Paddle Steamers

[Old Boggy]

Walking the daughter`s dogs along the cliffs this afternoon, I had the pleasure of seeing what I thought must have been the Waverley paddle steamer passing the Red and Shivering Sands World War 2 Forts off the Kent coast. This was confirmed by reference to the App on my phone which indicated that it was on its way back to Gravesend. I`ve never been on the Waverley but as a kid had several trips on the Medway Queen which when operational ran between Kent and Essex in the late 50s early 60s. Herne Bay and Southend piers.

Memories came flooding back to those days when I went aboard the Medway Queen after it had been partially restored and towed into Ramsgate harbour in 2015 on the 71st anniversary of D-Day (Operation Dynamo). 

Has anyone else been on the Waverley or even the Medway Queen?

OB

[eggy74]

It was in and out of Shoreham a little while ago, a few friends went on a trip, but i couldnt make it unfortunately 

[marsh man]

Some cracking photos Chris , a few Summers ago it used to pick up passengers at the end of Britania pier in Yarmouth , or from the river depending on weather conditions , it would then steam down the coast as far as the Thames , I am not sure if it took them back or they got a coach back , I believe the last time it came around this way was the 27 th of September when it came to Southwold and picked the passengers up on a sell out trip to London bridge , you can click on Waverley at Southwold pier and you can see where it moored at the end of the pier , a rare and lovely sight .

[BlaserF3]

My wife and I were on holiday at Wemyss Bay in 2006. We went on the Waverley up the Loch, it was the first time I had ever seen a submarine in the water.

I enjoyed watching the engine driving the paddles, every time we stopped to pick up more passengers it seemed like a controled crash when we stopped at the piers 😄

I'm sure we had fish and chips on board too.

[Keith 66]

Controlled crash isnt far wrong, Some smaller paddle steamers had independently driven paddles which made them very manouverable. Bigger ones like Waverley have both paddles mounted on the one common crankshaft, Because there is no propellor wash over the rudder she loses steerage way at slow speed therefore comes in at some speed & relies on full astern & stopping quickly then smart work from the deckhands & steam winch operators to drag her into her berth. If the tide is running or its windy it can get sketchy. Add in that the passengers will all go to one side which means the other paddle comes half out the water to complicate matters!

Waverleys engine is 2500 indicated horsepower with max torque from zero to full 56 rpm. Did a trip on her once out to the Thames forts & she overtook a container ship that was doing about 17 knots, It was quite a sight down below by the engine & looking out of the door at the front of the paddle box at the huge curving bow wave running down her side & under the paddles, Her top speed is around 21 knots which is going some. Magnificent ship.

[Dave-G]

I've only recently discovered the song 'Proud Mary' was about a river steamer.

[old man]

20 hours ago, Keith 66 said:

Controlled crash isnt far wrong, Some smaller paddle steamers had independently driven paddles which made them very manouverable. Bigger ones like Waverley have both paddles mounted on the one common crankshaft, Because there is no propellor wash over the rudder she loses steerage way at slow speed therefore comes in at some speed & relies on full astern & stopping quickly then smart work from the deckhands & steam winch operators to drag her into her berth. If the tide is running or its windy it can get sketchy. Add in that the passengers will all go to one side which means the other paddle comes half out the water to complicate matters!

Waverleys engine is 2500 indicated horsepower with max torque from zero to full 56 rpm. Did a trip on her once out to the Thames forts & she overtook a container ship that was doing about 17 knots, It was quite a sight down below by the engine & looking out of the door at the front of the paddle box at the huge curving bow wave running down her side & under the paddles, Her top speed is around 21 knots which is going some. Magnificent ship.

Yep, magnificent. Saw her thrashing up the solent against the tide, really cracking on.

[100milesaway]

I sailed and spent several nights on the Delta Queen on the Mississippi, 30 years ago.It was then the last overnight paddleboat steamer in the world, it was then owned by the coca cola company and every year the fire department would try to get it decommisioned. It's  engines were built on the Clyde and it had seen service in the second world war as a troup ship.  I sailed from Nashville  down to Memphis on 4 different rivers and was a guest of the ships crew of bus boys who took me one evening to a blues club in Memphis  which was well off the tourist map....The ship was brilliant and had a caliopi steam organ which the captain  would play most evenings, complete with rainbow coloured bubbles coming from the organ tubes. From Auntie.