2. Ships

MV Southsea on the Clyde in 1987

A Clydebuilt passenger vessel returns to the river after almost 40 years
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In August 1987 the paddle steamer Waverley sustained two instances of a collapse of one of the furnace tubes of her 6 year old Steambloc Boiler. As a result her passenger certificate was withdrawn the steamer was laid up for the remainder of the year pending investigation of the cause of failure and replacement of the furnace tubes. Waverley's September programme on the South Coast and Thames was undertaken by her fleetmate, the motor vessel Balmoral, which had been scheduled to undertake a three week programme of sailings on the Clyde. This was the first programme September sailings by Waverley Excursions for almost a decade other than the traditional Glasgow Autumn holiday weekend towards the end of the month. To maintain this programme Waverley Excursions (WEL) chartered the motor vessel Southsea from Sealink British Ferries in Portsmouth. Southsea sailed north to the Clyde during the first week of September and this picture shows her alongside Anderston Quay with Waverley laid up at Lancefield Quay.
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In August 1987 the paddle steamer Waverley sustained two instances of a collapse of one of the furnace tubes of her 6 year old Steambloc Boiler. As a result her passenger certificate was withdrawn the steamer was laid up for the remainder of the year pending investigation of the cause of failure and replacement of the furnace tubes. Waverley's September programme on the South Coast and Thames was undertaken by her fleetmate, the motor vessel Balmoral, which had been scheduled to undertake a three week programme of sailings on the Clyde. This was the first programme September sailings by Waverley Excursions for almost a decade other than the traditional Glasgow Autumn holiday weekend towards the end of the month. To maintain this programme Waverley Excursions (WEL) chartered the motor vessel Southsea from Sealink British Ferries in Portsmouth. Southsea sailed north to the Clyde during the first week of September and this picture shows her alongside Anderston Quay with Waverley laid up at Lancefield Quay.

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  • In August 1987 the paddle steamer Waverley sustained two instances of a collapse of one of the furnace tubes of her 6 year old Steambloc Boiler. As a result her passenger certificate was withdrawn the steamer was laid up for the remainder of the year pending investigation of the cause of failure and replacement of the furnace tubes. Waverley's September programme on the South Coast and Thames was undertaken by her fleetmate, the motor vessel Balmoral, which had been scheduled to undertake a three week programme of sailings on the Clyde. This was the first programme September sailings by Waverley Excursions for almost a decade other than the traditional Glasgow Autumn holiday weekend towards the end of the month. To maintain this programme Waverley Excursions (WEL) chartered the motor vessel Southsea from Sealink British Ferries in Portsmouth. Southsea sailed north to the Clyde during the first week of September and this picture shows her alongside Anderston Quay with Waverley laid up at Lancefield Quay.
  • Southsea's visit to the Clyde in 1987 was, in a way, a homecoming as the ship had been built on the river 39 years earlier by the famous Dumbarton shipbuilding firm of William Denny & Brothers. She was one of two sister ships built in 1948 to make up for wartime losses from the Southern Railway's fleet that served between Portsmouth and Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Her sister was named Brading.
  • By the time that Southsea and Brading were completed at Dumbarton the UK railways had been nationalised and the ships entered the fleet of new Southern Region. A third, similar but not identical, ship was provided by the same builder three years later in 1951, she being named Shanklin. For almost 30 years the three vesssels served on the very busy Solent services where their spacious wide decks (they had a very low length to beam ratio of almost 4:1) were used to great effect. None of the vessels had ever returned to the Clyde during the 1950s, 60s or 70s. This picture, taken from PS Waverley, shows Southsea and Brading in service on the Portsmouth-Ryde passenger service off Southsea War Memorial in 1982. In 1980, Shanklin was withdrawn and was purchased initially by Waverley's owning company, the Waverley Steam Navigation Company (WSN). She was brought to Waverley's base in Glasgow towards the end of 1980. In 1981 she was transferred into the ownership of the new Firth of Clyde Steam Packet Company who renamed her Prince Ivanhoe. The vessel was painted in WSN livery, registered in Glasgow and chartered to WEL for operation in conjunction with Waverley. During 1981 she operated sailings on the Clyde and Bristol Channel and showed signs of becoming a popular excursion ship but, sadly, the fine little vessel was lost after striking an unmarked, submerged object off the South Wales coast on 3 Aug 1981. She was replaced by MV Balmoral almost 5 years later. Southsea became the second of the Portsmouth trio to return to the Clyde, sailing further upriver than before and making her first visit to Glasgow.
  • Southsea and Brading at Portsmouth in 1982.
  • No attempt was made to change Southsea's livery to that of her charterers for her time on the Clyde. However, she flew the houseflag of the Waverley Steam Navigation Co. (Waverley Excursions parent company) at her mainmast and a Scottish (St Andrew's) Saltire at the jackstaff. WEL also had a special, traditional steamer name pennant (a white burgee with the ship's name in red letters) made and it can be seen in this view, flying proudly from the ship's foremast, as she prepared to leave from Glasgow Anderston Quay on her first ever Clyde excursion.
  • Southsea at Glasgow Anderston Quay
  • Southsea at Glasgow preparing for her first Clyde sailing with Waverley laid up ahead.
  • Southsea departing Glasgow, passing Waverley which was laid up for the remainder of 1987.
  • Southsea departing Glasgow, passing Waverley which was laid up for the remainder of 1987.
  • Southsea heading down the Clyde, passing the South Rotunda of the old Glasgow Harbour Tunnel on Mavisbank Quay, which was being renovated for a role in the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival. Ahead of the vessel is the 'Four Winds' Building of the former Princes Dock Hydraulic Pumping Station which became a tramcar depot and pub during the Garden Festival.
  • Southsea passing the Stobcross Crane
  • Southsea approaching Renfrew Ferry
  • Southsea passing Renfrew
  • Southsea passing Renfrew with her WSN houseflag and specially prepared name pennant showing to good effect.
  • Southsea passing the old Erskine Ferry slipway
  • Southsea passing under Erskine Bridge
  • Southsea passing under Erskine Bridge
  • Southsea passing Dunglass Light on the 'Lang Dyke'
  • Southsea passing the former Denny's shipyard at Dumbarton where she had been built 39 years earlier. Also in the view are Dumbarton Rock and Ben Lomond, the latter in the mist in the distance.
  • Southsea passing Dumbarton Castle
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