MV Argyle

MV Argyle arriving at Wemyss Bay

Sks Tana

Sks Tana at anchor off Gourock,Sd Waterman was along side with supplies.

Skog

Anchored off Gourock

Ayton Cross

Ayton Cross at the Tail of the bank .

HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS

Hebridean Princess berthed at James Watt Dock before a receiving a winter refit.

Queen Mary

Queen Mary departing John Browns .

Lochnell

The new mail contract of 3rd June 1947 bound David MacBrayne Ltd to providing a new twice-daily service by motor launch between Oban and the pleasant little island of Lismore. Accordingly the Company had acquired in December 1946 the former hospital launch Galen, built in 1941 under the auspices of Glasgow Corporation (acting for the Port Health Authority) to ferry stretchered patients ashore from ships in the Clyde anchorage. The craft had a cabin, naturally, and was carvel-built, with two watertight bulkheads and a transom stern.

She was renamed LOCHNELL and took up the Lismore service on 30th June 1947. Initially she could carry 25 passengers in summer and twelve in winter. At first her hull was blacl; then light blue; then dark blue with red boot-topping. Nor did LOCHNELL have a funnel; exhaust gases vented through her sides.

She proved a reliable little ship and the new, steady service to Lismore was much appreciated. She was normally relieved by one of the open “red boats” stationed at Iona. In 1958 LOCHNELL was re-engined, and in 1965 she traded stations with LOCH TOSCAIG, assuming the Kyle of Lochalsh-Applecross service as well as a regular morning cruise, and also the thrice-weekly mail run to Kylrhea in place of APPLECROSS.

In May 1968 LOCHNELL was transferred again, to the Tobermory-Mingary run in succession to LOCHBUIE, and on this she spent the rest of her MacBrayne career, being relieved by assorted chartered launches. On 1st January 1973 she was not transferred to Caedonian MacBrayne Holdings Ltd and remained registered to David MacBrayne Ltd.

From 1976 she also started tendering to IONA at Tobermory, the car ferry at that time being the normal winter vessel for Coll and Tiree.

The passenger-only route to Mingary became an increasing embnrassment to CalMac and in 1980 they successfully negotiated to reduce it to a summer-only service. LOCHNELL retired on 7th March 1981, giving way to the launch STAFFA and retreating to lay-up at Shandon. She was sold to TBJ Marine Ltd of Dumbarton and handed over on 10th June, 1981, and has since had a variety of private owners

Information courtesy of ships of calmac.

Largs Victoria Esplanade

Norwegian Visitor

A visitor from Norway ,the picture was taken in July 2007, unfortunately I never managed to catch her name.

Kyles Of Bute, The Narrows.

Kyles Of Bute, The Narrows.

TS Duchess of Montrose (1930) or Hamilton (1932).

James Watt Dock

SD Eva,Minna,Alba na mara,Ronja Viking.

RV Aora

R.V. Aora is a 22 m survey & research vessel based at the University Marine Biological Station on the isle of Millport

MV Jupiter

KONTRADMIRAL XAWERY CZERNICKI

Polish Fleet Support Ship KONTRADMIRAL XAWERY CZERNICKI

Built Gdansk and in Service 1st September 2001.
2,390 tons Full Load.
13.8 kts. (12 Sustained.)
72.9 x 13.8 x 4.5 m
I x twin 23mm AA plus 2 x 4 Round Point defense SAM's.
Twin Sulzer Diesels driving twin Kort nozzle props. Total 2,896 hp.
7 Officers, 3 Warrant Officers, 7 Senior Petty Officers, 21 Ratings + 140 troops.

Taken over on berth from the Russians she has a multi purpose roll and can carry 140 Troops with full equipment.
10 TEU's or 4 TEU's and Six Trucks.
Has a 16 ton Crane and a Stern Ramp.
Has a 20 x 12 m Helicopter deck with refuelling facilities.

USS Stout (DDG-55)

USS Stout (DDG-55) is the sixth Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. Built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, she was commissioned on 13 August 1994 and she is currently homeported in Norfolk, Virginia.

Stout was named for Rear Admiral Herald F. Stout (1903–1987), who distinguished himself as the Commanding Officer of the destroyer USS Claxton during World War II. Then a Commander, Stout aided his task force in sinking five heavily armed, enemy warships to establish a beachhead on Bougainville Island.

She is seen here leaving the Gare Loch and entering the Clyde while on a Joint Warrior naval exercise.

Grace Ritchie

An ex life boat,Grace Ritchie was built at Yarrows in 1965 with a £57,000,legacy from a Miss Grace Paterson Ritchie.