Muasdale and The Otter Rock Light Ship

The Otter Rock lightship, an unmanned light ship, sometimes known as a 'UFS',
occasionally lifting her moorings and drifting off-station in heavy weather (see chart
below), did so for the final time on the night of Thursday, January 9, 1958, local Muasdale
farmer Dougie Brown of Crubasdale, his farm overlooking the beach where she came
ashore, celebrating his birthday and waking up to see a 'large candle' flashing outside his
windows !

The Coastguard, R.A.F. and Civilian Aviation Authorities were quick to demand immediate
action and have the vessel's constantly flashing light switched off as, with the ship lying at
an angle, the beams were pointing skywards and Muasdale lying on the flight path towards
Prestwick's Airport.

The un-manned light vessel had been moored at the Otter Rock, off Port Ellen, since 1901
- This being the only 'tidal node point' on the west coast of Britain, there being no rise or
fall of tides there and the tides radiating and sweeping round in an arc from its position.

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The weather chart here shows the tightness of the isobars that caused the gale as the 'low'
passes across The North Channel and caused the lightship to lift from her moorings off Islay
and then drift on to the shore at Muasdale.

The ship was broken up on the beach where she had grounded by a few men working for a
man called Johnston or Johnstone (spelling ?) from Dunoon - The men camped in tents on
the grass beside Muasdale Inn and the job, as one might have expected in the
circumstance, proceeded at a leisurely pace over the course of time.

Today only a small, triangular, sheet of metal occasionally protrudes from the sandy beach
as the ship's memorial of the Otter Rock itself, a lit radar-reflector buoy put in place in
1960 as its only marker.

What is particularly interesting about the 1901-built Otter Rock light ship is the fact that her
design, the result of a German-Scottish co-operation, was so successful that many other
un-manned light ships were then built on similar lines over the ensuing years [
http://lightshipfriends.com/ENTSTEH/history.htm ]

Just twenty years earlier, in 1881, an unattended light-vessel, illuminated with Pintsch's
oil gas, had been constructed for use on The Clyde at The Garvel Point, off Greenock, this
iron-built light ship being 40 feet long, 12 feet beam and 8 feet deep and had an occulting
light which was shown from a dioptric lens fitted at the head of a braced iron lattice tower
30 feet above water-level and a 'storeholder' on board, containing oil gas under a pressure
of six atmospheres, was capable of maintaining a light for three months.

A similar vessel was then built for service off Calshot Spit, in Southampton Water and
several others followed for use elsewhere.

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So, in 1901, with German co-operation in her design, a steel-built light vessel 60 feet in
length, 24 feet beam, 12 feet deep and drawing 9 feet of water was commissioned for The
Otter Rock, just east of Port Ellen on the island of Islay, on the west coast of Scotland.

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 [ http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Lighthouse#Unattended_Light-vessels ]

Frederick A. A. Talbot's 1913-published "Lightships and Lighthouses" tells us that "for more
than a century one family, the Stevensons, has held the exacting position of chief
engineers to The Northern Commissioners, and has been responsible for the lights around
Scotland's troublous coasts, is unique in the annals of engineering, each generation
identifiable with some notable enterprise in this field, David and Charles Stevenson, in the
present generation, developing lighthouse engineering in many novel directions, such as
that employed in the case of the unattended Otter Rock lightship [
http://www.archive.org/details/lightshipslighth00talbuoft ]

"The Otter Rock vessel, designed by Messrs. David and Charles Stevenson, comprises a
substantial steel hull, the deck of which is covered so that the interior is absolutely water-
tight. The hull is provided with a central and heavy
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bilge keels, so as to reduce rolling to the minimum.

"Two heavy steel bulkheads divide the craft into three water-tight compartments and, in
the centre of these, two large welded-steel gas tanks, containing 10,500 cubic feet of gas
at eight atmospheres, about 180 pounds per square inch, sufficient to supply the light for
ninety days and nights, are stowed.

"The light is mounted upon a steel tower placed amidships and the gas is fed from the
tanks to the lantern through the tower, a valve reducing the pressure.

"A ladder to the tower enables the attendants to climb to the lantern gallery to adjust the
burner and flame and to clean the lenses, upon the occasion of their periodical visits when
the gas cylinders are charged from the supply-ship through flexible hoses".

The light was of sufficient power and elevation to be seen from a distance of some twelve
miles, the light's focal plane was elevated 25 feet above the water line, lantern 6 feet in
diameter and the optical apparatus, of 500 mm. focal distance, was hung in gimbals, with
a pendulum balance and "Cardan" joint as in the Sandettie light-vessel, with an occulting
characteristic and the illuminant oil gas and the new light ship gave both visual and audible
warnings.

"On the deck of the boat a bell is mounted, this being rung not only by the motion of the
ship, in the manner of a bell-buoy, but also by the gas on its passage from the tanks to the
lantern, the bell being fitted with two clappers for this purpose.

"The gas in passing from the tank enters a receptacle having a flexible diaphragm, which,
as it becomes filled with gas, is naturally pressed outwards. On this is mounted a central
metal piece, which is connected to a rod and lever and, as the diaphragm is forced
outwards, it moves the rod and actuates the lever which, when the diaphragm falls,
return to their normal positions.

"Attached to this mechanical arrangement is the bell-clapper, which alternately is lifted

and dropped upon the dome of the bell, thereby causing it to ring - After the gas has
performed its duty in raising the clapper lever and rod, it passes to the lantern to be
consumed and thus, while the light gleams brightly and steadily, the bell rings with
unerring regularity — about three times per minute — day and night for months on a single
charge, both continuing in operation until the supply of gas is expended.

"The success of this interesting and novel lightship has been responsible for similar
installations in other similarly wild and exposed positions where approach is uncertain and
often impossible for weeks at a time.

"One misadventure befell the Otter Rock light-vessel, which is moored in an open position
over the rock of that name near Islay, although it was not the fault of either the system or
the designing engineers.

"There was a flaw in one of the shackles and while the ship was sawing and tugging at her
anchors during a heavy gale the flaw asserted itself, the shackle broke and the lightship
got away - She was recovered with some difficulty, after having drifted about twenty
miles and was found to be stove in after having embraced some rocks during her wayward
journey but was otherwise was unharmed.

"She was towed into port, repaired and then taken back to her station where she was
secured more firmly than ever, her chains were closely inspected to make assurance
doubly sure - No repetition of the accident has occurred since (to 1912 ed.) and the Otter
Rock lightship, tethered firmly to the rock, rides gales and calms, throwing her welcome
rays and droning her musical warning the whole year round as steadily and efficiently as if
she had a crew aboard.
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The cost of the completed vessel came to £2,979 and The Northern Lighthouse
Commissioners eventually had four similar vessels in service and others of similar design
were commissioned for stations in the Hugli estuary, at Bombay, off the Chinese coasts
and elsewhere.

"When the Scandinavian liner 'Norge', on her way to the United States in July, 1904, fouled
Rockall and lost 750 of her passengers, the outcry about the absence of all means of
indicating this spot to the navigator vibrated round The World - "After this heartrending
disaster, Messrs. D. and C. Stevenson adumbrated a promising means of indicating this
awful graveyard to the seafarer. They suggested that two automatic unattended lightships
should be constructed, one to relieve the other every six months. The project was
eminently practicable but every country seemed to shirk responsibility in the expense of its
adoption".

The photograph here, which, thanks to the contribution of Captain W. L. Hume MNI (Retd.),
appeared on page 10 of "The Oban Times" of Thursday July 16, 2009, shows then new
Barra Head lighthouse's relief boat berthed at Castlebay, in Barra, on the outside of an un-
manned relief light ship en route to, or from, the Otter Rock station, off Islay, in 1952,
the scale of the Barra Head boat and the men on her deck reflecting the 'diminutive' 60-
foot long size of the un-manned light ship.

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The only other light ship on record to have served in the un-protected waters of Scotland's
west coast, was The Northern Lighthouse Board's only manned light ship, 'North Carr' light
ship, brought round the north of Scotland 'in the early years' of World War II, she then
referred to in reports as the 'Clyde Light Vessel'.

Moored some half-dozen miles or so south-east of Sanda Island, at 55° 08' N, 05° 25' W,
'to guide convoys in and out of the Clyde', she provided ideal shelter for predatory German
U-Boats too for, at lunchtime on Monday, January 15, 1945, "U-1172", on the prowl in
The North Channel, had used her as a shield and torpedoed the Clyde-bound Norwegian
tanker "Spinanger", she just out of Londonderry and three of the tanker's crew killed in the
attack, the "Spinanger"eventually towed to Kames Bay, on Bute, where she was beached.

The North Carr Rock, off Fife Ness, was responsible for numerous casualties before being
marked by light ships. In the late 1920's, it had been suggested that the wooden lightship
there should be replaced by a lighted buoy and automatic fog gun but the suggestion was
dismissed on account of their being considered too weak in power and range to be effective
for such an important situation.
The wooden vessel, sold to a Mr H Hinks of Appledore, North Devon, for £275, was
replaced on April 3, 1933 by new light ship, built, at a cost of £15,000, by A & J Inglis'
Pointhouse Shipyard in Glasgow, her hull, which was iron
below water line and steel above, was 101 feet long, 25 feet in breadth and 250 tons in
weight.
Of importance, the ship's chain locker housed two spare mooring cables, as well as the
"slack" left over from the one ordinarily in use, their chain links studded and made of steel
1 and 5/8 inches thick and, in addition to the ship's anchor, weighing 3 tons, a futher two
spare anchors, weighing 30 cwts each, were also carried.

The ship's fog horn, which could be turned to face any point of the compass, was
otherwise similar in design to the fog signals at ordinary light houses but, in a sea
environment, having to contend with marine growths, was also supplied with a pressure
boiler to blow hot steam through it to keep the horn's airways and passages clear.

In the early hours of December 8, 1959, in a strong south-easterly gale, the North Carr
lightship broke her moorings and began to drift in heavy seas and, at 03.13 hours, the
Broughty Ferry lifeboat, the 1935-built Mona, was launched to go to her assistance.

The Mona's last radio message was received at 4.48 am and then nothing more heard from
her, a daylight helicopter search eventually finding her capsized on Buddon Sands, her
crew of eight all drowned.

The light ship herself managed to anchor about 900 yards off the rocky shore at Kingsbarns,
near St Andrews and, after an attempt to tow the light ship had failed, the light ship's crew
was taken off by two Bristol Sycamore helicopters from Leuchars on the following day, on
December 9.

The full SE'ly gale blowing and the light ship rolling and pitching heavily, the crew cut away
the ship's 40 foot aftermast to allow the rescue helicopters to fly as low as 5 feet above the
ship's main lantern and pick up members of the crew from the chart house roof.

Two days later, The Admiralty tug "Earner" towed the light ship into Leith for repairs, she
put back on her station on March 16, 1960 and remaining there until 1975 when she was
replaced by a beacon buoy.

Withdrawn from service, the light vessel was sold to North East Fife District Council in July
1976 for use as a floating museum based in Anstruther harbour but later moved to
Dundee's Victoria Dock where she is now used by The Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS)
http://www.mvstay.org/html/north_carr_.html as a base to promote the education and the
training of members of the public in all aspects of maritime skills, including training in
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boathandling and seamanship, navigation, communications, onshore support and marine
engineering.

The Broughty Ferry lifeboat disaster was the subject of an official investigation, the Mona
being described as 100% seaworthy at the time of the accident.

In recent time, according to a letter to the Dundee 'Evening Telegraph' in January 2006, it
was suggested that "Among some seamen, it was believed the vessel was tainted with evil
and they resolved to exorcise the boat in a 'Viking' ritual" and it was reported that the Mona
had been taken to Port Seton on the river Forth in the dead of night, stripped of anything of
value, chained to the sea wall and burnt, the burning was done with the knowledge and
permission of Lord Saltoun, the chairman of The Scottish Lifeboat Council.

Questions were raised in the House of Commons about the destruction of a lifeboat built
with public subscription and
it has been suggested that the Mona’s fate was partly responsible for a considerable dip in
public contributions and legacies for the lifeboats over the next few years.

Though neither served in Scottish waters, it would be remiss here if mention were not
made of two former Irish light ships which, in their own different ways, are also 'Scottish'.

http://www.inveraraypier.com/aboard.html

The first, the 'Penguin', now the 'Arctic Penguin', now lies alongside Inveraray's, at the
head of Loch Fyne and is open to the public as a heritage museum since 1995, a deck web
camera http://www.inveraraypier.com/camera1.html regularly disproving that it isn't always
raining in Inveraray !

Built between 1909 and 1910 by Dublin Dockyard at a cost of £7,230, the Arctic Penguin is
100 feet long and, 24 feet in breadth, has a depth of 12¼ feet - Constructed with an iron
shell and floors, she is steel framed with five watertight bulkheads and had a steel mast
and fixed lantern and a smaller mizzen mast carrying daylight navigational marker.

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She was sold out of service in 1966 to a T. E. McSweeney and converted into a 'Youth
Adventure Sea Training Vessel' and, renamed 'Hallowe'en', converted to a three-masted
schooner rig.

In 1982, now re-named as the 'Arctic Penguin', she was sold to a Mr D. Norris and, sailing
up The Clyde, was moored close to the eastern shore of The Gareloch where her new
owner, a 'very knacky and skilful engineer', single-handedly fitted her with twin Kelvin 132
bhp KR6 diesel engines, numbers 24443 and 24812, one engine having served the
Carradale fishing boat 'Silver Lining' and the other from a Tarbert fishing boat, the 'Brilliant
Star'.

What was particularly remarkable about the feat was that all the work, the boring out of
the stern propellor tubes, the fitting of the necessary external propellor shaft brackets, the
propellor shafts and the propellors AND the all-important job of aligning everything correctly
to couple the shafts to engines WAS ALL DONE UNDERWATER, without the ship being
docked or slipped !

Have a dozen years before the building of the 'Penguin', in 1904, The Commissioners of
Irish Lights went to John Reid & Co. of Whiteinch on The Clyde, for the 500 ton 96-foot long
'Comet', she designated as Yard No 4498 and, according to her plans, dated February 18,
1905, designed by one George Idle MINA, the new light ship, costing £6,740, to be
stationed off Dun Laoghaire.

With a breadth 23 feet and a depth of 12¼ feet, she was constructed with an iron shell and
floors, steel framing, five watertight bulkheads, steel mast and fixed lantern and, like the
later 1910-built 'Penguin', had a mizzen mast carrying daylight navigational mark.

Though the choice of the new light vessel's name might have been persuaded by the
appearance of Borrelly's Comet, which had only been discovered by one Alphonse Louis
Nicolas Borrelly of Marseilles during a routine search for comets on December 28, 1904,
the comet seen and widely observed during January 1905, when the final touches were
being put to the new light vessel's drawings, the new ship's name would have had a
particular appeal to shipbuilder John Reid himself as he was in fact related to John Wood the
builder of Henry Bell's 1812-built steamship 'Comet' and had himself been in partnership
with John Wood between 1838 and 1857, the diversion following of some interest.

John Reid had operated in three yards in Port Glasgow, the East, the Glen and the Newark
at various times between 1847 and 1891.

One of his first major contracts was around 1847 when he accepted an order from trustees
and managers of a parish of The Free Church of Scotland for a floating church for use in
Loch Sunart in the district of Morvern.

The great disruption of 1843 had split the Church of Scotland and those dissenting on
conscientious grounds were faced with leaving: their manses and churches and starting
anew.

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To overcome hostility from landlords still giving allegiance to 'The Auld Kirk', the members
of The Free Kirk held services in strange places such as on one Hebridean island between
the high and low water marks.

The floating church disappeared long ago and most fortunately, with the reunification of
'The Scottish Kirk', the need for it has passed.

Reid's son, James, joined the business and being an enthusiastic yachtsman tried to
popularise yacht construction in iron and later steel.

He was successful in that in 1885 the America's Cup challenge 'Galatea' was built of steel
and sailed The Atlantic in her vain bid to wrest the elusive cup from 'Mayflower' in 1886.

The work output of the yard ranged from the pioneer steamship 'Collier' in 1849 to the
largest steel full rigged ship of the 1880's, the 'British Isles'.

In 1891, after building the paddlers 'Marchioness of Bute' and 'Marchioness of Breadalbane'
for The Caledonian Steam Packet Company and the auxiliary yacht 'White Heather', the
company suspended both work and payments with liabilities of £103,000 with however, an
estimated surplus on uncompleted contracts.

In 1891 the yard was sold to William Hamilton & Co. James Reid continued in business
running a limited liability business on the old name.

From 1891 to 1909 he was in Whiteinch, Glasgow, concentrating on pleasure steamers,

sailing vessels and yachts some of which were designed by Alfred Mylne, the yard was
taken over and absorbed by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd. in 1909.

The four-masted barque 'Colonial Empire' of 4,000 ton dw was launched in 1902 and was
one of the first such sailors to be fitted with bilge keels and, in 1903, the four-masted
'Mneme' was launched, she is still afloat as the 'Pommern' at Mariehamn in the Aland
Islands.

And now, to return to the 1905-launched light ship 'Comet' and . . . . .

Withdrawn from service in 1965, the 'Comet' was sold to Glasgow shipbrokers Turner &
Hickman, Turner, himself an accomplished amateur artist and staying in Kilcreggan, by
then being the sole partner of the firm.

Tommy Shields, a former employee of DC Thompson publishing, had previously been

involved with several abortive attempts to launch land-based stations in Scotland, dating
back to 1947 and was also involved with the formation of Scottish Television, a man
determined, in one way or another, to bring local broadcasting to the north of the U.K. and,
encouraged by the success of ship-based Radio Caroline and other 'pirate' radio stations,
Shields quickly snapped up the 'Comet' and commissioned the American RCA company,
they with an office and engineers too in London, to design and custom build in all the
necessary transmission equipment, including a 145-foot high transmitter mast, on the
former light vessel, work that, having to be carried out outwith U.K. territorial waters,
required the 'Comet' to be towed to The Marine and General Ship Repair Yard at St
Sampson's, in The Channel Islands.

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In December 1965, fitted out with two 10,000-watt RCA transmitters and a 145-foot dipole
transmitter mast, the 500-ton Comet was towed to Dunbar. It was originally planned for the
station to be in position on December 27th, but it was delayed by three days after the
towlines broke several times, a great deal of last minute technical work had to be
completed to get the station on the air in time to bring in The New Year and this caused the
station’s initial transmissions to be on low power.

Thus, at 23:55 GMT on December 31st 1965, just in time to bring in The New Year, Radio
Scotland began broadcasting on 242 metres medium wave with a statement from its boss
Tommy Shields - "Good evening. This is a proud moment for me and, indeed, for all of us
here. For after many months of trial and tribulation, Radio Scotland is now a floating reality.
Thanks to the skill and ingenuity of a dedicated band of radio engineers, and the loyalty of
our team, we have been able to convert a former Clyde built lightship, the Comet, into one
of the most modern offshore broadcasting stations in the world. Now, our aims are simple
and straightforward to provide a new, exciting form of entertainment radio, and to offer
advertisers a new, simple and economic medium in which to sell to millions of homes in
Scotland and northern England".

Amongst the first voices to be heard on the station were those of Dave Kinnard and Paul
Young. Telegram messages were read out, and pre-recorded messages of congratulation
from artists such as Spencer Davis and Alex Harvey were aired.
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Perhaps best remembered by Radio Scotland's listeners is its 'signature' tune 'The Black
Bear', nearly thirty seconds of the theme to Alec Guinness' war film the 'Tunes of Glory',
which had entered the record charts at Number 44 in February 1961, 'The Black Bear'
recorded by Frank Cordell's orchestra and issued in the U.K. on HMV POP 824 in 1961.

The early days of the station were marred by frequent transmitter problems, which lead to
frequent spells of dead air and it wasn't until January 16th when the final transmitter
components arrived and the station was able to increase its power to 20,000 watts.

The new radio station’s offices were located at the now long-demolished Radio Scotland
House at 20 Cranworth Street, Glasgow W2.

Advertising rates varied from £28 for a 30-second peak time rate, down to £4 for a 7-
second off peak rate. The station’s first sponsors were a Scottish soup company, with the
first advertising slot been taken by the 'News of the World' newspaper. The station also ran
competitions for the listeners, under the name 'The Sixpenny Snowball', with the proceeds
going to local charities and good causes.

Radio Scotland’s programme was a mixed bag, including the expected 'Top 40' material and
sponsored religious shows, plus a large amount of Scottish music shows, showcasing both
modern and traditional recordings, the most memorable of these being Jack McLaughlin’s
weekly show.

McLaughlin, forced to play music which was definitely not to his taste, hammed it up to the
full, linking records in a style which was probably incomprehensible to any of the station’s
few listeners south of the Highlands.

What exactly are "Huchters and Tuchters" anyway ? Scotland’s management were evidently
not amused and pulled the show after a few weeks. The listeners, on the other hand,
lapped it up, and when pro-McLaughlin mail arrived by the mailbag full, the show was re-
instated.

Radio Scotland became the first of the offshore station’s to have its own magazine, "The
Clan 242". The fan club was handled by a former beauty queen, Cathy Spencer and offered
listeners pictures, stickers, badges etc. Many top recording stars of the day would also
appear at the station’s legendary 'Clan Balls', which were hosted at some of Scotland’s top
discotheques and clubs.

Four months later, in April 1966, the "Comet" was moved round to The Clyde, moored off
Troon and with the move came verse, "Just off the coast not far from Troon there lies a
bonnie wee boat though there's nothing grand aboot it it's the proudest ship afloat it's the
home of Radio Scotland and it's every Scotsman's pride for through the day and through
the night it broadcasts nationwide Radio Scotland, playing just for you so beat the ban and
join the clan
on Station 242".

In April 1967, it was decided to return again to The Firth of Forth, Dunbar again to be her
supply base and Steel & Bennie's tug "Campaigner" engaged for the tow but, weather
conditions were not ideal, the ship still to continue transmitting as she was being towed
and, for a month, continuing to broadcast as 'Radio Scotland and Ireland', she lay off
Ballywalter, about ten miles south of Donaghadee, on the east coast of Ireland.

With The Marine Broadcasting (Offences) Act coming into force on August 15, 1967, 'The
Act' having the effect of outlawing pirate radio in U.K. and making criminals of any person
or businesses involved in any way with the broadcasters, Radio Scotland closed just
minutes before midnight on August 14, 1967, Radio Caroline alone keeping on
broadcasting as Radio Caroline International and then, a fortnight later, on August 30, The
Marine Offences Act also became law in The Isle Of Man.
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Out of service, Radio Scotland's "Comet" was towed into Methill Harbour, in Fife, where
the broadcast equipment was removed. After being offered for sale, but with no buyer
coming forward the ship was eventually taken to Ouwerkerk, Holland and broken up by Van
de Marel shipworks in 1969.

Of final interest in these matters are naval architect George Idle's original 1905 drawings
for The Commissioners of Irish Light's 'Comet', perhaps some ship modeller might like the
challenge of adding and rigging a radio transmitter mast to her whilst listening to the
strains of Frank Cordell and his orchestra playing 'The Black Bear' !

A 30-second clip of Radio Scotland's 'Black Bear' track and other pirate radio station
'themes' may be found here at
http://www.offshoreechos.com/offshorethemes/stations%20s-z.htm

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