Blog at the Ballast: Shipping

Friday Photo 'Ailie'

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This week's Friday Photo is from our Dan McDonald collection. 'Ailie' was Dan's yacht, purchased in 1925 along with his friend, Andrew Roulston. Ailie was refitted at Port Bannatyne and was used for regular weekend and holiday sailing.

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The Dan McDonald collection which is comprised of over five thousand negatives, each documenting the activity and latter inactivity on the River Clyde over a period of forty years, capturing what is arguably one of the most important periods in terms of Scotland's Shipbuilding Industry.

However, the change in how Dan captures Ailie is quite interesting. Following their wedding, in 1930 both Dan and his wife used Ailie to explore the sea lochs in the Clyde area, and elsewhere. The intimate nature of these images is reflective of Dan's relationship to this yacht, clearly holding so many personal and cherished memories.

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~ Jennifer Brunton, archives assistant (graduate trainee).

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, by Archivist (Ballast Trust)

Friday Photo 'Ballast Trust 2018'

After our photo shoot yesterday with photographer, Greg Smith, I thought this weeks Friday photo would be a timely opportunity to show a few of the lovely new and up to date photos of the Trust!

The main workroom at Walkinshaw Street

Our Surveying Officer Chris looking over shipping plans.

Our Director Professor Tony Slaven and our Archivist Kiara looking through a ledger from Glasgow City Archives Clyde Navigation Trust collection.

This images were taken as part of our preparations for the 30th anniversary publication.

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, by Archivist (Ballast Trust)

Ballast Trust

Friday Photo - 'Earl of Zetland'

This week, we have a beautiful three-masted iron sailing ship from the Dan McDonald Collection, the 'Earl of Zetland'. Like most of the glass negatives in this collection, this particular ship was built on the Clyde, at Archibald McMillan & Sons yard in Dumbarton in 1875. She is recorded as carrying many immigrants to Australia and New Zealand, with one group of immigrants being 'without a single dissentient...fully satisfied' (although one went mad during the voyage...).

As an ocean-going 'windjammer', she and her crew would have had to endure the most treacherous seas, and it is very likely that she would have lost several crewmen over the course of her career in accidents. According to the South Australia Maritime Museum, most of the officers and crew apparently went mad during a voyage from Sourabaya to San Francisco, for reasons unexplained. She was wrecked in 1905 at Vang near Hasle, Bornholm while carrying a cargo of timber. It isn't known if the crew survived.

~ William Brown, Volunteer

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, by Archivist (Ballast Trust)

Ballast30

Friday Photo 'Glenclova'

This week's Friday photo is one of the glass negatives from the Dan McDonald collection, which was digitised earlier this week by one of our volunteers, William Brown. The Dan McDonald collection is permanently held with the Trust and was bought by Bill Lind in 1996. The collection contains over 6,500 images of ships, vessels and places along the Clyde and west coast of Scotland (c.1920-1980).

This particular negative is of 'Glenclova' a steel sailing vessel 4 Mastered Barque in the Tasman sea, a little further afield than the Clyde and west coast of Scotland! This ship was built by Charles Connell & Company, Glasgow in 1893. This isn't one of Dan's own images but one that is part of his larger collection.

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, by Archivist (Ballast Trust)

Friday Photo 'Albert Harbour, Greenock'

This week's photo is of Albert Harbour in Greenock. Particularly interesting as you can see the Greenock Town hall in the distance. The foundations for the harbour were laid in 1862, replacing the earlier Albert Quay.

The Lind Collection held at the Trust also holds an image of Countess of Breadalbane & Talisman which was photographed in Albert Harbour, May 1967. You can view this image here on our Flickr account.

You can find more images and information on Albert Harbour here.

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, by Archivist (Ballast Trust)

Ballast Trust

“Watching the Waverley go by.” April 2018.

Having watched the Waverley pass by my house for many years, it is one of the most distinctive memories I have of growing up on the Clyde. Often seeing ships, boats and tugs of all kinds sailing past, bound for unknown destinations. The Waverley in particular was a regular sight and one which, as a child, I could easily spot with its distinctive black, white and bright red funnels. It therefore seemed appropriate to be the first in our new series of 'monthly favourites' on the blog. As the Waverley sails between April and October each year, it also serves as a reminder that spring is here and that summer *fingers crossed* is not much further away!

Named after Sir Walter Scott's first novel, the Waverley was built by A&J Inglis of Pointhouse in 1947 and is the last sea-going paddle steam engine in the world. Ending her working career for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1975 the Waverley has since been in operational preservation, offering regular trips on the Clyde, the Thames, South Coast of England and the Bristol Channel.This picture is part of our Dan McDonald collection, which contains over 6,500 images of boats and vessels along the Clyde and the west coast of Scotland between 1920 and 1980.

The importance of paddle steamers is reflected in the story of the Waverley, famously gifted to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society for £1. Not only did paddle steamers hold a crucial place in coastal passenger and excursion trade, they also made a significant contribution to the war effort as minesweepers in both World War 1 and World War 2. The Waverley was built to replace the previous Waverley which played an important role at Dunkirk in 1940.

The first Waverley was built in 1899 also by A&J Inglis. This particular image is part of the Lind collection, made up of Bill's personal collection of ship plans, photographs and postcards. The original Waverley was requisitioned during the first World War and deployed as a minesweeper in 1915. During the evacuation at Dunkirk in 1940 the boat was sunk during an air attack.

In 2003, a large-scale restoration project began to return the Waverley to its original 1940's style. All made possible by funds from National Heritage Lottery Fund, PSPS with contributions also coming from Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, the European Regional Development and local authorities. Not to mention the countless number of devoted volunteers and specialists who all contributed to the successful completion of the project. This important restoration re-affirmed the Waverley's importance within Scottish Heritage and paddle steamers as being of national significance. These images provide a way of understanding Scotland's shipping industry whilst providing accessibility through digitisation of these images.

References and useful links.

Ballast Trust Flickr image of the Waverley.

Ballast Trust Flickr photo album of other Paddle steamers on the Clyde.

Youtube Waverley Film.

Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.

Waverley Excursions.

Clyde Waterfront.

Clyde Ships: Scottish Built Ships, The History of Shipbuilding in Scotland.