Paddle Steamer WAVERLEY passing Gravesend

Paddle Steamer WAVERLEY passing Gravesend on 23 September 2023.
WAVERLEY was sailing from Ipswich to Tower Pier, London. On the way, she had called in at Clacton Pier.
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[@ThamesShips]

Paddle Steamer WAVERLEY passing Gravesend on 23 September 2023. WAVERLEY was sailing from Ipswich to Tower Pier, London. On the way, she had called in at Clacton Pier.

[@jimmcintosh9045]

Always great for her preservation to see a good number of passengers onboard.

[@ThamesShips]

Thanks for watching. Yes -- I agree. The sailings to London are always very popular and usually are fully booked. I even have a couple of sailings booked myself!

[@flyship]

So adorable

[@ThamesShips]

Yes - I agree!

[@whatthomassaw]

Great video 😀

[@ThamesShips]

Thanks. She is not sailing today but have booked a couple of trips whilst she is down here!

[@whatthomassaw]

@@ThamesShips I look forward to more videos then 😁

[@UKShipspottingRailFreightTV]

Great vid 👍 😀 was nice and calm when she left ipswich but looks a bit breezier when she got to the thames.

[@ThamesShips]

Yes - I was a bit late in leaving so had a bit of a rush to set up the camera when I arrived. I was hoping to see her at Southend Pier today (since the RNLI station also has an open day) but am not sure if I will be able to make it.

[@hpsuk-havenportsshippinguk9463]

A great video. Well done 👏👏 We have photographs and videos of her leaving Ipswich yesterday on our FB group. Can I share please?

[@ThamesShips]

Yes of course. Please do. 👍

[@markshrimpton3138]

I’ve been “doon the watter” on The Waverley several times, in her home waters and around the Isle of Arran. The last time we were onboard, it was a beautiful sunny day, with the Kilbrannan Sound, between Arran and Kintyre, like the proverbial mill pond. As the ship turned to thrash her way back to Lochranza, a Spitfire of all things appeared out of a cloudless sky. The pilot was obviously as intrigued by the sight of a paddle steamer below him as we were of such an iconic plane, because it banked and flew around The Waverley several times, waggling its wings in salute. The Waverley blew her horn in response and we passengers cheered and waved. The ‘Spit’ then climbed and resumed its original course.

[@ThamesShips]

Thanks for sharing your memories. Despite both my parents being from the west of Scotland and still having a number of relatives living there, sadly I have never sailed on the Waverley on the Clyde though it is something I would like to do. I've only been on some of the CalMac ferries. Having sailed on her on the Thames, many of the other vessels sound their horn in a friendly greeting as she passes and I've even heard a dockside vehicle beep it's horn. I've never been lucky enough to have a spitfire flypast however!

[@markshrimpton3138]

@@ThamesShips it’s a day I’ll not forget in a hurry. Sadly today Scotland can’t even build two wee ferries.

[@andymack5093]

The old girl looks to be at capacity which is great for the coffers!.. I'm intrigued as to why the change in Pilots? Is there a lower and upper Thames pilotage line, necessitating the changeover or some other Board of Trade or PLA requirement I wonder? Nevertheless, another great video from Thames Ships!

[@ThamesShips]

Yes - the London trips always seem popular and some are currently sold out. Waverley is only here for about 2 weeks so people want to take advantage! I don't have a specialist pilot knowledge so I may be wrong but I believe that the main reason for the change in pilots here is that Gravesend (on the other side of the river) is where the PLA have their main offices and so this is a convenient point for the changeover. The PLA pilot vessel(s) are usually based over at Royal Pier in Gravesend (on the other side of the river) and the pilot changeover is made as ships pass. Their pilot station is also based there. According to the PLA website, "Specialist River Pilots work in the stretch of the Thames between Gravesend and London Bridge. Some of these are Bridge Pilots who work from London Bridge to Putney Bridge where expertise on the shallower water and low air draughts is vital, particularly for awkward one-off project type cargoes." Another possible reason for the changeover here is the length of time that a pilot operates. There are various pilot boarding stations out in the Thames estuary and the length of time that the inbound pilot will have been working for will depend on the pilot boarding station that they joined the ship. The final destination is also important since if a ship was travelling to Tilbury (5 minutes up the river), it probably would not change pilot whilst if it was travelling up to Tower Pier in London (about 2 hours 20 minutes up the river) then they would change pilots in order to avoid their shift bcoming too long with a possible loss of concentration. Waverley had been travelling from Clacton Pier so I am not sure if the pilot had boarded here or another boarding station along the route. In any case, if they had been working Waverley up the river, there was still over 2 hours remaining to London so bringing on a fresh pilot here would make sense. Some of the larger ships do not require pilots if they have Pilot Exemption Certificates. These are ususually issued to Deck Officers who are regular callers at the Port. For example, NORSKY (which was seen in the video) operates exclusively between Zeebrugge and Tilbury. SInce the deck officers have operated over this route so often, they are familiar with the waters and so do not require a pilot.

[@andymack5093]

Thank you for the great and very informative answer! From the small amount of my own observations and now your wonderful videos, proves the PLA certainly have one of the busiest, varied and condensed water ways, 100 percent administered perfectly (and smoothly!).@@ThamesShips

[@ThamesShips]

@@andymack5093 Yes - I completely agree!

[@mancroft]

What is that domed building at 3.34?

[@ThamesShips]

I live on the Essex side of the river so don't know Gravesend very well but I believe it is the Siri Guru Nanak Darbar (Sikh Temple).

[@mancroft]

@@ThamesShips I see. Thanks.

[@markshrimpton3138]

It’s the Sikh temple at Gravesend, the Siri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.

[@mancroft]

@@markshrimpton3138 Thank you.