Launched from the yard of W B Thompson & Co Ltd., Dundee (Yard No 81) on 19th September 1887 the iron steamship Portland was ordered by the Clyde Shipping Co Ltd., Glasgow. She measured 241.0′ x 33.7′ x 15.8′ and her tonnage 1123 gross tons, 551 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by her builders delivering 227 nominal horse power.
SS Portland underway off Greenock
Lloyds register 1907
She departed from Glasgow on her final voyage at 6pm on 5th December 1907 bound for Belfast and London with a general cargo. She had a crew of twenty-five on board under the command of Captain Robert Jamieson. The heavy fog that night made her voyage down the river to Greenock very slow and, on arrival there, Captain Jamieson decided to wait for clearer weather. She finally pulled away from the West Quay at 0:45am the next day and headed down river against the flood tide with visibility improving to about one mile. She edged steadily into the hazy mist at half speed. Captain Jamieson had one of the crew posted at the bow as lookout. As the Cloch Lighthouse appeared in the distance after passing Gourock, they heard a ship’s whistle through the fog. The whistle came from the 360 ton schooner rigged steamship Welshman, belonging to John and David Kennedy of Glasgow, which was on a voyage from Belfast to the Clyde with a cargo of limestone. Captain Donald McPherson was in command of the Welshman and its crew of nine.
Portland profile and deck plan
As they approached the Cloch Lighthouse the crew of the Welshman also heard a steamer on their starboard bow but, although Captain McPherson telegraphed the engine room to stand by, he did not slow from his full steaming speed of eight knots. A few minutes later, as he passed the Cloch, the Portland’s white masthead and green starboard lights were sighted ahead. The appearance of the green light placed the Portland to the starboard side of the Welshman although, later, witnesses on the Portland were to state that the Welshman was off their port bow when first sighted. This observation proved vital in arriving at the reason why the subsequent collision occurred.
Captain McPherson turned to port and sounded his horn to let the crew of the Portland know he had carried out the manoeuvre. Inexplicably, at this point Captain Jamieson on board the Portland responded by turning to starboard, placing his craft across the bows of the Welshman.
By now it was too late to take any further avoiding action and the Welshman ran into the port side of the Portland just behind the bridge. The horrendous crash, loud enough to awaken people ashore, tore a huge hole in the side of the Portland and broke the stem of the Welshman. The Portland was sinking fast and although the Welshman herself was severely damaged she stood by until the crew of the Portland were picked up from the boats. The Portland sank fifteen minutes after the collision taking with her the stoker Mobin Moonie, who probably died or was seriously injured in the initial collision.
Contemporary sketch of Welshman beached at Royal Gourock Yacht Club
The enquiry into the sinking found that the main cause was the error by Captain Jamieson of the Portland when he turned to starboard, despite clear signals from the Welshman that she had already turned to port. It was also held that the captain of the Welshman contributed to the accident by not slowing or stopping when he first heard the Portland’s whistle through the fog.
Scanning the wreck of the Portland
