ARGYLE approaching Wemyss Bay Pier from Rothesay (Isle of Bute, Firth of Clyde, Scotland, UK)

   It was a cold spring morning, very grey and gloomy and quite misty and a strong southerly wind was sweeping up the Firth of Clyde. 

    Happily there were occasional bright intervals and Caledonian MacBrayne's ferry ARGYLE appeared to be bathed in one as she approached Wemyss Bay Pier with passengers and vehicles from Rothesay (Isle of Bute)

SOUND OF SEIL on passage from Hunter's Quay (Firth of Clyde) to McInroy's Point, Gourock

Contributed by Sandra B (Site Administrator)

   It had been a very dull, grey and gloomy morning at Gourock and the thick heavy mist was slowly dispersing and this image shows Western Ferries' SOUND OF SEIL (on the left) inbound to McInroy's Point.

   The ferry on the right is SOUND OF SHUNA, having left McInroy's Point for Hunter's Quay.

   Immediately to the right of SOUND OF SHUNA, lurking and almost invisible in the mist and anchored quietly off Kilcreggan is the cargo ship ARCTIC ROCK, wating patiently to go upriver to the BAe Systems Fairfield Basin at Govan, Glasgow.   There she is expected to moor with her stern to, and perpendicular to the west quayside (basically doing a Mediterranean moor) and doing a roll-off discharge of her project cargo.

SOUND OF SHUNA on passage from McInroy's Point to Hunter's Quay (Firth of Clyde)

Contributed by Sandra B (Site Administrator)

   It had been a very dull, grey and gloomy morning at Gourock and the thick heavy mist was slowly dispersing and this image shows Western Ferries' SOUND OF SEIL (on the left) inbound to McInroy's Point.

   The ferry on the right is SOUND OF SHUNA, having left McInroy's Point for Hunter's Quay.

   Immediately to the right of SOUND OF SHUNA, lurking and almost invisible in the mist and anchored quietly off Kilcreggan is the cargo ship ARCTIC ROCK, wating patiently to go upriver to the BAe Systems Fairfield Basin at Govan, Glasgow.   There she is expected to moor with her stern to, and perpendicular to the west quayside (basically doing a Mediterranean moor) and doing a roll-off discharge of her project cargo.

STEN TRITON arrives in the Firth of Clyde (Scotland, UK) with oil from Mongstad (Norway)

Contributed by Sandra B. (Site Administrator)

13: 37 hours  Thursday.

   I'll start with an AXIOM ----- a self evident truth.

When you look at the sea or river ... what colour do you see ?

 The answere is .... the colour is simply a reflection of the colour of the sky above the water.     So, for example, in the Mediterranean on a beautiful sunny day the sea will be the same colour as the blue sky.

   Now look at these first few images of STEN TRITON arriving in the Firth of Clyde (Scotland)

   The first shows the tanker, hardly visible, emerging from the thick murky and misty gloom.   Look at the colour of the sea.   Yes, that nasty grey colour was a reflection of the thick dark grey blanket of clouds overhead in the sky.

   But good news.   The following less-than-perfect photographs show the mist gradually clearing .... no, it's not my poor amateurish photographic skill, the images were taken in bursts of thinning mist.

14:10 hours  Thursday

   STEN TRITON is now passing Greenock Ocean Terminal on her way upriver to the Fuel Terminal at Rothesay Dock, Clydebank (near to Glasgow)   The mist of thirty minutes earlier has now gone and the sun is desperately trying to burst through.   The container ship ELBTEAM can be seen completing loading and will soon be leaving for Bilbao (Spain / Espana).

   The tanker had been met by two tugs off Fort Matilda, Greenock.

 I'll do a little bit of tour guide for you.   Fort Matilda is an area at Whiteforland Point at the western end of Greenock Esplanade.   Around very early 1800's an Army fort was built there, equipped with cannons to protect Greenock from enemy shipping.

    Over the years a naval torpedo manufacturing base was established there and finally was a Coastguard and Maritime Agency office, along with other Government Offices.   

   Nowadays the area is mostly a residential suburb of town houses and villas, with a few businesses.   

   In World War 2 (1939-1945) the nearby Battery Park in Gourock was the base of a battery of anti-aircraft guns to protect the shipyards and dock areas from German bombers .... hence the name Battery Park. 

   So now back to the two tugs meeting STEN TRITON.

A smaller tug, CMS WRESTLER, took station ahead of the tanker to escort her along the channel to Clydebank where the tug would attach her tow-line to assist STEN TRITON to the Fuel Berth.

   The much larger and powerful tug SVITZER MILFORD took station close astern of STEN TRITON and she would follow the tanker up the River Clyde to Clydebank. 

Tug SVITZER MILFORD following closely astern of the tanker

Container ship ELBTEAM leaves Greenock Ocean Terminal with containers for Bilbao (Spain / Espana)

15:14pm    Radio call from Clyde Pilot on board ELBTEAM to Estuary Control, Greenock.

   " Now finished loading.  Will depart shortly for Bilbao.   6.8m draught.   No damage or defects "

15:27pm   The mist is gathering as ELBTEAM leaves the West Container Berth at Greenock Ocean Terminal.

BUTE arriving at Wemyss Bay (Scotland, UK) with passengers and vehicles from Rothesay, Isle of Bute

STEN TRITON discharging oil grades at the Fuel Terminal, Rothesay Dock, Clydebank (Scotland, UK)

Contributed by Robert McManus

Hopper Dredger DEO-GLORIA passing Yoker (River Clyde) on her way to the spoil disposal site

Contributed by Robert McManus

Trailing suction hopper dredger Deo Gloria working on the River Clyde passing Yoker this morning. Heading to the disposal site at Cloch point. 

Large cargo vessel runs aground off Isle of Skye (Scotland, UK)

From BBC Scotland online news 10 March 2025

Large cargo vessel runs aground off Isle of Skye

Image source,Kyle RNLI

Image caption,

The vessel was able to float away after around two hours

Image source,Kyle RNLI

Image caption,

Lifeboats from Kyle and Portree attended the incident

Image source,Kyle RNLI

Image caption,

The boat dragged its anchor and ran aground

Corran Ferry in Scottish Highlands : Europe's busiest single-ferry route in £30m upgrade

From BBB Scotland online news 10 March 2025

Europe's busiest single-ferry route in £30m upgrade

Image source,Getty Images

Image caption,

There are separate plans to replace the route's MV Corran with a new electric ferry

Image caption,

The service is a five minute crossing of the Corran Narrows

Image of a refrigerator magnet of tugboats at Seattle (Washington State, USA)

Contributed by Willis (Seattle,USA)

HAV ALDA at Fairlie Quay (Firth of Clyde, Scotland, UK)

BUTE leaving Wemyss Bay Pier (Firth of Clyde) for Rothesay (Isle of Bute, Firth of Clyde)

ARGYLE approaching Wemyss Bay Pier from Rothesay (Isle of Bute, Firth of Clyde, Scotland, UK)

ALICAT passing Hunter's Quay (Firth of Clyde) on passage with passengers from Dunoon to Gourock