River Clyde Photography

Tornado ,Isle of Arran

2009-11-08T13:03:00.003Z

While at Ardrossan Harbour to catch the ferry to Brodick on the Isle of Arran I spotted this tornado ,the light house in the picture is on the Holy Isle.

When the ferry arrived at Brodick the weather was foul with a torrential downpour,if you look at the middle of the third photograph you will see what looks like the remnants of the tornado or water spout.

Maersk Lay up ships, Maersk Brooklyn

2009-11-06T17:55:00.008Z

Maersk Brooklyn in Rothesay bay awaiting to join the rest of the Maersk lay up ships in Loch Striven.

Click HERE to see the rest of the Maersk ships.

Seals

2009-11-06T14:45:00.000Z

Grey Atlantic seals on an islet off the coast of Millport.

Arklow Venus

2009-11-06T00:02:00.000Z

Leaving Diesel Wharf with a cargo of scrap destined for Spain.

Norstrand

2009-11-04T12:44:00.000Z

Seen at anchor off the coast of Gourock,unusually she headed up to Glasgow with her doors partially open.

Portencross Murder

2009-11-02T23:14:00.004Z

A short walk to the north of Portencross village lies Northbank cottage,isolated and close to the sea,however it was the scene of a murder unsolved to this day.

In May 1913 three people moved into the cottage,they were Alexander MacLaren and his wife,Jessie and his sister in law Miss Mary Speir Gunn.

The three of them were sitting in the cottage on the evening of Saturday 18 October,

Alexander MacLaren was reading aloud from a book when suddenly the peace was shattered by gun fire,smashing the window the bullet hit Miss Gunn.

More shotts rang out one wounding Mrs MacLaren,when the shooting had stopped Alexander left the cottage and ran to Portencross to raise the alarm.

It is recalled that the dogs in the kennels had not barked which they usually did when a stranger was in the vicinity. When the police and doctor arrived they found Mrs MacLaren shot in the back and Miss Gunn dead, further bullets were found outside the broken window.

The police made extensive enquiries but to no avail,they even investigated as far away as Saskatchewan in Canada where Miss Gunn had a boyfriend,however no motives or suspects were ever discovered,the murder remains unsolved to this day.

Aquitania

2009-11-02T00:02:00.000Z

The Aquitania was launched from John Browns shipyard on the 21 April 1913,she was the last of Cunards four funnelled ships.

She was known as" The ship beautiful "through out her carrier,her décor being second to none at the time,during the twenties she transported royalty and wealthy across the Atlantic.

During the fist world war she was converted to a troop ship,with the arrival of the Queen Mary in 1936 she was due to be decommissioned from service,but with the out break of war she once more took up the role of troop ship.

She finally went to the breakers in 1950 at Faslane on the Clyde,she had travelled over 3 million miles and crossed the Atlantic 475 times.

Police Helicopter on the Clyde

2009-10-31T20:40:00.004Z

Strathclyde police helicopter prepares to land at its base on the banks of the Clyde in the city centre of Glasgow.

Our Venture BM444

2009-10-30T22:24:00.006Z

Fishing off the coast of Arran under a wintry sky is Our Venture BM444 built in Troon 1982

Little Cumbrae Castle

2009-10-28T23:10:00.016Z

Little Cumbrae castle was built by Lord Eglinton in the 16th century, some sources say as a base to prevent deer and rabbit poaching, apparently both animals being very common on the main Cumbrae island at the time .

In 1651 the Earl of Eglington sent his wife Lady Montgomerie to the castle with a garrison of men as he went off to fight Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester in September 1651, after the battle she was advised to surrender the castle to Cromwell or have it destroyed.

At some point during this period of unrest Archibald Hamilton a friend and correspondent of Cromwell was imprisoned in the dungeon of the castle, he was later taken to Stirling were he was hanged.

The castle was stormed by Cromwellian forces and destroyed apparently for the part it had played in his friend’s downfall, the castle was never reoccupied.

The castle looks at though it’s still in good condition; it lies on a little tidal islet.

In order to view the castle in any detail you have to take a boat trip round little Cumbrae,you cant land as the island is private.

The boat the Mary Anne leaves from Millport and is a pleasant trip of about an hour, the guide on board is very informative and friendly with a good knowledge of the whole island.

HMCS ATHABASKAN (DDH282)

2009-10-28T00:23:00.000Z

Arriving in Glasgow before taking part in a NATO exercise.

HMCS Athabaskan (DDG 282) is an Iroquois-class destroyer that has served the Canadian Forces since 1972.
Athabaskan is the third ship of her class which is sometimes referred to as the Tribal-class or simply as the 280-class. She is the third vessel to use the designation HMCS Athabaskan.
Athabaskan was laid down on 1 June 1969 at Davie Shipbuilding, Lauzon and was launched on 27 November 1970. She was officially commissioned into the CF on 30 September 1972 and carries the pennant number 282.
Athabaskan completed a refit known as the Tribal Class Update and Modernization Project (TRUMP) on 4 June 1994. At this time her classification changed from Destroyer Helicopter (DDH) to Destroyer Guided Missile (DDG).
She is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and is homeported at CFB Halifax.

She was one of the ships that was deployed to the Mississippi to help with the relief effort after Hurricane Katrina.

Information courtesy of Wikipedia

Passing Greenock to join NATO ships on exercise.

Waverley

2009-10-26T23:23:00.002Z

SD Oransay

2009-10-25T20:21:00.006Z

SD Oransay out on an exercise with the Royal Marines.

For more pictures of SD boats click HERE

HMS Defender

2009-10-23T22:49:00.030+01:00

Defender being moved from the shipyard at Govan in Glasgow to the Scotstoun yard in Clydebank,here she will enter dry dock to be fitted out which will take a couple of years.

Click HERE to watch her launch

MV Jupiter

2009-10-23T00:37:00.005+01:00

Jupiter the Gourock to Dunoon ferry seen early in the morning,the sun not long up has not yet burned the clouds away on the hills of the Cowal peninsula ,passing by is the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.

HMS Defender

2009-10-21T23:05:00.000+01:00

Launch day at Govan

The hydraulic pump which gives the ship a gentle push to help her on her way.
The paddle steamer Waverley brought the dignitaries to the ship yard.

Tugs secure Defender .

Taken a few days before launch,a lot of scaffolding still to be removed.

The last module is about to be moved into position
Parts for Defender and Duncan

For some earlier photographs click HERE

Cameron

2009-10-18T11:52:00.006+01:00

Work boat which helps lay moorings and maintains them for the Royal Navy,quite often seen at Faslane .

Trio

2009-10-17T01:11:00.007+01:00

Sailing the short distance from Glasgow Science Centre to what was the site of John Browns ship yard,the paddle steamer Waverley was helped by this small tug from the Clyde Boat Yard to manoeuvre her .

HMCS Preserver AOR 510

2009-10-13T21:48:00.009+01:00

Canadian auxiliary ship seen about to pass Cloch Point on the Clyde,she was taking part in a NATO Exercise.

HMCS Preserver is a Canadian Protecteur-class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (replenishment oiler) ship commissioned in 1970.

Built by the Saint John Shipbuilding, Saint John, New Brunswick, it underwent a major refit in 2005, after the ship was plagued by electrical problems.

Information courtesy of WIKIPEDIA

Anette Theresa

2009-10-12T16:31:00.017+01:00

Passing Greenock with the Anglegarth.

MV Saturn

2009-10-11T22:44:00.000+01:00

Passing the Holy Isle
During the summer months Saturn helps on the Arran/Ardrossan route.

HMS Diamond

2009-10-11T13:41:00.000+01:00

For pictures click HERE

HMS Diamond

2009-10-11T13:24:00.025+01:00

HMS Diamond setting out on her second set of sea trials on the 10October 2009

Defensora F41

2009-10-10T10:58:00.011+01:00

A Brazilian Frigate on the Clyde,she was taking part in a NATO exercise.

Niteroi class (Mk10 type) frigates

Displacement: 3,707 tons full load

Dimensions: 129.2 x 13.5 x 5.5 meters (424 x 44.2 x 18.2 feet)

Propulsion: 2 shafts; 4 cruise diesels, 15,000 hp, 22 knots; 2 TM3B boost gas turbines, 50,080 hp, 30 knots

Crew: 217

Radar: ASW 3 air/surf search

Sonar: EDO 610E hull, EDO 700E towed VDS

Fire Control: 2 RTN 10X

EW: Cutlass intercept, chaff, Cygnus jammer

Aviation: aft helicopter deck and hangar for 1 Lynx

Armament: 4 MM40 Exocet SSM, 2 triple SeaCat SAM, 1 114 mm DP, 2 40 mm AA, 2 triple 12.75 inch torpedo tubes, 1 375 mm ASW mortar

Concept/Program: Variants of the Vosper Mk10 design. These are general purpose frigates with some emphasis on ASW. However, the Ikara ASW launchers are believed to be inoperable. They are being extensively modernized.

Builders: Vosper Thornycroft Ltd., UK

Fionoa Swan

2009-10-09T16:49:00.002+01:00

Fionia Swan [black hull] passes Nordic Helsinki,both tankers were uploading from Finnart on Loch Long.