Waverley on the Thames 2006 Part 3
Report by Martin Longhurst
On Sunday 1 October 2006 Waverley sailed from Tower Pier at 09.30 for a single down river direct trip to Southend, cunningly combining a positioning run with the demand for single trips for coach parties. In fact, over 650 took advantage of the opportunity.
The weather was not the best, however, with short, sharp heavy showers and a strong southerly wind. This was blowing straight on to Southend Pier and made berthing a bit tricky, but it was safely accomplished on the second attempt. Roughly the same number of round trip passengers replaced the down river people, joining the steamer for the run to Tilbury and through Tower Bridge (non-landing). As conditions had not abated, the paddler terminated at Tilbury on the return run with coaches back to Southend. This was definitely the correct decision, as passengers would have experienced a soaking getting down the longest pier in Britain.
Monday was spent at Tilbury off-service, while Tuesday took the steamer on a one-way trip to Southend and Clacton for a River Blackwater cruise. This took place in a gap in the bad weather, starting under blue sky and bright sunlight. However, as Purser Jim MacFadzean remarked, the temperature had dropped.
Departure was delayed a few minutes as the large container ship CMA CGM Nilgai, of Monrovia, with tug Adsteam Anglia attached to her bow.
Southend Pier
Commentator Roddy McKee tries the "Quinn Muffler"
Southend was soon reached where there was a modest addition to our
compliment before we turned north-eastward for Clacton, meandering our way
between the invisible sandbanks. Landfall was made, as scheduled, at 13.00 and
as there was a hour alongside before the afternoon cruise, we repaired to the
Dining Saloon for an excellent repast.
During the hour's pause, a handsome number of additional passengers joined the
steamer before her departure at 14.00. It was a three hour cruise that took us
south-west along the Essex coast, passing the mouth of the River Colne with the
small port of Brightlingsea nestling just inside. By now, it had clouded over
and the westerly wind was getting brisker.
Soon we reached the northern corner of the Dengie Peninsular, where the disused Bradwell Nuclear Power Station stands, and entered the River Blackwater. We turned abeam of Tollesbury with the other small Essex port of Maldon in the distance.
Then back to Clacton Pier, where Tilbury and Southend passengers had a short walk to the Promenade to join their coaches home. Meanwhile, having disembarked over 400 passengers, the Waverley steamed off light northwards for her overnight berth at Harwich.