Yesterday's ClydeSights: PIONEER

One of the best-loved car ferries belonging to Caledonian MacBrayne in recent years was PIONEER, a vessel built in 1974 at the Robb Caledon shipyard at Leith. She was built specifically to serve between the shallow waters of West Loch Tarbert and Islay, and her arrival on the route saw considerable amounts of traffic returning to the state-funded route, much of it having transferred in the preceding few years to Western Ferries' rival service from Kennacraig. It was undoubtedly her appearance that led to the demise of the private operator's service a number of years later. PIONEER went on to serve on many CalMac routes, and in fact served at one stage or another on all of her owner's main services apart from the Ullapool-Stornoway crossing. The 67.47 metre long vessel, which could carry 218 passengers and around 35 cars, was sold in 2004 to begin a new life in West African waters under a new name, BRENDA CORLETT.

Yesterday's ClydeSights: KNM OKSØY - M340

Commissioned into the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1994, OKSØY was a minehunter built to a new catamaran design, the first ship in a class of four vessels, which were later joined by another five similar craft built as minesweepers. Built by Kvaerner Mandal, the 55.2 metre long OKSØY and her sisters are surface effect craft, with twin fibreglass hulls and a kevlar skirt fitted either end between them, which when air is blown into the enclosed space, results in a draft of less than one metre. Waterjet propulsion was driven by twin MTU diesel engines, giving a speed in excess of 20 knots. OKSØY suffered damage when she ran aground in 2005, and is currently awaiting disposal.

Yesterday's ClydeSights: MARIANNE

Employed on a service to Southampton during the summer of 2003, the containership MARIANNE was seen as she arrived on the Clyde early one day in July that year. She had been built in 1974 by the German Sietas shipyard as FRANCOP, and was mainly used on short-term charter work, much as similar vessels are today. The 93.2 metre long vessel, of 3,317 tonnes deadweight, spent two spells on charter to Manchester Liners, and carried the names MANCHESTER FAITH in 1976-77 and again in 1978-83. Since then she has carried a variety of names, including MARIANNE between 19998 and 2003. She is still trading as ARROW S under the Togo flag, managed by a company based in the Lebanon.

Yesterday's ClydeSights: A'ROSA BLU

Having previously called at Greenock while named CROWN PRINCESS under the Princess Cruises houseflag, this ship revisited the Clyde in August 2003 in the guise shown here, as A'ROSA BLU. Shortly after this picture was taken she was renamed AIDABLU and she was transferred to Aida Cruises. In April 2007, she was again renamed, this time becoming OCEAN VILLAGE TWO, and still sails under the Ocean Village banner mainly in the Mediterranean, although later this year she is due to move to the Australian market, where she will be renamed yet again, to become PACIFIC JEWEL. She was built in Italy in 1990, and is 245.6 metres overall, with a gross tonnage of 69,845 tons. Her current capacity is for 2,014 passengers who are accommodated in 832 cabins.

TARNBRIS

Also seen on Sunday was the tanker TARNBRIS as she neared completion of discharge in Rothesay Dock. Built in 2007 at the Selah yard in Turkey, TARNBRIS has a deadweight of 10,300 tonnes and is 129.5 metres overall. Owned by Tarntank Rederi AB, she had originally been ordered by Turkish Atlantic Denizcilik but was resold to Tarntank just six months prior to her completion.

CATTLEYA

The majority of wood chips carriers that occasionally visit the Clyde to discharge cargoes of animal feed are elderly vessels - this one is an exception. CATTLEYA is a new ship, delivered to in December 2008 to Panamanian owners by the Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co. She is 199.9 metres in length, and has a deadweight of 49,368 tonnes. CATTLEYA was seen on Sunday as she berthed at Shieldhall with a cargo of feed from South America, part of which had been discharged at Amsterdam prior to her arrival on the Clyde.

'Archer' class patrol boats

Not just one, but four of the small 'Archer' Class patrol boats belonging to the University Royal Navy Units were seen on Sunday afternoon, following the recent arrival of HMS RAIDER in Princes Dock at Glasgow. Congregating for their annual summer deployment up the west coast were, from left to right, EXPLOIT (P167), attached to Birmingham University, RAIDER (P275), attached to Cambridge University, EXAMPLE (P165), attached to Northumbria University and EXPLORER (P164), attached to Yorkshire Universities. EXAMPLE was the first vessel of the class, and was originally a member of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service from 1985 until 1994, prior to being commissioned as as member of the Royal Navy.

JEWEL OF THE SEAS

Seen departing from Greenock Ocean Terminal on Saturday afternoon, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's JEWEL OF THE SEAS was on a cruise around the Britain Isles and Norwegian Fjords, which had started at Harwich on Monday 22 June. This is a similar sailing to that which the 90,090 gross ton ship undertook a year ago.

Loch Striven Anchorage

Once both vessels had anchored, each one placing around 1,100 feet of cable in the water, they were very carefully and slowly manoeuvred alongside each other. Again, the tugs played an integral role in controlling the positioning of these massive ships, as did the pilots and crews aboard the vessels involved.

Finally, after several hours, the two ships were safely moored alongside each other, with four large Yokohama fenders between them to prevent damage. Once secured together, each of the anchor cables of the two ships was adjusted to give an even tension, all done to satisfy the rules of the classification societies.

MAERSK BEAUMONT

As MAERSK BEAUMONT arrived from No 6 Anchorage at the north end of the Cumbrae, the workboat TORCH laid temporary dan buoys to indicate where each of her anchors should be lowered to the loch bottom.

SEALAND PERFORMANCE, although anchored, was being held clear by the tugs while MAERSK BEAUMONT slipped past towards her position. An orange buoy can be seen just ahead of TORCH - that was where she would drop her port anchor. Her starboard anchor would be dropped later, once she had moved across to the east shore a few yards to the position marked by the white buoy visible below her starboard quarter.

Now nearing position, MAERSK BEAUMONT lowered her port anchor at the designated spot, and then using a combination of thruster power and the tug made fast aft - SVITZER MALLAIG - moved across to lower her starboard anchor.