# Clyde Measured Mile



## alaric (Feb 27, 2012)

Photographs of new ships undergoing their trial runs in the Clyde often show the Isle of Arran in the background. Others show Bute or Dunoon on the Cowal Peninsula.
Does anyone have a chart showing the 'Mile', or where there more than one?


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## howardang (Aug 3, 2008)

alaric said:


> Photographs of new ships undergoing their trial runs in the Clyde often show the Isle of Arran in the background. Others show Bute or Dunoon on the Cowal Peninsula.
> Does anyone have a chart showing the 'Mile', or where there more than one?


A quick Google found this which shows that there were actually more than one measured mile - and some of them were in fact more than one mile in length. I certainly remember the Cloch - ***brae mile having done it on more than one occasion

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/MeasuredMiles


Howard


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## alaric (Feb 27, 2012)

Many thanks for your prompt reply Howard. 
Faster than me looking on Google for myself!


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## Almoffat (Mar 10, 2015)

The usual measured mile was off Sannox on Arran. They were large sighting posts in place and the ships would turn off Whiting Bay which meant we had a great view of all the new ships built on the Clyde and occasionally Belfast from the village Primary School (inc. the QE II). Captain Fawley who took a lot of the trials had connections with the village and used to turn quite close in and blow the horn so we could watch from the school.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

The 'mile' was done off Sannox, Arran as Almoffat has it. This was for high speed runs were done for large ship went. Originally the mile as was at Skelmorlie. The water was not deep for the large and fast vessels and they were getting inaccurate readings. The Arran mile was set up in the early 1920s.

Apparently the VANGUARD went out to take trials after WW2. The couldn't find the markers! Found some Polish soldiers based on Arran during the war had broken up the markers for firewood.

Stephen


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## alaric (Feb 27, 2012)

Almoffat said:


> The usual measured mile was off Sannox on Arran. They were large sighting posts in place and the ships would turn off Whiting Bay which meant we had a great view of all the new ships built on the Clyde and occasionally Belfast from the village Primary School (inc. the QE II). Captain Fawley who took a lot of the trials had connections with the village and used to turn quite close in and blow the horn so we could watch from the school.


Not just Clyde and Belfast built ships ran their trials here. Northern Star, built by Vickers at Newcastle did her tials in the Clyde. I suspect many Vickers ships built in Barrow also did their trials off Arran.


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## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

alaric said:


> Not just Clyde and Belfast built ships ran their trials here. Northern Star, built by Vickers at Newcastle did her tials in the Clyde. I suspect many Vickers ships built in Barrow also did their trials off Arran.


 Some Cammell Laird built ships also did the measured mile in the Clyde, as did Blue Flue ships built at Caledon in Dundee, at least the two new ships I joined in Caledon did, as did the Cunard cargo ship Ivernia. I was on the wheel for that one, and she hammered along at 17 knots on one leg and 15 1/2 on the return


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

"I suspect many Vickers ships built in Barrow also did their trials off Arran.

100% correct.


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## Basil (Feb 4, 2006)

Pat Kennedy said:


> Some Cammell Laird built ships also did the measured mile in the Clyde, as did Blue Flue ships built at Caledon in Dundee, at least the two new ships I joined in Caledon did, as did the Cunard cargo ship Ivernia. I was on the wheel for that one, and she hammered along at *17 knots on one leg and 15 1/2 on the return[*/QUOTE]
> Good point. I wonder if that was due to tidal flow?


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## alaric (Feb 27, 2012)

Basil said:


> Pat Kennedy said:
> 
> 
> > Some Cammell Laird built ships also did the measured mile in the Clyde, as did Blue Flue ships built at Caledon in Dundee, at least the two new ships I joined in Caledon did, as did the Cunard cargo ship Ivernia. I was on the wheel for that one, and she hammered along at *17 knots on one leg and 15 1/2 on the return[*/QUOTE]
> ...


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## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

alaric said:


> Basil said:
> 
> 
> > The speed runs would normally be made at slack water either side of high or low tide to eliminate tidal effects.
> ...


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

During prolonged trials of ss _Regent Pembroke_ on the Newbiggin measured mile, off the Northumberland coast, she could not achieve the design/contract speed. There was talk of taking her round to the Arran measured mile where it was suggested that more runs in the deeper water there would enable her to achieve the target. 

In the event the ship was accepted without further trials - I suppose a deal was done and the price was discounted in some manner.


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## Barrie Youde (May 29, 2006)

#7 etc

The two speeds which Pat mentions sound like (1) the maximum possible speed and (2) the maximum speed achievable on reasonably economical revs - i.e. an intended service-speed?


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

It’s in the song. Here’s the link.
https://youtu.be/xJkjnSdWWbo


KR


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## searover (Sep 8, 2007)

The P&O "Canberra" sailed from Belfast for her speed trials on the Clyde, prior to the company taking her over from Harland Wolff. Her speed never quite reached the anticipated 30 knots because the engines, aft, were heavier than design. So her carefully-designed hull was down by the stern and didn't flow through the water like the test tank models. 
It was a calm day in the Whitsun of 1961, so the two pairs of stabilisers were tested by making them rock the ship to the consternation of other ships in the vicinity.
I was next on the Clyde, emigrating to Canada on the "Empress of England" in 1966.


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## Anchorman (Jan 13, 2006)

alaric said:


> Photographs of new ships undergoing their trial runs in the Clyde often show the Isle of Arran in the background. Others show Bute or Dunoon on the Cowal Peninsula.
> Does anyone have a chart showing the 'Mile', or where there more than one?


Arran measured mile.


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## eddyw (Nov 6, 2007)

Surely the difference of 17kn one way 15.5 the other could well be due to tide, implying a flow of 0.75 kn? Speed (frequently in relation to displacement) often formed part of the specification for a ship and was part of the contract between owner and builder with penalties if speed was under spec and premiums if better speed achieved. MM trials would traditionally involve six runs over the course, the mean speed being calculated together with info on displacement, power output (ihp/shp/bhp) and propeller revs. Performance at different settings could then be estimated from powering equations. As well as MM speeds owners often wanted to know how a ship was likely to perform in more 'normal' cir***stances than MM trials so extended speed trials would be carried out (4, 6, 12 hours or longer) Often results were a knot or so slower than result obtained on the MM.


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