Boats
This classic vessel was built in 1953 for the Swedish National Maritime Administration and now serves as high-quality Polar cruise ship carrying a maximum of 12 passengers.
Gaff Ketch SV 'Bessie Ellen' emerges from the murk on Loch Linnhe on her way to Fort William. She was built in Plymouth in 1904 and now operates as a charter vessel.
Paddle Steamer 'Waverley' anchored off the Isle of Rum.
Detail on the aft emergency steering wheel of Paddle Steamer 'Waverley'.
This image appears frequently in Waverley publicity material.
Paddle Steamer 'Waverley' departing from the Isle of Coll.
Paddle Steamer 'Waverley,' under the expert command of Captain Ian Clark, catches the sun as she passes Custom House Quay, Greenock. Captain Clark's 'prancing horse' flag flutters proudly on the bow. Waverley had just dropped off her first load of Cowal Games passengers at Dunoon, presenting a rare opportunity to catch her picked out by the sun as she approaches from the west.
Paddle Steamer 'Waverley' being refloated after her annual inspection. 5.30am and the water starts to flood Garvel Dry Dock at Greenock.
Keeping it simple. 'Glenachulish' tender, okay dinghy, on Loch Carron.
Caledonian MacBrayne ferries 'Loch Riddon' and 'Loch Shira' pass en route to and from Largs.
The Tall Ship 'Glenlee' three masted barque at her new home outside Glasgow's Riverside Museum.
MV 'Balmoral' at her traditional winter berth in Bristol. Note her bow dimple worthy of Kirk Douglas.
PS 'Waverley' returns to Gairloch after a brief but popular cruise.
The stern rope telegraph on Paddle Steamer 'Waverley'.
QE2 at Greenock Cruise Liner Terminal to celebrate her 40th birthday.
A gull watches the Tall Ships from the top of the PS Waverley's flagpole
Norwegian-built "Hjalmar Bjørge" catches a shaft of sunlight in Oban bay. She was originally a rescue vessel but is now available for luxury charters around the Western Isles.
The antidote to another difficult day at work and a tense drive through Glasgow's evening rush hour traffic after a work-delayed departure to make Largs just in time for the Scottish Branch of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society's evening charter of Paddle Steamer 'Waverley'. Great ship, great scenery and great company. Truly the perfect antidote.
Five Waveleys approaching Largs on 15th July 2012, each carrying over 700 passengers. Composite of five images taken roughly 30 seconds apart for no reason other than I was bored waiting for the late running ship and then, like buses...
Steel-hulled Dutch Barque 'Europa'. Originally built in 1911 as a lightship she was converted in 1994 in to this three masted vessel.
Paddle Steamer Waverley's consort MV 'Balmoral' at her traditional winter berth in Bristol. Her crew and volunteers will work on her here over the winter months in preparation for the 2013 season. The building in the background is the M Shed social history museum. The four preserved quayside cranes are still capable of moving under their own power. Behind Bal is the 1935 tug 'John King' and 1934 fireboat 'Pyronaut'. The funnel beneath the fourth crane belongs to steam tug 'Mayflower' built in 1861.
Paddle Steamer 'Maid of the Loch' moored at Balloch Pier on Loch Lomond.
Dew glistening on one of Waverley's lifebelts.
The brig-rigged 'Stavros S. Niarchos' passing Erskine on the River Clyde. She is owned by the Tall Ships Youth Trust. Her hull was purchased from a German yard having been partially completed for another project. She was completed at Appledore Ship Yards in Devon in January 2000.
A brand new red duster for the 2012 season, back-lit by the low evening sun.
Waverley made a 44-hour sprint from Southampton to Glasgow for her final sailing of the 2012 season. Waverley flew her Red Ensign at half-mast throughout the day in memory of the late Dr Joseph McKendrick. Joe was instrumental in securing the paddle steamer for preservation 38 years ago. His ashes were scattered from the stern during a memorial service off Tighnabruaich.
The River Clyde was originally too shallow for shipping and required cargo to be offloaded at places like Port Glasgow and carried 20 miles upriver in smaller craft. At the end of the 18th century hundreds of jetties were built out from the banks to constrain the tidal flow which scoured the bottom of the river deepening it. Nowadays dredgers like Limassol registered trailing suction hopper dredger ‘Shoalway’ suck silt from the bottom the river to maintain the required depth in the shipping channels. Notice the 'ball, diamond, ball' signal indicating that she is restricted in her ability to manoeuvre whilst dredging.
Clyde riverside scene reflected in a curved window of the Glasgow's Riverside Museum. Paddle Steamer 'Waverley' is heading down river with an evening showboat cruise. This is my third unsuccessful attempt at getting my visualised shot as the sun will only be in the right place on the evening showboats. This was my last opportunity of the 2013 season. Needless to say the cloud was near perfect and the sun was low and shining directly on the bow until about a minute before the 'Waverley' reached me. Back next year then.
Paddle Steamer Waverley's stern. Built and registered in Glasgow.
One of Waverley's two rescue boats returns after ferrying bow and stern lines across Ayr Harbour.
Steam Lighter VIC 32 moored outside the BBC Scotland Pacific Quay headquarters.
MV Explorer off Armadale, Skye. Five months later in November 2007 she hit an iceberg in the Antarctic Ocean and sank without loss of life.
CalMac's MV 'Isle of Mull' approaching Oban. The obelisk on the Isle of Kerrera is a memorial to David Hutcheson, one of the founders of what became Caledonian Macbrayne.
Departing Greenock for Liverpool. She is 294m (965 ft) long. In real money that is 9.5 football pitches or 115 London buses.
Paddle Steamer 'Waverley' paddling under her own steam for the first time in 2013. She is seen here passing Glasgow Harbour after completing sea trials on Loch Long. Note the film crew on the upper deck filming the BBC TV series "Clydebuilt: The Ships that Made the Commonwealth" that was first broadcast in March 2014.
'Waverley' paddling down Loch Linnhe from Fort William to Oban.
Waverley back at Southampton. The sailings on the following three days were cancelled because of storm force winds.