SUGAR ships used to regularly call at Greenock’s James Watt Dock but there was something unusual about one arrival during this month in 1969.

It had been expected many months earlier.

The Greek cargo vessel Mariel, 8,959 gross tons, left Lourenco Marques in East Africa the previous November with 11,400 tons of raw sugar for Greenock’s two refineries.

Trouble developed with her engines and she had to put into Capetown for repairs.

The Mariel was built in Yugoslavia and it was to that country an urgent appeal for spare engine parts was made.

For some unknown reason, the parts took a long time to arrive, and the ship spent a total of eight months in Capetown.

The Mariel finally arrived at the Tail of the Bank on August 5, 1969, only to experience further delays.

Another ship, the Tarpon Surf, was at the sugar berth in the James Watt Dock.

When that vessel had gone the neap tide gave too little depth over the dock sill and it was August 11 before the Mariel could be accepted at the sugar berth.

There was a potential problem. It was thought that after nine months in the holds the bulk cargo might be hard to dislodge but it did not prove so. The cargo was described as firm but it was able to be unloaded.

The Mariel did not immediately leave Greenock. She transferred to the Garvel dry dock for a week while undergoing further attention.

After leaving the Garvel, the ship was heading to Glasgow to load for India. This voyage was under an Ellerman charter, and for it the ship was to be renamed Armarillis.

Other local shipping news in August, 1969, included the launch from the Scott Lithgow group’s Cartsburn yard of the Grecian Legend, the first of two bulk carriers being built for Greek owners.

* TODAY'S flashback photo is an old postcard, which shows how Port Glasgow’s Bay Street once looked.