Paddle Steamer Waverley, 50 years of Preservation

Thursday 12th March.  Our final meeting of the session was presented by Iain Quinn from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.

22nd May 1975 heralded the gifting to the nation from Caledonian Steam Packet Company/Caledonian MacBrayne of P.S. Waverley.  Notable individuals involved in the preservation of this 1947-built ship, the last ocean-going paddle steamer in the world, included businessman Terry Sylvester, the late John Whittle of the Scottish Transport Group and the late Sir William Gray, former Lord Provost of Glasgow.  Paddle Steamer Preservation Society members are committed supporters of P.S. Waverley.

PS Waverley cruising on the Clyde

Amongst the numerous excellent illustrations by railway photographer John Goss, the Waverley was seen with some of the other now historic Clyde steamships, including the Queen Mary 2 at Dunoon, while Rothesay in 1975 saw the Waverley with the 1957-built Glen Sannox.

P.S. Waverley earns her keep cruising ”doon the watter” round the Clyde coast, other Scottish waters and south into England such as the North West, Mersey, Bristol Channel, South Coast and the Isle of Wight.  South Wales ports have also featured as starting points for cruises.  Waverley’s first visit to London was in 1978, the vessel then continuing this tradition each October prior to returning to the Clyde for the final voyage(s) ahead of her winter refit. An image of P.S. Waverley steaming through Tower Bridge makes one very proud to belong to Scotland.

Maintenance costs are not inconsiderable; the boilers were replaced in 2019 costing £2.3m, which was raised in six months.  Currently, part of the aft mast and 18 wooden-framed dining room windows above the paddle boards are being renewed using traditional materials and techniques, which are labour intensive while at the same time assisting in retaining the old craft skills.

The continued existence of P.S. Waverley is dependent on the vessel experiencing a successful six-month cruising season with a poor year’s sailing putting her existence at risk, amply emphasised on seeing images of the catastrophic fire next to Glasgow Central station the previous weekend to our meeting.

This was a very informative and educational presentation by an accomplished speaker and committed enthusiast.  A comprehensive question and answer session concluded the afternoon.