Millport

Photograph taken from the pier at Millport

Fife Regatta

The third Fife Regatta took place on the Clyde in June and photographer Marc Turner was there.
The event was a celebration of the designs of WM. Fife and Sons who designed and built classic sailing yachts at their yard in Fairlie around the turn of the century .

Marc has produced a calendar of some of the best shots he took that week. It has been designed in a simple and elegant manner ,sympathetic to the timelessly elegant lines of these classic yachts .

More information is available Here

Clydebank

Looking across the river from Erskine to Clydebank,the shipyards have gone,now a college stands on the place were men built the most famous ships in the world. Only the famous Clydebank Titan crane remains to remind the younger generation of their fathers proud feats of engineering.

Sailing off the coast of Gourock.

RMS Viper

The Viper was built at the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co's yard in Govan in 1906 and was 315 feet in length. She had three steam turbines powering the triple screws, making her one of the company's fastest ships with a top speed of 22 knots. The steamer worked the Ardrossan-Belfast route from 1906 to 1914.

The ship served as a troop carrier in the English Channel during the First World War but returned to operation on her pre-war route in 1919. However the unrest in Ireland resulted in the decline in passenger traffic with Scotland and Viper was sold to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co in 1920 and renamed Snaefell.

Ali Cat

Ali Cat is a small passenger only ferry run by CalMac on the Gourock and Dunoon route,she only helps at peak times during the day.

HMS Penzance

Sandown Class Minehunter passing Gourock.

Flying Elf at Greenock

Post card showing the paddle tug FLYING ELF which was built by Eltringham at South Shields for the Clyde Shipping Co.

She lasted until 1925 and was broken up by John Hunter at Partick.

Queen Mary Pleasure Steamer

Time table which I think was published in 1977

SFPA NORNA

Norna passing the Gantocks.
The Gantocks is a small cluster of rocks which lies at the mouth of West Bay, south of Dunoon in the Firth of Clyde, and is marked by an illuminated beacon which was built c. 1886. The beacon is partnered by the Cloch Lighthouse located on Cloch Point to the east, and the two were deliberately designed to have significantly different characters to avoid confusion. The character of a lighthouse or beacon describes the colour of the light, and the timing of its light and dark periods.

The Gantocks beacon tower has a height of 44 feet, with the focal plane of the light at 39 feet. The light is red, and flashes once every 6 seconds, with a range 6 nautical miles.

Courtesey of secretscotland.org.uk

Rothesay Dock,John Browns,Loninitz.

Looking down the Clyde ,is the imaginative title of this print,there is no date on the print .
Is that Clyde FC football ground to the right?

Canopus J

Canopus J at Greenock container terminal.

Western ferries

Western Ferries at twilight, they may not be the most interesting ferries to look at but with a fantastic backdrop and their distinctive colour,who could resist.

Timca

A multi purpose cargo carrier,when visiting Greenock her usual cargo is large paper reels ,you can visit her owners site HERE.

SD Oilpress

SD Oilpress making her way past Dumbarton Rock,the showery weather of October this year has brought its fair share of interesting rainbows,brightening the sky up ,temporarily anyway!

Greenock

An early morning shot of Greenock showing the entrance to the great harbour and the container terminal cranes in the distance.

Helgaland

After leaving the container terminal at Greenock ,Helgaland makes her way down the Firth.

Deo Volente

Deo Volentie making her way down river after delivering more wind mill parts to Sheildhall in Glasgow.

Warrior 111

Warrior 111 making her way up river.

Nena M

Nema M making her way up to Shieldhall in Glasgow,she was assisted by Ayton Cross and unusually by the smaller Clyde Marine tug Bruiser,Warrior 111 went on ahead she attaches her tow when they reach the more demanding bends as the river narrows.

Cephee M652

The French minehunter Cephee seen at Faslane june 2006.


A joint venture of the Navies of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, the Tripartite class of minehunters were conceived in the 1970s and built in the 1980s. France built the mine-hunting equipment, Belgium provided the electronics, and the Netherlands constructed the propulsion train. France and the Netherlands originally bought 15, with Belgium buying 10. All three countries' Tripartite ships contribute to NATO as part of MCMFORNORTH, or Mine Counter Measures Force North ("North" to distinguish itself from the Mediterraean minehunting fleet). Very expensive to repair, and operate.

Black Prince