New Ship?s Name

From: Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald dated Friday 9th January 1970

There is much speculation on what name will be given by the Caledonian Steam Packet Company to the new drive on drive off car ferry which will come into service between Ardrossan and Brodick this summer.

The vessel which is presently named ?STENA BALTICA? will be brought from Sweden to the Clyde shortly - and a number of letters have been received at the CSPC offices in Gourock containing suggestions for renaming the ship.
Among the suggestions are, ?GLEN ROSA? - there was a popular steamer of this name on the run in the 1920s - the ?BRODICK?, ?LAMLASH BAY?, ?JEANIE DEANS?, ?CALEDONIAN? and ?DUCHESS OF MONTROSE?.

There seems a preference by the authorities concerned nowadays to adopt a new name rather than use one which recalls former associations and it seems likely that the vessel might be named something like ?GOATFELL?.

One suggestion made to our correspondent - obviously facetious - was ?MAID OF BLACKWATERFOOT?, but it is doubtful if the ship is large enough to accommodate such a name along her length.

Scribe Tango

V.L.C.C?s (Very Large Crude Carriers)

UK Coastal Waters.
Lightening V.L.C.Cs

Ardrossan Tug Ardneil??
Taking Yokohama fenders to the lightening V.L.C.C?s
(Very Large Crude Carriers)
Photo shows a V.L.C.C.s Tanker, transferring 65,000 tons of crude oil to a smaller vessel MV DRUPA.

Shell International Marine Ltd, introduced a method for lightening the 200,000d.w.ton class tankers at sea, by transferring part of their cargoes of crude oil to a specially equipped smaller tanker.

There would be eventually 29 of these very large crude carriers.
Until 1970, when plans to deepen the entrance channels to Europort, Le Havre and Gothernburgh are complete, and until Fos near Marseilles, is ready, these ships will not be able to berth in Western Europe while carrying a full cargo.

To overcome this, the Shell tanker ?DRUPA of the 70,000 class has been adapted as a lightening vessel, with special fenders, hoses, radio, and other equipment.
When a VLCC.?s enters Western European waters she make a rendezvous with the DRUPA, the two ships are moored together, and DRUPA takes off sufficient of the V.L.C.C?s cargo to enable her to enter harbour

Yokohama fenders
Originally, Japanese ships used dead whales as large fenders.
They were replaced after WW2, when the Japanese tyre manufacturer ?Yokohama? was asked to come up with a suitable man made alternative, hence the birth of ??Yokohama? fenders.

(EA ArdrossanShips.com)

BLENHEIM launched at John Brown's Shipyard, Clydebank, Glasgow

The tugs FLYING DEMON. FLYING FALCON, FLYING SPRAY, and FLYING  DUCK were in attendance for the launch and thereafter towed BLENHEIM to Brown’s Basin.

Tug FLYING DEMON attends launch of BLENHEIM at John Brown's Shipyard, Clydebank, Glasgow

The tugs FLYING DEMON. FLYING FALCON, FLYING SPRAY, and FLYING  DUCK were in attendance for the launch and thereafter towed BLENHEIM to Brown’s Basin.

Tug FLYING FALCON attends launch of BLENHEIM at John Brown's Shipyard, Clydebank, Glasgow

The tugs FLYING DEMON. FLYING FALCON, FLYING SPRAY, and FLYING  DUCK were in attendance for the launch and thereafter towed BLENHEIM to Brown’s Basin.

Tug FLYING SPRAY attends launch of BLENHEIM at John Brown's Shipyard, Clydebank, Glasgow

The tugs FLYING DEMON. FLYING FALCON, FLYING SPRAY, and FLYING  DUCK were in attendance for the launch and thereafter towed BLENHEIM to Brown’s Basin.

Tug FLYING DUCK attends launch of BLENHEIM at John Brown's Shipyard, Clydebank, Glasgow

The tugs FLYING DEMON. FLYING FALCON, FLYING SPRAY, and FLYING  DUCK were in attendance for the launch and thereafter towed BLENHEIM to Brown’s Basin.

There were no vessels arriving or sailing today.

"Braconda" finished discharge.

Safmarine's S A MERCHANT closes at Glasgow for receiving cargo for South and East Africa

Mossgiel's CORTIAN closes at Glasgow for receiving cargo for Marseilles and West Italian ports

Safmarine's S A MERCHANT closes at Liverpool for receiving cargo for South and East Africa

Large crane to assist in the construction work at Brodick pier.

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 16th January 1970

WORK BEGINS AT PIER

A large crane is being towed to Brodick Pier on board a raft on Sunday morning.
The crane, which should arrive at Ardrossan harbour on Saturday, will be used for the construction work involved in the building of the pier at Brodick to cope with the new car ferry which will come into operation in the spring.

A Glasgow firm have commenced quarrying operations at Brodick for the 30,000 tons of rock needed for the construction of the pier.
The introduction of the new ferry will depend on the progress of the pier work.

Marine Consultant's Doubt Clyde Yards

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 23rd January 1970

MARINE CONSULTANT?S DOUBT CLYDE YARDS

The very earliest a Clyde shipyard could start work on a 250,000 ton oil carrier would be 1974, it was claimed at the Hunterston inquiry on Wednesday.

Captain John W. Ross, a marine consultant at present retained by the British Transport Docks Board and former Chief Marine Superintendent of the British Petroleum Group, said that at the present there was no Clyde yard capable of building such a tanker and to provide the necessary facilities would cost considerable capital investment.

He said: ?The whole set up in a building yard would have to be changed. The only Clyde yard capable of building such a tanker and to provide the necessary facilities would cost considerable capital investment?.

He said: ?The whole set up in a building yard would have to be changed. The only Clyde yard who could alter their situation to meet such an order has a full order book until the end of 1971. With the delivery dates needed by Chevron this yard would be quite out of it?.

He went on: ?I am aware of the fact that Scott-Lithgow have declared that they will build ships of this size?.

In the meantime, this yard was ?totally committed? until the end of next year and the switch to bigger tankers would require the redesigning and dredging of the yard.

This, he claimed, could not be started until the present orders were completed and he believed it would be at least 1974 before they could start on the construction of a 250,000 ton vessel.
Mr Weir suggested that the present Chevron Fleet would be able to service Portencross and there was no reason why the orders could not be placed with a Clyde yard later.

Replied Captain Ross; ?The cost of redesigning the yard is so colossal that it would need an order of 15-20 of these ships before they would be prepared to capitalise the yard on that figure?.

DISAGREED

Having made a study of the Wemyss Point area, he said he disagreed with a Chevron executive who had told the inquiry earlier that a 1600 foot jetty would be required there to take such large tankers.

?Wemyss Point would be an ideal site for such a jetty?, he added, ?and attractive because it gives sufficient depth of water. At the moment, I feel a jetty of 800 to 900 feet would be required.

It is a more sheltered area than Portencross. Even 500 feet would take one into deep water at Wemyss Point?. He also considered there would be sufficient room to locate two terminals there.

Captain Ross felt that previous witnesses at the inquiry had underestimated the degree of
exposure of a jetty at Hunterston to the prevailing winds.

Ardine Point would also be suitable from a marine point of view for a deep water terminal although it might not be so commercially. The depths of water there were more than sufficient for any tanker, he claimed.

It would be as easy for a berth to function satisfactorily off Ardrossan as at Portencross and there would be more deep water manoeuvrability at the former. He was not, he stated expressing a preference for Ardrossan.

He disagreed with experts from the Clyde Port Authority and Chevron who had told the inquiry earlier that any jetty at Ardrossan without a breakwater would be unacceptable. He felt such a breakwater would be a hazard.

WISE PRECAUTION

Replying to Mr A. J. Mackenzie-Stuart, QC, for Ayr County Council, Captain Ross
Admitted it was ?a wise precaution? by Chevron to look for facilities for ships of over 300,000 tons.

He said four super tankers should be able to bring in all the necessary crude oil required for the refinery. Even allowing for considerable re shipping of the finished products such a terminal would not be over occupied. Although it might be put to some other use as well, he would suggest it should be also used by ore carriers.

Scribe Tango

To assist in the sailing of the tanker "Braconda"