International Steam Pages |
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Paddle Steamer Waverley, 2023 |
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Click here for my miscellaneous steam index. Click here for the 2023 gardens index. Click here for our 2018 cruise which includes quite a few pictures of the engime room. PS Waverley (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_Waverley and http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/) is the last sea going paddle steamer in the world, other such ships being restricted to rivers and lakes (http://www.paddlesteamers.info/PaddleSteamerList.htm). It spends each summer cruising round the Clyde in Scotland and mixes this with trips elsewhere in England and Wales. Traditionally it has come to the Bristol Channel in the autumn but in 2023 that was changed to June, excellent for this trip with long daylight hours. We had booked on this excursion in 2019, but it was cancelled when Waverley was deemed to need a new boiler and by the time the money was raised and it was fitted then the pandemic had struck. There was no Bristol Channel visit in 2021/2022 and we booked this excursion as soon as it was announced. No one would describe them as cheap but it was high on our list of 'must do' events, once again it sold out very quickly. Click on a picture for a larger version and click on that to return to this page. We were up at 05.00 so we could get to Clevedon in good time to find a parking space for a planned 09.45 departure. The rise and fall of the tide (an average of 12 metres) means that Waverley could not be left 'parked' at the pier overnight and our first sight of it in action was when it came across from right to left. It then looped back so that it was facing into the tidal flow and (as it happened) into a headwind of some 10 mph. The slow final approach was ideal for photography but, although the water here is officially 'sea', it tends to be very muddy and brown in colour. This is the starboard paddle, the two oil fired boilers are under the chimneys and the huge 2,100 HP triple expansion engine is just behind the paddles. My picture shows the crankshaft area of the main engine, I previously posted a full set of pictures taken on our 2018 cruise. I do not know what 'water category' today's excursion came under but it seems that passenger capacity will have been either 800 or 925 and it was as well that it was a beautiful summer's day because the various saloons and lounges did not have indoor seats for all of them. Boarding was completed and we set off very nearly on time (left below). The tide was running in our favour, we made stops in Penarth and Ilfracombe and the right hand picture shows us approaching Lundy. It's a granite island, approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) long and just over half a mile (1 kilometre) wide, giving it an area of 1100 acres (450 hectares). There are cliffs in most parts and the highest point is 469 feet (143 metres) above sea level. See Wikipedia and the Landmark Trust for more information. Ships berth in the south east corner of the island which is sheltered by 'Rat Island', From the landing point, there is a rough road up to what is now known as 'The Village' which has a number of holiday properties, a shop and the island's pub, the Marisco Tavern. We had rather less than 2 hours for exploration and with the average age of passengers probably over 60, disembarking was painfully slow. As we climbed up we could see one of the island's two active lighthouses (the other is at the north end), they replaced the original one which was said to be frequently hidden by mist. The second picture shows the east coast cliffs again. Much of the flora and fauna is introduced but these flowers were the only sizeable colourful ones we saw. More details are on the Landmark Trust website. We didn't visit the castle but we did have a quick look in the church (St. Helen's). It's a typical late Victorian creation, in the same style as our local Grade 1 churches at Huntley and Highnam although nothing like so decorated. The North Devon coast is in the background in the second picture. The most ornate object is the font. Further up and on the west coast is the original lighthouse. We had just enough time to climb its spiral staircase to get a view to the north end of the island but the windows were too dirty for effective photography. By now it needed a brisk walk back to Waverley where boarding was less than efficient resulting in a somewhat late departure. These folded exposed granite rocks are an indication of the forces that created the island. It was still warm enough to be comfortable on deck for the journey back to Ilfracombe where more time was lost. Afterwards we spent some time watching the engines and observing the coast with its steep cliffs which are subject to erosion. After the sun set, it was clear that the outgoing tide was running quickly and Waverley soon lost more and more time, so that instead of arriving at Penarth at 22.30 as scheduled it was actually well after midnight. We had anticipated it being cool on the return journey and had brought jackets, bobble hats and gloves. Others in shorts and sandals who couldn't find space 'inside' can't have been very comfortable. The water level at Clevedon was such that there was very little for Waverley to operate in and it took a long time to get into the pier. Our eventual arrival back home was at 03.00, with the admirable help of hindsight, it seems that a better set of tides could have been chosen for the cruise. It was a wonderful experience and I am sure we had really struck very lucky with the weather. As such, I fear that we would stand a good chance of being disappointed were we to go again... |
Rob and Yuehong Dickinson
Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk