Waverley & Balmoral in Glasgow

Waverley at her normal berth, which used to be known as No 83 Plantation Quay when this part of the River Clyde was still a working port, and Balmoral berthed at a berth that used to form the east side of the entrance channel to the former Princes Dock

Following a spell in the James Watt Dock at Greenock for completion of her winter refit work MV Balmoral made her way up to Glasgow a couple of days ago to join Waverley adjacent to Glasgow Science Centre. Recently Waverley was canted to berth bow downriver in preparation for her first sailing of the 2012 season, next Friday 1st June, when she wil sail from Glasgow to Oban. It is the first time that Waverley and Balmoral have been in Glasgow together for over 20 years (Balmoral was based at Glasgow during her first few years with WEL). Both vessels were basking in the wall-to-wall sunshine and temperatures up to 29oC over the past week. Let's hope they experience a lot of this type of weather in the next four and a half months, it could be critical in determining the longer term viability of the ships.

Balmoral's berth is in a channel that once formed the entrance to the busy Princes Dock (and as a result was not an actual berth when the Princes Dock was in operation. There used to be a Clyde Navigation Trust harbour control tower at the end of this quay. This couls be quite a busy area. Apart from the traffic up and down the river and into / out of the two docks the Princess dock canting basin was used for access to the large No 3 Govan Graving Dock. In the days before GPS, radar, AIS , mobile phones (or any phones) or radio the CNT port controllers in several control towers along the river and using semaphore and 'loud-hailers' performed a crucial role in preventing collisions in Glasgow's very busy docklands. At its peak inthe days prior to WWI the Clyde Trust regularly recorded in excess of 16,000 ship movements per annum on the River Clyde between Greenock Customhouse Quay and Glasgow Customhouse Quay. I think the Princes Dock control tower was there until circa 1986-87 (suddenly these old dock structures, that became very familiar over the years, disappeared and you couldn't actually remember when it had happened).

Nowadays the Queens Dock has disappeared without trace - it was infilled using rubble from many of the Glasgow tenement dwellings that had been damaged in the great hurricane of 14th January 1968, together with some of the city's lost architectural gems including the huge Glasgow & South Western Railway hotel at its St Enoch terminus station. Queen's Dock took almost 10 years to excavate and construct in the 1870s and probably about half that time to fill in just over a century later. The site now hosts the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (opened 1986, the Crowne Plaza Hotel (1989), the Clyde Auditorium (or Armadillo as it is known, colloquially) and, from next year, the huge 12,000 seat Scottish Hydro Arena which is now under construction on the area occupied by the the east end of the north basin of Queens Dock. 

Princes Dock was excavated in the late 1890s, construction being accelerated by using sunken concrete cylinders rather than vertical wooden and steel piles. The Plantation Quay wall at which Waverley berths is a replacement. The original wall was (still is) some 10+ feet further south (towards) the dock. When the original wall partly collapsed a new quay wall was built further out in the river and the spacwe between it anf the original wall was filled in - you can still see the ends ofthe numerous steel tie rods that anchor the new wall back into the original ground behind the first wall. Prior to the excavation of the Princes Dock, Plantation Quay continued right down to the entrance of the No 2 Govan Drydock. The berth just outside the No 2 dock was No 85 Plantation Quay, a name that it retained after the construction of the Princes Dock even though it was effectively cut-off from the remainder by the excavation of the channel jn which Balmoral is berthed,


The name Pacific Quay which is now used to describe this area is a modern 'invention of the post-industrial regeneration developers, bearing no significance to the former days as part of the working port.


Yorkhill Basin  (West Basin) on the map below, was infilled in 2007 and the resulting extra ground space forms car park space for a new museum built on the grounds of A & J Inglis' Pointhouse shipyard where Waverley was built.

Photo taken by Roy Tait

S Cameron

Balmoral on Trials

Since leaving dry dock Balmoral has been berthed in the James Watt Dock where work had continued. She has now been fitted with an additional generator which will be situated at the stern above the galley for this season. It is planned over next winter this generator will replace one of her Lister generators which are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The new generator is significantly quieter and less fuel-hungry than the Listers.

Balmoral left James Watt Dock mid-morning on Wednesday 23rd May and then proceeded down Firth until off Dunoon on trails before heading back upriver. She arrived in Glasgow just after 1pm for what is her first visit to the city for a few years, she will remain at the Science Centre until she enters service on the 14th June.

The following pictures were taken on Wednesday and kindly provided by Joe McKendrick.

Balmoral passes tall ship Stavros Niarchos at Greenock Custom House Quay on her way upriver.

The new livery can be seen to good effect as she heads upriver.
(Note the grey box on the stern housing the generator.)

P Semple

Waverley on Trials

On Thursday morning Waverley left Greenock Custom House Quay to undertake sea trials which involved some work on the boilers to ensure the burners are operating correctly but also to make compass adjustments. She left Custom House Quay at 10am and sailed down Firth to Toward and then made her way back up river to Glasgow where she arrived about 3pm. Joe McKendrick took the following 3 stunning pictures as she headed back up river. In just 4 weeks time she will be leaving the Clyde for her annual visit to the Western Isles.

A Perfect Paddler

Many thanks to Joe for providing the pictures.


P Semple

Waverley and Balmoral leaving drydock - Monday 30th April 2012

The following sequence of photographs shows Waverley and Balmoral leaving drydock.

Waverley was undocked, with the help of Clyde Marines two tugs Biter and Beaver Bay, 

and moved to Greenock Custom House Quay - the last short section under her own power.

 Balmoral and Waverley afloat and waiting for the dock gates to be opened

 Easing out of the drydock, assisted by tug Biter on the stern.  Beaver Bay waits to attach a bow rope

 A stiff breeze made extra work for the tugs

Canted and heading for Custom House Quay

After Waverley had been safely undocked and moved to Custom House Quay, 

some crew from Waverley and tug Beaver Bay returned to attend to Balmoral.

 Balmoral assisted out of the dock by Beaver Bay

 Balmoral now under her own power, heads for James Watt dock

 A close up of Balmoral's new paint scheme on her stern

Safely into the James Watt Dock and heading to tie up alongside

Dry Dock Pictures 2

As the dry dock work nears completion Joe McKendrick has supplied a few more pictures. As can be seen below Waverley's bow is now repaired and only requires painting. The standard of paint on both ships is excellent and thanks are due to Joe for supplying the photos taken today (Saturday 28th April).

With both ships now looking ready to sail thoughts turn to the full season ahead and in particular the various events which both ships will take part in this year. Tickets are now on sale for both PSPS Scottish Branch charters with the evening cruise from Greenock, Helensburgh and Blairmore on Thursday 28 June and then of course the full day charter on Sunday 8 July in celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the CRSC. All Scottish Branch members would have received full details for both sailings along with the spring issue of Paddle Wheels. As with previous seasons the regular support of PSPS members is vital and the best support we can give the ships is to sail on them as often as possible and bring as many family and friends along, espcially as in a season where Waverley celebrates 200 years of Steam Navigation.

P Semple

Dry Dock Pictures

As work contiunes to ensure that both Waverley and Balmoral are ready for another season pictures have kindly been provided by David Howie, Waverley's Chief Officer, and David Shirres one of the engineering volunteers on Waverley over the winter. David Shirres also produced the "Inside Waverley" CD ROM a few years ago which has been on sale in the shop, he is planning to update the CD ROM this year.

From the crane - Picture David Howie

Picture David Shirres

As can be seen in this picture Balmoral is having her livery altered slightly this season as the black is being raised by about 1 foot, this is more like the traditional P. & A. Campbell livery. The colour of the name at the stern has also been changed.

The newly painted name on the stern, this picture taken by David Howie also shows the increase in the black.

Picture by David Shirres

Bow painting complete - picture by David Howie

Under the stern - picture by David Howie

This picture was taken by David Shirres before both ships were fully repainted under the waterline.

Picture by David Shirres

Waverley's bow required some repair work after a tug on the Thames made contact with it last September. The picture below shows this repair under way.

Picture by David Shirres

Waverley also required a new spring beam on the starboard side. The picture below taken by David Howie shows this work under way.

P Semple

Balmoral & Waverley entering Garvel

Keith Robertson has been a regular volunteer over the past two winters and was given permission to film the dry docking of both ships when they entered Garvel last week.

He has very kindly supplied a short 1 minute video of the actual docking, although the video shows the full docking at a much increased speed. It is well worth a look.

P Semple

Waverley & Balmoral both in Garvel

Waverley and Balmoral are now both in Garvel Graving Dock, Greenock. Balmoral is in the dock ahead of Waverley and pictures showing both ships entering the dock are to be found on the Waverley Excursions Facebook page.
Both vessels entered the dock on Wednesday 18th April and this is the first time both have been dry docked together.

P Semple

Scottish Branch AGM

The AGM for the Scottish Branch of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society will take place on Friday 20 April at Renfield St Stephen's Church Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow at 7.30 p.m. to transact the following business:-

1. To receive apologies for absence

2. To approve the Minutes of the forty-first Annual General Meeting

3. To receive the Chairman’s Report

4. To receive the Secretary’s Report

5. To receive the Treasurer’s Remarks

6. To elect a Branch Committee composed of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Exhibition & Publicity Officer, Assistant Secretary and seven Ordinary Members

7. To receive a report on the paddle steamer WAVERLEY from Waverley Steam Navigation Company Limited, and on the motor vessel BALMORAL

8. To receive a report on the paddle steamer MAID OF THE LOCH

9. Any other competent business

At the conclusion of business, John Beveridge will present the ‘missing footage’which a technology malfunction prevented him from showing during his talk to the Branch on 17 February.

Members should receive their copy of the Spring 2012 issue of Paddle Wheels along with a copy of the 2012 National Timetable for Waverley and Balmoral before the AGM. The minutes of the forty-first AGM will also be included with the mail out.

Scottish Branch Committee

Waverley Stars in German TV Documentary

While Waverley was in the Western Isles last season a German TV crew accompanied her to produce a programme. The TV documentary was shown in Germany on Friday 6th April and is now on ARTE.TV's equivalent of the iPlayer for the next week.

Unfortunately the commentary is only in German or French but the filming quality is excellent. It lasts for 43 minutes and includes interviews with Capt Andy O'Brian and Chief Engineer Ken Henderson.

The link for the video is http://videos.arte.tv/de/videos/legendaere_raddampfer_5_5_-6570572.html

It is well worth a look and has some excellent shots of Waverley at speed. The programme on Waverley was one of five filmed on "Legendary Paddle Steamers". The other 4 programmes are of equal quality and one features the recently restored Lake Lucerne paddle steamer Unterwalden.   

The link for the programme on Unterwalden is http://videos.arte.tv/de/videos/legendaere_raddampfer_1_5_-6560308.html

Paul Semple