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The 'paddle steamer ''Waverley''' is the last survivor of the fleets of Clyde steamers, and the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world. Named after Sir Walter Scott's first novel, this elegant steamer sails a full season of cruises every year from Glasgow and other towns on the Firth of Clyde, the Thames, the South Coast of England and the Bristol Channel, giving the opportunity to view some of Britain's scenery to the quiet rhythm of paddle wheels and steam engines. The distinctive sight of the two ''red, white and black funnels'' and traditional brown grained ( or "scumbled") superstructure with black paddle wheel boxes, decorated with gold lettering on each side adds to the scenery and is appreciated by photographers both on and off the ship.
Passengers going below decks to the passageway on each side of the engine room (between bars and restaurant) can linger to watch the mesmerising movement of the triple-expansion, three-crank diagonal steam engine (made by Rankin & Blackmore, Engineers, Eagle Foundry, Greenock, Scotland). Every trip is a reminder of the time when holidaymakers swarmed onto steamers to go ''doon the watter'', sailing from Glasgow down the Firth of Clyde to the seaside holiday resorts and quiet West Highland piers.
The ''Waverley'' was built in 1946 as a replacement for an earlier PS ''Waverley'' of 1899 that took part in the WW II war effort as a minesweeper and was sunk in 1940 while helping with the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk. The new 693-tonne steamer was launched in October 1946 at builders A & J Inglis, Glasgow, and entered service in June 1947. She was built for the London & North Eastern Railway Company to sail on their Firth of Clyde steamer route from Craigendoran Pier, near Helensburgh, up Loch Long to Arrochar, and in her first year in service, she wore that company's red, white and black funnel colours. In 1948 nationalisation of Britain's railway companies brought the steamers under the control of the Caledonian Steam Packet Company (CSP), a subsidiary of the Railway Executive, and the funnels were repainted yellow with a black top. In 1965 a Scottish red lion rampant was fixed to each side of both funnels, and her hull was painted monastral blue until 1970.
After a revival of pre-war fortunes in the 1950s, the 1960s saw a gradual change in holiday habits leading 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, and in 1973 the company became Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd.
The ''Waverley'' was withdrawn after the 1973 season as too costly to operate and in need of significant expenditure. By then the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) had been set up as a registered UK charity, and had acquired the near-derelict small River Dart paddler PS ''Kingswear Castle''. Caledonian MacBrayne, keen to ensure that the ship was preserved, sold the ''Waverley'' to the PSPS for the token sum of one pound (GBP). 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 massive fund-raising operation was successful. Much to the surprise of the PSPS they found themselves running a cruise ship operation: ''Waverley Excursions''.
Since then the ''Waverley'' has been joined in the PSPS fleet by 'PS Kingswear Castle' and 'MV Balmoral', and has had a series of extensive refits and a lot of restoration work, including a new boiler and improvements to meet modern safety standards. She has circumnavigated Britain and every year carries out extensive sailings around the country, which is quite something for a ship intended for a regular Firth of Clyde run.
Between 2000 and 2003 the ship underwent a substantial rebuild, funded principally by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This major exercise took place in two stages at the shipyard of George Prior at Great Yarmouth and has succeeded in returning the ship to her original 1947 condition. In many ways the rebuild has incorporated the best of modern cost effective technology into a magnificently restored heritage steamship whilst extending the operational life of the ship for many years to come.

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External links

References

★ McCrorie, Ian (1986). ''Clyde Pleasure Steamers''. Greenock: Orr, Pollock & Co. ISBN 1-869850-00-9.

External links

★ Waverley Excursions

★ Paddle Steamer Preservation Society

★ Waverley supporters website

★ Paddle Steamer Waverley's Engines

★ Waverley Photographs taken in Glasgow

★ Paddle Steamer Waverley Virtual Tour