The first CRSC meeting of 2014 took place on January 8 at Jurys Inn, Glasgow.
Iain Quinn, presented another of his comprehensive slide-shows, which covered the periods of winter service provided by the ferries and their crews on the Firth of Clyde and in the Western Isles. Iain explained that he had tested the definition of “winter” with a few friends and they had all given him a different view. He was confident that the slides he was about to show would speak for themselves!
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Juno at Gourock
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Isle of Mull off Duart Castle
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Brodick Bay – CRSC Excursion 09/01/99
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Juno at Wemyss Bay
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Clansman’s wake leaving Brodick – CRSC Excursion 09/01/99 |
Isle of Arran and Jupiter at Gourock
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There was a little self indulgence, together with some “adjustment of the boundaries”, as he took us on a winter sailing of Waverley heading south for annual survey in January. A few photographs taken during summer seasons could have easily been mistaken for “Bleak Mid-winter”. However, the vast majority of images with snow covered, sun-kissed hill tops in the back ground left us in no doubt that we were being taken back to a time when a very different kind of winter service was being offered in significantly different circumstances, to what services are operated under today.
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Iona arriving at Ardrossan 13/02/1991
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Saturn at Rothesay
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Saturn at Wemyss Bay 06/1/2004
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Jupiter and Loch Tarbert at Rothesay
Unidentified ferry inside pier
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| Sound of Shuna McInroy’s Point 13/02/2001 |
Puffer Kaffir Gourock 16/11/1969
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Caledonia off to Brodick at Ardrossan 02/01/1973 | Countess of Breadalbane Gourock 09/03/1971 |
Iain repeatedly paid tribute to the skills, experience and dedication of all the crews, past and present, who operate the lifeline services throughout the year and often in very challenging circumstances. He also recognised that today’s passenger has somewhat different expectations from their predecessor. A simple example being the Largs to Cumbrae service – would anyone today actually get on board Ashton or Leven for a winter’s trip to Millport?
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Clansman off Mull
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Loch Linnhe at Raasay
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MV Dalmarnock off Garroch Head
Christmas 1999
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Jupiter in Northerly Gale at Rothesay |
During his commentary Iain explained that the slides he was showing came from within his own collection but they had been taken by good friends such as Hamish Stewart, Bert Scott, Donald Robertson and Jim Aikman Smith.
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Isle of Mull and Eilean Dhura in Sound of Islay
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Coll at Lismore 25/02/1995
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Isle of Cumbrae at Lochaline 26/11/1996
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Isle of Mull leaving Oban with Lord of the Isles
at the North Pier 02/01/2000
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Lord of the Isles at Lighthouse Pier and Isle of Mull
in Oban bay 21/10/1998
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Clansman in Oban Bay with Lord of the Isles
at North Pier 02/01/2001
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A brief tour around some Western Isles locations showed some of the conditions which require to be dealt with in winter period, the flexibility of the fleet in covering winter overhaul periods, and some unusual locations for vessels as the travel to or from overhaul.
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Isle of Arran at Aberdeen
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Coruisk at Sandbank 12/12/2005
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Lochmor at Rothesay 18/3/2000
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Isle of Lewis and Lord of the Isles
at Stornoway 03/11/2001
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Hebrides and Pioneer off the Cloch 25/01/2001
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Isle of Mull and Trinty House vessel
Mermaid at Oban 10/02/2005
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Jupiter and Iona at Gourock
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Pioneer at Wemyss Bay
with Christmas Tree
above bridge 19/12/2002
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Winter excursions and charters were are also shown during his presentation.
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Clansman and Loch Alainn
Clansman of Largs on CRSC charter
around Cumbrae from Brodick
15/01/2000
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Cruiser at Arrochar 06/12/03
on charter
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MV Juno Rothesay
03/01/1975
CRSC charter
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Maid of Cumbrae
at Rothesay
on CRSC Charter
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Caledonian Isles and Isle of Mull at Gourock 21/01/2005
Iain gave his audience an enjoyable view of winter after one of the bleakest mid-winter periods we have experienced for some time.
Roy Paterson gave the vote of thanks.
All photographs are from Iain Quinn’s collection; taken by Hamish Stewart, John Ramsay, Donald Robertson and Iain Quinn