morrisobrien
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Waverley,built in 1946,is at present sailing the longest journey of her life.Ayr to Plymouth 'clockwise' ie. northabout.She has just left Dundee after taking on more fuel and water.
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Paddle Steamer Waverley
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Sir Felix Pole
Established Member
Strong winds and swell forecast off Land's End I believe - hence having to take the 'long way round'. Excursions from Penzance and Falmouth cancelled, unfortunately.
telstarbox
Established Member
I will be on the run from Gravesend in September, if it's on!
CarltonA
Member
It's a fairly good vessel to travel on though I only did a return from Ilfracombe to Lundy Island. The food on board was good. It broke down in the Bristol Channel afterwards and had to be towed into Barrybados docks.
John Luxton
Established Member
For anyone who hasn't done it WAVERLEY is a good day out and she is a former LNER ship.
If I had a choice between a trip behind an A3, A4 or WAVERLEY - I know the one I would chose.
Only thing is she does have weather limitations - beware travelling long distances or booking hotel accommodation for sailings specifically to travel on her unless you book flexible rates which you can cancel.
I know one or two people who have booked non cancellable hotel deals for WAVERLEY trips and the inevitable has happened.
Fortunately she does tend to come to Liverpool once a year thus I can get a couple of trips in each time she comes and was on her earlier this year.
If I had a choice between a trip behind an A3, A4 or WAVERLEY - I know the one I would chose.
Only thing is she does have weather limitations - beware travelling long distances or booking hotel accommodation for sailings specifically to travel on her unless you book flexible rates which you can cancel.
I know one or two people who have booked non cancellable hotel deals for WAVERLEY trips and the inevitable has happened.
Fortunately she does tend to come to Liverpool once a year thus I can get a couple of trips in each time she comes and was on her earlier this year.
Whisky Papa
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Ayr to Brodick in 1999 proved a memorable day out, and an unexpected finding rather than being pre-planned.
We had also seen her by chance calling at Clevedon pier a few years earlier.
We had also seen her by chance calling at Clevedon pier a few years earlier.
D6130
Established Member
Wouldn't it be wonderful if she could be scheduled to cover the annual Manchester Ship Canal trips from Liverpool to Salford and return? Unfortunately she tends to be in Scottish waters in June.
John Luxton
Established Member
Unfortunately it won't happen due to her limited manouverability some waters are restricted. She isn't allowed into the Menai Strait either.
When Waverley Steam Navigation Co owned the MV BALMORAL I believe she went up the MSC.
Mersey Ferries no longer run to Salford due to silting issues and just run round trips from Liverpool to Latchford Lock and back.
However, the SS DANIEL ADAMSON does run trips on the Manchester Ship Canal, River Weaver and River Mersey, though the trips up the canal Runcorn and beyond have been run for this year. Though there are quite afew still on the Weaver and lower canal still to run.
To find out about the SS DANIEL ADAMSON please visit https://www.thedanny.co.uk/
hermit
Member
Another place that Waverley used to visit but isn’t allowed to now is Bristol.
which isn't surprising given the tortuous channel to get there - and the cost of tugs fore and aft in case anything went wrong. It must be an absolute nightmare steering her when you can only deviate from your current line when you have plenty of forward (or sternward) motion...
and looking great...
She's surprisingly easy to push around! Two smallish ribs (115hp + 70hp) do the job nicely!
Plus I wanted to show off a few more photos of my favourite ship!
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edwin_m
Veteran Member
There's also the risk of the engine stopping dead centre at a critical moment: https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/contact-with-pier-by-paddle-steamer-waverley
O0ops! When I was on board and visiting the engine room I asked about the "controls" which looked like a small 4(?) lever signalling frame. The engineer explained that the extra lever I couldn't explain for myself was a "Simpling" valve. It just puts full boiler pressure into all 3 (normally compound) cylinders. With this I would have thought that there was no "Dead Centre..."
The issue is that it takes a few seconds to get to that value and use it... Can be too long!
I’d thoroughly recommend the Thames trips that include passage through Tower Bridge especially as it needs the bridge to be open. Even more impressive is doing those trips after dark with everything around the banks of the Thames illuminated.
telstarbox
Established Member
Yes, Canary Wharf looks good in the dark.
Yes. Try the view from the high ground in Greenwich Park (e.g. by the observatory) at dusk too. But it needs careful timing as I think the park closes when it gets dark?
go to https://waverleyexcursions.co.uk/ and register for updates:
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A new update and - inevitably - an appeal: https://waverleyexcursions.co.uk/supporting-waverley/donate-to-waverley/
Unfortunately they have discovered/decided that in addition to the (funded) scheduled work this winter they need an extra £135k for the saloon windows and masts.
Unfortunately they have discovered/decided that in addition to the (funded) scheduled work this winter they need an extra £135k for the saloon windows and masts.
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hermit
Member
I’ve never understood why a non-sailing ship needs masts at all, but there’s no doubt a good reason.
D6130
Established Member
For navigation lights at night.... amongst other things.
Just needing Tower Bridge to be opened for it on every visit to Tower Pier is good enough reason for me!
Gostav
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Every ship going to sea must have a mast capable of flying markers and flags to indicate its identity and other information. The mast also supports antennas and other equipment essential at sea.
Modern ships don't have tall masts because the superstructure takes up a large portion of their height allowing those equipment to be installed directly on the roof.
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I hesitated to say that (not being much of a sailor) I understand and have experience of a boat rolling heavily which was immediately controlled/reduced by hoisting a small mizzen sail, which acted an an air brake.
Hence lots of small fishing boats which are entirely engine-powered still having a mizzen mast and a small sail - which when stationary also has the effect of keeping them head to the wind/waves and a lot more comfortable. I think a lot of pictures of early steamships show such sails not needed for propulsion, my interpretation is that not needing a keel to stop them blowing sideways meant they would have rolled badly, so a few fore-and-aft sails were useful in that respect.
Hence lots of small fishing boats which are entirely engine-powered still having a mizzen mast and a small sail - which when stationary also has the effect of keeping them head to the wind/waves and a lot more comfortable. I think a lot of pictures of early steamships show such sails not needed for propulsion, my interpretation is that not needing a keel to stop them blowing sideways meant they would have rolled badly, so a few fore-and-aft sails were useful in that respect.
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