Glasgow Harbour

**cessna152towser** · 27th February 10, 03:34 PM

The three masted barque Glenlee was built on the River Clyde in 1896. Her maiden voyage took place on 13th December 1896 when she sailed to Liverpool to load general cargo for Portland, Oregon, for where she set sail on Christmas Day 1896. The Glenlee went on to circumnavigate the globe four times under the British flag, including fifteen navigations of Cape Horn before being sold to the Spanish Navy in 1922 for conversion to a sail training ship. The Glenlee was bought by the Clyde Maritime Trust in 1992 and re-patriated to the River Clyde the following year and is now berthed at Glasgow Habour.

Aboard the Glenlee

Looking aft from the Fo'c'sle

Inside the cargo hold, down below the water line.

A frontal view of the Glenlee.

I met my friend Alasdair MacCaluim for lunch. As I had mentioned in a previous thread, Alasdair works as a Gaelic Officer for the Scottish Parliament. Here he is seen with an article which he wrote for the Gaelic section of The Scotsman newspaper (the lower article) entitled Shangai'd at Glenrothes - Nazareth Live. This is thought to be the first time a rock band review has been published in Gaelic in a natonal newspaper.

Glasgow Harbour's main landmark is the iconic concert hall, or auditorium, often nicknamed the armadillo. The model train show was held in the adjoining Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (the shed to the right of the auditorium).

A side view of the armadillo, from the ramp leading to the train station.
That's all folks!

**piperdbh** · 27th February 10, 03:59 PM

That's a beautiful old ship. Thanks for posting these.

**Highlander31** · 27th February 10, 06:07 PM

Nice photos, Alex. The Glenlee reminds me of the Balclutha which is berthed in San Francisco.

The Balclutha was launched in 1886 by the Charles Connell and Company shipyard near Glasgow. Is it possible the Glenlee and the Balclutha are sister ships?

**RB51** · 27th February 10, 07:26 PM

Yet another great trip...thanks for the pcitures! I'm just working my way through (again) the Patrick O'Brian series and can only imagine what it must have been like to work and live aboard those wonderful old ships.

Laurie

**Cynthia** · 27th February 10, 10:09 PM

Very cool photos -- thanks so much for sharing them!

**bigdad1** · 27th February 10, 11:08 PM

As regards the Balclutha her name can also refer to her first homeport, Glasgow, Scotland, which is a "City on the Clyde" - the meaning of her name derived from the Gaelic Baile Chluaidh.

She was renamed the Star of Alaska and in 1933, the Star of Alaska was renamed the Pacific Queen by her new owner Frank Kissinger. In this guise she appeared in the film Mutiny on the Bounty starring Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. She then eked out an existence as an exhibition ship, gradually deteriorating.

In 1954, the Pacific Queen was acquired by the San Francisco Maritime Museum, who restored her and renamed her back to Balclutha. In 1985 she was designated a National Historic Landmark.[2][3]

She is now one of the exhibits of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and is to be found moored at the park's Hyde Street Pier.

Four other Clyde-built tall ships are still afloat:

* Falls of Clyde (Hawaii)
* Glenlee (Glasgow)
* Moshulu (Philadelphia)
* Pommern (Finland)

**Riverkilt** · 28th February 10, 08:59 AM

What a cool thread!

In 1854 my great great great grandfather sailed from Scotland to Nova Scotia.

In 1942 my father sailed from Nova Scotia to Scotland with the RAF. His ship put in on the Clyde.

In 1957 I used to travel to San Francisco with my father and while he went to work he'd turn me loose on the city. I spent many hours prowling the Balclutha and pretending....

**Highlander31** · 28th February 10, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by bigdad1

As regards the Balclutha her name can also refer to her first homeport, Glasgow, Scotland, which is a "City on the Clyde" - the meaning of her name derived from the Gaelic Baile Chluaidh.

She was renamed the Star of Alaska and in 1933, the Star of Alaska was renamed the Pacific Queen by her new owner Frank Kissinger. In this guise she appeared in the film Mutiny on the Bounty starring Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. She then eked out an existence as an exhibition ship, gradually deteriorating.

In 1954, the Pacific Queen was acquired by the San Francisco Maritime Museum, who restored her and renamed her back to Balclutha. In 1985 she was designated a National Historic Landmark.[2][3]

She is now one of the exhibits of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and is to be found moored at the park's Hyde Street Pier.

Four other Clyde-built tall ships are still afloat:

* Falls of Clyde (Hawaii)
* Glenlee (Glasgow)
* Moshulu (Philadelphia)
* Pommern (Finland)

I was born and raised in San Jose. I visited the Balclutha several times during the late '50's early '60's.

**cessna152towser** · 28th February 10, 11:14 AM

What a cool thread!

In 1854 my great great great grandfather sailed from Scotland to Nova Scotia.

Yes indeed Ron, like you I have a fascination for vintage sailing ships, which show how our ancestors travelled. The above photo was taken while I was on board an educational voyage on the sail ship Kajama on Lake Ontario in July 2008, here we see today's young Canadians (In the green shirts) learning to appreciate how their European ancestors would have travelled to the New World.