PS Waverley sets off on her first public sail of 2025

The Scotsman

PS Waverley sets off on her first public sail of 2025  The World's last seagoing paddle steamer Waverley sets of from Glasgow and sails up the river Clyde.

Transcript

00:00So this is the first day of the 2025 season and it marks the 50th anniversary since Waverley's

00:25first sailing in preservation back in 1975 when I think many people wondered how long

00:30could she last but yet 50 years on, thanks to popularity and the support of so many people,

00:35we are starting another summer season with Waverley. She is looking good. We have spent 1.1

00:41million on the ship over the last six months investing in her, trying to make sure that she

00:46is as good as we can possibly get her because I want Waverley to have a future. I want her to go

00:50way beyond her 50th anniversary in preservation to make sure that she continues to delight tens

00:55of thousands of people every year. For some people once they've been on her once they just come back

01:00time and time again because they enjoy the experience. She is totally unique, there is no

01:04other seagoing paddle steamer in the world and the experience sailing down the river that she was

01:10built to serve in the Firth and of course in Waverley's preservation career this river has

01:15completely changed and transformed yet Waverley has remained. Once you've been aboard you will end up

01:21enjoying yourself, you will realise that it's a very special experience whether that's the steamship

01:26experience, the coastal scenery that you can get access to, the routes that we operate that nothing

01:31else operates. So this year we are going to 74 ports and piers around the UK. It's one of our most

01:37ambitious sailing seasons and that is to give as many people as possible access to Waverley. I think

01:43people have affection for Waverley. People see Waverley sail past, there's a sort of smile. She brings

01:48out joy to people and that is one of our attractions is the fact that she's so unique. People recognise

01:54she's something special. So as Waverley sails down the river Clyde now, she's going to be sailing

01:58through the two new Clyde bridges. There's the one at Govan Partick and then the Renfrew Bridge. So

02:03Pastures on Waverley will have that chance to sail through the two bridges. Hopefully people ashore

02:07watching from the bridge will give us a wave as we go through. It's another feature of just how the river

02:12is continuing to change yet Waverley remains. We are very grateful for all the donations that come in

02:18that people can donate to help maintain Waverley because the cost of maintaining her is expensive.

02:24As I said over one million this winter alone and we will need to do that again next winter to maintain

02:29her in the best possible condition to keep her sailing. So you can book tickets online on our website

02:34waverleyexcursions.co.uk or phone our office. On the Clyde you can also buy tickets on board subject

02:41availability which is usually the case on most sailings on the Clyde. I think the crew are excited.

02:45We've been working hard to get the ship ready to try and make her look the best possible and I

02:49think the crew have done a tremendous job in the last two weeks to prepare the ship for passengers.

02:53Today's fantastic to see so many people, lots of familiar faces, the sun is shining, clear blue skies,

02:59it's the perfect conditions for a sail down the water.

03:02Those are pretty cool.

03:05It's not just the only one of the usual rivers shepherds, the beautiful stuff that I'm going to

03:06do.

03:08This is the main thing of our rivers, but it looks like my team.

03:11It's using a given training for a sail down the river while I'm looking for the ship,

03:12it's using a hand to be on the shore.

03:13It feels like the ship it is under the south as well.

03:15For the ship, it's doing a lot of the ship that I've got to bend myself.

03:17It's doing a lot of the ship and it's running around.

03:19There is a triumetary of the ship and the ship is creating it.

03:21I'll go back to the ship with the ship.

03:23I can see a little bit of the ship.

03:25I want to go on a ship and it's doing a lot of the ship that I came to her,

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