Chairman's Blog No 14 - Winter is Upon Us! (in more ways than one)

On behalf of the Scottish Branch Commitee may I wish you all a Happy New Year! Lets hope that season 2011 is a good one.

Well winter is once again upon us - what do you mean I hear you cry - its been here for weeks!! The deep freeze set in earlier than last year with temperatures in Glasgow and the West of Scotland plummeting to below -10degC. The photos below show our paddler shivering at her snowy Glasgow Science Centre berth.

Another winter is also upon us - volunteer winter work parties commence on both Waverley and Balmoral on Saturday 15th January. This year - as with every year since the ships entered preserved operation - voluntary input vital to their ongoing operation. Remember formal skills are not required - just enthusiasm!

If you are interested in attending work parties on Waverley then just turn up at the ship from 10am onwards on the 15th and ask for the person in charge.  The only restriction is that you must be over 18 years of age.You will be required to give the ship's engineer contact details for H&S purposes and if you have safety shoes and a boiler suit that you dont mind using then please bring them along. You'll be pleased to hear that the ship is heated throughout the winter but additional layers of clothing may be an idea in case you are given an outdoor job.

Car parking is via the Glasgow Science Centre car park - tokens are available from the ship's engineer to allow you exit the car park. Waverley is located adjacent to the Science Centre tower (her berth is sometimes also referred to as Pacific Quay)

There are no catering facilities available on board during the winter but the microwave in the crew mess is available as is on tap hot water, tea & coffee. The only toilets operational are the crew toilets but not to worry you will be shown the ropes on arrival!!

The main thing is to enjoy yourself - theres a good bunch of up to twenty people attend over the winter so you'll be made very welcome -  that coupled with the fact that you can take satisfaction from the knowledge that you contributed to the ship's operation in 2011 make volunteer work parties a must.

Go to the Waverley Excursions Website for a blog entry about work parties.

Balmoral work parties take place in Bristol - see http://www.pswaverley.org/ for further details.

I'll sign off for now - leaving you with the forementioned snowy pictures!!

Gavin Stewart

Scottish Branch Chairman

Photo Copyright Joe McKendrick

Photo Copyright Joe McKendrick

Photo Copyright Joe McKendrick

Chairman's Blog No 10 - ps Lincoln Castle.

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 what happens next will be the surveyors report, based on fact, rather than my relatively uneducated impressions based on a cursory visual inpsections.

It is however vitally important that we know "the will of the people" so please please please take the time to respond to the questionaire in the letter. If we are to move forward on this it must be in the knowledge that this is a move broadly supported by the membership. Equally if we let her go for scrap (this is the alternative intended, albeit with great reluctance by the owner if we do not proceed) it must be in the knowledge that this is because this is what the society as a whole believed appropriate.

The idea behind this blog is simply to let you have a good look round the ship, inside and out.

These three pictures give a general view of the ship as she is berthed in Grimsby, by the very well signposted Fishing Heritage Centre.

The first place we visited was the car deck and the equivalent on Waverley of the Promenade Deck. The original wood decking has been overlaid with steel chequer plate. Of note along the starboard side is the added bar structure which, it would not be too unkind to say probably began life as a large garden shed at B & Q! What these photos fail to convey is the vast expanse of deck space. With the sponsons extending well aft, there really is a huge amount of space.

As the rain was getting heavier we retreated indoors for a look around the engine room. Considering that the vessel was operating as a pub /resturant, a suprising amount of loving care had been lavished on the non revenue earning part of the ship - and with a flick of a switch, the owner had the engines turning for us!

Next a look at the lower deck passenger spaces. First off, the "Grand staircase" leads down from the port and starboard alleyways to the lower bar aft. Almost exected to see Kate Winslet make a grand arrival, Titanic style! The lower bar has a significantly greater amount of headroom than Waverley, about 7 ft anyway. The next pic is in the lower bar forward area, the equivalent of the entire crew accomodation space on Waverley.

What I haven't shown here are photos I took of where the boiler used to be which is now a rather modern looking galley and each of the bunkers which are now bar and catering stores.

Above, some view from the main deck forward bar. The first view is looking aft, down the starboard side. Again it's hard to convey the size if this space which is filled somewhat by having the bar bang in the middle! The next photo is looking aft from further back on the starboard side and I guess the stairs leading down to the lower forward bar as described above are roughly in the same position as the crew accomodation stairs on Waverley.

I also took a fair few photos of things like the bilges for the purposes of a technical record but they are, to be honest, a bit boring for inclusion here! In any event, matters such as the material condition ohe shell plating are best left to be determined by the surveyor. There are cement repairs in the bilges as a means of addressing "pinholing". They vary from about 1/2 thick screeding, up to about 2-3" thick rather than the image most of us might have of a cement Box Repair of wooden shuttering surrounding about a foot deep block of cement. However I must repeat these visual observations are largely worthless and will be much better informed by the surveyor's report.

Stuart Mears

Largs Pier - Waverley needs your support and action!

TThanks to John Huggins for the use of his photograph taken in early June

As many will know, Largs pier has been undergoing demolition of the old pier and construction of a new pier over the winter. Plans were that the new pier would be ready by 1st week in July with a contingency plan built in that "arrangements" would be made to allow Waverley to berth and transfer passengers, should there be any delay in finishing the pier.

After her very successful start to what was always going to be a very difficult season, with a magnificent weekend in the Western Isles followed by good loadings during her period on the Bristol Channel, Waverley is today on her way home to the Clyde for the start of her 2009 Clyde season and the disastrous news that the completion of Largs pier has been delayed until end of July and that CMAL have announced, in conjunction with their project partners, that they cannot accommodate Waverley at Largs Pier until the end of July.

The extent to which Largs pier is critical to Waverley's season is immense and this news is a major blow. Largs pier offers a major catchment area of residents and holidaymakers who provide good numbers for Waverley. Largs pier is the most convenient intermediate calling point for potential passengers travelling long distances who cannot connect with the first departure on a particular day but can catch up at Largs - this often includes passengers travelling from south of the border. As well as a later start point, it provides an earlier finish point for the long distance traveller as well. Largs has good rail and bus connections which many use to connect with Waverley. Waverley Excursions also offer coach connections to Largs from Glasgow City Centre on "non- Glasgow departure" days and its not unusual to see 3 coach loads of passengers being unloaded as Waverley hoves into sight around the south end of Cumbrae. A lot of time, effort and money have been invested in planning and advertising Largs sailings and this cannot be recovered and potential passengers will be disappointed if they turn up to find no sailings.

Largs Pier is just so important!

While the safety of passengers and public must remain a priority at all times and, as outside observers, we are not in a position to make any comment on the technical problems associated with the pier reconstruction, as potential passengers and Waverley supporters we can appeal for all involved to proactively seek a way to provide a solution which will allow Waverley to call at Largs and transfer passengers in this most critical season of her 2009 operation.

Please see further details and ACT TODAY - You CAN make a difference!

It is interesting to compare the rather negative image that CMAL chose to illustrate their Press Release on the subject with the photograph above taken in early June. The above photo shows the pier head relatively complete, still needing the final top surface and fitting out but with a small coaster alongside (which I think had delivered the hard core filling for the pier head area). Obviously still much work to be done on the leg leading towards the shore but that was two weeks ago.

Please help by doing your bit and use the link to try and influence the parties involved, particularly Scottish Goverment ministers and local council members who have vested interests even bigger than Waverley's, and who are the people most likely to be able to influence the parties involved to develop a viable alternative solution to the problem.

Waverley's planned first call at Largs is Sunday 28th June - this now seems extremely unlikely at this late date. However, every single day that can be recovered from the month of July is going to be a critical bonus and may just be the one day that makes or breaks the season.

YOUR SHIP NEEDS YOU NOW!