South Coast & Thames 2007     Fourth Report 1 October Words and pictures by Martin Longhurst

After an off service day at Tilbury on Monday, Waverley was due to sail on Tuesday 25 September 2007 from Margate, Whitstable, Southend and Tilbury for a non-landing cruise to the Upper Pool of London. Unfortunately, strong winds were forecast and coaches were laid on to take the Margate passengers to join the paddler at Whitstable. Otherwise the cruise operated as planned, with passengers coached home from Tilbury.

Wednesday took the steamer from Tilbury and Southend to Clacton for a River Blackwater cruise with coaches back to the ports of departure. Waverley had been due to sail on to Harwich for her Wednesday schedule but the weather would not permit this. Instead she anchored off in the hope conditions would improve. In the end, however, she had to retire to more sheltered waters instead. This meant that passengers from Ipswich and Harwich were taken to Southend by coach to join the paddler. A short cruise to Saltpan Reach in the River Medway was given before a second call at Southend to pick up passengers from Clacton. Finally, everyone was taken upstream to London.

Friday was a record day with two big loads from Southend. Firstly there was a day time round trip to the Upper Pool and this was followed by an upriver Evening Showboat with coaches home.

Tug Revenge swings the paddler just below London Bridge.  Cruise liner Hamburg is berthed alongside HMS Belfast.

The Tower of London

Saturday was Whitstable day from Tower Pier with only one intermediate call. There was an excellent load downstream and the Mayor of Southend was welcomed on board at the Essex pier. On landing in Kent, we repaired to the Continental Hotel to sample the products from the eponymous brewery, which we can heartily recommend!

Moored at Whitstable's West Quay

Just as the paddler was steaming away, a medical emergency occurred and Captain Colledge was obliged to turn his ship around and re-enter the harbour. The Kent Ambulance Service were quickly in attendance and the casualty landed. Soon the ship was under way once more, delayed by some 30 minutes. No time was made up by the time we left Southend but the old lady arrived at Tower Pier at the expected time despite punching the tide all the way.

We passed Tor Selandia outbound from Tilbury

Although the steamer was to lay overnight at Tower Pier, she had to leave her berth about 30 minutes after docking in order to allow Silver Bonito in to disembark her passengers. Tug Revenge took the strain as the pair stemmed the tide while this took place. As soon as Silver Bonito had cleared the tug started working the paddler gradually back into her berth.

Stemming the tide a few yards from Tower Pier

Sunday took the paddler down river to Southend, mainly for positioning but also for the benefit of one-way coach passengers. At Southend a good crowd joined the vessel for an afternoon non-landing cruise to the Upper Pool. More took advantage of this sailing from Tilbury, resulting a a fairly full ship for the up river leg with a following wind and the sun shining.

Approaching Tilbury Landing Stage

The preserved steam tug Portwey salutes the paddler

What are they all looking at?

Tower Bridge opening, of course!

Approaching Tower Bridge, commentator Roddy McKee told us that we would be sharing the bridge lift with the Hapag-Lloyd cruise line Bremen. Waverley passed her bow line to tug Revenge down stream of the bridge to pass through and swing immediately she was clear of the towers. Captain Colledge sounded four blasts followed by one as the sound signal for "I am going about to starboard."

A full lift was accorded in view of the departure of the Hamburg

More crowds watching from Millennium of Peace and on the river bank

Adsteam Mercia pulls the Hamburg through the bridge as Waverley and Revenge speed off

And so we left the Upper Pool no sooner had we entered it, Purser Jim McFadzean remarking that this was the first occasion that the steamer had passed and repassed the bridge in a single lift. As we set off down river, the Bremen sounded three long blasts and moved off through the bridge astern. The net result of this was an arrival back at Tilbury and Southend some 30 minutes earlier than expected.

And off to Southend

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