Late Rush on the Clyde
by Stuart Cameron
Waverley was back in service on 24 August 1999 after missing her final Ailsa Craig cruise the previous say due to crew illness. Several of the crew were struck down by a bug and she did not have sufficient crew to meet MCA manning requirements - pity because the weather was perfect and high passenger numbers were anticipated.
Passenger numbers have been very good in August and Ellie Newlands was quoted in the Glasgow Herald as saying 1999 numbers are up on both 1998 and 1997.
Waverley had two busy cruises on Friday, 20 August, the evening cruise being attended by Capt and Mrs Gellatly as passengers!
Sundays continue to be quiet although 22 August was the exception with a special party of 350+ Rotarians, etc boarding at Largs for the short trip to Rothesay.
At Rothesay on the return her call (late due to high numbers at Dunoon) the call coincided with that of the late arrival back from Tarbert of CalMac's M.V. Pioneer. A curious switch of cruise / ferry between M.V. Pioneer and M.V. Jupiter at that time resulted in the three vessels being near the pier and a combined total probably in excess of 600 people waiting on the pier to board - it looked like something from the 1950s
At Largs, Waverley was delayed by Jupiter but an impressive 4 gangway operation resulted in over 400 passengers being disembarked in less than 10 minutes