This month we had an amazing day out aboard the last of the world’s ocean going paddle steamers. We sailed from Largs on the Firth of Clyde to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, then on from there through the narrow strait known as ‘The Kyles of Bute”, to the beautiful village of Tighnabruaich before sailing on to Tarbert on the Mull of Kintyre. At each of these stops we dropped off passengers and picked up new ones. At Tarbert most passengers disembarked, but we stayed aboard with others to continue cruising down to Skipness Castle. This was a good decision as all afternoon we sat on board enjoying some beautiful views of the Kintyre coast and the Isle of Arran, before returning to pick up and drop off passengers at all our earlier ports of call. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining and a gentle breeze, and there was a cafe and restaurant on board, open all day. We departed Largs at 11.30am and returned at 7pm. The last time I was aboard the Waverley was in the ‘eighties’ when with others we organised a charitable sail on behalf of Tearfund. So this trip was well overdue. Here are some photos:
Tighnabruaich is more than halfway to Tarbert, so it was time for a snack lunch on board as we set sail again and headed for Tarbert on Loch Fyne, passing around the southwest end of the Isle of Bute.
(photo from my archives)
(photo from my archives)
On the return journey we had a chance to investigate the ship and to read up on its history. So if you fancy a look in the engine room and at the paddles, here’s you chance. Sorry the pics are not so great of the engine and paddle. 😦
The sun was going down when at 7pm we arrived back in Largs at the end of a lovely day. We were very pleased and thankful that the day had worked out so well. So ‘hats off” to Waverley and their hard working team!
I confess however I was a bit reluctant to book on this cruise as I was thinking, it’s a very old ship, will it be noisy? will it vibrate? will it be ‘steady as you go’? But fears were completely unfounded, it was great!. It’s been interesting too, looking at a list of all the famous ships built on the Clyde that have sailed in my lifetime. Three out of only four shown below were built on the Clyde in my lifetime. The three ‘Queens’ with all their opulance and grandeur are no longer sailing our oceans, but the ‘Queen Mary’ is a hotel at Long Beach, California, and ‘Queen Elizabeth II’ does a similar job at Mina Rashid, in Dubai. The ‘Queen Elizabeth’ however, came to a sad end after catching fire and capsizing in Hong Kong harbour 1972. They all leave us with some fascinating memories.
1936
I have a smile of amusement and irony as I look at the above photos and wonder if the Captain of the Waverley feels the same at times, as he plies his small beloved paddle steamship up and down the Clyde, and around the British Isles, whilst the famous ships of the past have come and gone. I’m not sure how many times the Waverley has been in dry dock, but it’s great to behold the steam engine still pounding away after almost 80 years, and seeing the ship’s well kept appearance!
I’ve also been reflecting, that during the same period from the late 1930’s to present, we have seen such amazing changes in every department of life, changes our parents could never have imagined. The fall of nations and empires, the collapse of engineering and shipbuilding on the Clyde …….. , and the rise of new technologies, in transport, computers, warfare ……. , in medicines, healthcare and surgery, and of course living standards ……. , these lists could go on and on and on.
Yea, there have been some great developments, but it occurs to me that it’s even more wonderful to think of the design and function of my own heart, which over a similar period will have pumped approximaely 3,300,000,000 (3.3 billion) times, and has its own self maintenance system built in, and all designed and formed by an amazing God. In Psalm 139 it says:
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
In such a changing world it is easy to feel confused, left behind, as if you are losing it in the midst of so much change, and sometimes I wonder, perhaps like you, how to keep sharp and up to date. On the other hand perhaps we just feel overwhelmed by the constant bombardment of our daily news programmes. It’s important to stop and reflect on the Word of God, the Bible whose truth never changes but “liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23) and to know the one of whom it speaks, Jesus the Saviour of all who come to Him in repentance and faith, for “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”Hebrews 13:8 Jesus, the true anchor for our souls!
David says, You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Ps. 32:7
At our Church at present we are doing a new series looking at the book of Proverbs, which is hugely interesting, and enlightening, just go to ‘You Tube’ and type in ‘greenview church glasgow’ and you can pick up the first of these talks.
Until next time DV, may God bless you wherever you are. Your comments are always welcome. Please consider subscribing!
Matthew
Matthew McKinnon's Blog 