Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Cargo ship WILSON BLYTH leaves Ayr (Scotland) for Wicklow (Ireland)

   The afternoon of Tuesday 27^th October 2020 at

Ayr (Firth of Clyde, Scotland) was not good for

working in a garden, shopping in the town or for

taking photographs of a ship.

   Completely overcast sky, heavy continual rain,

bitingly cold with a strong southerly wind and poor

visibility.

   If you had been out in it you would have known

all about it.

   So WILSON BLYTH will probably be more than

happy to leave.

   WILSON BLYTH (1995- ) an 88m general cargo

ship of  Wilson ASA of Bergen, Norway had arrived

at the river berth in Ayr with a cargo of road salt

from the warmer climate of Sfax, Tunisia, in a

hot corner of the Mediterranean.

  1545 hours. Preparing to leave the River berth at Ayr.

 1550 hours.  Pilot aboard.  Navigation lights switched on

and crew at harbour stations.

1555 hours.  Moving astern to cant at the entrance to

Griffin Dock to turn to starboard to face the port entrance.

   The rain was now heavier than ever.

 1610 hours.  In the background is the Netherlands registered

cargo ship MONIKA which had berthed in Griffin Dock at 0800

that morning with a cargo of wind turbine components from

 Taranto, Italy.

1611 hours and WILSON BLYTH straightens up for the port

entrance and is followed by the Pilot Boat SCOTIA.

  And now she was departing light-ship on her 206

nautical miles passage to Wicklow, Ireland, and, at

a speed of 6.7 knots, expected to arrive at the Irish

  Port at 0900 hours 28 October.

1620 hours in blustery wind and torrential rain the

Pilot Boat SCOTIA returns to Ayr harbour with the Pilot.

1622 hours and as WILSON BLYTH heads south west into

the setting sun the torrential rain amazingly appears to

stop, leaving a suddenly bright horizon and heavy squalls

in the north channel.