Waverley Slides — 1998 & ’99

Waverley on the Clyde — Easter Monday, 13 April 1998

Waverley in the Western Isles — from Saturday, 2 May 1998

Balmoral on the East Coast — from Wednesday, 17 June 1998

Waverley to Tarbert — Tuesday, 30 June 1998

Waverley at Brodick — Thursday, 30 July 1998

Waverley on the Clyde — Tuesday, 11 August 1998

The Norway at Greenock — Saturday, 29 August 1998

Waverley on the Clyde — Sunday, 30 August 1998

Waverley sailings in 1999

Next stop, the Western Isles.

After an exciting weekend, the next stop is Balloch.

Mostly coastal scenery so they are currently in the index page.

And that's the end of Waverley slides for 1998, though I did visit Oban in October.

1999

This was the nineth year that I purchased a Scottish Commodore ticket allowing unlimited sails on Waverley and Balmoral in all Scottish waters for a mere £399, the same price as last year. In order to get value for money I enjoyed as many sails as I could manage (42) over the year, saving £535.40 in unpaid fares. We won't mention the approximately £1045 I spent onboard and getting to and from all those sailings.

Waverley in the Western Isles — from Friday, 30 April 1999

Waverley and Balmoral at Millport — Sunday, 16 May 1999

Balmoral on the Forth — Monday, 28 June 1999

Tall ships on the Clyde — Thursday, 29 July 1999

Waverley and others at Greenock — Saturday, 31 July 1999

Waverley in the Western Isles — from Friday, 30 April 1999

Day 1 - Friday, April 30 — Waverley sailed from Glasgow at 07:00, calling at Largs (09:30), Campbeltown (12:15) and Port Ellen (15:45 - 16:15) to arrive in Oban half an hour behind schedule at 20:45. I booked in to the hostel for 4 nights (�47.00)

mv Claymore in Antrim Steam Packet colours lying at Campbeltown
between winter service on standby with CalMac
and the start of her summer sailings
between Campbeltown and Ballycastle.

Day 2 - Saturday, May 1 — Waverley sailed from Oban at 10:07 calling at Tobermory (12:00) and Armadale (14:50 - 16:30) where I walked down to the Ardvasar hotel for a small refreshment while Waverley waited at the pier. We returned to Tobermory (19:30) and arrived back at Oban at 21:30.

CalMac ferry Clansman (1998) enters the Sound of Mull returning to Oban from Coll & Tiree		The island of Rum, from the south

The Sgurr of Eigg, from the south ...	... from the south east ...	... from the east (the lighthouse is on Eilean Chathastail)

Day 3 - Sunday, May 2 — Waverley spent the night at Oban but was due to start her schedule from Fort William so a number of enthusiasts (plus me) took advantage of the light sailing at 07:30 from Oban to Fort William. We left there at 10:00 and called at Oban at 12:15 for the traditional cruise to the 4 Lochs and Corryvreckan Whirlpool, returning to Oban at 17:20 where I disembarked and went for a Chinese (�11.50), leaving Waverley to continue to Fort William arriving there at 19:45.

Day 4 - Monday, May 3 — Waverley again started from Fort William at 09:00 and called at Oban at 11:15 for the usual cruise to Iona (14:44 - 16:45), returning to Oban at 19:45 for a coach return to Fort William (21:15). I dined on curry in Oban (�15.45 which probably included some beer).

Day 5 - Tuesday, May 4 — Waverley sailed from Oban at 09:00, called at Port Ellen (14:15 - 14:45 according to the timetable, 13:33 - 14:15 according to my notes) and Campbeltown (18:00) before arriving at Largs three minutes late at 20:48 where I disembarked (rather than stay aboard to arrive in Glasgow at 23:15). At Largs, we just missed the 20:52 train and had to wait for the 21:52 (318269, I don't know who paid for my ticket) which reached Central at 22:52 whence I caught a bus home.

Waverley berthed at Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, en route from Oban to Glasgow

Port Ellen nestles round it's bay on Islay	Waverley again

Next stop, the Cumbraes

Waverley and Balmoral round the Cumbraes — Sunday, 16 May 1999

The start of an epic stupidity. After going to Campbeltown on Waverley on Saturday, I'm not sure how I managed to get up on Sunday morning, but here goes.

Waverley sailed from Glasgow at 10:00, calling at Greenock (11:40), Helensburgh (12:10) and Largs (13:40) to arrive at Millport at 14:10 for a cruise round the Cumbraes returniing to Millport (16:00), Largs (16:30), Helensburgh (18:00) and Greenock (18:30) before arriving back at Glasgow at 20:00.

Meanwhile, Balmoral started from Campbeltown at 06:60, calling at Girvan (09:30), Ayr (11:15) and Brodick (12:45) to arrive at Millport at 14:15 for a cruise round the Cumbraes returning to Millport (15:45), Brodick (17:30) and Ayr (19:00) with a coach return to Girvan arriving at 20:00.

I started the day on Waverley from Glasgow at 10:00 and we arrived at Millport at 14:05. When Balmoral arrived, I boarded her for the cruise around the Cumbraes (14:42 - 15:45) and remained aboard when she sailed at 15:55, before Waverley returned. We called at Brodick (17:05 - 17:30) before arriving at Ayr at 19:05 where I booked in to the youth hostel for 2 nights (�18.00).

Balmoral approaches Millport Pier to berth outside Waverley		Balmoral berthed outside Waverley

	Waverley leaving the pier	Waverley leaves the Tan behind Balmoral

... against the north end of Little Cumbrae	... steaming up the west side of Cumbrae	... with the hills of Bute behind

... passing Kilchattan Bay

		... in the Largs Channel

... passing Largs		... with Hunterston Ore Terminal beyond

... returning to Millport Pier

On the Monday, I sailed on Balmoral from Ayr at 10:00 and we called at Girvan at 11:30 and cruised down the Mull of Galloway coast before returning to Ayr at 20:00 whence there was a coach return to Girvan (20:30). I dined on a haggis supper (�2.00) before spending another night at the hostel, and on Tuesday, did something completely different.

Balmoral on the Forth — Monday, 28 June 1999

Balmoral sailed at 10:00 from Leith Docks, called at Rosyth (11:00) to pick up passengers bused from Dunfermline then at Burntisland (12:30) before cruising around the islands in the firth, returning to Burnsisland (17:30) and Rosyth (18:45) before reaching Leith at 19:45. That was the schedule.

On the day, I caught a bus into the bus station to catch the 07:00 CityLink to Edinburgh (�7.00 day return) arriving there at 08:21, bought a paper and a litre of milk for breakfast and walked down to Leith arriving there at 09:15. Balmoral sailed at 10:00, took 22 minutes to pass through the lock, then crossed the river to Rosyth (11:24 - 11:29), almost half an hour late, but recovered that to be on time leaving Burntisland. After the cruise, we were more or less on time but, after a sprint from Rosyth and despite a 23 minute transit of the lock, berthed 25 minutes early at Leith.

40 minutes up to the bus station, a bus at 20:30 and I was back at Buchanan bus station at 21:35. A reasonable day.

Balmoral in Leith Docks, HMY Britannia berthed aft

HMY Britannia berthed in Leith Docks	Fleet Replenishment Auxiliary Fort Victoria (A387) berthed at Rosyth

Tall Ships on the Clyde — Thursday, 29 July 1999

To capitalise on the interest in the Tall Ships at Greenock, Waverley operated an amended schedule for 5 days, starting on the Thursday. Instead of the usual Greenock - Brodick cruise, she sailed from Ayr at 10:00 calling at Millport (11:40), Largs (12:10) and Rothesay (12:50) then cruising the wider waters of the firth to greet whatever turned up. She returned to Rothesay (17:30), Millport (18:15) and Largs (18:45) whence there was a coach return to Ayr (19:45) while Waverley viewed more Tall Ships on the way up to Glasgow to arrive at 21:45 with a coach return to Largs (22:45).

I caught a train (320314) from Shettleston (�5.00 single to Ayr) arriving at Queen Street at 08:11, walked to Central and departed from there on the 08:30 (318250) and arrived in Ayr at 09:28. Waverley sailed at 10:00 and I stayed aboard until we arrived back in Glasgow almost half an hour late at 22:13.

Alexander von Humbolt

The Alexander von Humbolt (Bremmerhaven) began life in 1906 as a lightship "Reserve Sonderburg", built in Bremen and used in the Baltic and North Seas until 1986. She was bought by the Deutsche Stiftung Sail Training or DSST (German Sail Training Foundation) and transformed into a tall ship, entering service in 1988.

She is rigged as a three-masted barque, length 62.55m, beam 8.02m and draws 4.8m with a displacement of 396 metric tons. She has 25 sails totalling 1036 square metres, a crew of 25 and can accommodate 35 trainees.

The Christian Radich (Oslo) was delivered on 17 June 1937 to the Christian Radich Sail Training Foundation for training sailors for the Norwegian merchant navy

The vessel is a full-rigged three-masted steel hull, 62.5m long, with an overall length of 73m including the bowsprit and a maximum width of 9.7m. She has a draught of about 4.7m and a displacement at full load of 1050 tons. Under engine power, the Christian Radich reaches a top speed of 10 knots, while she can make up to 14 knots under sail. She has a crew of 18 and can accommodate 88 passengers.

The Statsraad Lehmkuhl (Bergen) is a three-masted barque rigged sail training vessel owned and operated by the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation.

It was built in 1914 as a school training ship for the German merchant marine under the name Grossherzog Friedrich August. After the First World War the ship was taken as a prize by the United Kingdom and in 1921 the ship was bought by former cabinet minister Kristoffer Lehmkuhl (hence the name, which means "Cabinet Minister Lehmkuhl"). With the exception of the Second World War, when she was captured by German troops and called Westw�rts, the ship has belonged to Bergens Skoleskib until it was donated to the Foundation in 1978.

The vessel is 84.6m long (waterline), with a sparred length of 98m and a maximum width of 12.6m. She has a draught of about 5.2m and a displacement at full load of 1516 tons. Under engine power, the Statsraad Lehmkuhl reaches a top speed of 11 knots, while she can make up to 17 knots under sail. She has 22 sails with a total area of 2026 square metres.

Urania passing the Cloch under power

The Urania (Netherlands) was designed and built as a private schooner yacht "Tromp" in 1928. Acquired by the Royal Dutch Navy in 1938 as a training ship for young naval officers and renamed �Urania�, she had hardly established her training role when WW2 began and she was confiscated by Germany. She returned to the Netherlands after the war, restored, modernized and re-rigged rigged as a bermudan ketch.

She is 27m long, beam 6.05m and draws 2.7m.

Tall ships on the Clyde — Saturday, 31 July 1999

Today's schedule had Waverley departing from Glasgow at 10:00 and calling at Greenock (11:40), Dunoon (12:15), Kilcreggan (12:45) and Helensburgh (13:00) before returning to Greenock at an optimistic 13:15. She then offered two one-hour cruises at 14:00 & 16:00 around the Tall Ships. She then left Greenock at 18:15 for Helensburgh (18:45), Kilcreggan (19:05), Dunoon (19:30) and Greenock (20:00) before reaching Glasgow at 21:45. That was the schedule.

Because of the presence of so many vessels, Waverley used an unaccustomed berth on the quay between the East India and Victoria Harbours and passengers were carefully ushered through a warehouse.

On the day, I boarded at Glasgow and got off at the second call at Greenock at 14:06, 51 minutes behind schedule. I hung around for a while taking photographs before retiring with friends to the James Watt for a small refreshment. At 17:52, I caught a train (303079+089) from Greenock Central (�3.50 single) to return to Glasgow Central at 18:40.

Sundry Tall Ships

A re-rigged Glenlee	Rover goes out to inspect the sailing ships	Many masts at the Custom House Quay

Steam launch Corolla		A couple of Tall Ships at the Container Terminal

Waverley leaves an unusual berth at Greenock, between the East India and Victoria Harbours

	Man power, sail power, steam power	The outer Tall Ship is the Oosterschelde

The Oosterschelde is a topsail schooner built in the Netherlands in 1918 as a freightship, restored 1990 - '92 and registered in Rotterdam. The vessel is 50m long with beam of 7.5m. She has a draught of 2.95m, weights 400 tons and has a sail area of 891 square metres.

Tuesday, 3 August It was back to auld claes and parritch for today's sail from Ayr to Tarbert, I travelled by train to and from Largs and can't remember where I took this photo.

The brigantine Jean de la Lune lurks
somewhere in the Firth of Clyde
on her way back to Oban
after the Tall Ships Weekend at Greenock.

There are no more Waverley slides for 1999, next stop, that exotic destination - Glasgow

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