On 30 July 2023 a large group of CRSC members sailed on Waverley to Ardrishaig, where they were photographed with the CRSC flag. The group included Club president Robin Copland (in blue shorts and sunglasses, holding the righthand end of the flag), CRSC honorary member Douglas McGowan (eighth right), Waverley captain Dominic McCall (fourth right) and Waverley Excursions Ltd general manager Paul Semple (third right). The sailing exemplified the purpose of the Club in encouraging enthusiasts to meet together, sail together and talk together
CRSC brings together everyone with an interest in Scottish shipping.
Our monthly meetings in Glasgow are addressed by a variety of speakers from the shipping and enthusiast world. You can attend in person or view the talks online at a time of your own choosing. Details are given on the home page of this website.
We also organise special excursions, often involving unusual itineraries.
Each year we produce two highly prized publications, Clyde Steamers and Review, which are issued free to members.
Our digital archive, comprising hundreds of unique and rare photographs, can be accessed through ‘members only’ posts on this website.
To join CRSC and get all the benefits, please click here.
CRSC was founded in 1932, when the Clyde teemed with shipyards and paddle steamers. Today we focus on the fleet of car ferries and passenger ships around the British coast, especially on the west of Scotland. We are currently celebrating our 90th anniversary.
Uniting past and present is the Club’s unchanging purpose — to create opportunities for enthusiasts to meet, sail and talk together.
A list of officeholders can be found further down this page.
If you have any questions about CRSC, please drop an email to info@crsc.org.uk
Review 2022 runs to 66 pages and 100 fabulous illustrations. It gives a comprehensive summary of west coast fleet activity throughout the year, ship by ship, and includes details of two 2022 success stories — Waverley’s season and the CalMac debut of Loch Frisa, the former Norwegian fjord ferry Utne
The 2024 edition of Clyde Steamers has in-depth features on Captain John Archie Campbell (MV Hebrides), the conversion of Loch Frisa ex Utne, the career of MV Iona, the 1960 sinking of Lochiel and beautifully researched accounts of three MacBrayne ‘oldies’
Like previous editions (pictured), the latest Review has everything you might want to know about shipping activity on the west of Scotland throughout the year
TS King George V graced the front cover of the 2019 Clyde Steamers
The front cover of the 2018 Clyde Steamers featured MV Lord of the Isles
CRSC officeholders 2023-24
CRSC President Graeme Hogg is chair of the Tighnabruaich Pier Association and a former chairman of Waverley Excursions Ltd
Officeholders are elected by paid-up members at the Club’s Annual General Meeting.
The following officeholders were approved at the April 2024 AGM:
President: Graeme Hogg
Vice-President: Gavin Stewart
Honorary Secretary: Carrie MacKinnon
Honorary Treasurer: William Tomlinson
Membership Secretary: Stuart Craig
Cruising Coordinator: Neil Guthrie
Review Editor: Stuart Craig
Magazine editor: to be confirmed
Ordinary members of management committee: James Fisher, Iain McCall, Eric Schofield, Allan Smith
Honorary Auditor: to be confirmed
Lure of the Hebrides: CRSC excursionists on the top deck of MV Isle of Arran on Sunday 23 April 2023, shortly before leaving Kennacraig and heading down West Loch Tarbert for open sea and the crossing to Port Askaig
Our nominated excursion to Arran on 10 April 2022 was supported by about 25 members and friends — not all of whom were present for this group photo on the pedestrianised causeway of the old Brodick linkspan. The atmosphere was convivial and the chat plentiful — echoing everyone’s appreciation of the fact that, after two years of the pandemic, we could enjoy being out on the water again together
During the CRSC Round Arran charter of MV Isle of Arran on 18 January 2020, Captain Jay Shibel welcomed Club members onto the bridge, including Sandra Hay (left) and Iain and Carrie MacKinnon (right)
An image of the MacBrayne turbine King George V shown by Eric Schofield at his January 2021 Zoom presentation
A screenshot from John McNulty’s Zoom presentation on 10 March 2021, showing his magnificently lifelike model of Jeanie Deans
During our excursion to Islay on Finlaggan in October 2018, Captain Callan Sloan was pictured engaging with one of the groups of CRSC members invited up to the ship’s bridge. We were also given a tour of the engine room
In January 2019 CRSC chartered CalMac ferry Isle of Arran for a midwinter cruise round Ailsa Craig. The excursion was a huge success, with more than 240 people taking part, many of them enjoying a bridge visit as the ship neared our destination
Another view of CRSC’s hugely successful charter of MV Isle of Arran in January 2019. The closer the ship came, the greater the fever of anticipation: CRSC’s charter was the first time a modern CalMac ferry had given a public sailing round Ailsa Craig. Isle of Arran sailed clockwise and anti-clockwise round the isolated granite island, and gave a spectacular demonstration of ‘turning on a sixpence’ off the lighthouse. We were really lucky with the weather: the waters were remarkably calm
Jeanie Deans, Queen Mary II and Duchess of Montrose at Rothesay in 1938 — one of many enthralling images shown by Iain Quinn at CRSC’s AGM on 21 April 2021. During the pandemic the Club held a series of meetings by online Zoom video conferencing, enabling the attendance of a much wider geographical spread of members than usual
Catch up with CRSC’s latest news and reports by clicking here.