The last sea going paddle steamer in the world
Philip - who many of you know from visiting Hamilton Hall and who is one of our residence here - spent a wonderful day out with friends on the Waverly and shares with you here.
"We set off from Boscombe at 8am with a party of six, caught the bus to Pokesdown, then a train to Southampton where we boarded the Waverley at the docks. We cruised down Southampton Water, past The Needles, across Poole Bay to Swanage Pier, where some of us went ashore to find a pub with a view of the harbour.
Then we got back on board for the return trip past Old Harry Rocks and Studland, to Poole, from where we got the bus back to Boscombe.
Everybody had a fabulous time and enjoyed the day out, we were lucky with the weather which stayed dry.
We hope to do it again next year at around the same time, if anyone wants to join us you would be welcome!"
Here is The Waverley at Southampton Docks
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PS Waverley is a Clyde steamer, the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1946, she sailed from Craigendoran on the Firth of Clyde to Arrochar on Loch Long until 1973. Bought by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS), she has been restored to her 1947 appearance and now operates passenger excursions around the British coast. Since 2003, Waverley has been listed in the National Historic Fleet by National Historic Ships UK as "a vessel of pre-eminent national importance".
History
PS Waverley is named after Sir Walter Scott's first novel. She was built for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) to replace a PS Waverley that was sunk in 1940 while helping to evacuate troops from Dunkirk.
The new vessel was ordered from shipbuilders A. & J. Inglis of Glasgow, who laid the keel at their Pointhouse shipyard on 27 December 1945, Lady Matthews, wife of the Chairman of the LNER, launched the new 693 ton steamer on 2 October 1946.
Fitting out proceeded, around the end of the year the ship was towed to Victoria Harbour in Greenock where Rankin & Blackmore installed the engine and coal-fired boiler they had manufactured. After sea trials in June 1947, Waverley entered service on 16 June, working the LNER's Firth of Clyde steamer route from Craigendoran Pier, near Helensburgh, up Loch Long to Lochgoilhead and Arrochar,[7] joining the LNER Clyde paddle steamer fleet of Lucy Ashton, Jeanie Deans and Talisman.]
In her first year in service, she wore that company's red, white and black funnel colours.
The 1948 nationalisation of Britain's railways brought their Scottish steamers into the Caledonian Steam Packet Company (CSP), a subsidiary of the Railway Executive. The funnels were repainted yellow with a black top.
In 1965, a Scottish red lion rampant was fixed to each side of both funnels. Waverley's hull was painted monastral blue until 1970.
After a revival of fortunes in the 1950s, the 1960s saw a gradual change in holiday habits that led to a decline in passenger numbers and the closure of many of the small piers.
Since 1969, and the formation of the Scottish Transport Group, the CSP had been gradually merging with the West Highland shipping and ferry company David MacBrayne Ltd.
In 1973, the company became Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd (CalMac).[
Restoration
CalMac withdrew Waverley after the 1973 season as she was too costly to operate and needed significant expenditure. By then, the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society had been set up as a registered UK charity and had bought the near-derelict small River Dart paddler PS Kingswear Castle.[9] CalMac, keen to ensure that the ship was preserved, sold Waverley to the PSPS for the token sum of one pound.[9] Neither side really believed that the vessel would return to steam but, just in case, Caledonian MacBrayne stipulated that she should not sail in competition with their remaining cruise vessel, TS Queen Mary.
A public appeal was launched to secure funding for the return of the Waverley to service and the fund-raising operation was successful.
The PSPS found itself running a cruise ship operation, "Waverley Excursions". Since then, Waverley has been joined in the PSPS fleet by PS Kingswear Castle and MV Balmoral and has had a series of extensive refits and much restoration work, including a new boiler and improvements to meet modern safety standards. She has circumnavigated Great Britain and every year makes extensive sailings around the country.
Listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, between 2000 and 2003 the ship underwent a substantial rebuild and reboilering at the shipyard of George Prior at Great Yarmouth, funded principally by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The work, done in two stages, has added many 21st century safety and technological improvements and returned the ship to her original 1947 livery.
In 2009, the ship was affiliated with HMS Defender, having hosted the official dignitary party at Defender's launch on the River Clyde. And in 2011 the ship was awarded the Institution of Mechanical Engineers 65th Engineering Heritage Award.
In 2019, Waverley was withdrawn from service due to boiler problems.
An appeal was subsequently launched with a target of £2.3 million to recommission Waverley. It was announced on 11 July 2019 that new boilers had been ordered from Cochran Ltd.
Following the boiler replacement, Waverley returned to sea on 13 August 2020 for sea-trials, and resumed service for a short COVID-19-affected season starting on 22 August. This was cut short after she struck the pier at Brodick on 3 September, damaging her bow.
The following year Waverley started operating from 29 June but with limited passenger capacity due to COVID-19.[16] The sailing season was described as a success, with a total of 52,000 passenger journeys, but shorter than normal as it only lasted until 19 September. A highlight for passengers and crew were the dolphins that could frequently be spotted as they accompanied Waverley on her sails up and down the Clyde.
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