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Wednesday 30 March 2011

Tuesday 29 March 2011

MV Saturn






Saturn on the Gourock to Dunoon route,taken on a beautiful spring morning,the sun has not quite burnt off the early morning mist.

Monday 28 March 2011

HMS Astute






HMS Astute on exercise on the Clyde ,passing Astute was HMS Dasher.

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Kilmun Parish Church

Kilmun church with the Holy Loch in the background.







The first church built on the site was by St Munn in the 7th century. A collegiate church was built in 1442 by Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochaw ,apparently the land was rented from the Countess of Monteith for the price of a pair of Paris gloves each year.

The church probably had a company of choir boys who would have attended the church for education.

The remains of the 15th century tower still remain although it looks to be in a poor state and is fenced off. The present church was built in 1841 although its tower looks to have been added on at a later date.

The grave yard adjoining the church is of great interest as a lot of the tomb stones are in good condition, quite a few of them have sea faring connections, there is also a mausoleum belonging to the Argyll family, the first marquis was beheaded after the English Civil War.

Wednesday 16 March 2011

ASR-10




ASR-10 is an air-sea rescue craft built during World War II in 1942. It was constructed by Carrier Engineering and was one of a number of craft which were moored at strategic points off Britain’s east coast. Once in place these craft served as refuges for aircrews which ditched their aeroplanes into the sea. ASR-10 would have been fitted out with bunks, radio equipment, basic cooking facilities, dry clothes, food, and other essential provisions to ensure that the airmen remained as comfortable as possible before being picked up by a rescue vessel.

Sunday 13 March 2011

Garnock









A motor tug and tender at Irvine Maritime museum.
She was built 1956 by George Brown and Co (Marine) Ltd, Garvel Shipyard, Greenock for Imperial Chemical Industries (Nobel Division) for use at Irvine, assisting in the handling of ships using the Garnock Wharf, a private wharf serving the Ardeer Explosive Works. She was also used for dumping defective explosives at sea. After the stern was badly damaged by an explosion in 1984 when on the latter duty she was presented to the irvine Maritime Museum..

She is registered with the National Historic Ships Committee

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Spartan
















Spartan was built in 1942 by J Hay & Sons of Kirkintilloch and launched into the Forth & Clyde canal, she was built for war service as VIC 18.

At the end of the war the VIC fleet was sold off and Hay's the original builder bought back VIC18 and registered her as "Spartan" on the 24th September 1946.
She was soon used to carry coal and general cargoes around the Firth of Clyde and as far as Mull, Iona and Islay.

Spartan ended her working career in 1980, when she was laid up at Bowling harbour.

She was restored in 2005 by the Irvine Maritime Museum,and in July 2008 with the help of a tug she made her way to Glasgow to attend the River Festival.