A new replica of the groundbreaking paddle steamer Comet has been unveiled.
Europe’s first commercial paddle steamer, the Comet was built in 1812 for Henry Bell – the first provost of Helensburgh.
Three years ago its wreck was designated as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland.
Henry Bell (1767-1830) came to live in Helensburgh in 1806.
Already a successful businessman, engineer and architect, he built the Baths Hotel (later the Queen’s Hotel) in East Clyde Street to run with his wife Margaret as a spa .
Comet was a wooden paddle steamer, built in Port Glasgow by John Wood & Sons in 1811-12, which changed the face of travel on the Clyde.
Designed to carry passengers between Port Glasgow and Helensburgh, the name ‘Comet’ is a direct reference to the Great Comet of 1811, a celestial event in which a comet passed by the earth and was visible to the naked eye for 260 days.
Comet was operational for eight years on the Clyde, then the Forth and from September 1819, on a new Glasgow to Fort William service.
And on Saturday crowds gathered in Port Glasgow town centre to welcome home a new replica honouring the steamer.
Provost of Inverclyde, Drew McKenzie, officially unveiled the eye-catching model of the passenger ship ahead of the annual Comet Festival.
The new replica was commissioned by Inverclyde Council and built by Sheffield-based specialist manufacturer, Aivaf Ltd.
Provost McKenzie said: “The Comet is synonymous with Port Glasgow and has played an important part in the lives of so many local people.
“The new replica is magnificent and it was fitting that it was officially unveiled ahead of the Comet Festival, which was a fantastic event in its own right.
“It was a real team effort from the council, local community, the main contractor, and so many others to develop and deliver the fantastic monument to the Comet we have here before us today.
“I was honoured to be asked to unveil the new replica and to see so many people in attendance to celebrate this wonderful monument to PS Comet, shipbuilding on the Clyde, and Port Glasgow.”
The most recent Comet replica that was previously on display in the town centre was built in 1962 and restored in 2011 but was dismantled in 2023 after being deemed beyond repair.
Its replacement was commissioned by Inverclyde Council and delivered in partnership with the local community through the Port Glasgow Town Centre Regeneration Forum and the forum’s Comet Sub-Group.
A budget of £540,000 was set aside by the local authority to develop a suitable commemoration to honour the famous vessel.
The new replica sits on the same site as the previous one but with some minor adjustments and improvements to further enhance the Comet and its surroundings with more additions planned for a later date.
On the outside, the hull is painted a slightly different colour to better resemble what the copper bottom of the actual PS Comet would have looked like.
The new replica has also been repositioned to give it greater prominence right at the entrance to the town centre.
Since the new replica is not designed to sail, there are drainage holes in the hull to help protect the insides from decay and it has been constructed from non-traditional boat building materials to ensure longevity.
The main structure of the vessel is made with specialised stainless steel and then clad in a modified timber that is rot-resistant.
New interpretation boards will be installed at a later date to help tell the story of the Comet and council officials are exploring the opportunity to add lighting to illuminate the vessel.
Early discussions have also taken place about potentially incorporating the adjacent fountain, which has been decommissioned, into the project.