The world’s last sea-going paddle steamer, P.S. Waverley, from Scotland, is set to delight passengers as it embarks on coastal cruises from (2 June) throughout southwest Wales and the Bristol Channel, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The extensive timetable for visiting ports, piers, and islands in this region of the UK starts with the opening annual ‘Pembrokeshire Islands Explorer Cruise’ from Milford Haven. The Pembrokeshire port is where Afloat reported on a Dublin-based tug, Giano, is undergoing dry-docking, while a temporary tug, also from Scottish owners, takes its place.
As for the origins of Waverley, the paddle steamer was launched on the Clyde in 1946, and from the next year to 1951, it was operated by the British Transport Commission/Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Its primary role was operating cruises up Loch Long and Loch Goil to the villages of Lochgoilhead and Arrochar in west Scotland. From 1952 until 1972, Waverley was part of British Railways Caledonian Steam Packet Co.'s Clyde coast fleet.
The next year marked Waverley as the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world, and it only operated as part of the fleet of Caledonian MacBrayne, offering a variety of Clyde cruises and ferry duties. However, all this was to end when it was announced then that the 26-year-old paddle steamer would be withdrawn from service at the end of September, after which its future would become uncertain.
By November 1973, Caledonian MacBrayne had offered Waverley to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS), notably with the ‘sale’ for £1, which came the following year.
Irish Calls of the Past
However, since 1974, P.S. Waverley has been preserved, and in that timeframe, it made its inaugural cruise season from the Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland in 1984, having personally taken a quick hop excursion from Dublin Port across the bay to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
In that same season, P.S. Waverley called along Leinster's eastern seaboard by also visiting Dundalk, Wicklow, and Arklow and as far south as Rosslare Harbour and made a return, but not until 2001, based on an altered itinerary.
Its next reappearance took place in Ulster when Warrenpoint Port, Co. Down, first hosted the veteran vessel on Carlingford Lough in 2023 and last year.
Also taking place last year was when P.S. Waverley was given the prestigious title of National Flagship of the Year 2024, and this year the iconic ship celebrated last week its 50th anniversary as a preserved paddle steamer, carrying more than 6 million passengers. The major maritime milestone was marked by a spectacular water cannon salute by Clyde Marine Services tug CMS Thunderer near Oban on its return to the west coast of Scotland towards the end of May.
Since then, P.S. Waverley has carried out a cruise programme throughout North Wales and the Mersey, which concluded today, on this first day of June.
Tomorrow, as mentioned, eager ticket holders will be looking forward to sightseeing the islands of Skokholm and Skomer off Pembrokeshire with their impressive seabird population before cruising into St. Brides Bay and circumnavigating Ramsey Island.
Skomer Island off Wales
Notably, the island of Skomer is having a record number of puffins, as BBC Wales reports, despite the fact that global populations have been declining rapidly.
According to the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW), the island had 43,626 puffins counted this year—a record high. The trust added that the increase in puffins on the nature reserve was a "conservation success story," but they warned that the birds were still a species under threat that should continue to be protected.
More on the marine wildlife story here.
Fishguard Cruise Calling - 25 June
Returning to the P.S. Waverley, as the cruise timetable for this part of Wales and the Bristol Channel is to end on 25 June. On this date, the final cruise is the ‘Fishguard to Cruise Pembrokeshire & Ceredigion Coasts to New Quay.’ The cruise departs at 11.00 and returns at 3pm.
The paddle steamer will offer a unique cruise from Fishguard (noting the Stena ferry port for Rosslare) as it will cruise along the stunning Pembrokeshire coastline, passing Camaes Head to New Quay on the Ceredigion Coast. This stretch of the Welsh coastline is to the northeast of the ferry port.
At the time of writing, tickets are available. For information on all of this season’s UK cruises (and sailing updates), visit Waverley Excursions by clicking here.
The paddle steamer Waverley is owned by a registered charity and operated on a not-for-profit basis in association with the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.
