S,S Midland stranded

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georgeflemingard
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S,S Midland stranded

Post by georgeflemingard »

While reading through "This day in History" I came across an artical about the Ship S,S Midland which was stranded on the sands outside the Breakwater in Ardrossan Harbour, on or about the 21st march 1880.
What I found strange was that the story said, "The ship was refloated with the help of the harbour Tug boat and TWO LOCOMOTIVES. I cant imagine how this could have been Done?
Any Ideas? The story can be found on page 427 of This day in History
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Re: S,S Midland stranded

Post by Penny Tray »

George,

Firstly, I'm wondering if you are imagining the breakwater you and I knew as boys, or in other words the present one. If so, I think that would be a mistake. I don't think they started building that one until the late 1880s. The SS MIDLAND ran aground in 1880. I can't be certain without doing some back-reading but I think there was some form of breakwater opposite Montgomerie Street where there was a 'sand' beach before the dock was constructed at that location. My first thought too was that 'locomotives' were trains but I suspect they would be locomotive winches.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotive_winch
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Re: S,S Midland stranded

Post by Penny Tray »

George,

This is the breakwater I was thinking about with Montgomerie Street/Princes Street in the background - (if you scroll down to row eight).

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=montg ... WosD2lN3yM:
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Bruce
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Re: S,S Midland stranded

Post by Bruce »

If you zoom in on this map from 1895 https://maps.nls.uk/view/75494345 you can see the there are railway tracks right up to the end of each point of the harbour - near the lighthouse and out at the end of Winton Pier, behind where the ferry terminal is today. It’s not inconceivable that they could have got ropes from a stranded boat to the land, and pulled it with a shunting engine.


Not the same thing, but years ago, I worked on the Waverley. Because of the way the paddle steamer works - unlike the wee paddle boats in the park, you can’t turn the paddles in opposite directions - a paddle steamer is not very manoeuvrable at low speed. So turning in a narrow space - like the upper clyde near Custom House quay where it berthed at that time, or even Ayr Harbour, was a challenge. The solution was to send a small boat across the river with a light rope. Once across, they’d go onto the bank and haul across a heavier rope - about 100 yards of it. That’d be looped round a bollard, and they’d start winding it in, to turn “or “cant” the boat.
georgeflemingard
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Re: S,S Midland stranded

Post by georgeflemingard »

Yes Penny tray, I was thinking of the breakwater which I will now call "the New one" I had no idea that there had been an earlier breakwater closer in shore. No sign of this breakwater when we were growing up. But of course a lot of that land was recovered when they built the "Shell Mex" so thanks for clearing up my wee mystery. Thanks also Bruce for the Map of the area and explaining how to turn a ship using winches.
The site "This day in History" is brilliant, so interesting. I recommend all our members should have a wee shuffty through it, that's sure to spark up some interesting comments.
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Meg
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Re: S,S Midland stranded

Post by Meg »

Bruce wrote: Thu May 10, 2018 6:25 pm
Not the same thing, but years ago, I worked on the Waverley. Because of the way the paddle steamer works - unlike the wee paddle boats in the park, you can’t turn the paddles in opposite directions - a paddle steamer is not very manoeuvrable at low speed. So turning in a narrow space - like the upper clyde near Custom House quay where it berthed at that time, or even Ayr Harbour, was a challenge. The solution was to send a small boat across the river with a light rope. Once across, they’d go onto the bank and haul across a heavier rope - about 100 yards of it. That’d be looped round a bollard, and they’d start winding it in, to turn “or “cant” the boat.
Bruce, that’s the way the Wavereley still comes into Ayr Harbour - and it is so slick and fast. The first time I saw it we were waiting on the south side of the harbour to board - and we thought we were on the wrong side when we saw the rope being thrown and secured on the north side - thanks for explaining.

Meg
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