Tanker AMUR STAR approaching and passing Custom House Quay, Greenock and inbound to Clydebank

    1620 hours on Friday 25^th September 2020 and

German-owned tanker AMUR STAR passes Custom

House Quay, Greenock, inbound to Rothesay Dock,

Clydebank with a cargo of oil grades from Mongstad

(Vestland County, Norway).

    The tanker was escorted by Svitzer tug SVITZER MILFORD who

met her at Tail-of-the-Bank off Greenock and would follow her

astern upriver to near Dumbarton where she would attach her

tow line to berth her in Rothesay Dock.

   Almost one hour earlier, at 1522, the Clyde Marine tug

BATTLER left her base at Victoria Harbour and made her way

upriver on River Clyde to wait near Dumbarton where she

would attach to the bow of AMUR STAR and assist her into

the berth.

    When AMUR STAR finished discharging she would leave

Clydebank and make her way “North About” around the

north coast of Scotland to return to Mongstad.

Russian tanker NS LION leaves Finnart Oil Terminal (Firth of Clyde) for Murmansk (Russia)

Caledonian MacBrayne ferry BUTE approaches Wemyss Bay on her regular service to / from Rothesay

Under the colourful rainbow the land on the far side, the Cowal shore, is obscured by heavy and torrential rain.   It was better that

the rain was on the other side of the Firth, otherwise the images

would not have been taken.

Russian tanker NS LION leaves Finnart Oil Terminal (Firth of Clyde) for Murmansk (Russia)

At 1220 the tanker NS LION left Finnart Oil Terminal, Loch Long,

to make her way down the deep, narrow water to the broad

expanse of the Firth of Clyde to start her passage to Murmansk, Russia.

   She was assisted from the Finnart berth by the tugs

SVITZER MILFORD and ANGLEGARTH.

About 1310 she left Loch Long and entered the waters of the  Firth of Clyde.   The sky was heavily overcast

with frequent heavy rain squalls.   You can see how the hills behind her are obscured by low cloud.

Coming into relative sunshine the tanker is seen passing the town

of Blairmore.

Note the smoke ahead of her bow, coming from the area of the houses.

The Pilot Boat has come from Estuary Control at Greenock to land

the Pilot from NS LION.

See you didn’t need to be concerned about the smoke at her foredeck.

1329 hours.

   NS LION is passing the entrance to the Holy Loch.   In the past the U.S. Navy nuclear submarines were based there.

   The tanker is now slowing down to disembark the Pilot on her starboard side, and then start on her passage

to Murmansk (north Russia).

SOUND OF SOAY arrives at McInroy's Point, Gourock on her service from Hunter's Quay

Tug SVITZER MILFORD passes Custom House Quay on her way to her base at Great Harbour, Greenock

A heavily overcast sky, frequent torrential rain and often

poor visibility when the tug SVITZER MILFORD

(nearest the camera) followed by tug ANGLEGARTH

pass Greenock Ocean Terminal on their way inbound

to their base at Great Harbour, Greenock.

Both tugs were returning after sailing the Russian

tanker NS LION from Finnart Oil Terminal on Loch Long.

The (stern of) container ship MSC MONICA can be seen

at the Ocean Terminal.   She had arrived at 0140 that

morning from Liverpool. 

Tug ANGLEGARTH passes Custom House Quay on her way to her base at Great Harbour, Greenock

A heavily overcast sky, frequent torrential rain and often

poor visibility when the tug SVITZER MILFORD

(nearest the camera) followed by tug ANGLEGARTH

pass Greenock Ocean Terminal on their way inbound

to their base at Great Harbour, Greenock.

Both tugs were returning after sailing the Russian

tanker NS LION from Finnart Oil Terminal on Loch Long.

The (stern of) container ship MSC MONICA can be seen

at the Ocean Terminal.   She had arrived at 0140 that

morning from Liverpool. 

CEMVALE passes Custom House Quay, Greenock inbound with Cement from Dublin (Ireland)

CEMVALE passing container ship MSC MONICA at Greenock

Ocean Terminal and approaching Custom House Quay, Greenock

on her way upriver to King George V Dock, Glasgow with a

cargo of Cement from Dublin (Ireland).

ARKLOW CLAN passes Braehead on her way upriver inbound from Liverpool to Shieldhall, Glasgow

   It was a dull and cold - but thankfully dry - morning when, at 1045

on 8th October 2020, ARKLOW CLAN passed Braehead Shopping

Centre on the River Clyde inbound to Shieldhall Riverside Quay,

Glasgow to load a cargo of scrap for Sevilla, Spain.

ARKLOW CLAN is passing the new British Royal Navy offshore

patrol vessel H.M.S. SPEY which is fitting out at the BAe Systems

yard at Elderslie, Glasgow. 

Just as she was passing, ARKLOW CLAN was overtaken by the

Police Scotland RIB  =  Rigid Inflatable Boat  - "DELTA" which

was charging upriver at a great rate of knots.   Perhaps the

Officers were late for their morning cup of tea or coffee.

   Look ahead of ARKLOW CLAN.   Just under the big crane

and a little to the right you will see the white superstructure

and green hull of a ship.

    It is ARKLOW VENUS, built in 2018, registered in

Rotterdam and owned by Ferrybank Shipping BV.

    She is at Diesel Wharf on the North Bank of the

River Clyde and loading a cargo of scrap for Liverpool.

Does anyone remember Isthmian Steamship Lines of USA in 1950 / 60's

E-mail October 10  2020 

 From Bobby Ford  (USA)

Do you have anything about Isthmian Steamship Lines,

or anyone remember them, who did freighter service

from India and Far East in 1950 / 60’s.

   Any memories of the "STEEL" boats ?

Tug S D RELIABLE and barge S D 1710 U pass Custom House Quay, Greenock

It was a thoroughly unpleasant day to take photographs.

   Thick overcast sky, continual heavy rain with fierce

squalls and poor visibility.

   “Teeming down” or “pouring down” as they

say in the west of Scotland.

   At 1414 hours the Serco Denholm tug S D RELIABLE left

Great Harbour, Greenock with the unmanned fuel barge

S D 1710 U  fast alongside.   It’s not known where they

were bound.   Possibly the Royal Navy base at Faslane

in the Gare Loch or the NATO fuelling facility at

Loch Striven.   Who knows ?

   1434 hours and the pair passed Custom House Quay,

Greenock.  The tug was seen to be moving astern on

her passage.

In the last image just above the tug's bow is

a small vessel named TONKA.  

   You may be surprised where it has been.

Landing craft TONKA arrives at James Watt Dock, Greenock from sunken sugar boat off Greenock

Pollution Prevention vessel ST MUNGO .. ( for Saint Mungo) ..at Govan Pontoon, Govan, Glasgow

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.

WILSON BLYTH leaving Ayr at sundown