Maersk Maine and Maersk Maryland – which have been aid up in Great Harbour in Greenock – were moved to the Tail o’ the Bank anchorage yesterday (26th October 2010).
With an 8.30am start, the Clyde based Svitzer tugs Ayton Cross (on another day’s work after her sterling service with HMS Astute), Anglegarth & Svitzer Milford moved them out to prepare for their return to active service.
A refuelling tanker, Keewhit, that had come up from Liverpool about a fortnight ago, appeared to lie alongside Maersk Maine in the Great Harbour for some hours. Another refuelling tanker – Onyx, from Belfast – lay alongside Maersk Maryland at the anchorage this morning (27th Oct).
No specific voyage plans yet appear on Maersk’s public schedules for either of these ships between now and the end of November 2010, although Maresk Maine is now showing her destination as Setubal with an ETA of 13.30 on 5th November.
When they go they they will take with them the last connection to the specific links forged between Maersk, this recession, the Clyde, Loch Striven, Greenock and Argyll.
In fact the photograph of Maersk Maine in the great harbour was taken on the day that the last two ships – Bentonville and Brooklyn left Loch Striven for temporary anchorage at the Tail o’ the Bank, before heading back into service.
We had followed the two ships up the coast of Cowal – in the rain mist – and taken the calMac Ferry over to Gourock, then went to hang around Greenock waiting for our camera crew on board Brooklyn to come ashore at the James Watt dock from the Lywara Bay.
Wandering around the dock and the Great Harbour, there were Maine and Maryland, looking sorry for themselves. The Loch Striven lot had more fun – with the BBC filming the Sci-Fi series Mission 2110 aboard; flotillas of schoolchildren from Cowal and Bute coming to see around the ships and watch the filming; and representatives of local charities and good causes arriving to receive the donations made to them by Maersk.
Maine and Maryland had the Cinderella role. It’s good to see them getting ready to go back to what they came into life to do. We wish them well.
