Waverley hits pier - 24 injured
Waverley hits pier - 24 injured
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Discussion

matchmaker

Original Poster:

9,032 posts

229 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-wes...

BBC said:
More than 130 people were returned to the mainland on a late-night ferry after the Waverley's collision with Brodick Pier in Arran.

More than 200 passengers and 26 crew were onboard the paddle steamer when it crashed into the pier as it arrived at Brodick on Thursday evening.

The coastguard said 24 passengers were injured in the crash, with some airlifted to hospital on the mainland.

The boat's operators confirmed its sailing season is now over.
Ouch!

saaby93

32,038 posts

207 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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They've been raising funds to try to keep the project afloat.
How easy is it to crash into a pier - do the paddle wheels help or hinder?


Hard-Drive

4,291 posts

258 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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Can't say I'm that surprised. I saw her berthing in Portsmouth a few years ago...came in at a hell of a rate. Apparently the paddle wheels operate together, not independently, and with no prop providing propwash over the rudder you need some speed to retain control.

Simpo Two

92,636 posts

294 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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Hard-Drive said:
Apparently the paddle wheels operate together...
It seems so - so how she maneuvers at slow speeds is beyond me, yet she seems to have hit a pier only once before, in 1970.

pequod

8,997 posts

167 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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I don't know the details of the accident but given how the boat operates, would a modern bow thruster help control her at low speed? I imagine so, but maybe its historic status would prevent one being fitted, albeit it wouldn't be seen below the waterline.

It would be a shame if this accident made it more difficult to insure against further incidents (without mods) and restrict her area of operation.

dxg

10,688 posts

289 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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The Waverley just has to keep going. It just has to. A symbol of the Clyde.

Although one wonders if the booze cruise effects had made it up to the bridge!!

dxg

10,688 posts

289 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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And a highlight of the Waverley is its engine room. Will never forget watching them in motion as a kid - so much mass moving so quickly. And then looking through the porthole into the inside of the paddles...

loskie

7,074 posts

149 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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The Waverly has a very chequered past: The master some time ago was convicted of sex offences in the 1980's. Again in the 80's the ship set sail during adverse weather from Garlieston to IOM and was stranded there for some time again I think that the skipper was convicted for that. Also be run aground.

Although it's good for a trip too! Honest. Used to be a rare treat to go round Ailsa Craig from Stranraer on it in the 80's. Thankfully I never met the skipper!!

Polite M135 driver

1,853 posts

113 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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saaby93 said:
They've been raising funds to try to keep the project afloat.
How easy is it to crash into a pier - do the paddle wheels help or hinder?
pretty easy, piers don't dodge that well.

normalbloke

8,820 posts

248 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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dxg said:
And a highlight of the Waverley is its engine room. Will never forget watching them in motion as a kid - so much mass moving so quickly. And then looking through the porthole into the inside of the paddles...
I have exactly those memories. I went as a kid from Ilfracombe to Lundy.

Heartworm

1,938 posts

190 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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It’s forever crashing, it demolished the pier they dock at too. I love the Waverley but if it’s to continue they need to do something withthe way it’s run.

cuprabob

19,471 posts

243 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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loskie said:
The Waverly has a very chequered past: The master some time ago was convicted of sex offences in the 1980's. Again in the 80's the ship set sail during adverse weather from Garlieston to IOM and was stranded there for some time again I think that the skipper was convicted for that. Also be run aground.

Although it's good for a trip too! Honest. Used to be a rare treat to go round Ailsa Craig from Stranraer on it in the 80's. Thankfully I never met the skipper!!
If my memory serves me right it also hit the pier at Rothesay a few years back.

egor110

17,674 posts

232 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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normalbloke said:
I have exactly those memories. I went as a kid from Ilfracombe to Lundy.
How long ago was that ?

They use the oldenburg now .

Riff Raff

5,462 posts

224 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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dxg said:
The Waverley just has to keep going. It just has to. A symbol of the Clyde.

Although one wonders if the booze cruise effects had made it up to the bridge!!
Goin' doon the watter to Dunoon brings back memories of my childhood...

normalbloke

8,820 posts

248 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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egor110 said:
normalbloke said:
I have exactly those memories. I went as a kid from Ilfracombe to Lundy.
How long ago was that ?

They use the oldenburg now .
Getting on for 40 years I’d guess.

Simpo Two

92,636 posts

294 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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pequod said:
I don't know the details of the accident but given how the boat operates, would a modern bow thruster help control her at low speed? I imagine so, but maybe its historic status would prevent one being fitted, albeit it wouldn't be seen below the waterline.
It's not the original Waverley (sunk at Dunkirk); this one was built after WW2.

Thrusters would no doubt be very helpful but would need a power source, and I expect the company doesn't have vast sums to spend on her. I think the problem is inexperienced or incompetent captaining - no doubt we'll find out. Let's hope the people who fell over don't all sue for £1M, as is the habit these days.

mikeiow

8,142 posts

159 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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Sorry to see the latest bump. They only just finished raising funds for a new boiler, work completed very recently.
We enjoyed a trip from Yarmouth on the IOW a few years back....it is a beautiful craft, & an amazing engine room!
Feels a bit careless though....

Jader1973

5,106 posts

229 months

Tuesday 8th September 2020
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loskie said:
Again in the 80's the ship set sail during adverse weather from Garlieston to IOM and was stranded there for some time again I think that the skipper was convicted for that.
He wasn’t convicted for that. My father was on that trip (below decks feeling unwell) and my music teacher spent most of the trip standing up the bow!

cuprabob said:
If my memory serves me right it also hit the pier at Rothesay a few years back.
Yup – ended up needing a new bow. Now it needs another one

Simpo Two said:
I think the problem is inexperienced or incompetent captaining - no doubt we'll find out. Let's hope the people who fell over don't all sue for £1M, as is the habit these days.
Suspicion is either the bridge got it very wrong, or the engine room didn’t get or ignored the full astern command.


My father was one of the people involved in buying her from Cal Mac and getting her preserved. I spent what felt like every weekend of the summer on her when I was growing up (we had a free pass) and feel like I know the boat like the back of my hand.

cptsideways

13,880 posts

281 months

Tuesday 8th September 2020
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We had tickets to board her today (if it was running)

Apparently it also bumped the pier at Tighnabruaich before the Arun incident too. To be fair it was blowing a gale on Arun at the time, apparently she only has steerage with way (forward speed)

I followed her on my previous boat many a time, that old steamer is not slow!!! & seen her on her annual Swanage holidays for years.

However am now Clyde based & she'd just been relaunched after the revamp so was quite pleased to get tickets for a wee trip around the home sailing grounds for my Birthday thumbup







loskie

7,074 posts

149 months

Tuesday 8th September 2020
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Arran it's the Isle Of Arran