The
2011 Purser's Tale - Part 2
Tony Gamblin's Notes from on board
September began on the
Bristol Channel with a beautiful summer's day and Balmoral cruised from
Minehead and Ilfracombe to Lundy Island on what is your scribe's favourite
trip. Similar weather conditions
prevailed on the following day for a long-day excursion from Weston and Penarth
for Ilfracombe and a cruise along North Devon's Exmoor Coast. The ship set out from Bristol and Clevedon
on the Saturday in cool and dull conditions, but the increasing wind dictated
that she could proceed no further than Penarth- missing for the second year running
her annual open day for the resort's Festival of the Sea. After a cruise around the Holm Islands, the
vessel waited at anchor for the tide off Penarth before embarking her
homeward-bound passengers. A gale warning then led to the decision to seek
shelter in Avonmouth Docks the following morning- and here Balmoral remained in
what can only be described as horrendous conditions, with the cancellation of
all sailings.
On Tuesday 6th September a
planned evening charter out of Clevedon was replaced by a static event
alongside in Avonmouth, with the kind co-operation of the Harbour Master. It
emerged that the charterers were a company specialising in the construction of
wind farms, so they could hardly be expected to raise many objections when told
that 'wind stopped play'!!!
With strong winds
persisting, it became clear that Balmoral would not be able to operate her
short series of cruises on the Irish Sea- even if she managed to get there- and
with a dire weather forecast for the week ahead the Company decided late on
Thursday 8th September to lay the ship up for the season with the cancellation
of the planned extra week of sailings on the Bristol Channel. On the Friday, she proceeded to her winter
berth at Princes Wharf in Bristol and the next day the crew were signed-off. Thus there was a rather sudden end to what
had been a short but encouraging season.