John Lees - An Obituary

It was with great sadness that I learned this week that John Lees, Waverley’s’ Donkeyman of many years, passed away last week. John’s part in the story of the Waverley’s preservation era could fill a Dinosaur Down Below type book all by itself and I was lucky enough to work on the engine room when he was there.

He was a very big part of my early days on the ship. It would be fair to say that for me, gaining his approval on the ship, along with that of Ken Blacklock, as a “junior apprentice stoker’s mate 3^rd class”, was always the absolute pinnacle of achievement.

Whilst his public face on the ship was that of a gruff, no nonsense individual who did not suffer fools or nutters gladly, any one who knew him at all well very quickly came to realise that this was a fairly thin veneer indeed.

In writing this, if I were to try and come up with one word to some up John, it would be “kind”. Of course, I’m sure he would be horrified at such a dent in his image, but he always looked after us well, and if you put in the hours and the effort in the engine room then you got the nod of approval…quietly.

His knowledge of the workings of Waverley’s machinery was far greater than he would ever let on, but on many occasions, when it was all going wrong I’ve seen the engineer of the watch turn wide eyed with barely concealed panic to John and he would point them to some valve, or pipe or pump that would make everything ok. He was also perfectly adept at driving the three-legger, but only if he absolutely had too!  

Despite the sadness since hearing of his passing, I have found myself smiling a lot in the last couple of days as I’ve been remembering John and surely that is a measure of the man.

Some random memories:

On my first ever summer holiday spell of working in the engine room as I didn’t have any suitable gear with me on the first day such a boiler suit or safety boots, I went along only as a passenger. Word had obviously got around the ship as to my impending change of career. Most of my contemporaries seemed a bit in awe that I was going to give it a go in the engine room. However when I wandered up the port alleyway, John Lees and Kenny Angell wasted no time in hurling encouragement/intimidation/abuse in my direction. John exclaimed that must surely be off my head and Kenny just roared with laughter at my discomfort to the extent that he had to hang on to the golden levers to stop himself falling over.

John took great delight at blowing a good lungful of thick cigar smoke through the fan engine, in order to add a certain…something….to the air supply into the boiler room, to the outrage of the poor fireman down below.

He had an ability to stand at the step onto the engine room platform and chat to someone beside him in the alleyway but seemingly never take his eyes off “The Job”, talking to you, over his shoulder, so to speak.  

John would grab a quick breath of fresh air at the sponson door outside the souvenir shop, cigar firmly in position where, just by coincidence you understand, he could spend a wee bit of time chatting to his wife Sandra who was in the shop. If John was our mentor, Sandra was frequently our agony aunt. I only recently learned of her passing and I will miss her too.  They were a formidable team. 

I remember him single handedly carrying a full size bottle of oxygen from the gas axe set from the main deck, up to the paddle box steps, at speed,  to assist in the treatment of a passenger took gravely ill as we made our way up the Kyles of Bute one Saturday.

I rose to the dizzy heights of second engineer at one point for a week , and on my first day, the chief, Andy Steele handed over the watch to me and set off down the alleyway. From behind me came a deadpan voice, “Can ah get you a coffee then……..chief?” I turned to find John making his usual offer to the officer of the watch (me!) and Wee Davie beside him was scarcely able to contain his mirth that I was sailing as second!  It did seem completely surreal having sailed with these two characters so often, with me being “the boy”.

“Aye, thanks John, that’d be great.” I replied hoping that I had given the right response.

“Right then.” was all he said as he headed off for the mess room. But as he passed me on the control platform I got a wink. What relief! I was accepted, on some level at least. All this was okay somehow! Mind you I also got the feeling that with that wink he was also saying “Okay, but any airs and graces and you’re for it!”

I won’t say anything like “Finished With Engines” as he never let on that he had much time for all of that. Though “Finished with Engineers” would probably have got a laugh out of him!

John, you will be sadly missed; The Waveley has been and always will be a much poorer place without you.

"Smile John!! - Ah am smilin........."

Stuart Mears

Down to See the Engines

I reckon this Waverley video dates from circa 1990. It has been split into 5 parts for loading up to YouTube. Links to all five parts are given below although you can also navigate between them if you go onto the YouTube site. Its amazing to think that 2 decades  have passed since this film was made so there are a number of well known faces (then) including Captain Jimmy Addison, engineers George Beveridge, Jimmy Graham . Also brief shots of former donkeyman John Lees, 'Wee Davie' Muir, deckie the late Donald (Angus) McKinnon, 'new' purser Jim McFadzean and Ken Henderson, in apprenticeship days, who subsequently became Chief Engineer. Most of the film is set in the engineroom (as the title would suggest, or perhaps it wouldn't if you know the 'lore' behind that expression) but there is some nice, if brief, on deck shots at the start. For some of us 1990 seems relatively recent in the Waverley story - until we realise its now 20 years ago. So its a bit of a nostalgia trip for us oldies but, even if you've only come to know Waverley in relatively recent times, I hope that you will find something of interest in this fine film and historical record. Sadly, I don't know who made the film but all credit is due to them. So, 'Cedarcam', many thanks for these wonderful memories

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lho3CsT5aY&feature=related

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Hjt6w0RPQ&feature=related

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhBdUuOPlvQ&feature=related

Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4agBZ2hN2Bc&feature=related

and Part 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq7sEceM6Ec&feature=related


Additionally, and especially for the Branch Chairman, in Part 4 there is a close up of the port-side steam-engine driven Howden FD fan. which resided on the platform at main deck level at the forward end of the engineroom. Originally, the ship was fitted with a double-ended Scotch Boiler, built by the enginebuilder, Rankin & Blackmore, at their Eagle Foundry in Baker Street, Greenock. The boiler had six furnaces (3 at each end) originally each being fitted with firebars in a grate for coal firing. The boiler draught (air flow) containing the oxygen for oxidation (burning) of the carbon and hydrogen in the coal was maintained by creating a relatively steady pressure differential between the boileroom and the flue exit at the top of the funnesl both of which were for creation of boiler draught in those days (the separation of Waverley's funnels are typical of that required for the ubiquitous Scotch boiler). As a safety measure, to reduce the chance of blow-back of combustion products from the furnaces, the area around the boiler firing positions was maintained at a pressure higher than the ambient air pressure. Effectively there was a sealed chamber around the lower half and the twin steam engined forced draught (FD) fans blew air from the engineroom into boilerroom through two openings in the bulkhead that separates the two compartments. To prevent dipping the pressure in the boilerroom stokehold twin-door air locks were needed for access and egress of the boilerroom. The systems was well known as 'Forced Draught on a Closed Stokehold'. One of the pioneers of this innovative improvement in the firing performance of boilers was the Glasgow engineer James Howden who was working in the industry from the 1850s onwards. Originally building marine engines and boilers to supply the large and rapidly expanding Clyde shipbuilding industry, Howden was a very original-thinking innovative engineer, proposing several improvements that fate has subsequently credited to others. The Howden company established a large manufacturing works in Scotland Street, Glasgow, adjacent to the site subsequently occupied by Charles Rennie Mackintosh's renowned Scotland Street School (now the Glasgow Museum of Education.

Former Howden Design Offices and Manufacturing Works

8-18 Scotland Street, Glasgow.

This part of the works still exists but it has been under threat of demolition for redevelopment recently,  The Scottish Industrial Heritage Trust has an alternative plan to save the premises and develop it as a working Museum dedicated to industrial heritage

While maintaining a general engineering facility Howden's specialised in air (and gas) moving  equipment (fans, blowers and compressors) and associated airheaters, which play a crucial role in optimising the efficiency of steam-based utility systems. In this work Howden's formed a strong and long lasting association with the innovative Swedish engineer Ljungstrom. Over the years Howden's have absorbed many of their competitors, one notable example being the famous Sirrocco Works of Belfast-based fanmaker Samuel Davidson & Co where Howden fans are now built. On closurre of the Scotland Street works Howden moved their base to Old Renfrew Road in Refrew, close to the Braehead shopping complex. It was in these Renfrew Works that Howden built the large tunnelling machines for the  Channel Tunnel project.

The starboard side Howden fan was removed from Waverley when the Scotch Boiler was removed from the vessel in March 1981. The new Babcock Steambloc boiler that replaced it had twin furnaces fitted with oil burners, supplied by combustion specialists Saake, that had their own integral FD fans. However the port-side Howden fan was retained to assist in maintaining adequate ventilation of the boilerroom, The fan was removed during the second reboilering in 2000.




A Howden development for the Scotch boiler but, unlike the one that used to be on Waverley, it has an air jacket to improve the overall efficiency of the unit and a superheater / desuperheater for control of final steam temperature. The unit  is also a single ended Scotch boiler like those on SS Shieldhall

 

Stuart Cameron

Au Revoir 'Jimmy Tickets'

Jim the Purser, on the paddlebox of his beloved Waverley, at the Isle of Tiree

(picture by Helen Strachan)

Waverley's final sailing of the 2010 season on Sunday 17th October brought the retiral of one of her longest serving crew members, Chief Purser Jim MacFadzean, after 23 summer seasons 'Just Behind the Funnels' of the World's Last Sea-going Paddle Steamer. Undoubtedly, he is the longest serving purser of Waverley's 63 years and few, if any, pursers can have been associated so closely with the operation of one vessel for such a prolonged period in the entire 198 year history of the Clyde Steamers.

Although he had often been on the paddler as a passenger prior to joining the crew, when he was appointed Purser in May 1988 it was his first professional association of any kind with the sea and ships, a fact that is hard to believe nearly quarter of a century later. Coming from an Ayrshire farming family, Jim had been closely associated with that vocation in his native Ayrshire, in other parts of the UK and in North America. It was in the latter period that he caught the bug for his round-the-world wanderings which he has often pursued during his 'winter leave' from Waverley. While the ship has been in hibernation back on a cold and frosty Clydesside, Jim has has undertaken safaris in Africa, visits to the Orient and even some seaborne adventures on definitely larger, arguably more luxurious (well for Jim anyway!), rarely more famous and never more historic vessels than the World's Last Seagoing Paddle Steamer!

I well remember his first weekend as Purser, out of Oban in the spring of 1988 and it was something of a baptism of fire. After a 'single 'in service training day by the late Mr David Duncanson, then General Manag'er of Waverley Excursions, it was over to Jim - since then he has really made the job his own. His prediction on that first day that it would be a 'fill in' job for a couple of seasons before returning to farm management proved to be somewhat inaccurate. As the 'public face' of Waverley he is unrivalled. Thousands upon thousands of people know the purser of Waverley and not just from Clydeside or the ships other operational areas around the UK - he has been recognised as such during his winter wanderings in distant shores as far flung as Cape Town, South Africa and Hong Kong.

During the 2010 season Jim has received kindly given gifts, thanks and good wishes from people and Branches of the PSPS around the UK - a mark the genuine affection which so many people around the country (and even further afield) have for him due to his tremendous contribution to the preservation of Waverley and due to his genuine care for his passengers and fellow crew members, his friendship and good humour.

During Waverley's penultimate sailing of 2010 Jim was joined by several of his former assistant pursers from the last 23 years for an unique 'Pursors Collection' picture on the paddle box steps.

Jim and his Assistant Pursers
(Back Row l to r: Simon Morgan, Paul Semple, Jim, David Edwards and Tony Gamblin
Front Row: Campbell Watt, Gary Stevenson and Scott Adams)
(Photo by Dr Joe McKendrick)

On the ship's last call of the year at Blairmore, at a short ceremony on the pier, Captain Alistair McLundie, Chairman of the Friends of Blairmore Pier Trust, presented Jim with an honorary membership of the Trust and a wonderful retirement cake. A short video of the  ceremony can be seen at

http://ardentinny.org/2010/10/16/blairmore-pier-presentation-to-retiring-waverley-purser/

Captain McLundie of the Blairmore Pier Trust making the presentation to Jim

(Photo by Dr Joe McKendrick)

The Certificate and Cake presented to Jim by the Blairmore Pier Trust
(Photo by Dr Joe McKendrick)

During the last sailing of Waverley's 2010 Season, signal flags spelling out Jim's initials 'J M C F' were flown from the paddlers foremast in his honour.

Signal flags J M C F for Jim's last day as purser

(Photo by Dr Joe McKendrick)

While the vessel was sailing Round Bute, at a special ceremony Jim was thanked on behalf passengers, crew, PSPS and Waverley Excursions. Speaking from the perspective of a passenger, PSPS member and Scottish Branch committee member Paul Semple described Jim as the best 'people person' he knew, a comment that drew applause from the audience, a quality that was obviously a mainstay of Jim's long successful 'Pursership'. Paul presented Jim with a large cheque being the aggregate sum of donations contributed by regular passengers of the Waverley. In his alternative role as a crew member, Paul thanked Jim for the wise counsel and advice that was freely available to fellow crew members of all deparments and ranks. PSPS Scottish Branch Chairman Gavin Stewart presented Jim with an engraved decanter (and some 'stuff' to put in it) as a mark of the thanks of his 'home' branch and Waverley Excursions Ltd Chairman Graeme Hogg thanked Jim for all his efforts on behalf of the Company. (subsequently WEL hosted a retirement dinner for Jim , attended by many of his colleagues, past and present, in the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Sobcross Quay, Glasgow on 18th October). Finally Jim cut a tremendous, large retirement cake - thanks to Catering Manager Craig Peacock and the catering department for that)

Jim's Retirement Cake

(Picture by Andy Gilmour)

On the return sailing Jim sported an unique version of Waverley's world famous wooly hats. The special hat, produced personally by Waverley's Chief Hat-knitter Jenny Longhurst, bore the appropriate legend 'Dun Pursering'. As Waverley returned to her home base at the old No 81 berth at Plantation Quay, Glasgow and her giant paddlewheels beat their last beats of 2010, Jim 'signed off' with his final announcement over the 'Tannoy', thanking everyone for their gifts, kind comments and good wishes and for making his final day so memorable.

Au Revoir Mr Purser. Thanks for giving us so many wonderful days out around the beautiful British coastline. Please don't be a stranger in future; come back to see us often but, most of all, have a very long, healthy and happy retirement.

'Jimmy Tickets' looking back on a long and illustrious career

 on the World's Last Seagoing Paddle Steamer

(Picture by Tom Dunlop)

Stuart Cameron
on behalf of Scottish Branch Committee

Chairman's Blog No 11 - New Chairman, New Season, Same Challenge!

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 dont know me my name is Gavin Stewart, I live in Greenock though originally hail from West Kilbride on the Ayrshire coast.

I became involved with Waverley / PSPS in 2004 when myself and my partner Shelagh began attending Work Parties on the ship during the winter. I was asked to join the branch committee in 2005 and took over the role of Exhibitions Manager in 2006 - the same year as Shelagh came onto committee. 2008 saw me join the Council of Management of the Society and become Vice Chairman of the branch. My background is in Electrical Engineering and I currently work at Howden Process Compressors in Renfrew - originally James Howden & Co who are a long established Scottish engineering company.

So there you have it - a potted history of your new Chairman! Can I take this opportunity to thank Stuart for all his efforts during the last two years and thank him for agreeing to stay on as a member of the branch commitee. I also have the pleasure of welcoming Paul Semple on board. Paul is well known in Waverley circles and will be a great asset to the branch. Stuart Cameron also rejoins us after an absence of a year as does Michael Hughan who will continue to keep us abreast of happenings with Scotland's other paddler Maid of the Loch.

So who is the Vice Chairman I hear you ask?? Well none other than "Uncle" Peter Reid - one of the original group who set the whole thing going back in 1974. No pressure there then!!

Anyway - back to the present day and our ship!

New Season


You will have seen from the previous post that our paddler is now safely docked down in Garvel Drydock, Greenock for her annual overhaul. She is expected to emerge on Monday 10th May when she will head out to the Tail O the Bank for compass adjustment before proceeding back up river to her Glasgow Science Centre berth where work will continue to ready her for the forthcoming season which starts at 7am on Friday 28th May with the annual trip to Oban for the weekend.


This season will present the same set of challenges as before - fuel continues to be a major issue and the recent steady increase in cost at the pumps equates to a similar increase for Waverley even though she doesn't (thankfully!!) run on pump fuel!! Couple this with the unpredictable climate (at least she won't be affected by volcanic ash issues) and you can see why operating the World's Only Seagoing Paddle Steamer is no walk in the park.


We can all play a part in facing this challenge - by sailing on our ships and also encouraging others to come along and share the pleasures of a relaxing day out on the river watching the world paddle past. Leave your cares ashore and collect them on your return.............


So on that note I'll sign off - below are some more excellent shots of Waverley's trip to Greenock on Wednesday taken by Gerry Deegan.


Heres to season 2010 - see you aboard!!


Gavin Stewart

No Cruise for the Crews! - Chairman's Blog No 9

I was fortunate enough to be anchored off Lamlash the other night in David Edward’s fine yacht, Enigma. As is often the case, over the course of consuming a modest amount of Scotland’s finest exports, namely Malt Whisky, Oatcakes and cheese, the conversation turned to all things Waverley. One comment that struck a chord concerned some of the changes we have seen over the course of our thirty year involvement (as of June 16th this year, jings!). In those early days, those who crewed our ships for us, certainly at a senior level had either direct experience of the “driving” of other Clyde Steamers, direct experience of operating and maintaining similar steam machinery, or had the benefit of such knowledge being passed directly to them by those who had. Over the years it is inevitable that the thread of such experience has been stretched to the point of being almost invisible.

And yet…….and yet we have people on our ships who have come into our world of Paddle Steamer Preservation from markedly different back grounds, but still operate and maintain our ships with an incredibly high degree of skill and professionalism.

Make no mistake about it, their’s is not an easy task. Our ships are uniquely demanding “characters”, and the very organisation that sustains their operation is not blessed with multi-national muscle and resources.

I can certainly vouch for the uniquely demanding characters of our vessels. I have known hugely experienced masters with incredible passion for Waverley refer to Waverley as…..well lets just say it was implied that she was advanced in years and more than capable of having puppies! This was usually when she decided to be a bit….stubborn, such going astern to Port despite the rudder being hard-a-starboard. Or her ability to suddenly appear to be made of lighter than air materials when the lightest of unexpected breezes would carry her sideways at a frightening rate of knots, mid cant at Glasgow.
In Waverley’s engine room I have had cause in years past to refer to Waverley either in whole or directed at specific bit, in the most indelicate terms. Threatening, begging, pleading with or generally swearing at the air pump, feed pump, paddle wheel, steering engine to do what they should, is a pastime I can still recall in great detail.

As for the Balmoral I could probably write a book on my experiences of her engine room in the “Sirron era” in 1988, which I remember with huge affection but were undoubtedly “a hard shift”.

Speaking of a hard shift, only yesterday, I had my normal working day from 0830 to 1630, went home, had a bath and bite to eat, walked down to Largs pier and caught a taxi to Fairlie. There I joined Waverley who’s crew had been up probably earlier than me, and when I left them at Greenock at 2130, still had at least two hours work ahead of them to get the ship to Glasgow and put her to bed for the night. Thought: repeat daily till mid-October or thereabouts. Daunting, isn’t it?

You might be forgiven when on Waverley, on hearing the amount of salty sea stories that abound when a few of us get together, for thinking that life on Waverley or Balmoral was just one continuous succession of amusing and exciting happenings. Well, I can tell you nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that much of what happens, week in week out is just pure, hard slog. Same routine: different day. It’s interesting enough and yes, rewarding but certainly not what you could often really call fun, and incredibly hard work.

Perhaps it’s the fact that, on the surface, our ships seem to be operated with such ease and general lack of….fuss, is the biggest testament of all to the skill and professionalism all of those who strive and labour and in doing so allow us to indulge our hobby.

We owe them all a huge debt of gratitude.

(Photo of Waverley's 2008 Crew taken August '08 at Tighnabruaich by A Black)

Stuart Mears

New Tubes Arrive for Waverley's Boilers

A quick update on the ongoing works to Waverley's two boilers which are undergoing a complete re-tube due to small areas of corrosion found at either end of each tube whilst carrying out the boilers' ten year inspection.

The following photos - taken by Waverley Steam Navigation's Dr Joe McKendrick - show the arrival and offloading of the new tubes at Waverley's winter berth alongside Glasgow Science Centre. The new tubes are three different diameters - the smallest being for the "1st Pass" tubes and the largest for the "3rd Pass" tubes. The reason for this is to maximise the heat transfer from the flue gasses to the water inside the boiler. There are approx 120 tubes per boiler.

Thanks again to Joe for allowing these to be posted.

Gavin Stewart

Waverley Work Parties - Highs & Lows

Following on from Stuart's Chairman's Blog I thought it time bring everyone up to date.

Waverley's band of enthusiastic volunteers have been working hard on everything from boiler cleaning, electric motor testing, painting and varnishing to deck caulking.

What is deck caulking some may ask? Read on.........

One of Waverley's many traditional features are her wooden decks. Made from Iroko which is sourced from West Africa, the grooves between each timber plank is filled using a cotton and pitch combination known as caulking. Without caulking the deck would not be sealed against the weather. The following photos show the basic procedures but should not be taken as the definitive lesson!!

For caulking you require:

Cotton Fibre (sometimes Cotton / Oakum) Caulking Iron Molten Pitch

As can be seen below the first stage (once the groove has been cleared of any residual pitch or dust etc) is the insertion of the cotton fibre into the groove between deck planks.

Next, the fibre is packed into the groove using the caulking iron and a suitable hammer or mallet.

With the fibre securely located in the groove you are now ready for the molten pitch.

The pitch is normally poured in using a receptacle with a long narrow spout and a large handle (to stop the heat burning your hands). In this case Waverley's deck crew have fashioned an appropriate item from an old teapot!

Finally, slowly pour the liquid into the groove covering the fibre - taking care not to overfill as this will cause it to spill onto the deck planking. This process is known as "paying". A shield was being used here as there was a bit of a wind blowing. The end result should be even application along the lenght of the deck.

So moving inside to the Lower Bar. This space is undergoing a minor refurbishment this year which is being funded by the Scottish Branch. Works include repainting with a brighter shade of paint, cleaning and "bronzing" of the portholes, refurbishment of the bronze deadlights and upgrading the AV equipment already donated by the branch in 2007.

The newly painted hull plating and "bronzed" portholes - volunteer and branch committee member Shelagh Holt is undertaking this work - Shelagh (pictured below) is no stranger to painting on the ship having painted the Upper and Lower Engine room single handed in 2005!




Volunteer Margaret Skee refurbishes one of the starboard side porthole deadlights.

The wooden frame which sits in front of the AV screen is re-stained (not with tomato juice!) to match the other wooden fittings in the bar by volunteer "Jim the Joiner"


One of the problems with the location of the LCD screen in this space has been that the volume level had to be uncomfortably high for the people sitting in front of it to allow it to be heard on the other side of the bar. To overcome this a sound system has been donated by Waverley's fireman Ian "Corky" McCorkindale. Four small speakers will be installed, one in each corner of the bar, which will allow the sound from the screen to heard without inappropriate volume levels. The wiring for these speakers will be installed in the void spaces behine the seating on either side of the bar. Trunking has been installed in these spaces - the above photo shows Yours Truly inside the void space installing this equipment. I can tell you there is not a lot of space in there!!


Improvements are also underway behind the bar - namely the installation of additional lighting to illuminate the stock more effectively. These are 12Vdc halogen fittings which are fitted to a type of parallel wire system - one wire is the +12V and the other the 0V supplies to the lamps. The wires are strung between the wooden partition at the port side end of the bar to a bracket mounted on the deckhead on the starboard side. The wires are then tensioned the fittings positioned where they are required along the lenght of the wires and then clamped to the wires via small pinch screws. This means that any lamp can be repositioned if required very easily. The photo above shows Branch Chairman Stuart Mears posing proudly beside his makeshift wire tensioning device used during installation of the wire system.

So there you have it - work continuing apace - all helping Waverley Steam Navigation Company ready the World's Last Sea-going Paddle Steamer for the 2009 season.

Finally, in case you were wondering what the Highs & Lows part of the title of this article was referring to? Well the caulking was carried out on the Aft Boat Deck - the highest passenger deck on the ship and the refurbishment works are being carried out in the Lower Bar which is the lowest passenger space on the ship!!

Erm... perhaps I should sign off now.

Cheers

Gavin Stewart

The Class of 2008

Well folks, thats Waverley's Clyde Summer Season at an end already. Its been a mixed bag of a season - especially weather wise - but amidst the numerous challenges our ship and her crew have remained positive and worked hard.

The ship is now heading to the South Coast of England for her annual sailings on the South Coast, Solent & Thames.

The shot above was taken at Tighnabruaich on Sat 30th August by long time volunteer and branch member Alistair Black. Alistair has a special place for Waverley as his grandfather worked for Waverley's engine maker Rankin & Blackmore as a brass finisher and worked on the very engine you can still see in operation today!!

Finally a special mention must go to Capt Andy O'Brian (centre of photo), Senior Master of the company who has rose to the challenge that is the 2008 season.

Thanks guys!!

Gavin Stewart