Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Arrival

Tuesday, February 5, 1963 @ 0945 		SPICA (1953-1973 General cargo coaster 53 metres 175 feet long 9.5 knots of Jacob Hoving / Wijnne & Barends) Own Page

SPICA arrives at Ardrossan to load coal for Yelland (England)
Arrived fromYelland (is a small village in North Devon, England, near Barnstaple and Bideford)Port of RegistryGroningen, Holland
Arrived in berthArdrossan HarbourGross Tonnage494
Master of vessel on arrivalF BlerckDeadweght Tonnage675
Draught aft on arrival8 feet
Cargo carried on arrivalLight - no cargo on board
Ships agentR L Alpine, Ardrossan

SPICA was most probably loading a cargo of coal for the East Yelland Power Station.

Wikipedia : The East Yelland Power Station was once an operational coal-fired electricity production plant located in a partially hidden area on the estuary, next to the tarka trail. The power station was one of only two located to the west of Hinkley Point.

The power station was opened on 21 April 1955 by Lord Fortescue. In March 1984, it was announced by the Central Electricity Generating Board that the power station would close by the end of October that year.

Fuel for the power station was obtained from coal mines in South Wales, and was transported across the Bristol Channel onto a jetty specially constructed for the power station. However, due to the closure of the coal mines in the 1980s, coal would be more expensive to obtain from other areas of the country. Therefore, it was more economical to close the power station.

By 2015 most of the power station, which covered an area of 3.1hectacres had been demolished.