James Watt tours
dolphin spotting, holy loch & sugar boat trip
Join us on our latest trip departing from James Watt Dock, Greenock lasting 2.5 hours. We will sail past the iconic Custom House building and Greenock esplanade, then onwards past Gourock and the historic Cloch lighthouse. We will then sail over to explore The Holy Loch (An Loch Sianta Gaelic) taking in the breath-taking scenery of surrounding shores and mountains, leaving The Holy Loch passing strone point and on towards Kilcreggan with views of the stately houses built by the rich Glasgow merchants in the 19th century. We will then be passing the mouth of the Gare loch home to the UK’s nuclear submarine base and finally on to the historic landmark MV Captayannis Sugar boat wreck.
During this trip, you are very likely to see some of the local wildlife such as porpoises, seabirds like Herons and Gannets and most importantly the local dolphin pod with their latest addition named ‘Clyde’. The Dolphins often come over to our boat and ride our waves, sometimes they swim along with us and even perform for us by jumping out the water. We must make it clear that we will not harass the pod or impede into their space as their safety and happiness is paramount, the last thing we want to do is upset them or give them any reason to leave the river Clyde in search for quieter waters. Complementary Coffee, Tea and Chocolate are available.
£39.95 /per adult
£29.95 /per child
inverclyde history trip
Inverclyde, located on the west coast of Scotland, is full of rich maritime and cultural history.The River Clyde was once the centre of shipping and shipbuilding in Scotland, with over 25,000 ships built Clydeside, the architecture and heritage of which can still be admired today. Join us on a 2.5 hour trip as we travel along the Clyde and explore various docks, harbours and landmarks, including the Clyde’s most famous shipwreck (MV Captayannis), while learning about the incredible local history.
Duration: 2.5 Hours
Capacity: 10 Passengers
£34.95 /per adult
£24.95 /per child
sugar boat trip
On the night of 27 January 1974 fierce winds were battering the north Atlantic and Scotland’s west coast. Moored on the River Clyde, and waiting to unload its cargo of raw east African sugar was MV Captayannis and it took the full force of the violent storm. With gusts of more than 60mph whipping up the river into a frenzy, the Greek ship dragged its anchor and started to drift out of control. The captain, ordered his crew to start up the engines. His plan was to head for the more sheltered waters but before he could get the engines started disaster struck.The ship collided with the anchor chains of a BP oil tanker ripping a hole in the hull of the Captayannis. As the water flooded in, the captain had to think quickly, he took evasive action and decided to head for a nearby sandbar. His actions saved his 30-strong crew, as the ship listed on its port side, the crew were able to jump onto the deck of one of the rescue boats. The following morning, as the tide receded, the Captayannis keeled over on its side, never tosail again.Over the decades, looters have stripped the vessel of its most valuable fittings, but the ship remains stubbornly intact. Despite the passage of time, the deck is still largely intact and is a haven for fish and seabirds that have colonised its empty hatches.
The Captayannis is now known locally as the “Sugar Boat”. And today we hope you will be able to share in the history of one of the River Clyde’s most famous shipwrecks.
Duration: 1 Hour
Capacity: 10 Passengers
£17.95 /per adult
£12.95 /per child
DOLPHIN SPOTTING & CLYDE SCENERY
We will be taking a scenic route heading toward Largs, all throughout where our local pod of dolphins have been recently spotted! Our trip will begin at James Watt Dock marina, and we will pass through Greenock and Gourock. Our planned route to find the dolphins will be passing the Clochlighthouse, Inverkip marina and Skelmorlie up close from the riverside, then Knock Castle before we arrive at Largs, where the dolphins have most frequently been spotted, so they can join us at any point in our trip! Seals, porpoises and dolphins are all normal to see along this route, and we hope to have a wide range of wildlife join us! Passengers are invited to let our crew know if they have spotted any of the local wildlife, and we can keep watch! We will be sailing onboard our vessel Obsession. Complementary Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate are available from our recently improved menu. Please note this trip will last between 3-4 hours!
Capacity: 10 Passengers
£49.95 /per adult
£39.95 /per child