PS Comet bicentenary second newsletter

I’m guessing that most who are interested will have realised that 2012 marks the bicentenary of the:

Original PS Comet

Thurston's illustration, 1878

The original PS (Paddle Steamer) Comet was constructed for Henry Bell in 1811, by John Wood, a Port Glasgow shipbuilder, and completed on January 18, 1812. The first passenger vessel built in Europe, PS Comet was a wooden vessel of some 30 tons, about 40 feet in length, and 10 feet in beam, and originally fitted with four paddle wheels, arranged as two on each side, driven by an engine rated at three horsepower. The two sets of twin paddle wheels were later replaced by single wheel on each side, and the length has been reported as having been extended by 20 feet to increase her capacity. Two engines were fitted to the vessel (not at the same time), but the changeover date is unknown – perhaps the change was carried out when the number of paddles was reduced, and the hull lengthened. The completed boat was put into service on a 24 mile route between Greenock and Glasgow, departing Greenock on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, returning on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. A fare of four shillings (£0.20) was charged for the best cabin, and three shillings (£0.15) for second class. Although Bell was reported to have made heavy losses at the start of the venture, and some months passed before the craft was considered trustworthy by its passengers, it proved itself to be safe and secure transport on the route.

Replica Comet

Replica Comet on the Clyde

The Provost of Greenock came up with the idea of building a model of the Comet to celebrate the forthcoming 150th anniversary of her inaugural sailing. Despite the fact that she was built in Port Glasgow, then a separate burgh, he felt the links with James Watt and Greenock were worth celebrating. There was much discussion as to the scale the model should be built to, and where it would be displayed, until Lord Lithgow suggested building a full sized replica. He canvassed support from other ship related businesses and offered the services of his own shipyard.

On Saturday, September 1, the replica Comet was launched from the same berth that the original boat was built on by Mrs Walter Lucas, and afloat in the fitting out basin to be finished off.

On Sunday, September 2, eleven invited dignitaries plus Lord Lithgow, all attired in period costume, and with two engineers as crew, assembled at the yard and boarded the Comet. The parade of floats arrived, and she cast off at 3.30 pm. Once out of the yard she was met by a large flotilla of canoes, sailing dinghies, yachts, and motor boats to escort her on her journey to Helensburgh. The boiler, fired by lignum vitae logs, worked well and the engine achieved the design speed of 5 knots.

The occasion was further remembered with the issue of a special commemorative envelope designed by John Brown, an art teacher at Greenock Academy.

The above summary comes from out slightly longer Wiki page: Secret Scotland – PS Comet

Bicentenary

There have been a few sites popping up over the past couple of years, and these looked quite hopeful, especially those suggesting that the replica would be restored to steam ans be seen on the Clyde for the bicentenary. As far as I can see, those sites evaporated or went dormant, and were never updated after initial enthusiasm. They also seemed to be devoid of contacts, so I never mentioned them, or returned to them after a while.

That doesn’t include Comet Rebuilt though, which is well worth a visit, and provided the following clip (which is just one of many):

Another has been Helensburgh Heritage.

There have been two newsletters to date, with the most recent being issued in January 2012. You can read the details here (these are downloadable PDF files):

Comet 2012 Newsletter-1

Comet 2012 Newsletter-2

This confirmed that the replica would not be seen on the Clyde. Although it has recently been restored and returned to its site on display in Port Glasgow, the work carried out was not able to be extended to include restoration to full operation, but has ensured that the replica will be able to survive its exposed outdoor display for many years to come.

While many of the events are still to be finalised, a couple have been announced:

Friday 22 June 2012 will mark the start of the annual Comet Festival in Port Glasgow with a street parade and party. The following day the main event – the Gala Day with all sorts of activities – will take place in Coronation Park. Because 2012 is a special year, the Festival will run for longer than usual, with a variety of events taking place daily until Sunday 1 July – see our website for fuller details.

Saturday 4th August 2012 is when events will start in Helensburgh. These will include a visit to Helensburgh by a number of small steam boats. Where they will be on the day will be dependent on weather and (to a lesser extent) tides. These small vessels should prove to be an attractive feature on the day. It is also hoped that the Royal Navy will provide a ship of some sort.

The Comet Bicentenary Website

The final piece of news regarding events concerns the appearance of dedicated website, not yet populated, but promised to be coming along shortly, so keep checking:

Comet-2012

Comet Archway for Helensburgh

I almost forgot to mention another benefit that the bicentenary appears to have spawned.

As the newsletter mentioned above notes, while Port Glasgow has the historic Comet replica on display, and Helensburgh has the Henry Bell obelisk to remember him by, and the flywheel from the PC Comet is displayed on the shore, there is not really anything in the town that makes an obvious link to the past events around the vessel(s).

Henry Bell obelisk © Stephen McKay via geograph

Comet flywheel © william craig via geograph

This looks set to change in the not too distant future, as it has been revealed that plans are well underway to produce a steel archway as a permanent reminder to those past events surrounding the Comet, and is to be sited somewhere on, or near, Helensburgh Pier.

The main steel work for the memorial is to be carried out by the apprentices being trained by Babcock Marine at Faslane, while other services will be provided free of charge by those involved and supporting the project.

I really look forward to seeing this.

Advertisement