MAERSK RAPIER

Following her latest call at the NATO fuel jetty in Loch Striven, where she has spent the past couple of days, MAERSK RAPIER moved today to Garelochhead. This 34,985 tonne tanker, built in 2000 as ROBERT MAERSK but given her new name shortly after delivery, is operated on behalf of Maersk by Handytankers K/S. She remains on charter to the MoD, delivering cargoes of fuel not only to the naval facilities in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands and Souda Bay, Crete but it is also used to supply aviation fuel to Cyprus, Ascension Island and Falkland Islands. When not needed for defence commitments, MAERSK RAPIER is made available to commercial charterers.

A Pair of 'Tors'

Erwin Strahlmann's coasters are no strangers to the River Clyde, often arriving light and sailing for the ports around the Bay of Biscay with scrap steel for recycling, cargoes arranged by shipbrokers on behalf of the owners. Two members of their fleet were captured together this afternoon, and both ships had similar histories, having started their life in the same Portuguese shipyard. ELBETOR, pictured on a previous visit here, was sailing with scrap loaded at Shieldhall for Bilbao, passed her sister BURGTOR, still completing her load in the Lobnitz Basin, which as can be seen from her list is still silted up despite the recent vist by WD MEDWAY II. BURGTOR was completed in 1989 as PORT LIMA, changing her name to MELLUM in 1994, then LADY LINDA in 1995. On joining the Strahlmann fleet in 2004, she was renamed BURGTOR. Both ships are 87.0 metres in length, with deadweights of 3,432 tonnes. Several hours later, BURGTOR followed her sister downriver, on passage to Ferrol in northwest Spain.

FGS LÜBECK - F214

The German frigate LÜBECK, which is presently attached to Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, arrived back on the Clyde last night and anchored off Greenock on completion of Joint Warrior 081. LÜBECK was last of the eight ships belonging to the 'Bremen' class, and was completed by Thyssen Nordseewerke at Emden, joining the German Navy in March 1990. CODOG machinery propels this 130.5 metre ship at around 30 knots.

HDMS ESBERN SNARE - L17

One of the ships taking part in Joint Warrior 081, but which did not start from the Clyde, was the Danish combat support ship ESBERN SNARE, second vessel of the 'Absalon' class. Together with her elder sister ABSALON, she arrived on the river yesterday evening, and anchored off Greenock together with the other participants. Both ships sailed for sea this morning, and ESBERN SNARE is seen as she passed Cloch Point. Built at Odense, she was commissioned into the Royal Danish Navy in April 2005.

SCOT ISLES

Following VARNEBANK downriver this morning, just a few minutes behind her, the coaster SCOT ISLES had been delivering a cargo of plywood from Wicklow to Glasgow. Today she was sailing for Portavadie, to load round timber. SCOT ISLES was previously seen sailing from Sandbank with just such a cargo, last August.

VARNEBANK

A further cargo of wind turbine components for the Whitelee windfarm arrived from Denmark aboard VARNEBANK earlier this week, and was landed at King George V Dock as usual. She sailed this morning, heading for Esbjerg in Denmark, passing some of the participants of Joint Warrior 081 anchored at the Tail o' the Bank off Greenock. In this view, the frigates USS NICHOLAS and FGS MECKLENBURG-VANPOMMERN are seen on the left, with the Portuguese frigate VASCO DE GAMA on the right. VARNEBANK was built in 2000, at the Volharding Shipyard in Holland, and is operated by Pot Scheepvaart. She is 132.23 metres long, with a deadweight of 8,734 tonnes.

LOCH TARBERT

Still lying at Garvel today, LOCH TARBERT was introduced into the CalMac fleet in 1992 on the Lochranza-Claonaig service, where she has remained every summer to date. Her wintertime employment has varied, however, and she now spends time in the Western Isles as well as on the Clyde. Built at the small Fife shipyard of James N Miller at St Monans, she was a development of the original 'Loch' class ferries, but with an increased vehicle capacity - she can carry up to 17 cars.

TÄRNFORS

Lying at anchor off Kilcreggan, the Swedish tanker TÄRNFORS awaits a suitable tide to move upriver to Rothesay Dock, with her cargo of fuel from Antwerp. Smaller than other ships of the Tarntank fleet which have visited previously, TÄRNFORS was built in China in 1998 by the Qui Xin Shipyard, and has a deadweight of 8,245 tonnes. She is 115.10 metres overall, and has a Swedish master, while the rest of her officers and crew are a mix of Swedish nationals, and Filipinos.

POLE STAR outbound

About to pass the No 1 Buoy, marking the entrance to the River Clyde off Greenock Esplanade, the navaids tender POLE STAR was seen this afternoon as she sailed from the Clyde. While PHAROS is in drydock, the ship sharing agreement between the various UK lighthouse authorities is implemented and the Irish navaids ship GRANUAILLE is due to work out of Oban for a few days. To take her place, POLE STAR is heading for Dun Laoghaire, near Dublin, operating base of the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

Garvel Tonight

The Claonaig ferry LOCH TARBERT berthed in the James Watt Dock this evening after her short stay in the Garvel Drydock, where she had hull repairs carried out. On the right of this picture, the navaids tender POLE STAR remains alongside, while PHAROS, her larger compatriot, moves up the drydock to allow DEEPWORKER to join her. It is unusual to see both NLB ships together other than at one of their operating bases, so a transfer of some equipment between the two may be about to happen.

DEEPWORKER

About to join PHAROS in the drydock, DEEPWATER was seen as she lay in the Garvel Basin. She had just moved out of the James Watt Dock, with a little assistance from Clyde Marine Services' tug BITER.

PHAROS

The Northern Lighthouse Board's Polish-built ship PHAROS, previously seen in an earlier view at Customhouse Quay, arrived this afternoon for her first survey. In failing light, she is seen as she enters the Garvel Drydock, which had recently been vacated by CalMac's LOCH TARBERT.

YEOMAN BANK

After a speedy discharge of her cargo, the bulk carrier YEOMAN BANK left Shieldhall Riverside Berth this afternoon. Two tugs were required to help her turn - in the upper view KINDEACE takes the strain as she begins to pull her stern round while SVITZER MALLAIG waits at her bow. Using the entrance to King George V Dock, ships of this size can be turned quite easily despite the narrowness of the Clyde at this point.

The lower view depicts YEOMAN BANK as she negotiates the main channel past Old Kilpatrick, as she heads down river and to Glensanda to pick up her next cargo.

VIC32

A rare sight this afternoon, as Scotland's two remaining coastal steam-driven preserved ships were seen at Glasgow. WAVERLEY, which has lain throughout the winter at her berth at Plantation Quay adjacent to the Science Centre, is being gradually reactivated in preparation for a weekend of sailings at Oban. The other vessel, the preserved 'puffer' VIC32 was paying a courtesy visit to Finnieston Quay, which required the opening of the two pedestrian bridges just upstream of the Science Centre.

VIC 32, launched by Dunston's at Thorne for the Admiralty in 1943, was built to a traditional Clyde Puffer design able to fit into the locks of the Forth and Clyde Canal, with an overall length of 66ft 4in. She still retains her original two-cylinder compound steam engine, although her boiler is not as old, VIC32 having been reboilered in 2006. She has operated since 1979 in Scottish waters, and has been seen each year on the Clyde and in the Western Isles as she cruises at a sedate pace with her small complement of passengers. Further details of this interesting little ship can be found here.

W D MEDWAY II

Heading down the Clyde past Dumbarton Rock this afternoon, the dredger WD MEDWAY II was making her last trip from the upper reaches with spoil for the dumping ground off the mouth of Loch Long, as her charter to Clydeport has finished. During the past month, she has dredged extensively the river itself as well as King George V and Rothesay Docks. She also cleared the river bed at the BAE shipyards.

ROGER

An unusual sight this afternoon was one of Erwin Strahlmann's low air draught coasters sailing light from the Clyde, instead of loaded with a cargo of scrap metal. ROGER, built in 1984 on the River Elbe to a standard design by Hugo Peters Schiffswerf at their Weselsfleth yard, arrived yesterday with fabrications for the Type 45 destroyers under construction at Govan, and berthed in the former Fairfield basin. After completing her discharge, ROGER moved yesterday afternoon to King George V Dock, then sailed this afternoon for Felixstowe. She was originally named GUDRUN, then for a short time from March 1990 until February 1992 AROS ANGLIA, reverting to her original name briefly, before taking her current name the following autumn. She is 82.22 metres long, and has a deadweight of 2,183 tonnes.

DEEPWORKER

Another arrival on the Clyde this morning was previously seen fairly often in her original guise as the Naval Armament Vessel KINTERBURY. As a member of the RMAS, she carried military cargoes between the UK's armament depots and stores, but was disposed of in 2005. The 64 metre ship was sold to become an offshore deep salvage vessel, and conversion work, including fitting dynamic positioning equipment and a moonpool, was undertaken at Hull. Renamed DEEPWORKER, she now flies the Panamanian flag, and has recently had extensive spells apparently laid up at Newport, in South Wales. She is due to be drydocked along with POLE STAR once LOCH TARBERT, barely visible in the drydock , is refloated later in the week.

HNLMS MERCUUR - A900

The Dutch Navy's Submarine Support Ship and Torpedo Recovery Vessel MERCUUR was seen exercising today off the north end of Arran. Commissioned in 1987, this 1,400 tonne ship is 64.8 metres in length, and has twin screw diesel electric drive. She is equipped with two Oerlikon 20mm guns, and and well as being able to launch and recover torpedoes, MERCUUR is able to act as a minelayer.

LOCH RIDDON

Although she is usually to be found at Largs during the period of the summer timetable, CalMac's LOCH RIDDON is currently spending a few days serving between Lochranza, on Arran, and Claonaig at the north end of the Kintyre peninsula while the regular vessel, LOCH TARBERT, undergoes some repairs in the Garvel Drydock. LOCH RIDDON, no stranger to Lochranza as she serves it daily from Tarbert for around three months each winter, is seen here departing from Claonaig on another of her crossings to Arran.

ISLE OF CUMBRAE

One of CalMac's oldest ferries is used for the summer season on the crossing from Tarbert to Portavadie, at the southern end of Loch Fyne. ISLE OF CUMBRAE, dating from 1977, seen arriving at Portavadie today, has been employed here for the past nine years, where her 18 car capacity is seldom taxed.

YEOMAN BANK

Not a new visitor to the river, although it's been quite a while since YEOMAN BANK was seen on the Clyde. She arrived this morning with a cargo of stone from Glensanda, anchoring for a time before proceeding to Shieldhall this evening. YEOMAN BANK was built in Greece in 1982 and purchased while on the stocks by Ropners, a British shipping company, for whom she was named SALMONPOOL. As built, she did not have the self-discharging gear, which was added after she joined Egon Oldendorff, a German company with widespread interests, when she was also renamed YEOMAN BANK for a charter to Foster Yeoman, owners of the massive quarry at Glensanda. Foster Yeoman has fairly recently become part of the Aggregate Industries Group. YEOMAN BANK is 204.95 metres overall, with a deadweight of 43,728 tonnes. She is registered in Monrovia.

KINDEACE in James Watt Dock

After sailing SPAARNEGRACHT from Ocean Terminal, KINDEACE returned to the James Watt Dock to join the other tugs at their berth. On the left is the Commissioners of Northern Lights navaids tender POLE STAR, which arrived in dock this morning for some repairs at the Garvel yard.

SPAARNEGRACHT

SPAARNEGRACHT is seen this evening leaving Greenock on Spliethoff's regular liner service from Europe to North America. The Japanese-built ship's previous visit to the Clyde was at the beginning of March, and a fuller description can be found here. Her departure tonight, for Baltimore, was assisted by JP Knight's tug KINDEACE.

ORP GENERAL K PULASKI - 272

The Polish frigate GENERAL K PULASKI sailed for sea from Faslane this morning, and is seen here passing another Polish ship, the Remontowa-built CalMac ferry ARGYLE lying at Wemyss Bay Pier. The 133.5 metre long warship, which was originally a member of the US Navy's 'Oliver Hazard Perry' class, is driven by a single screw powered by two gas turbines. She is fitted with Mk-46 torpedoes launched from two triple mounts, one 76 mm rapid fire gun, one Vulcan Phalanx close-in-weapons system and also carries guided missile systems with Surface-to-Air Missiles and Harpoon Surface-to-Surface Missiles.

HMCC SEEKER

Passing under the Erskine Bridge this evening, the Customs Cutter SEEKER was heading upriver to Glasgow. She was built for HM Customs and Excise (now HM Revenue and Customs) in the Netherlands by the Damen Group, and completed in 2001. For more details about her, see here, and another view taken on the Clyde last October can be seen here.

B.G. ROTTERDAM

The fleet of ships on the BG Freight Line charter which have visited the Clyde was added to with the maiden arrival of B.G. ROTTERDAM. Normally scheduled for the Rotterdam-Cork-Dublin run, she arrived from Belfast this morning having been at Rotterdam and Felixstowe prior to that. B. G. ROTTERDAM was launched as MARSTAN in 2000 by the Peene-Werft shipyard at Wolgast in Germany. She is 8,672 tonnes deadweight, and has an overall length of 132.23 metres. Owned by Reederei Unitas, who also own HERM which visited the river previously, B.G. ROTTERDAM has a capacity for 698 TEUs.