Introduction
This afternoon I am reporting on the venerable paddle steamer, ‘PS Waverley’ which is based at Glasgow.
Construction
The world’s last sea-going paddle steamer was built on the River Clyde by A & J Inglis. She was launched in October, 1946, by wife of the London North Eastern Railway Chairman which had commissioned the vessel.
Length was 240 feet and passenger certificate permitted maximum of 1,350. Facilities included a dining saloon, lounge, tearoom and shop on the main deck with bar and tearoom on lower deck.
During the fitting out phase the vessel was towed to Greenock, a few miles down river to have engines installed. At Greenock, Rankin & Blackmore fitted the double-ended boiler and the triple-expansion steam engine. She was also fitted with 18 ft diameter rimless paddle wheels. At first the vessel was coal fired but converted to oil in 1957.
The video clip below illustrates the three massive pistons and cranks in action.
Service
Waverley’s maiden voyage was on June 16th 1947. First trip was the popular Three Lochs Tour which included Loch Goil, Loch Long and Loch Lomond. The core route for the vessel was from Craigendoran (Helensburgh) to the Clyde Coast resorts. This was before overseas travel became accessible with most local people choosing to holiday at home, particularly along the Clyde.
In 1947 the railway companies were nationalised under the British Transport Commission. Thus the Waverley became State owned at this time. In 1951 the vessel was transferred to the (Sate owned) Caledonian Steam Packet Co Ltd. Following this change the vessel was increasingly used on the ferry routes from Gourock and Wemyss Bay.The cruising programme was widened in summer.
The Waverley’s heyday was in the late 1950s but thereafter maintenance dropped and the vessel presented a run-down appearance.
Ownership changed again in 1969 when CSP became a subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group, By 1972 the Waverley became the sole surviving paddle steamer. In 1973 ownership changed again, into Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd.
Retirement and renewal
The vessel was subject to increasing unreliability during 1973 with retirement moving on to the agenda. On August 8th 1974 the Waverley was sold for just one pound to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society. The new owner being a charity (not-for-profit) company.
Following fundraising and repair work the vessel was able to move again, On May 15th 1975. regular sailings and charter work followed.
A new boiler was installed in March 1981 and a rebuild undertaken over the winters of 1999-2000 and 2002-2003. A complete boiler refit was undertaken in 2020 with funding from a wide range of sources.
Revenue enhancement
The eighteen weeks of work cruising the Clyde generates inadequate revenue to maintain the vessel for an entire year. Consequently, from 1977 on-wards, the vessel has undertaken cruises around the coasts and rivers of the entire British Isles.
Homewaters cruising
The main season from late June until late August is spent cruising home waters on the Firth of Clyde. This blog post records a recent trip undertaken by the writer which proved an excellent experience. Another, eleven hour, day trip is scheduled for next month.The next trip will include resorts such as Largs, Rothesay, Tighnabruaich and Tarbert which should prove good fun!
Acknowledgement: The core information above was sourced from ‘Waverley’ published by Waverley Excursions Ltd.
More information
For more information on the Clyde Coast, Glasgow and much more please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland. ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. Also available from Kindle.