Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Cunard Line's CARINTHIA arrives at Greenock from Canada

Two ocean passenger liners arrived in the Clyde today from Canada.   CARINTHIA of Cunard Line came from Montreal and Canadian Pacific’s EMPRESS OF ENGLAND from Montreal and Quebec.

   Both ships anchored at the Tail-of-the-Bank anchorage off Greenock.

For the passengers who were disembarking at Greenock the liner companies hired a passenger ferry from the local Caledonian Steam Packet Company and this ferry went alongside the ocean liner at the anchorage and  embarked the passengers with their hand luggage.   The passengers were then taken to the nearby Princes Pier at Greenock for Customs and Immigration clearance.

And the passengers heavy / main luggage ?

This is where a Clyde Puffer became involved.   In this case it was the SKYLIGHT.

SKYLIGHT embarked a team of dockers (longshoremen) at Greenock and went alongside the liner at the anchorage and the dockers loaded the luggage from the liner into the puffer.   The puffer then brought the luggage to Princes Pier and the items were reunited with their owners.   Her job finished, SKYLIGHT returned to her berth and landed the dockers.

Both CARINTHIA and EMPRESS OF ENGLAND then left the Clyde for Liverpool to berth at the Pier Head and disembark the remaining passengers.