ps Waverley - 40 years in Preservation

[Clydebuilt1971]

On Friday 8th August Waverley will undertake a special charter cruise from Greenock calling at Largs, Ardrossan (first day cruise from this port since 1985) and Lochranza-Isle of Arran.

This in celebration of 40 years since Caledonian MacBrayne accepted £1 from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society  for the paddler. Since that day its been a rocky ride at times but those involved back in 1974 and since should be justifyably proud of their achievements. Most gave the new operation one summer season at best and here she is still paddling not only her home waters but round the UK every year!!

I have a ticket for this cruise and am very much looking forward to being on board that day - I just hope the weather behaves as its a bit unsettled here in the West of Scotland at the moment!!

The pic below was taken in Greenock's James Watt Dock (where Waverley had been laid up since the end of the 1973 season) and shows the £1 being handed over by PSPS Scottish Branch Chairman Douglas McGowan. The rest as they say is history!!

This picture and accompanying article can be found at http://www.paddlesteamers.org/scottish/waverley-charters-2014/

Gav

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks for posting this information Gavin about the Waverley's celebration of 40 years since being sold to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.  Lets hope the sun shines on 8 August.  Good photo detailing a very important part of the ship's history. 

I love sailing on the Waverley, like my Dad, who was also a big fan of the paddle steamer.  When I was a little girl I remember going to see the engines with my Dad and him lifting me up to see the paddles through the little window.  Even now I often see Dad's lifting their children up to see this and explaining about the paddles.

I can remember that my Dad and sister were onboard the Waverley in the 1970's (not sure what year) on a sailing to commemorate her being in commission again when the ship broke down but my Dad loved the paddle steamer so much that he did not mind and often told the story. 

Well done to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society for preserving the ship for us all to enjoy and best wishes for future success. 

[June Ingram]

Hi Gavin -

Thank you very much for your message about Waverley.  It is a remarkable story of how good things can happen to boats and ships.

And I would like to add my congratulations and good wishes to Lynda's to The Society.

June   

[Clydebuilt1971]

When I was a little girl I remember going to see the engines with my Dad and him lifting me up to see the paddles through the little window.  Even now I often see Dad's lifting their children up to see this and explaining about the paddles.

Well Linda heres a couple of shots of the wheels just for you....

First one was taken when she was in Garvel DD in 2008 - this is the port side wheel being refitted after remetalling and machining of the shaft and centre piece (the grey coloured item - called the bobbin). The flange you see on the end of the shaft bolts directly onto the engine crank.
Second one was taken in 2010 from the DryDock floor and shows the same wheel in position.

One of Waverley's wheels weighs approx 11 tons (c/w floats and feathering gear attached)

The cruise that your Dad often spoke of sounds like the first one under the WSN flag in 1975 and if so it was a wheel issue (broken float I think) that caused the breakdown as a mix of inexperience and also the fact that pre re-build Waverley was a heavier girl shall we say so she sat lower in the water hence more stress on the wheels which in the 70s were needing attention anyway!!

Gav

[Lynda Bradford]

Brilliant photos of the Waverley wheels Gavin.  These are views of the ship not seen unless you have been involved in the maintenance. 

....and thanks for the year that my dad would have been onboard.  1975 sounds about right. 

[Lynda Bradford]

I have just seen this video clip on BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0274jz3

[Clydebuilt1971]

I have just seen this video clip on BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0274jz3

Thats "back in the day" right enough!!

As you can see she was a bit of portly lady in those days - the HLF rebuild took some weight out of her (after deck shelter is now aluminium as are the funnels) which meant she sat higher in the water taking the stress off her wheels.

[June Ingram]

Thanks, Lynda, for posting the video clip of Waverley.  What would be the weight difference with the aluminum part of the rebuild ?  June 

[Rob Lightbody]

That's a great wee video Lynda, which I hadn't seen, thanks!

Gav - when she was portly - does that mean the wee portholes in the bar at the stern were underwater the whole time?  They're at water level now when the ship is in port...  ?   I remember you saying at your talk that she was a bit heavier than intended when new.

[Clydebuilt1971]

Hi Rob and sorry I didnt see this question until now!

Rather than permanently submerged I think they were just closer to the waterline than nowadays. When she is in port nowadays she will list slightly due to the weight transfer when passengers make for the gangways to disembark so the portholes will go under at that point. When she is underway they are usually just covered with the wash from the wheels.
The main weight was in the funnels and fiddly casings (I seem to recall someone telling me that each funnel weighed 6 tons) - these were replaced with aluminium ones which were also reprofiled to match her originals (the heavyweights were fitted in the 60s) and were finally parallel also! The pics attached (taken by Project Director Gordon Reid in 2000) show her after funnel removed and lying on the quayside and one of her new funnels under construction. They are not rivetted although they are designed to look that way - the fasteners are called Huck Bolts. Both her funnels are basically carriers for the various uptakes. Both her boilers exhaust via the fwd funnel as do the boiler safety valves - and her generators via the after funnel.

As I said in the talk (that was 4 years ago now!) the ship as launched but without deckhouses or machinery etc was already too heavy so the yard managed to take some weight out of her but until the HLF rebuild she always sat lower in the water and as a result put more strain on her wheels as slightly more of them were submerged than was ideal!!

Gav

[Clydebuilt1971]

Thanks, Lynda, for posting the video clip of Waverley.  What would be the weight difference with the aluminum part of the rebuild ?  June 

Hi June - I consulted a learned colleague on this and he told me the weight savings were in the region of 15 tonnes although some of that would be lost with the addition of the double bottom fore and aft of the machinery spaces.

Doesn't sound a lot but her deadweight is only around 170t so it would make a difference!!

Gav

[June Ingram]

Hi Gav -

Thanks very much for your information and pictures.  Very impressive !  How many individual uptakes were in each funnel ?  Very nice to have the new aluminum funnels look riveted.  Yes, definitely, 15 tonnes is a huge difference.  Do you happen to know the weight of the added double bottom ?  Is there now any difference noted in how she handles after her rebuild ? 

June   

[Clydebuilt1971]

Hi Gav -

 How many individual uptakes were in each funnel ?  Very nice to have the new aluminum funnels look riveted.  Yes, definitely, 15 tonnes is a huge difference.  Do you happen to know the weight of the added double bottom ?  Is there now any difference noted in how she handles after her rebuild ? 

June   

Hi June - from memory she has two boiler exhaust gas uptakes and two boiler steam safety valve uptakes in the fwd funnel and two generator exhaust uptakes in the after funnel. The bunkering station is also in the lower part of the aft fiddly casing facing towards the aft deck shelter.
I'm not sure exactly what weight would have been added by the double bottom but it would have been a good 2-3 tonnes maybe more.

As far as handling is concerned I'm not too sure as my time involved was post rebuild but I would imagine she would be quicker off the mark and also perhaps a bit smarter when slowing down! Steering is a different matter!

The pic attached was taken while testing the boiler safety valves before entering service in 2008. Quite a sight (and noise!)

I'm wondering if this kind of stuff needs a topic of its own - up to the mods of course!!

Gav

[June Ingram]

Hi Gav -

Thank you very much for your post and all of the information.  Without looking at schematics, knowing the information gives one a better visual image of the ship's "insides".  The picture is awesome and I can imagine the sight and sound !

Thanks again !

June

[Clydebuilt1971]

Would anyone like to see a topic on the more technical side of Waverley?

If so I could start one if the mods are agreeable also?

Thoughts please!!

 

Gav

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Would anyone like to see a topic on the more technical side of Waverley?

If so I could start one if the mods are agreeable also?

You would be very welcome, Gav! Just go ahead .

Looking forward to learning more about this unique ship.

[June Ingram]

Would anyone like to see a topic on the more technical side of Waverley?

If so I could start one if the mods are agreeable also?

Thoughts please!!

 

Gav

Yes, Gav, most definitely !

I, for one, would be very much interested in hearing much more technical information about Waverley.

June   

[Bruce Nicholls]

Would anyone like to see a topic on the more technical side of Waverley?

If so I could start one if the mods are agreeable also?

Thoughts please!!

 

Gav

Yes please

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

BBC's Radio 4 programme Saturday Live on 6 June had a wonderful interview about Waverley :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xch57#auto

40 years ago listener Douglas McGowan bought the Waverley paddle steamer for £1. He tells us about the impact that has had on the rest of his life.

I need to check the link above to see where exactly the interview is placed -- but maybe some other helpful member will get there before I manage to find it again!

[Roy Warrender]

Hi Just Listening To The PS Waveley Report  34 Mins into the Program