Rockhopping in the wake of the Stevensons.

I have posted about Turnberry lighthouse before. This lighthouse will be a familiar sight to TV golf fans as the Open Championship has been held here in 1977, 1986 and 1994.

Turnberry lighthouse was built on the recommendation of the Receiver of Wrecks in the nearby town of Ayr. The reefs of Turnberry Point and nearby Brest (or Bristo) Rocks were notorious as the graveyard of many ships making their way to and from the busy ports in the Firth of Clyde. The lighthouse engineers, David and Thomas Stevenson, recommended construction on the point rather than on the offshore rocks and it was completed in 1873.


It is funny how we Scottish sea kayakers often find ourselves rockhopping in the wake of the Stevensons.

20/01/2008

Dunure, the birth place of one of the world's largest shipping lines.

I recently posted how the fishermen of the fishing hamlet of Dunure rescued all but two souls from the crews of the Valkyrian and the Iron Duke. Both ships were wrecked on the reefs of Dunure on the night of 11th December 1883. Who would have thought that the bravery of Buckie and his neighbours that night would have resulted in the birth of one of the World's largest shipping lines?


One of the lucky men to be rescued that night was Captain Peter Maersk Moller of the Valkyrian. She was a 381 ton Danish sailing barque bound for Glasgow from Virginia when she got caught in hurricane force winds in the Clyde. Her sails were torn away and she drifted towards the Ayrshire coast. She tried to put out her anchor but the cable broke before the steam paddle tug Iron Duke could reach her. The Iron Duke's engine failed and she was also driven onto the rocks at Dunure and wrecked shortly afterwards.

Here is an account in Captain Maersk Moller's own words:

"The "Valkyrian" sailed on 7th November 1883 from New Port Mews, Virginia, carrying walnut wood. The voyage was smooth, on Thursday 11th December, I passed close by Corsewall Point in a moderate southerly gale. When the watch was set at 8p.m. there was a strong gale, SW to SSW. We drifted along the coast with enough room to keep going throughout the night, but at about 10p.m. the wind veered to WNW and NW in a squall. The sails were blown away like paper. We were then off Turnberry and Ailsa Craig heading WNW and had signalled for a pilot. Land was a few miles to leeward. I called the men to the cabin and explained the situation. I read from the bible and we said a prayer. We could do no more then, but later given the chance, we had to try the best to save ourselves. The ship was driven onto the rocks at Dunure and brokeup. All but one poor sailor was saved, due to the bravery of the men of Dunure."



The Dunure fishermen had managed to save all but Henrie Jansen who was swept away by a giant wave in the darkness. The wooden Valkyrian was smashed to smithereens and just about all that was left was her bell. The bell remained in the possession of William Munro's descendents until they presented it to the descendants of Captain Maersk Moller in 1985.

Captain Maersk Moller returned to the sea and three years later on 16/12/1896 he bought a British built steamship, the SS Laura, from the DFDS line that operated her on the Faroe Island service.


This stamp was issued on 21 February 1983 when SS Laura still sailed under DFDS colours.


Under Captain Maersk Moller, SS Laura continued on the Copenhagen Faroe Island run with a stop each way at Granton near Edinburgh. This photograph was taken in 1908 a year before she was sold. She was subsequently wrecked on the coast of Iceland in 1910.

Captain Maersk Moller painted a light blue stripe on her funnel with a white star on it. He believed it was his lucky star. In 1904 he founded the "The Steamship Company Svendborg" with his son Arnold Peter Maersk Moller. AP did not always agree with his father and the other board members and eight years later went on to found the "Steamship Company of 1912". This has grown into AP Moller-Maersk which is one of the largest companies in the world. Maersk Line container ships such as the Emma Maersk are some of the largest ships afloat.


This is Arnold Maersk McKinney Moller. He was CEO of the company from 1965 until 1993. He is Captain Peter Maersk Moller's grandson.


In 1985, in exchange for the bell of the Valkyrian he presented Mr William Munro, who is a descendent of Buckie Munro, with a painting of the Valkyrian, which had hung in his office at AP Moller-Maersk for many years.

I wonder if Buckie's pipe was made of walnut!

Lastly, I hope that you, the reader, will now realize why we do not paddle from headland to headland!

References
Ayrshire roots.
Dansk Posthistorisk Selskab.
Faroese Stamps.
AP Moller-Maersk.
Mr William Munro 5/02/2008

20/01/2008

Sea kayaking the four castles of Carrick.

Last week David, Tony and I set off from Turnberry beach on the Firth of Clyde on one of our favourite routes: "The four castles of Carrick".


Out in the bay we enjoyed the fresh cold air as we passed the famous golf links of Turnberry and its hotel.



With a misty Holy Island and Arran as a backdrop, we rockhopped our way round Turnberry Point. We were nearing the first castle on our route, the great maritime castle of Turnberry.


These four Ayrshire strongholds have a bloody past which belies the peace and tranquility of today's Carrick coast of Ayrshire.

We shall find out some more of the past on this sea kayaking journey.

20/01/2008

Brave Buckie and the wreck of the Valkyrian

Last week we stopped off at the Anchorage Bar in Dunure on the Firth of Clyde. While we were enjoying some Guinness I noticed the above faded photograph hanging in a corner. There was no annotation but it aroused my curiosity.


While we were warming ourselves by the pub fire we got talking to one of the locals. It turns out that he lives in the recently restored cottage in the photo above.

He told us that apart from the castle, it is the oldest building in Dunure and dates from 1640. More recently, it was inhabited in the late 19th century by one William "Buckie" Munro, the man in the photo! He was one of 31 fishermen of Dunure who went to the rescue of the Valkyrian a 381 ton Danish barque which was wrecked in hurricane force winds off the coast of Dunure during a frightful storm on the night of 11th December 1883.


They rescued 9 of her 10 crew including her master Peter Maersk Moller (above).

No sooner had the fishermen rescued the Danes than another ship was driven onto the rocks. She was the 32 ton steam paddle tug, Iron Duke, which had come to assist the doomed Valkyrian. Again Buckie and the men of Dunure threw themselves into the breaking seas and succeeded in rescuing five of the Iron Duke's crew. Her master, Captain McBride, was lost leaving a widow and five children.

The Valkyrian's bell was salvaged by Buckie after the storm. It remained in the cottage at 1 Habour View, Dunure for many years before being passed to Buckie's descendants.

20/01/2008

Till a' the seas gang dry

"Till a' the seas gang dry." R. Burns

Leaving Bute we headed for the north tip of Great Cumbrae. The full spring tide of about 3km/hr was ebbing down the channel and the wind had swung round to the north. It was thirsty work what with the pub having closed some time before our arrival on Bute.


We eventually made landfall on the west of Great Cumbrae as sun sank towards the horizon behind an approaching front.


We took another break on the north east of Great Cumbrae before the final crossing to Largs marina. We had a small break as we let the MV Alainn past on her way to Largs


By the time we got back to the slipway at the marina it was nearly dark.


32km is not bad for a short winter day. Pity the pub was closed!

12/01/2008

The dry red rocks of Bute

We worked our way up the east coast of Bute towards Kilchattan Bay. One may obtain a refreshment within the portals of St Blanes Hotel in Kilchattan village. Unfortunately the tide was now against us and the sun was setting in the south west. We knew it would be dark before we returned to Largs, even if we left now. Three thirsty paddlers turned their backs on Kilchattan Bay and paddled for the west coast of Great Cumbrae instead.

12/01/2008

No room at the inn of Rubh an Eun

From Little Cumbrae we paddled across to Glencallum Bay on Bute. It is marked by the lighthouse on Rubha an Eun. There was a settlement with a famous inn here. It served mariners who sought shelter from westerly gales in the bay.

Feeling thirsty after the crossing we were saddened to discover that the inn had closed. Final closing time was in 1800 and all that now remains is a pile of stones. The Glen Callum Inn is therefor the first sea kayaking pub to score a humble zero after a visit from the thirsty seakayakphoto.com staff.

We accept it has a scenic location. Yes, it is accessible from the sea, being situated as it is on a raised beach. We can make allowances for the quadruped bar staff who wore woolly jumpers and had neither English nor the Gaelic. We can even forgive the lack of a roof but what is completely unforgivable is the lack of a decent pint of Guinness.

I repeat nil point.


We paddled on past the lighthouse feeling very thirsty.

12/01/08