Waverley sailings cancelled

[djcf]

I think I read somewhere that there is an arcane bylaw on the Thames that paddle steamers have to have portholes and not windows on the sponsons. I believe the windows were plated up prior to her first visit to the Thames in 1978.

Of course this could be a classic paddle myth!!!

Im sure the Jeanie Deans as Queen of the South sailed the thames briefly in 66 & 67 with a mixture of ports & windows on her sponsons, as she finished her clyde career.
However I have read an article about the ports wav inherited in the 70s, they came from another ship....cant remember      will see if I can find the magazine, its an old issue of "paddle wheels" im sure.
There is every chance a strange bylaw exists on the Thames,  maybe after the "Princess Alice" disaster in the 1870s perhaps.

[sandystrone]

DJCF
I've been abroad on holiday and didn't know about WAVERLEY until now, what steps did you take Fitz - big ones!
I remember when my cousin was the captain on her and he had an incident off Arrochar in CSP days.
A gust of wind caught her and put her against a shingle bank off the pier with such force that it snapped the fore mast and she sailed for the rest of the season with just a stump.

She is a tempermental lady!

[djcf]

DJCF
I've been abroad on holiday and didn't know about WAVERLEY until now, what steps did you take Fitz - big ones!
I remember when my cousin was the captain on her and he had an incident off Arrochar in CSP days.
A gust of wind caught her and put her against a shingle bank off the pier with such force that it snapped the fore mast and she sailed for the rest of the season with just a stump.

She is a tempermental lady!

Hi Sandy
I did find myself edging backwards slightly once it became apparent there would be a heavy contact      however I got a good look at her last Saturday when she was berthed and they did a good job of the repairs at the Garvel. At least she was back earning quickly!!
As you say she has had her fair share of mishaps over the years....after the Arrochar incident I have been told they gave her a new foremast from the Duchess of Hamilton.
It was 1970 or 71?  It gave her an unflattering profile with that stumpy mast   

[AlistairD]

I thought the portholes were to protect the modesty of those using the urinal in the gents

[monarch]

Paddle steamers should be banned...they are a menace!!   

I know with ours, we had a drunken thought to put air bags on the sponsons...it made us laugh for a good 10 minutes, before going to the bar and getting more beer!

Seriously though, well done to the Waverley staff; really quick turnaround and good job done!  Paddlers are a pain, and people are very unforgiving when these things happen.

Matt

[Channel]

Her 'new' berth at Dunoon is AWFUL compared to the pier of old. 

[Channel]

I thought the portholes were to protect the modesty of those using the urinal in the gents

Makes perfect sense!

[djcf]

Her 'new' berth at Dunoon is AWFUL compared to the pier of old. 

Waverley berthed twice at the old wooden pier at Dunoon today, rather than the end of the breakwater.

[Channel]

Her 'new' berth at Dunoon is AWFUL compared to the pier of old. 

Waverley berthed twice at the old wooden pier at Dunoon today, rather than the end of the breakwater.

A step in the right direction!

[djcf]

Her 'new' berth at Dunoon is AWFUL compared to the pier of old. 

Waverley berthed twice at the old wooden pier at Dunoon today, rather than the end of the breakwater.

A step in the right direction!

Hi all
Took camera to work today and pretended to be a tourist      seeing as the Waverley seems to be berthing at the old pier at Dunoon more often these days   

[marinemole]

Nice shots, the wake is very effective. Doesn't look too windy which is probably an illusion as really blustery over in Balloch today.

[djcf]

It was quite breezy for a while from SSW, it had dropped slightly as she was leaving, but still enough to blow her bow off, to clear the breakwater.

[Talisman]

Hi All,
I was down at Dunoon at the weekend attending to an on going chore, one of the reasons why building has ceased on my Talisman, for the moment. 

Anyway...I had to visit the Petrol Station.As i entered i noticed the Waverly coming around the corner at Kirn, on approach to Dunoon Pier- great i thought a welcome excuse for a skive

To my disbelief she was incredibly far inshore. ( I would estimate at 4 boat lengths as she rounded Kirn)

I understand the want of the captain to provide an enjoyable experience to all on board.
However, when travelling so far inshore in bad weather then the risk to an irreplaceable ship, taking account of recent History, and those on board i dont believe he needed to be so far inshore. Afterall Kirn pier does'nt exist and there is many documented groundings at Kirn.

Should he really be travelling so far inshore in shallow water on a falling tide with a strong onshore wind not to mention the floatsum that has recently been deposited via the various streams around the area??
Did this route really add that much value to the customer experience?

Should anything have gone wrong i.e. broken float etc then at best she would have at best  grounded at worst it would have been the end of the Waverly.

I worry the Captain is not taking his responsibility for Safety and Care of an important piece of history not to mention those on boards wellbeing as he should be, or am i being to cautious?

Don't start me on the meal he made of getting her into the Pier at Dunoon

Wind F5 Gustting F6 Directly onshore
Tide Falling
Distance from shore at closest point I'd estimate at 4 boat lengths
Boat healing heavily to starboard with wind directly on port beam - possibly suffering weather helm / restricted steerage to port (offshore side)



.
  with her S'board sponson heavily weighted with passangers

[Talisman]

Trying to add a pic but having problems with uploading and editing text

To give an idea of the effects of the weather the ferry boat i travelled home on mad a 1/4 mile deviation to his route to allow for the weather .

Rant over...

[Eddy Matthews]

If your having problems with the image Kim, send it me me via email and I'll attach it for you....

eddy.matthews@paddleducks.co.uk

Eddy