New ship Ben Line's BENALDER launched by Charles Connell & Company, Scotstoun, Glasgow

Image of three Barnes family children sailing on Anchor Line's CAMERONIA from Glasgow to Australia

"Florence Cooke" goes aground at Co. Down, Northern Ireland

From "Irvine & Fullarton Times" dated Friday 23rd December 1949

The 288-ton steamer "Florence Cooke" which left Irvine Harbour on Sunday with explosives on board, fell a victim to the recent heavy gale.
The vessel went aground off the north coast of Co. Down, Northern Ireland, at 3.30am on Monday.
Lifeboats rushed to her aid, but she refloated and later sheltered in Belfast Lough.

Crew rescued from "Ardachy" at Irvine Harbour

From "Ayr Advertiser" dated 5th January 1950

Coaster Aground

The captain and seven members of the crew of the Glasgow coaster "Ardachy," were rescued by breeches buoy when their vessel ran aground off Irvine last week.
The breeches buoy was operated by Troon lifeboat, as rough seas made it too hazardous to take the men off in the ordinary manner.

From "Ayr Advertiser" dated 5th January 1950

Coaster Aground

The captain and seven members of the crew of the Glasgow coaster "Ardachy," were rescued by breeches buoy when their vessel ran aground off Irvine last week.
The breeches buoy was operated by Troon lifeboat, as rough seas made it too hazardous to take the men off in the ordinary manner.

"Ardachy" aground at Irvine Harbour

From "The Irvine & Fullarton Times" dated Friday 6th January 1950

RESCUE BY TROON LIFEBOAT

CREW OF 8 SAVED BY BREECHES BUOY AT IRVINE

An outstanding rescue at sea by Troon life-boat on Wednesday of last week reflects the highest credit on Coxwain Arthur Pearce and his crew.

During the late afternoon, the 200-ton Glasgow coaster "Ardachy", which was loaded with coal, went aground to the north side of Irvine Harbour bar in heavy seas and with a half-gale blowing.
Distress signals from the vessel were observed at the harbour and Troon Life-boat was summoned.

The life-boat received the call between 6 and 7 p.m. and, after batling against heavy seas, reached Irvine at 7.20.
Faced by confused seas, sleet showers, a high wind, and darkness which at times blotted out everything, the coxwain tried to manoeuvre the life-boat on the lee side of the stranded vessel.
The life-boat, however, touched ground hard and the coxwain decided to change position and take the men off by breeches buoy on the weather side.

During the operation, the sea at times broke clean over the life-boat and filled her, yet the crew of eight of the "Ardachy" were all slowly hauled successfully aboard the life-boat - soaked, shaken but uninjured.
They were landed at Irvine and then taken to the Seamen's Mission at Troon.

Coxwain Pearce had the highest praise for mechanic James Mackay and the crew of the life-boat, who, in his own words, "did a rotten job on a dark night admirably ; they had a hard job pulling the men through the water."

At the Seamen's Mission at Troon, about midnight on the same evening, we heard from Hector MacDonald, of Tiree, skipper of the stranded vessel, just how warm were the feelings of himself and his men towards the coxwain and crew of Troon Life-boat, and also to Mr. Marr and his helpers at the Mission, who had provided them with a hot meal, some dry clothing and a bed.
The men were still badly shaken from their ordeal but were, just as obviously, relieved to find themselves safe among good friends.

The "Ardachy" was successfully refloated on Tuesday and towed into Irvine Harbour.

Troon Lifeboat rescues crew of "Ardachy" by breeches-buoy at Irvine Harbour

From "The Irvine & Fullarton Times" dated Friday 6th January 1950

RESCUE BY TROON LIFEBOAT

CREW OF 8 SAVED BY BREECHES BUOY AT IRVINE

An outstanding rescue at sea by Troon life-boat on Wednesday of last week reflects the highest credit on Coxwain Arthur Pearce and his crew.

During the late afternoon, the 200-ton Glasgow coaster "Ardachy", which was loaded with coal, went aground to the north side of Irvine Harbour bar in heavy seas and with a half-gale blowing.
Distress signals from the vessel were observed at the harbour and Troon Life-boat was summoned.

The life-boat received the call between 6 and 7 p.m. and, after batling against heavy seas, reached Irvine at 7.20.
Faced by confused seas, sleet showers, a high wind, and darkness which at times blotted out everything, the coxwain tried to manoeuvre the life-boat on the lee side of the stranded vessel.
The life-boat, however, touched ground hard and the coxwain decided to change position and take the men off by breeches buoy on the weather side.

During the operation, the sea at times broke clean over the life-boat and filled her, yet the crew of eight of the "Ardachy" were all slowly hauled successfully aboard the life-boat - soaked, shaken but uninjured.
They were landed at Irvine and then taken to the Seamen's Mission at Troon.

Coxwain Pearce had the highest praise for mechanic James Mackay and the crew of the life-boat, who, in his own words, "did a rotten job on a dark night admirably ; they had a hard job pulling the men through the water."

At the Seamen's Mission at Troon, about midnight on the same evening, we heard from Hector MacDonald, of Tiree, skipper of the stranded vessel, just how warm were the feelings of himself and his men towards the coxwain and crew of Troon Life-boat, and also to Mr. Marr and his helpers at the Mission, who had provided them with a hot meal, some dry clothing and a bed.
The men were still badly shaken from their ordeal but were, just as obviously, relieved to find themselves safe among good friends.

The "Ardachy" was successfully refloated on Tuesday and towed into Irvine Harbour.

Golden Wedding Day of Mr. John Black, formerly of Ailsa Shipyard, Troon

From "The Irvine & Fullarton Times" dated 13th January 1950

TROON GOLDEN WEDDING

Mr. & Mrs. John Black

A quiet celebration with members of the family and a few friends at their home at 13 Portland Street, marked the Golden Wedding Day of Mr. and Mrs. John Black.
They were married in the Commercial Hotel, Troon, by Rev. Alexander White, on 29th December 1899.
The old couple are in excellent health, with Mr. Black still taking a very active interest in his garden.

He retired from his work at the Ailsa Shipyard about eight months ago, after more than fifty years with the Company.
He is one of the oldest members of the Boilermakers Society.
Golfing was his chief recreation in his earlier days when he was a member of the St. Meddans and Portland Clubs, and he was at one time a useful pitcher of the quoits.

He is a native of the town, and Mrs. Black just missed that distinction; she having come to Troon from Girvan when a girl at school.

Happy to be among the guests last week was grand-son Mr. Jack Buchanan, M.N., of Ayr Street, who had arrived back from Australia a few days earlier.

Clyde steam puffer lighter SPARTAN arrives at Irvine to load a cargo of coal for Loch Riddon

Clyde puffer SPARTAN was the "First Foot" of the New Year to arrive at Irvine Harbour'

Loch Riddon is a small sea-loch in the Kyles of Bute near Tighnabruaich, Argyll, Scotland.

   It is a very remote and peaceful area, sparsley populated – and in 1950 even more lonely.  Surrounded by high hills there is only one steep, narrow, winding and dangerous road providing access for the few inhabitants and in the dark and deep depths of winter the people could be cut off from supplies by snow and ice.

   Thus in winter the people needed coal as fuel to heat their homes and cook their meals and the only way to obtain the coal was by being brought to them by a Clyde puffer vessel.   The people would form a club/group and collect money and then purchase an amount of coal – say about 100 tons or so – and then hire a puffer lighter from a puffer owner – and the puffer would load the coal – as at Irvine in this case – and bring the coal to Loch Riddon and unload it into lorries, horse-drawn carts etc.

   And that is why the puffer SPARTAN was at Irvine to load a cargo of coal for Loch Riddon, and here is an image of Loch Riddon.

Foreign going and coastal shipping services from the Port of Glasgow in 1950

Foreign going and coastal shipping services from the Port of Glasgow in 1950

Netherlands coaster CORNELIA B arrives at Irvine with a cargo of potash from Antwerp

SCOTTISH HEATHER arrives in Greenock with a cargo of Molasses from Cuba

Stranded "Ardachy" is refloated at Irvine Harbour

From "Irvine & Fullarton Times" dated 6th January 1950

Stranded Ship Refloated

The 200-ton coasting steamer "Ardachy," which was driven ashore in a fierce squall on Wednesday of last week, to the north of Irvine Harbour entrance, was successfully refloated and brought into the harbour at about noon on Tuesday of this week.

The "Ardachy" is owned by Messrs. J. & A. Gardner, Glasgow, and was on a run from Irvine to Loch Riddon with 160 tons of coal.
As she left the shelter of the port she was caught in a squall and battered by heavy waves. The crew put out an anchor in an endeavour to prevent her from being driven ashore, but it failed to hold and the vessel went aground on a sand bank on the North Shore.

After efforts to bring her off, a message was sent by Irvine Harbour authorities for assistance from Troon lifeboat.
When the lifeboat arrived on the scene, a breeches buoy was thrown to the stranded vessel, and the crew were transferred by it to the lifeboat, landed at Irvine Harbour and sent to the seamen's hostel at Troon.

On Tuesday of this week the vessel was comfortably moored at the east end of Irvine Harbour awaiting survey.

Stranded ship "Ardachy" refloated at Irvine.

From "Irvine & Fullarton Times" dated 6th January 1950

Stranded Ship Refloated

The 200-ton coasting steamer "Ardachy," which was driven ashore in a fierce squall on Wednesday of last week, to the north of Irvine Harbour entrance, was successfully refloated and brought into the harbour at about noon on Tuesday of this week.

The "Ardachy" is owned by Messrs. J. & A. Gardner, Glasgow, and was on a run from Irvine to Loch Riddon with 160 tons of coal.
As she left the shelter of the port she was caught in a squall and battered by heavy waves. The crew put out an anchor in an endeavour to prevent her from being driven ashore, but it failed to hold and the vessel went aground on a sand bank on the North Shore.

After efforts to bring her off, a message was sent by Irvine Harbour authorities for assistance from Troon lifeboat.
When the lifeboat arrived on the scene, a breeches buoy was thrown to the stranded vessel, and the crew were transferred by it to the lifeboat, landed at Irvine Harbour and sent to the seamen's hostel at Troon.

On Tuesday of this week the vessel was comfortably moored at the east end of Irvine Harbour awaiting survey