Joint Warrior - Friday arrivals, part 1

A large number of ships joined the arrivals from earlier in the week, with the first sailing up river at 7am this morning.

Around a dozen vessels from various countries made their way to Glasgow on yet another damp cold morning.

BNS Primula leading the procession

BNS Primula

HNoMS Rauma

HNoMS Rauma

HNoMS Karmoey

M341 HNoMS Karmoey

Swedish stealth ship HSwMS Visby

HSwMS Visby

Joint Warrior arrivals

Thursday morning and more ships arrived for Joint Warrior exercise. These four visitors were on their way to KGV dock in Glasgow, the larger ones being assisted by tugs.

I'm not one to complain about the weather (not too much any way) but it was horrible today with constant rain and very poor visibility.

Danish "Thesis" class ocean patrol vessel, HDMS Vaedderen F359, was the first vessel to arrive this morning.

German oiler FGS Rhoen A1443 was escorted by local tugs once she reached the river.

F221 FGS Hessen is a German Sachsen class frigate, commissioned in 2006.

Final vessel of the 4 is A535 HNoMS Valkyrien. This Norwegian support vessel was originally built as a civilian ship and is capable of anchor handling and towing.

Joint Warrior

The first of this years Joint Warrior exercises is upon us and this years participants have started arriving.

On Saturday, Dutch submarine support vessel, HNKMS Mercuur arrived at Greenock Ocean Terminal.

As the exercise gets closer, more ships have started coming in to the river. KNM Steile went up to Glasgow earlier this morning, but here is he sister ship KNM Gnist passing East India Harbour after coming up the Firth of Clyde at over 40 knots.

Type 45 destroyer Duncan

Duncan, the last of 6 Type 45 destroyers to be built on the Clyde, started her voyage to Portsmouth where she will enter commission with the Royal Navy.

The river was choppy as she sailed past Port Glasgow escorted by local tugs Battler and Bruiser.

Belville Street flats

After standing for over forty years, another three of Belville Streets High flats are no more.

Selkirk, Peebles and Melrose courts were brought down in a series of explosions within less than a minute.

The last remaining flat, Hawick Court, is also being demolished at a later date.

Selkirk Court, Peebles Court, Melrose Court - you have been sentenced to demolition

The first explosions at 2:30am

The three towers start to drop

Not much left now

Once the dust settles the landscape is changed forever

Corlic Hill

At a height of 1000 feet, Corlic Hill sits to the south of the east end of Greenock. At one time this would have been a popular Sunday stroll but this is the first time I have been on the hill.

Road to Corlic Hill

View of Greenock and Argyllshire hills

Gryfe Reservoir

River Clyde this week

It's been a while since I've been down the harbour but I've been twice this week. We've had a few visitors making a welcome appearance.

Tug 'Keverne' had come up to Govan with empty barge 'Woolston', presumably to take some aircraft carrier parts to Rosyth. Here she is coming back down river unladen.

'Northern River' is a SERCO support vessel. She is a relatively recent arrival to the Clyde having entered service last summer. This my first time seeing her up close. 

The Finnish ferry 'Finnarrow' damaged herself while berthing and has been brought to Greenock for repair. She is due to go into drydock next week.

She was towed to the Clyde by tug 'Hellas' before local tugs 'Anglegarth' and 'Svitzer Milford' took over to bring her into the Great Harbour.