Balmoral Appeal Website Launched

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Balmoral Appeal Website Launched

A new website has been launched for the Balmoral appeal at www.mvbalmoral.org.uk. The website has been created to help publicise the recently launched public appeal.

The appeal target is for £350 000 so that Balmoral can operate in 2014. Balmoral is currently berthed in Bristol city docks and is being maintained by a dedicated band of volunteers. Recent work has involved making the life-jacket locker above the pursers office water tight. Other basic maintenance is being carried out with her engines being turned over regularly.

If Balmoral is to sail again in 2014 she will need to undergo a major survey and refit to ensure that she is issued a full passenger certificate. If the ship is not successful in renewing her passenger certificate next year than it is highly likely that she will never be able to carry passengers again.

Plans for the 2014 season are being developed by a dedicated team and the outline for her 2014 season is more substantial than her more recent seasons. It is planned that the ship will start in early May on the Bristol Channel before taking part in various events such as "Three Queens in Southampton", the Isle of Wight yacht race and the Tall Ships at Falmouth. It is also planned that Balmoral would visit the Thames, Medway, East Coast, Liverpool, North Wales and Solent with a substantial part of her season on the Bristol Channel. Indeed her provisional programme for 2014 is very exciting and would herald a return to what made her "Britain's most widely travelled excursion ship".

The appeal is being managed through a new company, MV Balmoral Ltd, since currently the PSPS can not raise funds directly for a motor vessel. This new company has Nick James (Chairman WSN), Noel Kemp (Chairman Bristol Channel Branch PSPS) and Ian Clark (previous Waverley & Balmoral Master) as the first 3 directors.

It is strongly believed that Balmoral does have a future if she can be operated in a viable way and in so doing she can help ensure that landing facilities, which Waverley also uses, are maintained. I personally believe that without Balmoral in service and able to carry passengers Waverley is more vulnerable. I would therefore encourage all supporters of both Balmoral AND Waverley to donate what they can to ultimately secure an operational future for both vessels.

Balmoral approaches the North Pier Oban in September 2012

Paul Semple

1 comment:

Carlsbad Professional Organizer said...: Thanks for taking the time to share this.; 28 October 2022 at 05:36

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The Society

The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) is Britain's longest established, largest and most successful steamship preservation group.
A registered charity founded in 1959, we have over 3000 members and through our associated charitable companies we operate the only two working paddle steamers in Great Britain.
Without the PSPS there would no longer be the opportunity to sail on a Paddle Steamer in Great Britain.

Our aims
i) to preserve paddle steamers in sailing condition
ii) to educate the public in the historic significance of paddle steamers in the Nation's maritime and industrial heritage
iii) to acquire, preserve and exhibit a collection of equipment and material associated with paddle steamers.

Our Ships

Flagship of our fleet is Waverley the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1947 Waverley was gifted to the Society for just £1. As well as operating on her native Clyde each summer she visits other coastal areas around the UK during the spring and autumn each year.

Kingswear Castle is Britain's only operational coal-fired paddle steamer. Built in 1924 to sail on the River Dart she was purchased by the Society in 1967. From 1985 until 2012 she sailed the Thames and Medway. In 2013 Kingswear Castle returned to the Dart where she now operates public sailings during the summer season.

The society is composed of five branches: Scottish, London & Home Counties, Bristol Channel, Wessex & Dart and North England - all of which help raise money to keep our paddle steamers sailing.

The Scottish Branch

The Scottish Branch was formed in 1969 by Douglas McGowan, now our Honorary Branch President. In November 1973 Douglas was invited to attend a meeting with CalMac which resulted in Paddle Steamer Waverley being gifted to the PSPS for £1! It was then on 8th August 1974 that the PSPS took ownership of the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world and her second career in preservation had begun. Since 1974 the Scottish Branch has been directly linked to supporting Waverley.

The Scottish Branch is proud of its achievements. We are an active and forward thinking branch with a thriving membership of over 800 - we are proud to be the branch which secured an operational future for Waverley. Our members are regularly involved with voluntary work which helps ensure Waverley continues to sail. During the summer sailing season we help raise funds through the Society's Grand Draw and our annual fundraising cruise on Waverley. The Branch meets in Glasgow each month during the non-sailing season (October - April) and we extend an invitation to join the Society and indeed join the Scottish Branch.

Wednesday 10 July 2013