All Aboard the Waverley!
We were incredibly lucky to be given tickets for a trip on the Waverley this summer — and what began as a lovely day out turned into one of the highlights of our year.
There is something rather magical about stepping aboard a ship that has been carrying passengers for 80 years. The sound of the steam, the enormous paddle wheels, the polished wood and brass, and the gentle rhythm of the engines all make you feel as though you have stepped back into another era.
Waverley is a Clyde steamer and the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world. Built in Glasgow in 1946, she is 240 feet long and, powered by her 2,100-horsepower steam engine, can reach around 14 knots. Named after Sir Walter Scott’s first novel, she was originally built to carry 1,350 passengers. For many years, she sailed from Craigendoran on the Firth of Clyde to Arrochar on Loch Long. But rising costs eventually forced her out of service, and her remarkable story could so easily have ended there.
Instead, in the 1970s, she was bought for just £1 by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society. Following a successful public fundraising campaign, she underwent a major two-phase heritage rebuild in 2000 and 2003, followed more recently by a £1.5 million refit to prepare her for her 80th year of service.
Today, Waverley continues to travel around the UK coast, visiting around 70 ports and carrying between 700 and 800 passengers. It is extraordinary to think that a ship built in 1946 is still doing what she was designed to do: carrying people to sea.
We travelled from Paignton to meet her by taking the Dartmouth Steam Railway — a delightful journey in itself, with lovely views along the way.
Waverley was an amazing sight when we arrived, and as we crossed the river on the little ferry, we began to appreciate just how large she really is. We were incredibly fortunate with the weather: a wonderfully calm day beneath deep blue skies. Waverley had certainly drawn the crowds.
One of the first surprises for me came after we had headed upstream on the Dart. Waverley needed the help of two small tugs to turn around. Her paddle wheels cannot be turned independently of one another, so they must always rotate in the same direction. It is a wonderfully old-fashioned feature — and one that makes manoeuvring a ship of this size rather fascinating to watch.
As we steamed down the Dart and out to sea, it was lovely to see familiar landscapes from a completely different perspective.
I had fun with panaramas too and they revealed the diversity of the South Devon coastline:
I was also surprised to discover that you can stand in the passageway and watch the engines at work. As you approach, the rhythmic noise of the giant crankshaft and the smell of steam hit you. The movement of the pistons is quite hypnotic, and it is easy to stand there for far longer than you intended simply watching this magnificent piece of machinery doing what it has done for generations.
I spent some time photographing Waverley’s many unique features, from the magnificent funnel and lifeboats to the beautiful wood panelling, brass fittings and all the little details that make her feel so different from a modern vessel.
What struck me most, though, was that this was not simply a historic ship to admire from the quayside. She felt alive. We could hear the engines, feel the movement of the paddles and watch the bow waves. It was a unique opportunity to experience maritime history first-hand.
Waverley was certainly an attraction, drawing a lot of fans along the way:
As we travelled back to Paignton on the steam train, we reflected on what a memorable day it had been. Keeping Waverley ship-shape and seaworthy is a huge undertaking, and we are so grateful to all the staff, volunteers and donors whose time, enthusiasm and generosity keep her sailing. Without them, this extraordinary survivor would be a museum piece rather than something we can still experience at sea.
And there was one final, unexpected connection to the day. Unbeknownst to me, a dear friend was standing on the pier in Torquay, waving as Waverley passed by! She has very fond memories of travelling on Waverley as a child while growing up in Scotland, which made our day feel even more special.
A wonderful day out, a remarkable ship, and memories that will stay with us for a long time.
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