High winds force Waverley paddle steamer to change route

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 10:25 · Archive

Winds over 30 knots near Dover have forced the world's last seagoing paddle steamer Waverley to skip Eastbourne and Folkestone on 9 October.

High winds of more than 30 knots forecast near Dover have forced the Waverley, the world's last seagoing paddle steamer, to alter its scheduled route on Friday 9 October. The vessel will no longer call at Eastbourne or Folkestone but will instead depart from Rochester at 12.30pm, cruising down the River Medway and out to the Red Sands Forts before heading to Gravesend at 5.30pm and continuing up the Thames to London Tower Pier, arriving at 7.45pm. The ship will pass under a floodlit Tower Bridge during the journey.

Coaches will transport pre-booked passengers from Eastbourne and Folkestone to Rochester, departing at 10am and 11.30am respectively. All passengers from these two ports have been contacted about the changes. There will be no evening return coach from London to Rochester or Gravesend.

Waverley Excursions has reassured customers that sailings for the remainder of the weekend are expected to proceed as planned. On Saturday, the steamer will depart London at 9.30am for Thames cruises to Gravesend and Southend, with the evening return cruise fully booked. On Sunday, Waverley will leave Southend at 4.15pm for an evening cruise up the Thames to London. Limited ticket availability remains for one-way journeys between Rochester, Whitstable, Southend and Gravesend.

How it is being reported

• High winds force iconic steamer Waverley to change cruise routeHigh winds have forced changes to Waverley’s sailings today (October 9). Cruises from Southend this weekend are scheduled to go ahead as planned.Colchester Gazette · 9 Oct, 09:19
• High winds force iconic steamer Waverley to change cruise routeHigh winds have forced changes to Waverley’s sailings today (October 9). Cruises from Southend this weekend are scheduled to go ahead as planned.Echo (Basildon) · 9 Oct, 09:19

In this story: Waverley · Eastbourne · Folkestone · Rochester · Dover · London · Southend · Gravesend

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