CRSC Honorary Treasurer Billy Tomlinson and Waverley Excursions General Manager Paul Semple proudly hold “a hastily unravelled CRSC pennant” at Ardnagal Pier on the nominated excursion from Glasgow and Greenock on 18 August
Aim 2.1 of CRSC’s Constitution is: “To create opportunities for ship enthusiasts to sail, meet and talk together”, an aim truly adhered to on Sunday 18 August, as Past President Robin Copland reports below.
Paul Semple, General Manager of Waverley Excursions Limited, very kindly suggested that CRSC might want to have, as their nominated cruise in 2024, the sailing to Ardnagal pier on the opposite bank of Loch Long from that haunt of Waverley’s youth, Arrochar. Your correspondent was absolutely fine with this until a wedding invitation for the day before thudded through his letterbox – a wedding in the deepest South-West of Scotland, near Stranraer, to be exact. Plans for a leisurely drive through to Greenock from Edinburgh were hastily re-hatched. It was an eight o’clock start for me and a thrash up the East shore of the Firth of Clyde to reach Greenock in good time. Truth be told, it was a lovely drive and no hardship at all.
Looking magnificent as she arrives at Greenock, Waverley flies the Club pennant from her forestay
At the Custom House Quay, there were many club stalwarts awaiting Waverley’s arrival after her 9.45 start in Glasgow. She had made good time and looked an absolute treat as she approached the quay, the CRSC pennant flying proudly in front of the bridge. There was a good crowd on her decks enjoying some dry weather and, they were joined by a healthy number at Greenock. She had made good time from Glasgow, so there was plenty of time to board and do all the administrative things that needed to be done – tickets, greetings, waves and the like.
I got talking, as you do, to Club President Graeme Hogg, to Vice-President Gavin Stewart, to committee man (and drone pilot for the day!) Allan Smith. As I did so, I noticed that we seemed to be taking a different course to Dunoon than normal. Instead of heading downriver, I suddenly heard the dulcit-toned Iain Quinn announce over the ship’s tannoy that we were passing the capsized sugar boat, MV Captayannis. What? That’s miles away from Dunoon! But there followed quite the most wonderful 30 minutes or so that I have enjoyed on Waverley for many a long year.
All that remains of Craigendoran pier, Waverley’s home from 1947 until 1972
First, we sailed past the stumps of Craigendoran pier and, as if in homage, Waverley gave three long blasts of her whistle. We talked of cruises of the past linking Lochs Long and Lomond and the walk between Arrochar and Tarbet; the train down the West Highland line to Craigendoran and the connection back to the river fleet. We talked of the old North Bank fleet, Lucy Ashton, Jeanie Deans, Talisman, and the later replacements, Caledonia, and the Maids.
A massive crowd assembled on Helensburgh pier to greet Waverley as she sailed close by
Then it was on to Helensburgh. At this stage, we were joined by the local inshore RNLI lifeboat cavorting like a young thing in our wake. What a sight! As we approached the pier, we noticed more and more people lining the riverbank.
The people became a crowd and, by the time we had reached a point level with the leisure centre, the crowd was two or three deep! We sailed past the pier itself; it was literally covered from end to end with cheering, flag waving supporters – all keen to show their support of both Waverley and the pier renovation project. We sailed by the pier at a good lick and again, we blasted the ship’s whistle in respect.
A very clear message being displayed by Waverley supporters and well-wishers at Helensburgh
But we weren’t finished. Round we went through 270 degrees, this time to approach the pier from the west. It looked for all the world that we got as close as we could to the pier without touching. Our paddles reversed and there we sat for a minute or so, just beside and slightly off the pier, passengers waving and those on the pier cheering back. If she could speak, Waverley would have been saying, perhaps in gentle admonishment, “Here I am – get on with your renovation project and let me call again.” You had to be there – what an experience!
And the dreamers started talking about reviving the triangular service linking Gourock, Kilcreggan and Helensburgh and about how glad we were that the crazy project to block Kilcreggan pier with some kind of marina seems to have fallen by the wayside – and on we went! The bells had clanged in the meantime; the engines had reversed us out into the channel and off we went, heading for Highland Mary and the breakwater.
Every time I pass Dunoon’s magnificent Victorian pier, I just get angry. I tell you, if this were Switzerland, that pier would look as pretty as a picture; it would be vibrant; there would cafes and shops and men would stroll with their womenfolk (easy there, tiger – you’re getting carried away) of a balmy summer evening. Instead, it is being left to rot away in the Firth of Clyde, blocked by its supposed saviour, the breakwater, the least said of which, the better. Good news though: John Newth joined us and for the ill-informed, John is always worth chatting to. He’s forgotten more about the steamers than I ever knew!
Blairmore, where Waverley called to pick up Membership Secretary Stuart Craig, as well as several others
Blairmore passed in a flash. What a welcome Waverley gets there every time she calls. On our return trip, Iain Quinn asked for a special round of applause for the pier hands – all volunteers just out to do their bit for Waverley and for their village. Brilliant.
Blairmore was notable for one other thing – Review Editor, Membership Secretary, Committee member and one of the website team, Stuart Craig joined us, bike in tow. He’d done a Craig special involving Western Ferries and a cycle round the Holy Loch. His plan was to leave the ship in Greenock. His car may or may not have been there – I don’t know. Ask him the next time you see him.
Lunch at the south end of Loch Long and I always say that you can’t beat a wee plate of macaroni cheese and chips, followed by a coffee and bakewell tart. Just saying. Oh – and a chat with Jane Ann Liston, who, by the way, also arrived on a bike. She lives in St Andrews, but had not cycled all the way through. Phew!
After cruising all the way up Loch Long, Waverley takes a breather at Ardnagal, on the opposite shore from Arrochar, the village she was built to serve
Ardnagal pier was where naval ships used to park up to be loaded with torpedoes that had been assembled in a factory just next to the pier. The narrow gauge railway lines used to run from the factory to the pier and, if you were prepared to be bitten by midges and look very closely, you would see railway sidings, a turntable and lots of points at the factory end of the line. This must have been a hive of activity back in the day; now it lies quietly derelict, save for the odd fisherman and an occasional visit from a paddle steamer. It was here that thirty or so members stood behind a hastily unravelled CRSC pennant that Billy Tomlinson had brought along. They had their photograph taken. It’s probably close by this article. The other passengers looked on – and wondered. Nothing changes.
Stuart Craig, leaning on the rail, contemplates if he will indeed see his car again at Greenock
We retraced our steps via Blairmore and Dunoon. This time, we missed out on the North Bank visit, but this gave us all time to go down one-by-one and look at the engines.
I met Stuart Cameron down there. He’s another one that knows more about the Clyde and its engineering past than anyone else I know. I told him what I always tell him every time I see him. Publish your Facebook contributions; they’re brilliant!
Then it was Greenock and I was off. Colin Smith and I waited, as you do, to get “that last picture”. There was a lovely wee delay when, for some reason, the pier hand had about three goes at throwing the rope back to the ship and failed more ignominiously with each attempt. Finally, he made it to ironic cheers and a wee toot on the ship’s whistle. Nice moment.
With a “wee toot” on her steam whistle, Waverley heads away from Greenock on her voyage back upriver
And away she quietly went – slowly at first and then, as if lifting her skirts, the paddles beat more quickly and she was on her bustling way to Glasgow.
We have her for another few days before she heads down South. I’m going to try to fit in one more cruise before she goes. So should you!
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Published on 22 August 2024