CEG COSMOS discharging Aggregates at Brodick Pier, Isle of Arran

Brodick, Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland.

    16^th September 2020 at 2135 hours the Riga (Latvia)

registered cargo ship CEG COSMOS anchored in Brodick Bay.  

She had arrived with a cargo of Aggregates from Glensanda

in the Scottish Highlands and, as there are no Pilots for

Brodick, the Master decided to wait until daybreak the

following morning to berth at the pier.

    And so at 0610 hours on 17^th September

 CEG COSMOS came alongside west quay and made fast.

 Discharge soon commenced and, at 1550 hours, shortly

after these images were taken, the vessel backed out from

the pier and left Brodick, light-ship, for Kilkeel in County

Antrim in Northern Ireland.

In the background is “Goatfell” the highest mountain on the island

A short distance from CEG COSMOS can be seen RED PRINCESS

of Troon Tug Company, beached at Market Street, Brodick

and loading Logs for Troon.

Troon Tug Company landing craft RED PRINCESS loading timber at Brodick (Isle of Arran)

   RED PRINCESS had arrived at Brodick at 1300 hours

on 17^th September 2020, having come light-ship from

Troon on the mainland.

   Using her bow ramp she commenced loading logs from

the yard at Market Street, Brodick and, at 1225 the next

day, left with a full cargo of logs for Troon.

Caledonian MacBrayne's ISLE OF ARRAN at Brodick and on passage to Ardrossan Harbour

17^th September 2020 was a beautiful Autumnal (American = Fall) day.

   Not a cloud in the sky.   And not warm, but cool,

but pleasantly cool.   Just the slightest breath of wind to

sometimes ripple the glassy sea.

   And at 2.40 pm (1440 hours) Caledonian MacBrayne’s

passenger and ro-ro ferry ISLE OF ARRAN  is approaching

Brodick (Isle of Arran, Firth of Clyde, Scotland) on her

regular daily service from Ardrossan Harbour on the mainland.

   ISLE OF ARRAN and another Caledonian MacBrayne

ferry CALEDONIAN ISLES are together on the Arran run from

Ardrossan.   When one vessel leaves Ardrossan the other

leaves Brodick, and they go back and forward each day,

passing each other about midway in the Firth of Clyde.

   So, now that all you lovely viewers know the score, please

join us on ISLE OF ARRAN on her 55 minute passage from

Brodick back to Ardrossan.

   Here is your ticket.   It has been paid for.

   2.40 p.m. and ISLE OF ARRAN is approaching Brodick

 Bay and the new pier

In Brodick Bay

Turning in Brodick Bay.   The highest mountain on

the island “Goatfell” is in the background

Approaching the pier

Approaching the pier

Swinging to bring her starboard side to the berth

Having left Brodick at 3.15 p.m. we have a look at

the Shipbuilders plate (situated just below the bridge)

A view of the bow

 Notice reminding passengers not to throw

rubbish overboard

3.42 p.m. and we pass CALEDONIAN ISLES on

her way from Ardrossan to Brodick. 

    As a matter of interest just about here, well below us,

is the sunken wreck of the Royal Navy Escort Aircraft

Carrier H.M.S. DASHER which exploded and sank during

World War 2.   There was a great loss of life, and bodies

which were washed ashore at Ardrossan are buried in the Town Cemetery.

   More modern times, this area of the Firth is a Submarine

Exercise Area for Royal Navy Submarines and these “boats”

are known to use the Arran ferries as training targets

CALEDONIAN ISLES approaching Arran

A lifebuoy

One of her lifeboats

Upper deck, looking forward.    Someone is making

good use of the seating.   Poor thing must be tired.

   However, look more closely at the red coloured seats.

   They must be about the most uncomfortable seats ever

made : the back end is deep and when you sit down on

them you fall backwards and downwards

Ship’s details

Looking back at Arran across the silvery wake.   A

fishing boat from Troon is in the distance

Approaching Ardrossan Harbour 

Approaching Ardrossan Harbour 

4.10 p.m. Ardrossan Ferry Terminal, and ISLE OF ARRAN

will turn hard to starboard to berth port side-to and meet the ramp.

   The voyage is now finished.   

You can now go for a cup of tea or coffee

Tanker SLOMAN HELIOS passes Greenock inbound to Rothesay Dock, Clydebank

   The Gods of the weather must have been in a most

unpleasant mood today by deciding to make an exceptional

effort to greet the tanker SLOMAN HELIOS on her arrival in

the Firth of Clyde early this morning.   Rough sea, a strong,

biting cold wind, frequent heavy rain squalls which blanketed

visibility and thick overcast skies.   The large Isle of Arran on

her port side was invisible in the rain.

   However, the land of glens and bens and heroes saw a

drier afternoon as the vessel entered the River Clyde at

Greenock.

  The rain almost stopped, not completely, or largely,

but sometimes just came down in light showers.

   The chemical / oil product tanker SLOMAN HELIOS was

arriving with a cargo of oil grades from Havens van, Rotterdam,

 and was heading inbound to Rothesay Dock, Clydebank.

SLOMAN HELIOS approaching Greenock Ocean Terminal with Clyde Marine’s tug BATTLER escorting ahead

BATTLER passing Custom House Quay, Greenock

 Closer image of  tug BATTLER

SLOMAN HELIOS approaching Custom House Quay with the Svitzer tug AYTON CROSS following close astern

SLOMAN HELIOS approaching Custom House Quay with the Svitzer tug AYTON CROSS following close astern

SLOMAN HELIOS approaching Custom House Quay with the Svitzer tug AYTON CROSS following close astern

SLOMAN HELIOS approaching Custom House Quay with the Svitzer tug AYTON CROSS following close astern

SLOMAN HELIOS passing Custom House Quay

   SLOMAN HELIOS passing Custom House Quay with AYTON CROSS astern and a rainbow decorating the distant sky

Superstructure of SLOMAN HELIOS

Tug AYTON CROSS astern of the tanker

    Another image of AYTON CROSS

   SLOMAN HELIOS and AYTON CROSS passing Victoria Harbour, Greenock

SLOMAN HELIOS passing Victoria Harbour, Greenock

SLOMAN HELIOS and AYTON CROSS passing Victoria Harbour, Greenock

Turning towards Garvel Point, Greenock.   Years ago an

Alfred Holt Blue Funnel cargo ship, inbound to Glasgow,

ran aground on Garvel Point.

Turning towards Garvel Point, Greenock.

   Turning towards Garvel Point, Greenock.  Tug BATTLER can

be seen ahead in the distance     

Clyde Marine base at Victoria Harbour, Greenock with CLYDE CLIPPER, BITER and CMS WRESTLER

HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS laid up at James Watt Dock, Greenock

Pilot boat MOUNT STUART at James Watt Dock Marina, Greenock

Royal Navy Minehunter H.M.S. PEMBROKE at James Watt Dock, Greenock

Unknown yacht entering James Watt Dock, Greenock and making for the Marina

SD ORONSAY passing Custom House Quay, Greenock on her way to H.M. Naval Base, Faslane

Passenger ferry CHIEFTAIN approaching Gourock Pier after her 10 minute journey from Kilcreggan

Passenger ferry CHIEFTAIN leaving Gourock Pier on her 10 minute journey to Kilcreggan

AILEEN M passing Custom House Quay, Greenock and inbound from Loch Long to Inchgreen, Greenock

SVITZER MILFORD passes Custom House Quay Greenock to wait for tanker AMUR STAR

Tug SVITZER MILFORD had left Great Harbour, Greenock,

and was passing Custom House Quay, Greenock on her

way to Tail-of-the-Bank anchorage where she would wait

to meet the inbound tanker AMUR STAR

Naval Auxiliary SD ORONSAY passes Custom House Quay, Greenock on passage to Faslane

   At 1547 hours on Friday 25 September 2020

  the Naval Auxiliary passenger ferry SD ORONSAY passed

Custom House Quay, Greenock.

    She had left Great Harbour, Greenock about 15 minutes earlier

and was outbound to cross the Clyde Estuary to the Royal Navy

base at Faslane in the Gare Loch.

In the background are the towns of Helensburgh and Craigendoran and the hills are the start of the Scottish Highlands

In this image, just above the red buoy, is the Clyde tug

SVITZER MILFORD which is waiting at Tail-of-the-Bank

for the inbound tanker AMUR STAR and to follow her up

river to around Dumbarton where she would attach to

the tanker’s stern to berth her in Rothesay Dock, Clydebank.

 Barely visible in the distance is the M.O.D. Pilot Vessel SKUA

which was outbound from Faslane Naval Base to board an

Admiralty Pilot onto the Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate H.M.S. SUTHERLAND which was inbound to Faslane.