out at the Clyde Boatyard is nearing completion.

Although she will often be moored in Scarborough, the 37-metre vessel will work at sea during bulk seeding operations while carrying out a number of other functions on what is understood to be the first large-scale commercial venture of its type.

Co-founded by Wave Crookes (left), a former Scarborough fisherman who trained as a diver in the Royal Navy, and his partner Laura Robinson, a marine scientist, SeaGrown has pioneered a low-impact system that only uses the top five metres of the water to grow three species of seaweed on a run of floating lines. It aims to be the first UK company to introduce farmed seaweed into new markets such as bioplastics, biotextiles and pharmaceuticals by next year.

SeaGrown welcomed 18 metre-long twin-hulled aluminium catamaran Bright Blue, which previously served as an oil spill response vessel, in 2019 but Southern Star will greatly enhance operations. Wave said: “She is going to be one of the mainstays of our business. She`ll house some incredibly important key facilities which we couldn’t function offshore without. When we get the `Star into Scarborough we`ll become self-sufficient. She will enable us to operate how we need to, and not be dictated to by the weather or seasons.” (Above image © Andrew Jackson LLP / SeaGrown).

October

I headed along to Greenock early on Friday 2 October to catch any Joint Warrior arrivals. Unlike most of the stretch of the River Clyde between Glasgow and Port Glasgow that morning, James Watt Dock at Greenock was fog free. Among the vessels present at 09:00 hrs were cruise ships Hebridean Princess and MV Rover, local shellfish boat Guide Us (GK-77) and the racing yacht Drum, once owned by Duran Duran singer Simon Le bon.

On the Friday, vessels of the Western Ferries group continually crossed the Firth in the sunshine, transporting cars, lorries and passengers between Gourock`s McInroy`s Point and Hunter`s Quay, Dunoon. This service has been running since June 1973, initially using two modified Swedish vessels Sound of Scarba and Sound of Shuna. These had bow and stern ramps, allowing roll-on/roll-off operation. Traffic developed rapidly and in August 1974, the former Isle of Wight ferry MV Lymington joined the service as Sound of Sanda. This chosen crossing was much shorter than the competing Caledonian MacBrayne Public Service route. Although CalMac's ferries were considerably faster, their longer route meant that both operators took around 20 minutes to make the journey.

In 1985, after the Clyde service was transferred to Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd, new tonnage was sought and the following year the company bought another former Sealink ferry, the Freshwater. She entered service as Sound of Seil and a further vessel, the Sound of Sleat, a former Dutch river ferry, was added two years later. Two more were purchased from Dutch owners, in 1995 and 1996. Both Sound of Scalpay and the second Sound of Sanda replaced older vessels.

In 2001, Ferguson Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow delivered the second Sound of Scarba, the company’s first brand new ferry for the service. The old vessel was sold after a few years of mooring in the Holy Loch. A new Sound of Shuna followed in October 2003. In 2013 two further brand new vessels were commissioned by Western. These were built by the Cammell Laird Shipyard in Merseyside. Entering the fleet in October of that year as Sound of Soay and Sound of Seil this brought the fleet size to six, however, this dropped to four on disposal of the two oldest vessels (Scalpay and Sanda). Finally, with very little activity on the water while I was waiting for Joint Warrior arrivals, it was time for a train shot...

Below: Canadian Frigate HMCS Halifax (FFH 330) heads back out to sea, early October, after a brief stay at Glasgow`s King George V Dock...

A dedicated page on this website covers Joint Warrior 20:2 in more detail. Click Here to view.

As a post script, a very sad incident was played out beside Glasgow Airport on Monday 26 October when a distressed and badly disorientated Northern Bottlenose Whale made its way up the Black Cart Water from the River Clyde at Clydebank and stranded itself on the shallow bottom. Despite the determined efforts of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, HM Coastguard, Fire and Rescue crews from Glasgow Airport and other volunteers, the whale died. Another of the whales from the same pod died at Blairmore on the Cowal peninsula the day before the Black Cart stranding. (Black Cart rescue shots © Greenock Coastguard).

The animals were from a small pod of disorientated Northern Bottlenose Whales that found themselves at the head of the Gare Loch, near the Faslane naval base as the start date for Joint Warrior 20:2 approached. As whales are particularly sensitive to underwater sound, there were worries that the increased naval activity and associated sonar noise from warships and submarines would adversely affect the animals even further. As a result, an operation to move the whales was mounted by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). A flotilla of small boats formed up a couple of days before the exercise got underway and attempted to herd the whales into the open sea and although the volunteers were initially unsuccessful, it appears that the struggling creatures exited the loch on their own later.

November

HTK Fortune

HTK Fortune (IMO: 9310769) and her trio of escorts sailed into view shortly before 09:00 hrs on Thursday 12 November 2020. Conditions had finally settled after a prolonged spell of wet and windy weather and I`d nicked along to Park Quay to catch her sailing past. This bulker`s latest voyage had begun in the Port of Constanta in Romania and she`d called in at Ringaskiddy Deepwater Terminal in County Cork, Ireland, en route to the Clyde, presumably to discharge part of her cargo.

The early morning sunshine showed the autumn colours at their best, but just as the lead tug sailed past my vantage point, the clouds shifted and blocked the sun, leaving the scene in shadow. Apart from the gulls, a few cormorants, mostly either bobbing on the water or individuals flying downstream, were the only bird species noted. Surprisingly for such a large vessel, there was no one whatsoever on HTK Fortune`s deck. Usually one or two crewmen are monitoring progress along the Clyde`s upper reaches from the bow.

This Bulk Carrier was built in 2007 by Kanda Shipbuilding, Hiroshima, Japan, and is sailing under the flag of Vietnam. Similar to the majority of bulk carriers that visit the KGV these days, her carrying capacity is 32,555 t DWT (Gross tonnage 19,885 tons) with a length overall (LOA) of 177 meters. She`s owned by Mitsui Osk Lines of Tokyo but managed by Lauritzen Bulkers of Copenhagen. Denmark. HTK Fortune`s previous identities have been Wanhexie5689, Kittiwake and IVS Kittiwake. Outbound Netherlands-flagged tanker Thun Gemini (not photographed) left Clydebank soon after the bulker had passed. having spent the night alongside the oil terminal in Rothesay Dock.

Torc

This is the Oil/Chemical Tanker Torc (IMO: 9544683) making her way upriver to the Clydebank Oil Terminal on the morning of Saturday 14 November. She had previously called in at Rostock on Germany`s Baltic Coast then Kalundborg, Denmark, before sailing to Scotland. Briggs Marine`s Mooring Vessel Cameron tied up alongside Rothesay Dock shortly before the big Dane arrived.

Torc is part of the Alba Tankers fleet and currently flies the Maltese flag. She was built just over 10 years ago by Selah Shipyard, Istanbul, Turkey. This facility was established at the private sector shipyard in Tuzla / Istanbul in 1982 by Selah Industries Inc which was a well established group in the auto and machinery sectors, having been operational since 1954. The yard builds and repairs both civilian and naval vessels and currently has two military logistical support vessels under construction as well as various commercial ships. (Above Photo © Selah Shipyard).

Tugs CMS Wrestler and Ayton Cross accompanied the tanker upriver and assisted her into her berth.

Lapwings, Redshank and a solitary Grey Heron had all been roosting until a dog walker appeared forcing the birds, apart from the Heron, to take flight.

There were also plenty of Oystercatcher.

As happened earlier in the year, the stalled global economic recovery as a consequence of the Coronavirus pandemic has led to a fresh build-up of global oil supplies, pushing traders to book tankers to store millions of surplus barrels of crude oil and refined fuels at sea. The use of so-called floating storage onboard tankers comes as traditional onshore space remains close to capacity as supplies outpace demand. As an example, the Singaporean-based multinational commodity trading house Trafigura, which specialises in base metals and energy, has chartered at least five of the largest vessels, known as very large crude-oil carriers (VLCCs), each capable of storing 2 million barrels of oil. Right hand Photo © Seatrade Maritime News).

Other top traders including Vitol, Litasco and Glencore also booked large tankers to store diesel and gasoil for up to 90 days, according to shipping data. A number of the VLCCs are newly-built and their availability will be welcome should the situation deteriorate even further. The build-up of fuel comes despite major oil producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia sharply cutting back output and refineries slowing operations in recent months in response to the unprecedented drop in consumption. The price of Brent crude saw its biggest weekly decline since June after which the markets made a modest, and as it turned out, short-lived, recovery.

Torc was originally named Atlantik Glory which changed to simply F in 2018, followed by FMT Knidos.

The Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine

I found myself at Irvine this month with a few hours to pass so took the opportunity to visit the Scottish Maritime Museum which I hadn`t been to for ages. Although it`s vessels don`t exactly fall into the `Merchant Ships on the Clyde` category, I`ll include an entry here pending a dedicated museum page with far more information which I hope to do eventually. The museum is well worth a visit with well-spaced exhibits both on external display and inside the massive shed which also serves as the main entrance.

On the River Irvine itself is the harbour tug Garnock. She was built in 1956 by George Brown & Co. Ltd, of Greenock, for the Irvine Harbour Company (a subsidiary of ICI) and one of her main tasks was towing ships which loaded and unloaded explosives at the nearby ICI (Nobel Explosives) works. Latterly she was also used to dump explosives in the Clyde Estuary and in February 1984 she was severely damaged by an explosion while dumping ordnance west of Ardrossan. Repairing the damage to her aft end and propeller was not an economic proposition, so she was donated to the Scottish Maritime Museum.

The diesel engined puffer Spartan (above), originally named VIC 18, was built in 1942 by J & J Hay`s of Kirkintilloch on the Forth and Clyde Canal. The VICs (Victualling Inshore Craft) were designed to act as supply ships for the Royal Navy and transported various goods and munitions to provision the fleet. Over 100 such vessels were built between 1941 and 1946 with the majority being steam powered and only a few equipped with diesel propulsion. The VIC 18 was one of the last such vessels built during WW2.

Pictured below is the RNLI Watson-class Lifeboat T.G.B. The initials of the vessel`s name are thought to relate to the anonymous sponsor who financed her construction. Although the Watson-class boats were sturdy they were not self-righting which was obviously a major disadvantage considering the often treacherous waters in which they operated. T.G.B was stationed at Longhope on the Orkney island of Hoy to protect shipping in the Pentland Firth, one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the British Isles, and during her time there she responded to 34 emergency call-outs and rescued 24 people.

During the evening of 17 March 1969 T.G.B and all eight of her crew were lost attempting a rescue during a particularly wild storm making this one of the worst tragedies in British lifeboat history. The T.G.B answered a mayday call from a Liberian-registered Greek-owned vessel S.S. Irene which had ran aground off South Ronaldsay and battled through the mountainous seas to reach her. A massive wave, estimated to be as high as 100ft capsized the lifeboat and trapped all but one of her crew in the upturned hull. When numerous radio calls to the T.G.B met with no response concern grew rapidly. Meanwhile, the local land-based Coastguard had managed to save the entire crew of the stricken cargo ship by firing a breeches buoy from the cliffs and pulling the men to safety.

At first light the following morning a massive search involving several lifeboats, helicopters and a Shackleton from RAF Kinloss was mounted. Later that afternoon the Thurso Lifeboat found the T.G.B floating upside-down around 4 miles off Hoy. They towed the capsized vessel to Scrabster where seven of her crew were discovered within. The body of the eighth, Assistant Mechanic James Swanson, has never been found.

On 22 March 1969 the seven Lifeboat crewmen were laid to rest in Osmondwall churchyard on Hoy which overlooks the Pentland Firth. In August of the following year, in the same churchyard, the Queen Mother unveiled a bronze statue of a Lifeboat man gazing out to sea.

A plaque on the plinth lists the names of the eight crew who lost their lives: Coxswain Daniel Kirkpatrick; Second Coxswain James Johnston; Bowman Daniel R Kirkpatrick; Motor Mechanic Robert R Johnston; Assistant Mechanic James Swanson; Lifeboat man Robert Johnston; Lifeboat man John T Kirkpatrick; Lifeboat man Eric S McFadyen. As can be seen, two families lost three men in the disaster.

T.G.B was salvaged and repaired after which she relocated to County Donegal in Ireland where she served for a further eight years. Following a spell in the RNLI relief fleet she was loaned to the Scottish Maritime Museum at Irvine and is now a permanent exhibit in the main building.

Above: The Steam Yacht Carola sits alongside Spartan opposite the main entrance. She was built in 1898 by Scott & Sons of Bowling and was used as a pleasure craft by the shipbuilder`s family in summer and a yard tender in winter. Scott & Sons turned out a wide variety of craft during their 130 years of operation including barges, coasters, puffers, tugs and other steam yachts. They also produced vessels for the Admiralty.

On the right above is Katie, a Zulu fishing boat from Scotland`s East Coast. The first of the type was designed by William Campbell of Lossiemouth in the late 1800s and the fast and reliable Zulus, brought in large quantities of fish from the North Sea, dominating the massive herring fleets of the time. Katie was used on the west coast until 1940 when she was requisitioned as a supply boat during World War II. Katie was later converted into a yacht by the Fairlie Slip Co. before being acquired by the Scottish Maritime Museum in the 1980s.

The final museum exhibit featured on this page is the Bass Conqueror. This small fibreglass dinghy was unbelievably chosen by adventurer Kenneth Kerr of Port Seton, East Lothian, when he twice attempted to break the record for the smallest boat to be rowed 2,100 miles across the Atlantic single-handed. At the time the record was held by a 20ft boat and the `Conqueror was considerably smaller at just 13 feet (4m) long. An Orkney Spinner flat-bottomed rowing boat, Bass Conqueror had been specially fitted out for the challenge by a boat builder in Kenneth’s home town and was named after a product brewed by sponsor Tennent’s.

Kerr made his first attempt in 1979 starting from Newfoundland and despite hazards such as icebergs and severe storms he managed to travel 700 miles in 58 days before capsizing. Finding his transmitter and inflatable lift-raft nearby, his distress signal was picked up by a British Airways Concorde en-route to New York. The coastguard was alerted and a spotter aircraft passed on his position to a German container ship which detoured to his rescue and plucked Kerr and his inflatable life raft from the raging seas. Amazingly Bass Conqueror, severely battered but still afloat, washed up on the Irish coast five months later.

Undeterred, Kerr had his boat repaired and on 21 May 1980 set off from Newfoundland for a second time but sadly this attempt on the record was to claim his life. He was last sighted by the crew of a passing cargo ship on 13 August, 500 miles from the coast of Ireland. The captain gave him fresh food and water and Kerr rowed off. He was never seen again although he made several radio transmissions, the last of which was heard on October 25, 156 days after he set out.

Bass Conqueror was recovered by a Norwegian rescue team near Stavanger on January 26th 1981. Kerr made a notch on the strengthening board on the floor of his boat to mark the passage of each week at sea and there are eight from the first voyage, however, it appears that he abandoned the practice fairly early during his second attempt.

December

Sten Bergen

Next to fall to my camera was Rothesay Dock-bound tanker Sten Bergen (IMO: 9407988) which sailed past Erskine about 13:00 hrs on Thursday 3 December. There had been a dusting of overnight snow, the first of the season, and although it had thawed on the Kilpatricks, the distant Cowal Hills to the west would still have been impressive in the sunshine. I left home hoping to go onto the Erskine Bridge to catch the ship passing Dumbarton Castle but the west side footway was still closed for maintenance work. Plan B was getting a few shots from the mouth of the old Erskine Harbour.

On this occasion Sten Bergen, which has visited the Clyde many times in recent years, was bringing grades from Mongstad in Norway. A product of Jiangnan Shipyard in Linhai, China, she dates from 2009 and currently sails under the flag of Gibraltar. She is owned and managed by Stenerson Rederei, based in her home port of Bergen. While on the subject of management, the Erskine Bridge Hotel has been the subject of a recent takeover and has been re-branded as the rather strange sounding Muthu Glasgow River Hotel.

Endeavor

I hadn`t managed down to Greenock very often this year but, with a decent forecast, I decided to head along to Lyle Hill to admire the view from the car while enjoying a flask of coffee. The only vessel alongside the town`s Ocean Terminal was container ship Endeavor (IMO: 9312195), a regular visitor which has been employed mainly on a regular weekly container service since the spring of 2005, when she entered service. Her principal dimensions are 134.65m length overall, 21.50m breadth, and 7,680 gross tons, with a deadweight of 9,450 tonnes. Owned by JR Shipping of Harlingen, her hull was built at the Daewoo-Mangalia shipyard in Romania but the ship was completed in the Netherlands by the Bodewes Volharding Frisian Shipyard. Flying the Dutch flag, she is capable of 18 knots.

Two Royal Navy warships were out on the water, namely HMS Tyne (P281) (below) and HMS Pembroke (M107). Tyne, along with her sister River-class Offshore Patrol Vessels HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, were among those put on standby a few days after these shots were taken as a Brexit trade deal with the EU looked increasingly unlikely. The Royal Navy is responsible for ensuring that fishing vessels comply with the strict legislation in place to protect fish stocks. The waters around Scotland are policed by the four vessels and two aircraft of Scottish Marine, while the Royal Navy patrols English, Welsh and Northern Irish waters. There, Royal Navy officers are authorised to act as British Sea Fisheries Officers (BSFO), to conduct inspections of all British and foreign registered fishing vessels operating within the designated area.

As of 1 January 2020, the United Kingdom will reclaim sovereignty making it illegal for non-UK vessels to fish within British waters without permission. Up until the transition period ends, any infringement in the legislation by EU-registered boats could be dealt with in a number of ways, depending on the nature and gravity of the offence. Now, it seems increasingly likely that any non-UK vessels caught fishing in our waters without permission will be impounded with their captain and crew detained.

Looking east toward Dumbarton Rock. A blanket of fog was trapped beyond this point between Erskine and Glasgow and remained until early afternoon.

To the north, it was the snow capped peaks of the Arrochar Alps including Ben Ime, Beinn an Lochain and the Cobbler, that caught the eye.

HMS Pembroke is a Sandown-class minehunter, and a familiar sight on the Clyde. Launched on 12 December 1997 and commissioned on 6 October of the following year, she is the first of the Royal Navy’s Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMV) to be fitted with the Oceanographic Reconnaissance Combat Architecture combat system which replaces the previous NAUTIS combat system. This upgrade took place in early 2020.

The Sandown-class minehunter was designed to complement the existing Hunt-class MCMVs, by providing a cheaper alternative and specific mine hunting capability. Twelve vessels were delivered in two batches, with HMS Pembroke in the latter batch. Their hull is constructed from glass reinforced plastic, and all onboard equipment has a low magnetic signature, an essential requirement for vessels operating in such a role. During normal operations, the ship runs on diesel engines, but if any mines are detected, or likely, she uses an electric drive system. Anti-mine equipment includes the Seafox mine disposal system, which is in effect an anti-mine marine drone.

Intrepid Kayakers

Tuesday 8 December was a quiet day along the Erskine stretch of river with no inbound or outbound vessels sailing by. Even so, and despite the rain, I took a short walk along the riverbank from the Boden Boo to Big Wood, just beyond the Mar Hall Golf Course to get some air. There was hardly a breath of wind and the water was calm which made it ideal for this trio of sea kayakers. They looked as if they were enjoying themselves as they paddled sedately westward toward Dumbarton under the watchful gaze of a hungry heron.

Sten Arnold

Saturday 12 December 2020: CMS Wrestler and Svitzer Milford accompanied Sten Arnold to Rothesay Dock and assisted her into her berth on a dismal morning. This was just over week after one of the tanker`s sisters, Sten Bergen had called there but rather than bringing grades from Norway like her predecessor, Sten Arnold`s fuel had been loaded at the Danish Port of Kalundborg.

The trio, with Wrestler (below left) leading the way, emerged out the gloom at Erskine around sunup, but cloud blanketed the West of Scotland and it was raining steadily, although the poor conditions didn`t stop the local farmer treating his field.

That`s the lot for 2020 - thanks for viewing.

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