Waverley Rebuild News
First a big thank you to those of you who have
written in with information and suggestions. They have been
extremely helpful, and are being followed up. Please keep
writing!
Design work for the Rebuild has now started in
earnest. Burness, Corlett and Partners, our Naval Architect
consultants, are now reaching the end of a detailed process of
evaluation of the ship to determine weights, stability and other
factors which will ensure that the "new" Waverley will
be able to meet known and anticipated future legislation.
At the same time, the Marine Safety Agency has
now defined the regulations under which Waverley will ply
subsequent to the Rebuild. Where changes to the ship may have to
be made, they will as far as possible be out of sight of
passengers (e.g. a possible additional bulkhead below the main
deck in crew accommodation; a possible partial double bottom in
the forward part of the ship). Some regulations (e.g. fire
protection) will force additional equipment to be fitted in
passenger areas (e.g. fire doors, escapes), but these will be
made as inconspicuous as possible.
A Conservation Plan is being developed. It will
define heritage priorities and the methodology of achieving these
to be used in the Rebuild, and also be a fundamental tool in the
subsequent maintenance and repair of the ship.
We are delighted that Trevor George has been
appointed Chief Draughtsman to the Project. Through his family
connections (his father Jack George was one of the most famous of
post-War paddle steamer Masters) he has an intimate knowledge of
paddle steamers, which is a considerable advantage to the
project. He has already spent many hours measuring every nook and
cranny of the ship, and has designed a bow rudder which will be
if anything larger than its companion at the other end of the
ship. But rumours that Waverley will be going everywhere astern
after 1999 are false!
Within a matter of days now, Burness Corlett
will have reached preliminary recommendations as to the layout of
the hull in terms of bulkheads and structural fire protection.
Once this is done, the detailed design of internal spaces can
begin. Both we and the Heritage Lottery Fund are conscious that
sensitivity to heritage is vital, as is the production of a ship
which can fulfil the needs of passengers well into the next
century and generate sufficient revenue to succeed financially.
Submissions from the various potential interior design
consultants are with us, and will be considered in the coming
weeks.
The funding contract between PSPS and Waverley
Steam Navigation Company Limited is now finalised, and will allow
for regular inspections of the ship by PSPS members while work is
in progress at whichever yard is the successful tenderer. We are
currently on target in terms of timing, and, provided we remain
so, the work will start at the end of October and finish in June
next year.
Nick James, Chairman, Paddle Steamer Preservation Society
Ian McMillan, Engineering Superintendent, Waverley Excursions Ltd.
4 March 1998