page_title: Boyd's Automatic tide signalling apparatus
section_title: The abandonment of the automatic tide signalling apparatus
hierarchical_section_title: Boyd's Automatic tide signalling apparatus / The decline of Irvine harbour / The abandonment of the automatic tide signalling apparatus
caption_attribution_description: English: Boyd's Automatic tide signalling apparatus, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The remains of the 'black balls' mast.Rosser 19:51, 26 August 2007 (UTC)
context_page_description: The automatic tide signalling apparatus or Pilot House at Irvine harbour in North Ayrshire, Scotland, is a category B listed building, and is probably unique, having been invented and patented by Martin Boyd, the Irvine harbourmaster, in 1905 and opened in 1906.
context_section_description: The 'Pilot House' was updated with electric lights, adjustments and re-calibration being made to compensate for the silting up of the riverside tank. The system, however fell into disuse in the early 1970s and the building gradually deteriorated to the extent that rain water was penetrating the structure, leading to rot of the upper landing and structure timbers. Settlement of the building resulted in cracks appearing around the window lintels and sills. The float chamber became totally silted up, the connecting wooden trough for the cables disappeared and the signal equipment gradually decayed within the building.
  The building and system have protective listing as a category 'B' structure and in 1989, Irvine Development Corporation (IDC) carried out substantial repairs. Attempts by the Scottish Maritime Museum and others have been made to restore the unique building and system fully (it is thought however that another similar structure may have been built in Northern France). The building was leased to the Irvine Model Boat Club, and a model railway club were very active some years back (datum 2007), laying model railway track on the site and out onto the grass nearby. Since this time most of the mast has been removed and the structure now has an air of total neglect.
caption: The remains of the 'black balls' mast.
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