In this picture by John Crae, the tiny dent is visible in MOUNTS BAY's stern

Last week we celebrated the successful launch of Ferguson's latest vessel, the fisheries patrol vessel JURA - but have launches ever gone wrong on the Clyde? Very few, and only one could truly be called a disaster.

Last year the launch of RFA MOUNTS BAY hit the headlines, but for all that you may have read in some newspapers, the accident when she hit off the opposite quay wall was nothing more than a 'dunt'.

I was there at the time, on board the PRIDE OF THE CLYDE, just up river from the slipway. As we watched we did think she was near the quay, but, in relative terms, the prang she gave it was no fearful disaster - we were actually in some doubt if she had hit it. And I heard no screaming terrified thousands of onlookers, as one newspaper described the scene. All in all, it was a fairly minor incident, resulting in a bit of the quay wall having a chunk out of it, and bit of a bash to the corner of MOUNTS BAY's rump.

Given the sheer numbers of vessels that have slid down the ways over the past couple of hundred years, you would be forgiven for thinking that there must, by the law of averages, have been many disastrous launches. For the sensationalists out there, regretfully, (for your sakes) I have to say this was not the case, and thankfully, (for the sake of the Clyde's reputation), our shipbuilders were (and are) pretty skilled chaps at getting these monsters into the river.

But yes, there have been some mishaps.

In less recent times the narrowness of the river at Govan has resulted in worse prangs than MOUNTS BAY. On 29th January 1982 the 744 foot long PACIFIC PATRIOT thundered down the slipway and crashed spectacularly into the opposite bank. This resulted in a damaged rudder and stern frame and, as Paul Strathdee reminds us, resulted in her having to go to a Belfast dry dock for repairs.

One of the worst accidents that one of our subscribers, David Watson, recalls is of the SCOTTISH HAWK's mishaps when she was launched in 1955 from the Greenock Dockyard, an area that suffers badly from high winds:

" The day Scottish Hawk was launched it was blowing a hoolie, but the Dockyard decided to go ahead with the launch, against the advice of my old man, who by then was Master of Works for the Clyde Lighthouses Trust.

"So the Torch (a lights tender vessel - ed) shifted the required buoy and the launch went ahead. She was blown upchannel immediately, and, while trying to get a bowline fast, the Steel & Bennie tug was hit by the bow of SH and was deposited on top of the Garvel Beacon, demolishing it in the process.

"SH proceeded to be blown upriver, collecting several buoys as she went, and eventually grounded on the Greenock Bank just opposite the entrance to Great Harbour."

Now that's what you call a bit of a disaster!

Then there are times when things just don't go to plan - in fact, when the plan doesn't even get a chance to come to fruition.

Back in 1942 there was on the stocks at Scotts' yard in Greenock, the warship HMS ROEBUCK. I don't know what her planned launch date was to be, but whatever it was, German bombers re-arranged it somewhat!

A bomb narrowly missed the ship, but the resultant shock of the explosion jolted her to such a degree that she promptly launched herself into the river!

James Scott passed on the information that she ended her life in a rather sad way - being shelled in the Forth. In his own words:

"She was used for shock trials of Dalgety Bay during 1968 by N.C.R.E then towed to Inverkeithing to be broken up by T.W.Ward Ltd , she was in a very bad way, so it seems she was launched with bombs and destroyed with them."

But for all that these mishaps are bad news for the shipbuilder, and quite terrifying in some cases, none compares to the disaster that befell the Clyde many, many years ago.

This was a defining moment in Clyde history, as it changed the nature of ship launches forever, both here and further afield.

On the 3rd of July, 1883 Alexander Stephen & Sons, Govan were set to launch a little steamer for the Glasgow & Londonderry Steam Packet Company, Glasgow. The ship was loaded with workers, as was the practice at that time - from young boys to older men, carrying with them their tools, ready to re-start work the minute she was made fast.

She was named DAPHNE and she slid into the then putrid waters of the Clyde and almost immediately capsized, trapping the men and boys in the upturned hull. Weighed down by their tools and heavy boots, their struggles only ensured panic and death as they drowned in the filthy water.

All told 124 were killed in the worst ever disaster in the Clyde's shipbuilding history and many, many families in the shipbuilding community were affected as they lost sons, brothers and husbands, on a day that was just routine for them. There is a memorial garden in the Victoria Park dedicated to the unfortunate souls who perished, but their lasting legacy was to ensure that in the future, only the most essential personnel required would be permitted on board a vessel at launch.

It is sad to say that it took a tragedy of such magnitude to focus the minds of the powers that be, but that is so very often the case.

Nowadays no risks are taken if they can possibly be avoided, and launches for the most part are as safe as possible. So safe that even this year the launch of CARGIGAN BAY was postponed due to atrocious weather conditions, partly in the interests of safety.

The following account was made by Alistair Black on www.clydeshipping.co.uk in 2002:

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On July 3rd 1883 the small steam coaster Daphne was launched from Alexander Stephen's Linthouse yard. Single screw, iron hulled, she was 177 ft long by 25.3 ft beam, giving a length to beam ratio of 7.0:1 Daphne had been orfered for the Glasgow, Dublin and Londonderry Steam Packet Co, which later was absorbed into Burns Laird, now part of P&O.

The specification had been drawn up by their Superintendent Marine Engineer who had been given strict instructions as to type of equipment used, overall dimensions, etc.

Not being a naval architect, all this was decided after studying the previous ships in the fleet, the builders being expected to perform the detailed design work and stability tests. Linthouse did not have a fiiting out berth, so the 2
cylinder compound diagonal engine was installed prior to the launch. The boilers were not installed at this point, but the fiddley deck was left off to allow the boilers to be fitted at the Broomielaw.

Fitting out was well advanced, but delivery was scheduled for early August, so nearly 200 men were on board so that they could keep on working while the ship was towed to Broomielaw. Just before noon the ship was launched, slipped quietly into the Clyde and came to rest due to the action of the drag chains.

Within a few seconds of coming to rest, the ship suddenly heeled to port, paused, recovered slightly, then heeled over again, this time not slowing or recovering. The ship rolled over completely, trapping most of the complement below decks. Despite the best efforts of rescuers only about 70 survivors were recovered, a total of 124 men and boys losing their lives. The speed of capsize was assisted by the men all sliding to port, 30 tons of loose gear on deck doing the same, and by water entering the ship through the boiler access hatch.

The ship was righted a few days later and taken to what became Govan No 1 drydock, then known as Salterscroft Graving Dock, where she was subjected to exhaustive stability tests. An enquiry was opened and much detailed evidence was collected.

Stephen's were commended for the assistance they gave the enquiry, no fault was found with the launch arrangements at Linthouse and the cause was reported to be little inital stability combined with excessive loose gear and personnel aboard.

One of the outcomes of the disaster was the limiting of personnel aboard to only those necessary for mooring the ship after the launch.

The sad sight of the DAPHNE shortly after the disaster in 1883
(Posted to Clydesite last year by John Bell)