PS Waverley on her first sailing of the 2024 season

The Scotsman

PS Waverley first day sailing of 2024 season  GLASGOW. River Clyde.  PS Waverley makes her way down the river Clyde on her first sailing of 2024. She set sail from her berth near the Science Centre with 700 excited passengers on a lovely sunny day.  STEP ABOARD WAVERLEY THE WORLD'S LAST SEAGOING PADDLE STEAMER WELCOME TO WAVERLEY WAVERLEY – NATIONAL FLAGSHIP OF THE YEAR 2024 We are delighted that National Historic Ships UK has given Waverley the prestigious title of National Flagship of the Year in recognition of her ambitious cruising programme around the UK.  Waverley will be operating an exciting programme of cruises in several areas of the UK from Friday 17th May to Sunday 20th October – see the outline regional dates below.  Tickets for all Waverley cruises can be purchased in advance online or by calling the Booking Office on 0141 243 2224.  2024 DATES BY SAILING AREA The 2024 sailing season outline is as follows:  Glasgow & Clyde Coast – Friday 17th May – Sunday 19th May – BOOK NOW Oban & Inner Hebrides – Monday 20th May – Monday 27th May – BOOK NOW Warrenpoint – Tuesday 28th May & Wednesday 29th May – BOOK NOW Bristol Channel – Friday 31st May – Sunday 23rd June – BOOK NOW North Wales & The Mersey – Monday 24th June – Wednesday 26th June – BOOK NOW Glasgow & Clyde Coast – Friday 28th June to Sunday 25th August – BOOK NOW South West – Thursday 29th August – Monday 2nd September – BOOK NOW South Coast & Isle of Wight – Monday 2nd September – Wednesday 25th September – BOOK NOW London & Thames Estuary – Friday 27th September – Sunday 13th October – BOOK NOW Final Sailings of the 2024 season – October 19th & 20th (Glasgow & Clyde Coast) – BOOK NOW DONATE TO WAVERLEY – Help us keep our truly unique steamship paddling! As a charity our primary aim is to maintain and operate Waverley for public benefit by offering a wide range of cruises on a living and working steam heritage attraction of national and international significance.  Maintaining a seagoing paddle steamer in full operation relies on donations, as well as fares, catering and shop sales income. We are exceptionally grateful to everyone who supports our efforts to keep Waverley sailing – without you a vital piece of our proud maritime, engineering and social heritage would have been lost forever.  We welcome one off donations or regular monthly donations from “Friends of Waverley“. Visit the Supporting Waverley section on our website for full details on how you can play a part and help keep Waverley sailing.  You can also support Waverley by purchasing items from Waverley’s Amazon Wish List.  WAVERLEY’S ONLINE SHOP The shop that never closes – pick up an exclusive Waverley souvenir or purchase a gift. Visit our Online Shop for all things Waverley.

Transcript

00:00I'm Paul Semple, General Manager for Paddle Steamer Waverley and today is the first day

00:29of the 2024 sailing season.

00:32Waverley has been given the status of the National Flagship of the Year by National

00:37Historic Ships.

00:38So, Pasha's about to board the National Flagship for the first sailing of the 2024 season and

00:43the first of several months of sailings in Scotland and also Waverley will make her way

00:47down south, the south coast, the Thames, the Bristol Channel, north and south Wales.

00:52Well, she is the world's last seagoing paddle steamer but Waverley holds a very special

00:56place in many people's hearts, particularly the west of Scotland and the Clyde Coast.

01:02And this year is the 50th anniversary since Waverley was gifted for a pound to the Paddle

01:06Steamer Preservation Society and even 50 years ago people couldn't have possibly imagined

01:10that Waverley would still be going strong and our popularity after last year seems to

01:14be soaring.

01:15We've just gone through a winter refit where over £700,000 has been spent on Waverley.

01:21This year we're focused on refurbishing areas so some of the pasture lounges have been refurbished

01:25and also the crew accommodation because it's important that we continue to invest in the

01:29ship because she is a ship that needs constant maintenance and investment to keep sailing.

01:34If you fancy a new trip on the Waverley port, how is that possible?

01:38So passengers can go to our website, waverleyexcursions.co.uk and book tickets.

01:43There's also tickets available when you turn up on board and there's a full sailing programme

01:48which can be viewed online.

01:49Waverley's main summer season in Scotland will be the end of June until the end of August

01:54but this is the opening weekend on the Clyde before she heads up north to Oban and then

01:58our Hebrides next week.

02:00As well as sailing on the Clyde, Waverley also ventures down south so she'll be heading

02:05for the Bristol Channel in June and then in September and October she heads for the South

02:09Coast and the Thames but this year for the first time in over two decades she'll be operating

02:15on the South West with sails from Plymouth, Penzance, Falmouth and Dartmouth and the real

02:20highlight of the season should be when Waverley meets Paddle Steamer Kingsweir Castle on the

02:25River Dart.

02:26It'll be the first meeting ever of the two ships on the River Dart.

02:30Hello, we are three sisters, Margaret, Mary and Josephine.

02:35Myself, Mary and Josephine, we did work on the Waverley.

02:39Josephine was a teenager at the time, she'd been around about the 17 and I'm...

02:43No, I was 14.

02:4414, right.

02:45She was 14 and I'd say I'd been about 18, about 18.

02:48And what year was that?

02:5069 or 70.

02:51So fond memories of working on the Waverley?

02:52Very fond memories, very fond memories.

02:54It was hard work but it was a good crowd.

02:59What brings you back today?

03:00My birthday tomorrow.

03:01It's her birthday tomorrow.

03:02And my sister treated me.

03:03And are you going to get her fish and chips?

03:04Oh yes.

03:05Well, we're definitely going to have something.

03:06That is my favourite, fish and chips everywhere I go.

03:07I'm a connoisseur of fish and chips.

03:19I'm a connoisseur of fish and chips.

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Transcript

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