ELBTEAM arriving at Container Berth at Greenock Ocean Terminal (Scotland, UK)

Creel fishing boat ENDURANCE passing Custom House Quay, Greenock (Firth of Clyde, Scotland, UK)

ENVIK passing Custom House Quay, Greenock on passage to King George V Dock, Glasgow

ENVIK passing Greenock Ocean Terminal with the newly-arrived container ship ELBTEAM on the container berth

SLOMAN HEBE at the Fuel Terminal, Rothesay Dock, Clydebank (River Clyde, Scotland, UK)

ANDREA discharging her bulk dry cargo at Port of Ayr (Scotland, UK)

E-mail with comments about the website

E-mail from “Miller” received 23 March 2025

Hi ShipsoftheClyde.com

I like your website but would like to make some comments.

.   You call the website Ships of the Clyde but there is a lot about overseas ships.   So your title is wrong.

.   Your images often show a lot of background detail instead of concentrating on the ship.

.   And with the image you often have lots of description which isn’t needed.   Folk look at your website to see the images not to read about the sky and sea.    If they want to read something  they can get a book from the library.

Miller

ShipsoftheClyde replies.

From Sandra B. (Site Administrator since 2011)

Hello Miller.  

Please forgive me for addressing you as Miller as you did not give your name.

Let me start by thanking you for visiting the site.

Compliments, criticisms or complaints are always welcome to improve the delivery and interest of the website.

I will answer your points but first will provide some background.

This website is non-commercial, free to use, there are no adverts and there is no need to register to use it.   It is run and administered entirely by volunteers and has been so since it’s inception in 2011.

 The sole aim of the website is to preserve, with free and perpetual access, to leave to everybody, memories of ships and shipping-related items….. whether for the Clyde or worldwide.

 And I am sorry to bring this matter up. We all have to die at some time or other.   Some will go to a Heavenly Spot, others to a place which is terribly hot.   Our volunteers and administrators, generally of retirement age, are freely giving their time and effort, in making and promoting this website for future generalions, no matter if they are from Greenock or Gibraltar or Arran or Australia.   It is their wonderful and thoughtful gift from them to everyone.

Your first point.

   When the site started it dealt only with the Clyde.   But just like the ships going to all parts of the world the site soon began getting e-mails and images and requests from overseas and these messages were, and still are, very welcome and extremely informative.

You may notice on the Homepage / Frontpage that the title says Ships of the Clyde and Worldwide, and this shows our inclusivity of global maritime items.

   The site has visitors and contributors from all over the world and their items are always of great interest.

Your second point.

   An image of a vessel is informative and interesting.   Hovever the location and colour and background of the ship can enhance and enrich the quality and interest. 

 As an example, in the Clyde, the scenery is stunning, amazing and memorable, so why not show the ship in her surroundings.  

   A thought.   In 1960s Alfred Holt’s Blue Funnel Line distributed well-known postcards of their vessels off Gibraltar, at anchor in far eastern waters …. probably Port Swettenham, Malaya, and passing under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.   The locations definitely elevated the interest and attraction.

   We have never set out to edit out location or background details, and, indeed, will endeavour and encourage to always show backgrounds.

Your third point.

   You seem unhappy with the text accompanying images.

I am generally the person who creates and inputs the text.

Can I ask you to look at the news on the television and put the sound off.   You can see images or film clips,  but miss all the details, information and background to the stories.

So with an image my accompanying text is there to explain and inform and enhance the reader’s experience.

   So my text will forever continue to be included, and I encourage all contributors to add as much text as they wish.

Finally Millar, I hope you understand my views and continue to visit ShipsoftheClyde.com.

Perhaps you could e-mail to us some of your own images so that we can understand what you like.

Mrs. Sandra B. (Gourock, Scotland)

SPITZBERGEN storing at Fairlie Quay (Firth of Clyde, Scotland, UK)

ARGYLE approaching Wemyss Bay (Firth of Clyde) inbound with passengers and vehicles from Rothesay

In the first image, in the background, stretching along the shoreline is the village of Innellan, in the region of Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland, on the western shore of the Firth of Clyde.   It is four miles south of Dunoon.

BBC LIVORNO at Riverside Quay, Shieldhall, Glasgow (Scotland, UK)

Contributed by Robert McManus

SOUND OF SEIL arriving at Span 2 at Western Ferries Terminal, McInroy's Point, Gourock

Contributed by Sandra B (Site Administrator)

10:01   SOUND OF SEIL arriving at Western Ferries Terminal at McInroy's Point, Gourock

10:16   SOUND OF SEIL leaving McInroy's Point on her 2-mile 20-minute crossing to Hunter's Quay on the Cowal side -- the opposite side of the Firth of Clyde.

SOUND OF SOAY arriving at Western Ferries Terminal, McInroy's Point, Gourock (Scotland)

Contributed by Sandra B.  (Site Administrator)

SOUND OF SOAY approaching the McInroy's Point Terminal and, in the background, is SOUND OF SEIL on passage from Gourock to Hunter's Quay.

The Destination Board on this coach reads "Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry Replacement."       So what's going on here ?

    Quite simply, Caledonian MacBrayne have two passenger-only ferries, ALICAT and ARGYLL FLYER operating on the Gourock Pier - Dunoon service.

   Unfortunately ARGYLL FLYER is not doing any flying just now as she is languishing under repair in James Watt Dock, Greenock with "exhaust problems."

   So ALICAT is at present CalMac's sole vessel on the service and her crew must have rest times. 

  And when they are resting / meals etc. their ship is tied up at Gourock Pier and a comfortable coach from McGill's is used to convey the foot passengers to the nearby Western Ferries Terminal at McInroy's Point and the passengers board a Western Ferries vessel to take them to Hunter's Quay which is near to Dunoon.

   And that's why the coach shows "Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry Replacement."  

Caledonian MacBrayne's ALICAT at Gourock Pier and preparing to leave for Dunoon (Firth of Clyde)

Contributed by Sandra B  (Site Administrator)

Notice (in both English language and Gaelic) at the berth at Gourock Pier where foot passengers both board and land from the Dunoon and Kilcreggan Ferries.

Caledonian MacBrayne's ALICAT at the berth at Gourock Pier

ALICAT has a catamaran hull.   That is the vessel has two hulls, ostensibly to make her broader and therefore more comfortable and stable in unpleasant weather.   In the image it is maybe difficult to make out the two hulls as they are in deep shadow.

Workmen are busy at the pier and ALICAT has to leave the berth to allow CalMac's CHIEFTAIN, arriving with foot passengers from Kilcreggan, to use the berth.   ALICAT is seen in these next images shifting to berth astern of CHIEFTAIN.

UNKNOWN Police Boat passing Gourock Pier (Firth of Clyde, Scotland) outbound to Firth of Clyde

Contributed by Sandra (Site Administrator)

Caledonian MacBrayne's CHIEFTAIN on passage from Kilcreggan to Gourock (Firth of Clyde, Scotland)

Contributed by Sandra B.  (Site Administrator)

11:00   CHIEFTAIN leaving Kilcreggan for Gourock.

11:08   On passage from Kilcreggan for Gourock

11:09  Arriving at Gourock Pier

Small blue hulled yacht, name unknown, pottering about off Custom House Quay, Greenock