Joint Warrior 2011

A little late I know, but just got round to sorting out some pictures from last Autumn's Joint Warrior exercise.

A few pictures of HMS Bulwark being escorted through Rhu narrows to Faslane. The second sequence is of some visiting warships passing Greenock after spending a few days in Glasgow.

Estonian ship ENS Tasuja

Ueberrhern from Germany closely followed by Polish ORP Flaming

FGS Ueberrhern passing Greenock

ORP Flaming

A strange looking twin-hulled ship from Norway, HNOMS Maloy

Rothesay, part 2

Some more picture from my trip this week to Rothesay.

Looking out from Glenburn Hotel gardens

Winter gardens

Esplanade Hotel

I felt like a tourist although I was only a few miles from home. Definitely will be going back for a second visit.

Rothesay Castle and moat

MV Bute passing Toward Point lighthouse

My first trip to Rothesay

It's been a long time since my last post. Between not having access to my PC and with no broadband, I've almost felt totally detatched from the outside world.

Today  I took my first ever trip to Rothesay. The weather was pleasant for the middle of March but I would have preferred just a little less cloud. Here goes with my first pictures to be posted this year.

We caught the 11 o'clock sailing from Wemyss Bay, a lovely smooth journey but a bit cold and windy out on the deck.

Pipe laying ship Solitaire is working off the east coast of Bute.

Toward Point lighthouse sits at the south end of the Cowal peninsula.

My first sight of Rothesay. 

Argyle heading back over to Wemyss Bay. Time to have a look around before catching a later ferry back over to the mainland.

Queen Mary 2

Today was definitely the highlight of this year's cruise liner visits to Greenock with the arrival of Queen Mary 2 on the Clyde.

A large crowd gathered on the Esplanade to see a spectacular fireworks display before QM2 sailed off.

Emerald Princess

After the wet and windy weather at the start of the week, it felt good to see the sun back out. The many visitors on Emerald Princess, today's visitor to Greenock Ocean Terminal, must be glad they missed the stormy weather of Monday and Tuesday.

This was Emerald Princess's first visit to Greenock, although we are well used to seeing other ships from the same cruise line.

Queen Elizabeth

Cunard's newest liner, Queen Elizabeth, was welcomed to Greenock by one of our local tugs, Anglegarth, providing a spectacular twin water canon display. Not that we needed any more water than what mother nature was dropping on our heads.

A few brave souls came out to see her arrival and I would expect, weather permitting, that there will be a sizeable crowd around to watch her depart this evening.

Prinsendam

On her second visit of the year, cruise liner Prinsendam arriving at Greenock on a rather dull, typical autumn day.