Blog

The 43rd anniversary of the launch of the iconic Queen Elizabeth 2 is to be marked by events at her birthplace of Clydebank.

After a dismal July it was good to see Waverley enjoy better weather and loadings in August. The last 2 days of her main Clyde season were particularly good with blue skies and crystal clear views – the following pictures were taken during the last half hour of the final day sailing to Ailsa Craig…
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Good to hear and see that the paddler has been attracting good numbers in August 2010 following the atrocious weather conditions in July. The picture below shows the big queue that was awaiting her arrival at Largs pier on Sunday 22nd August for the ‘one-off’ sailing to Ardeishaig. This would have been Waverley’s first call…
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When the Clyde from Glasgow to the Tail of the Bank was still full of ships A sail from the Bridge Wharf on Glasgow’s turbine steamer Queen Mary II Points of note On departing from Bridge Wharf (beside KGV Bridge) – brief view of dredger and William Sloan’s vessels (traded to Bristol and London at…
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  (All pictures are my own except where noted otherwise – click on them to enlarge)   Last Sunday Waverley operated her longest excursion of the 2010 summer season – all the way along the navigable River and Firth of Clyde – and all the way back again. In the 198 years that paddle steamers…
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The former steam yacht NAHLIN, which was built at the John Brown shipyard in Clydebank in 1930, has recently returned to operational service. However, her original steam turbine prime movers have been removed and she is now powered by a diesel electric installation although she retains some form of steam-raising plant as she can be…
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Waverley’s first Saturday call at Greenock of the 2010 summer season (Pictures are my own except where stated otherwise, click on picture for full screen view). Like parts of Waverley’s 2100 IHP triple expansion, reciprocating steam engine, the newly repainted Customhouse Quay clock tower was cast in the nearby Rankin & Blackmore’s Eagle Foundry in Baker Street,…
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If you have not visited the website of SGV  (Schiffartgeselschafft des Vierwaldstattersee or the Lake of Lucerne Navigation Company) for a while you might find some interest in a relatively new addition to their website – movies introducing the services and ships operated by the company. Of particular interest to paddle steamer enthusiasts will be…
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No sooner have Waverley’s Western Isles trips finished but our little paddler is on it’s way somewhere else! Somewhere else at the moment is the Bristol Channel where she will spend a couple of weeks entertaining her friends, supporters and the public in general undertaking varied sailings. Her timetable for this area can be found…
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I saw Waverley off from Glasgow on the Friday morning and then joined her at Oban for the Sunday evening run up to Fort William and the sailing to Tiree on the Monday.  Two days of glorious weather, great passenger numbers, good company and great sailing.     Its always good to see an orderly…
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Following on from the previous post – WSN Secretary and Scottish Branch Committee member Deryk Docherty has given permission for a couple of his photos of the ceremony – taken from the port side paddle box.           Thanks again to Deryk for permission to post these images.   Gavin Stewart  

  Shortly after departing from the pier at Armadale on the Isle of Skye on Saturday 29th of May 2010, heading for Oban, paddle steamer Waverley stopped in the Sound of Sleat to commemorate the part played by her predecessor HMS Waverley during Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Allied Forces from the beaches of Dunkirk,…
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  Waverley acknowledges Lord of the Glens as the two ships pass on a tranquil Loch Linnhe Surrounded by magnificent scenery   Heading for a very busy day at Oban   Only 3 of many thousand photos taken of Waverley during 2009, but certainly 3 of the best!   Hopefully these photographs will encourage a…
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With just a week to go to the start of the 2010 season, Waverley sailed downriver from Glasgow to the mouth of Loch Long on Friday 21st May. Some photos from her afternoon out are below. Hopefully the trip to and around Oban, next weekend, will get similar glorious weather, apart from the mist on…
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The following short video represents the end of yet another era – when the final cranes and the floating drydock from the River Tyne’s last shipyard, Swan’s at Wallsend, were shipped out to a new yard in India aboard the heavy lift ship Osprey. The floating drydock was shipped on the Osprey’s deck with the…
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New Chairman After two years as Chairman of the Scottish Branch, Stuart Mears decided to stand down at the recent branch AGM held on Friday 16th April in Glasgow. Having been Stuart’s Vice Chairman for the same period the “baton” was handed to me for the next two years. For those of you who don’t…
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A sure sign that summer is coming (or at least that part of the year that used to be summer) – Waverley made her first voyage of 2010 yesterday when she paddled down from Glasgow to Greenock and entered Garvel Graving Dock for her pre-season overhaul. In fact the vessel looks remarkably good going into…
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Update on Progress at the Albion Dockyard, Bristol.(Words G Stewart – Pics Dave Elms) Almost 12 months have passed since our last article on this historic project and work has been continuing apace at Albion Dry Dock, Bristol. Time to catch up then!! On Thursday 15th October this project reached a major milestone when the…
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Dear All, By the time you read this, you should have had a letter in your latest Paddle Wheels concerning, our offer of the PS Lincoln Castle currently moored in Grimsby. I will avoid muddying the waters with too much detail about the visit and my impressions, as one of the chief drivers as to…
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During the SS Sir Walter Scott rededication day on Loch Katrine last year the 110 year old steam ship was joined (temporarily) by 2 steam launches. At the following link you can see Neil Warbrick’s pictures of the splendid steam launch Dalmore (with a familiar face on board) at the event: SL Dalmore at Trossachs,…
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http://www.stephenliptonimages.com/portfolio37120p1.html http://www.flickr.com/groups/pswaverley/pool/

A few YouTubes just to get you in the mood for Waverley’s upcoming visit to the Inner Hrbrides in late May (with apologies for the almost legendary YouTube mis-match of audio and video – outwith the poster’s control!): The first part is taken from a production called ‘Highland Voyage’, which was based on the crew…
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Anyone who has driven through Port Glasgow over the years will not have failed to notice the replica of the Henry Bell’s pioneer paddle steamer COMET on display in front of the town hall. The replica vessel was built by apprentices from Port Glasgow shipbuilders Lithgows and was launched on Sat 1st Sept 1962. Unfortunately…
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We received an email from branch member Jim McIntosh which included an photo of a print he had purchased from the Waverley Gallery in Prestwick of Waverley in Ayr Harbour. This print has been created from a photograph by Stuart Redmond who has used a technique which makes the photo look like a painting. I…
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