Ships and shipping

The Nakhoda Ragam class is a class of corvette offshore patrol vessels originally built for the Royal Brunei Navy and named after the lead ship of the class, in turn named after a legendary Malay seafarer. Three vessels were built by BAE Systems Marine (now BAE Systems Maritime - Naval Ships). The ships were to be named: KDB Nakhoda Ragam KDB Bendhara Sakam KDB Jerambak The customer refused to accept the vessels and the contract dispute became the subject of arbitration. When the dispute was settled in favour of BAE Systems, the vessels were handed over to Royal Brunei Technical Services in June 2007. In 2013 it was announced that these warships had been sold to the Indonesian Navy and would soon be leaving Barrow where they have been laid up since 2007.

Lough Neagh sand suction dredger barges Ballyronan and Toomebridge at Northstone's Sandy Bay wharf. These are two of eight identical vessels built by James W Cook Ltd of Wivenhoe, Essex, between 1968 and 1974 for Scotts of Toomebridge. They are 120’ 6" long by 19’ 3" beam and all loaded and discharged by pump. They were built at the largest size for the locks on the Lower Bann which gives access to the lake from the sea. The sand trade on Lough Neagh continues to occupy several companies and a large number of barges in dredging around 1 million tonnes of sand annually.

The 6840 gross tonnage nuclear fuel carrier Pacific Grebe lies adjacent to the Goliath crane in Ramsden Dock, Barrow-in-Furness. With sister ships Pacific Egret and Pacific Heron the vessel is engaged in transporting Highly Active Waste from Sellafield back to the country of origin - mainly Europe and Japan. These British registered ships are the UK's only armed merchant ships with a defence force on each provided by the nuclear industry police.

Iron Baron (7950 tons dwt) was built in 1936 by Lithgows at Port Glasgow as an Ore Carrier for Broken Hill Proprietary Ltd. The first ship of the 'Chieftain' class she worked between Whyalla and Newcastle carrying ironstone until sold in 1966. The ship is seen here unloading at Steel Works Wharf, Newcastle in 1936. Destination for the ore, a blast furnace with associated Cowpar stoves are visible on the right.

Mersey Ferry Royal Iris has just a few passengers for this trip to see the sights along the river. Seen from the mudflats below the derelict promenade at Rock Ferry. The serried ranks of terraced houses on the far shore ar at Dingle.

The 999grt bulk cargo ship Matrisha was launched in Japan in 1976 and, after a number of name and ownership changes, was wrecked after running aground on the south coast of Ireland. After salvage the hulk was towed to the remote Carhiracon Quay on the Shannon estuary where it was used to store cement for a number of years. Today it lies quietly rusting and awaiting its fate.

The sad remains of the 1936 built steam dredger 'Mannin 2' sunk at Weston Point Docks.

A couple of barges have made the trip over the Wash from Boston to Wells-Next-The-Sea harbour. The old granary in the background has now been converted to holiday flats.

The cheap way to see the Statue of Liberty and the New York Skyline is to take the Staten Island ferry. It's about an hour for the return trip and best of all it's free!