Invergordon
Totally unexpected and simply massive, Invergordon Harbour - or more correctly - The Port of Cromarty Firth is a bundle of historical and industrial surprises!
- Since 1828 the Royal Navy recognised the Firth as a safe deep natural harbour. A typical visit of the home fleet would see twelve battleships and six cruisers at anchor. In 1915 HMS Natal suffered a huge explosion. She sank in minutes with 421 lives lost. To this day, an "isolated danger mark" marks the spot (photo 4). Good Dog's crew stood to mark our respect as we passed the point.
- Invergordon is also infamous for a Royal Navy mutiny when in 1931 1,000 sailors successfully "striked" for higher pay! By 1956 the Navy had departed and the distilling industry grew - today over one million barrels of malt whisky are stored in the port!
- The real expansion of the port came with Oil and Gas exploration, which explains the anchored Rigs and "Jack Up" exploration vessels. This engineering expertise has now morphed into "large ship" repairs, wind turbine work and the decommissioning of oil rigs.
- Invergordon is NOT designed for yachts! So it was very kind of Harbour Master Calum Slater (R) to allow us to berth with him overnight - you can see from Photo 7 how dwarfed GD is! The 2,000 metres of quayside with average draft of 14M and 45 acres of concrete "laydown" area (for large bits of metal!) make Calum's port very unique, and he is the only HM I have met who has had to deal with a ship being hijacked (by a crew member armed with an axe) as it departed his harbour. The photos speak for themselves in what a massive job this HM has. Thank you to him and Graham Grant (L) for organising our very Covid secure visit!
- The final photo shows the EnQuest Producer (a massive floating North Sea oil production vessel with no engine) being manoeuvred onto Nigg quay - five tugs were holding her in position for two days! Why? Having been at sea for 15 years, the ship had to buy new mooring lines - the only trouble is - the ones ordered turned out to be 3 metres too short! At £20k per day per tug - an expensive mistake to make!
- Since 1828 the Royal Navy recognised the Firth as a safe deep natural harbour. A typical visit of the home fleet would see twelve battleships and six cruisers at anchor. In 1915 HMS Natal suffered a huge explosion. She sank in minutes with 421 lives lost. To this day, an "isolated danger mark" marks the spot (photo 4). Good Dog's crew stood to mark our respect as we passed the point.
- Invergordon is also infamous for a Royal Navy mutiny when in 1931 1,000 sailors successfully "striked" for higher pay! By 1956 the Navy had departed and the distilling industry grew - today over one million barrels of malt whisky are stored in the port!
- The real expansion of the port came with Oil and Gas exploration, which explains the anchored Rigs and "Jack Up" exploration vessels. This engineering expertise has now morphed into "large ship" repairs, wind turbine work and the decommissioning of oil rigs.
- Invergordon is NOT designed for yachts! So it was very kind of Harbour Master Calum Slater (R) to allow us to berth with him overnight - you can see from Photo 7 how dwarfed GD is! The 2,000 metres of quayside with average draft of 14M and 45 acres of concrete "laydown" area (for large bits of metal!) make Calum's port very unique, and he is the only HM I have met who has had to deal with a ship being hijacked (by a crew member armed with an axe) as it departed his harbour. The photos speak for themselves in what a massive job this HM has. Thank you to him and Graham Grant (L) for organising our very Covid secure visit!
- The final photo shows the EnQuest Producer (a massive floating North Sea oil production vessel with no engine) being manoeuvred onto Nigg quay - five tugs were holding her in position for two days! Why? Having been at sea for 15 years, the ship had to buy new mooring lines - the only trouble is - the ones ordered turned out to be 3 metres too short! At £20k per day per tug - an expensive mistake to make!