QE2 - Transatlantic Arrival by Gordon Bauwens Few waterfronts in the world are as instantly recognisable and admired as New York. Cunard first used the port in 1847 and its vast liners became almost as much a part of the City's image as its famous skyline thereafter. Transatlantic legends bearing immortal names such as Lusitania, Mauretania, Aquitania, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth all graced this famous waterfront. And now, having already sailed well over four million miles since her own maiden arrival, QE2 still proudly bears the Cunard insignia into New York harbour, looking more majestic with each passing year.  The magnificent liner is enjoying a traditional fireboat welcome while being met by Moran tugs. Manhattan's twin towers and the distant Statue of Liberty shimmer in the early evening sun as overhead, Concorde banks to give her passengers a glimpse of the spectacular panorama below.It is apt that his fine portrait of the last Clyde-built Cunarder is by an artist whose charted her growth from steel skeleton into elegant ocean greyhound, culminating in her launch viewed from across the Clyde in 1967. He was received by QE2's captain when presenting the liner with a framed print for her 25th Anniversary in 1994, the original painting having been purchased by the Chairman of Cunard.  River Portraits, the Liner Sylvania by Gordon Bauwens Cunard added four new liners to their passenger fleet during the 1950'5. All were built by John Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank, for the St Lawrence route to Quebec City and Montreal, Canada. Fourth in this quartet of sisterships, which included Saxonia, Ivernia and Carinthia, Sylvania was also the last ever Cunarder designed exclusively for North Atlantic trade. Launched in November 1956, she entered service the following summer with Liverpool and Greenock her UK ports. Sylvania maintained a reliable and regular service on her Canadian route until 1961 before transferring to the New York run as replacement for the ex-White Star motorship, Britannic. In 1965 she began a new role in Mediterranean cruising, initially sailing from Liverpool then Gibraltar. Two years later she emerged from a refit with white hull and her own hovercraft. As with her sisters, Sylvania's primary transatlantic career had been all too quickly overtaken by jet air travel, inevitably leading to her sale by Cunard in 1968. However, her useful life was far from over. As the Albatros, she was still operating in the Bahamas at the time of writing. Memories of an Empress by Gordon Bauwens  The Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Britain preparing for transatlantic departure from Greenock, 1960. Her Majestys Royal Yacht Britannia by Gordon Bauwens  The order to build a Royal Yacht as replacement for the obsolete Victoria and Albert was placed in February 1952 with John Brown & Co Ltd. The Clydebank yard won this contract largely because of its experience in building the prestigious Cunard Queens and Caronia. Launched in April 1953 by Her Majesty the Queen, Britannia was the most modern in a long line of Royal Yachts dating back to King Charles II's Mary, 1660.  Britannia was designed as a dual function vessel - as a Royal Yacht in peacetime an as hospital ship in times of hostility. Although built under post war austerity conditions, she provided a classical, well-balanced profile, with meticulous attention paid to detail. Features included innovative funnel design, bulbous bow, stabilisers, superstructure tested in a wind tunnel, and the steel hull rivetted than machined flush above the waterline to give an immaculate finish. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh took personal interest in the interior design, choosing for the Royal apartments simple decor incorporating white painted walls, mahogany and brass. Exquisite furnishings and objet d'art provided embellishment, with many items retained from previous Royal vessels.  Throughout Britannia's 43 year active life, her appearance remained flawless, inside and out, despite having steamed well over 1 million miles. In service Britannia became a fitting symbol of Britain's proud maritime heritage, and in retirement, will continue as a showcase for British shipbuilding at its best. The painting shows Britannia with the Forth Rail Bridge in the background. Aquitania - The Ship Beautiful by Gordon Bauwens  December 1909 saw Cunard's directors authorise a new liner to operate in union with Mauretania and Lusitania, offering a three-ship weekly transatlantic express service - a long held Company dream. Among the details, they specified that the new vessel should 'be constructed of the very best materials, finished complete in a first class style of workmanship to the entire satisfaction of the owners'. In Aquitania, John Brown's Clydebank shipyard surpassed Cunard's criteria by creating what many have described as the most beautiful four funnelled liner ever built. Known throughout most of her long and successful career as the 'Ship Beautiful', she was in a class of her own. The combination of almost perfect external proportions along with spectacular interiors, endeared her to all. Sea going manners were equally impeccable with her captain on the maiden voyage exclaiming, 'her steadiness and lack of vibration are phenomenal'.  During Aquitania's career of almost 36 years, she carried a total of 1.2 million passengers over 3 million ,miles and crossed the Atlantic 442 times and served faithfully throughout the two world wars as troop carrier and hospital ship. The world's last surviving four funnelled liner's life was further extended as a post-war immigrant ship before finally sailing to the breakers in February 1950. Dignified and incredibly beautiful to the end, her demise saddened thousands whose lives she had touched across the years. RMS Titanic - A Day to Remember by Gordon Bauwens  Second in the trio of superliners planned to eclipse their competition on the lucrative north Atlantic route, Titanic was launched from Harland & Wolff's Belfast shipyard on 31st My 1911. Timed to coincide with her sister ship Olympic's departure, White Star achieved the desired publicity with around 100,000 witnessing the grand occasion. Designed for luxury rather than speed, Titanic cost around £1.5 million, and was undoubtedly one of the most elegant liners built during the 'golden era' of sea travel.   Postponed for 24 hours due to high winds, her builders trials took place on 2 April 1912. Tugs arrived around 6am to ease the massive hulk through the Victorian Channel and out to Belfast Lough where Titanic could proceed for the first time under her own power. Signal burgee 'A' hoisted, the liner then underwent rigorous and carefully measured tests within the Lough until, in the early afternoon, she turned her bow towards the open Irish Sea for running trials. Steaming south for two hours brought Titanic within view of County Down's Mourne Mountains and lighthouse of St John's Point. Here the vessel carried out a broad 180 degree turn before heading back to Belfast to receive her Board of Trade passenger certificate, "good for one year from today, 2-4-1912". Shortly after 8pm, Titanic finally left for Southampton and, in darkness, bade farewell to the coastline she would never sea again.  RMS Queen Mary - The Legend Begins by Gordon Bauwens  The magnificent new Cunarder bids farewell to her birthplace - John Browns shipyard, Clydebank 24th March 1936. Welcome Home QE2 by Gordon Bauwens   Featuring Queen Elizabeth 2 on her first homecoming to the river where she began her illustrious career, this painting captures the supreme elegance of the liner in the beautiful Firth of Clyde. As a backdrop, Hunter's Quay and Dunoon nestle beneath the hazy blue hills of the Cowal peninsula, enjoying this brief reminder of when the river was one of Britain's busiest shipping thoroughfares. In over 250 years of shipbuilding on the Clyde some 35,000 new vessels witnessed this lovely vista.  The occasion which brought about QE2's only appearance on these waters for over 20 years was Cunard's 150th Anniversary celebrations in 1990. Four years later the mighty QE2 again returned to the Clyde as part of her Silver Jubilee cruise programme. At the end of a memorable day, with the sun glistening off her giant hull and superstructure, the majestic Queen glided past those same blue hills. RMS Queen Elizabeth - Fit for a Queen by Gordon Brauwens  In 1946 the daunting task of restoring Queen Elizabeth from grey troop carrier into the stateliest of liners was shared between the Clyde and Southampton. Cunard allowed John Brown & Co, the Elizabeth's builders, just 10 weeks to transform the vessel's structure as she lay at anchor at the Tail o'the Bank. The most striking aspect of this work, as the liners drab wartime coat was chipped away, was how in stages from bow to stern, she gradually emerged in gleaming Cunard colours. This phase completed, the vessel returned to Southampton to be refitted with her original furnishings and for dry docking.   Setting out for Scotland once more, Commodore Bisset learned that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Margaret Rose would join the revitalised vessel on the Clyde for her trials on October 8. On one run over the measured mile off Arran the Queen, invited by the Commodore, took the wheel while her two daughters recorded the time taken with stop watches. Then, her speed trials over, the ship headed back to the Tail o'the Bank where the steamer Queen Mary II would take the Royal Party back to Greenock's Prince's Pier. En Route, as the sleek Cunarder cleared the sweeping bend between Gourock and Strone, the early evening sun highlighted her shining new paintwork. Framed by the autumn tinted hills, she shared the moment with PS Jupiter and the little Clyde puffer, Ardfern. SS Sir Walter Scott by Gordon Bauwens   The handsome steamship, 'Sir Walter Scott', which sails Loch Katrine in the Trossachs, is named after the author who highlighted the area in his poem of 1810, 'The Lady of the Lake'. Since then, this tranquil wooded loch mirroring the majestic mountain Ben Venue at its easterly end, has been popular with visitors from all over the world. Cruising on SS Sir Walter Scott provides the perfect opportunity for visitors to share the author's passion for this scenic jewel in the heart of Scotland.  When she entered service in 1900, this elegant little steamer - measuring 110 feet by 19 feet beam and weighing 110 tons - was not particularly unusual, with many inland lochs offering similar pleasure sailings. 'Sir Walter Scott' began life at William Denny & Brothers in Dumbarton, but was not launched from the shipyard. She was taken instead in 'knocked-down' form by barge up Loch Lomond, then overland by horse-drawn carts to Loch Katrine for re-assembly. Now, she is unique as the only surviving screw-steamer in regular passenger service in Scotland, her sleek hull still powered by the original triple-expansion steam engine. As Loch Katrine is also Glasgow City's water supply, every effort was taken in her design to minimise pollution. Indeed, it is for this reason she still operates as a solid-fuel burning steamer while most comparable vessels have converted to diesel propulsion. To sail on board the 'Sir Walter Scott' with the dramatic visual backdrop slowly unfolding, the gentle rhythms of the almost-silent steam engine and soft lapping water, makes for an enchanting experience few ever forget.  Reflections by Gordon Bauwens  At Waverley's launch on a misty October morning in 1946, few could have conceived that she was destined to proudly bear the title of the world's last sea-going paddle steamer. Even in 1974, when sold to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society for the nominal fee of £1, most were grateful that Waverley was saved from the breakers, albeit as a static museum piece. Some enthusiasts with a greater vision, however, realised her true potential, and now, over two decades later, the steamer's fine lines are familiar, not only her native Clyde waters, but right round the British coastline and beyond.    When built, the vessel was just one of many powered by triple expansion steam engines. The powerful, thrusting pistons and immense driving cranks became compulsive viewing for succeeding generations of Clydesiders on their annual trips 'doon the watter'. Today, Waverly is the only vessel of her class still offering this thrilling experience. PS Waverley continues to inspire feelings of pride and affection wherever she sails. Truly fulfilling that earlier vision, she has become living testament to those qualities which made Clyde-built ships renowned throughout the maritime world, and to the special skills which keep this graceful old paddle steaming towards the 21st century.