Stormy Channel Season
On the last day of July Balmoral called at Weston-Super-Mare, with a close view of the burnt-out Grand Pier, though the expected ‘disaster tourists’ failed to materialise to boost her numbers. On the following day the evening call at Clevedon was abandoned due to wind and sea conditions – with passengers coached home from Penarth- While similar conditions coupled with an exceptionally high tide meant a rare call at Portishead for the coach return. Sunday 3rd August 2008 saw excellent passenger loadings out of Lydney and Sharpness, but the following day the strong winds returned and the vessel was forced to turn back en route to Ilfracombe, though on the following two days she managed to reach Ilfracombe albeit having to cancel the Lundy sector of her trips.
After just two days of uninterrupted sailings, what is likely to prove to be the
worst ‘Channel’ weather in living memory returned and the sailings for 9th -11th
August were cancelled with the vessel sheltering in Penarth Roads. With Clevedon
Pier still untenable, an amended programme was devised for ‘The Glorious’ 12th
August, making use of Portishead once again, before Balmoral retreated to
Avonmouth Docks for shelter, normal service being resumed on Thursday 14th,
albeit starting at Penarth rather than Swansea and with the Bristol City Docks
cruise not possible due to late running.
The clear weather was not to last however, on Saturday 18th a short ‘Holms’
cruise out of Clevedon was all that could be offered and on the next day the
Lundy leg of the voyage was cancelled. It was then back to Avonmouth for shelter
from the storms, with the following three days' sailings cancelled. After just
four days of ‘normal’ service (21st-24th August) the complete Bank Holiday
Monday programme was abandoned due to sea conditions, as was that of Wednesday
27th, with an amended schedule on both the Tuesday and Thursday of that week (no
Swansea or Clevedon calls on both days, with Portishead substituted) There then
followed just three days of scheduled sailings (albeit with the evening Clevedon
call omitted on the last day of the month, but with Lundy being reached for the
first time in over five weeks!).
So ended a month which anyone connected with the ship would
prefer to consign to forgotten history!
Pictures by David Waters