FOLLOWING the news that Prince Charles is to visit the former sugar warehouses at the James Watt Dock next month, it is appropriate to record that the last ship to discharge raw sugar at the dock sailed from Greenock 10 years ago today.

The Cypriot-flagged Fidelity, 4,615 gross registered tons, arrived at Greenock from Guyana on 18 June, 1992 but she missed the tide and anchored at the Tail of the Bank before entering the dock the next day, assisted by the Cory tugs Chieftain and Thunderer.

She sailed on Thursday, 25 June, 1992, with the same tugs in attendance. The only ship left in the dock was the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry Pioneer which was laid up on standby.

Thus ended a connection with sugar ships and the James Watt Dock which dated back more than 100 years, and involved millions of tons of raw sugar.

In the early days the sugar was transported to refineries by horse and cart but for many readers the dark blue-liveried tipper lorries of the Greenock Bulk Handling Company will still be fresh in the memory.

This was not the end of raw sugar importation, as Clydeport had erected a purpose-built storage facility - capable of handling larger vessels and giving a faster turnaround - at Greenock Ocean Terminal which came into use the following month. The motor vessel Evelyn was the first sugar carrier to discharge at the terminal, arriving on 30 July, 1992.

But the writing was on the wall for our sugar refining industry. The Carola 1, Cypriot registered like the Fidelity, was the final ship to discharge sugar at Greenock. She sailed on Friday, 27 June, 1997.

Like the Greenock sugar trade the vessel Fidelity is no more. She was built in Japan in 1976 and launched as the Anita. The ship also carried the names Anita 1, Agios Nektarios and Tropiventure before going to Indian breakers in September, 2000.

The Carola 1, the final ship to bring sugar to Greenock, was built in Holland in 1983, and as recently as April, was reported to be sailing under the name of Carola G.

Returning to Prince Charles' coming to the former sugar warehouses, his visit is as chairman of the The Phoenix Trust which investigates potential news uses for historic buildings. The sugar warehouses are on the World Monument Fund list, and it is to be hoped they can be saved.

I am indebted to Greenock maritime enthusiast Robin Wilson for supplying the photographs and information for this story.