After a few years’ absence the heritage Paddle Steamer Waverley was once again to be seen and heard as it made numerous voyages along the Thames and around the Thames Estuary.
Launched in 1946 and making it’s maiden voyage the following year the PS Waverley is now the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world and whilst celebrating the 75th anniversary of her maiden voyage is still operating a programme of public excursions around the UK under the banner of Waverley Excursions.
I decided to have a trip down the Thames from Tower Millennium Pier to Southend Pier (the longest pleasure pier in the world) both to enjoy experience of steam-powered travel (I did a similar trip on the ST Portwey a few years ago) but also to see the sights (mainly boat related!) on a trip through the Port of London.
So it was up to the Upper Pool to board the PS Waverley and to experience the vessel being swung in the Upper Pool by a tug – this year Livett’s Group were providing the tug with THAMES VIXEN in attendance.
The next event of the trip was the passage through Tower Bridge that had opened to let us pass (something I have had the privilege to experience on quite a few occasions) accompanied by a blast of the ships whistle and a greeting to the onlookers from the crew.
The following video contains a number of clips of the early part of the journey including the swing in the Upper Pool and transits of Tower Bridge and the Thames Barrier.
Looking back at Tower Bridge as a pair of City Cruises sight-seeing boats head up river.
It was then off down the Thames through East London with it’s many familiar sights as well as the major Thames Tideway Tunnel site at Chambers Wharf where I was lucky enough to see a delivery of tunnel lining components being delivered by barge – part of the Tideway project’s desire to reduce the amount road traffic to the central sites.
As we rounded Blackwall Point we passed the small passenger ferry that runs between Trinity Buoy Wharf and the O2.
A little later we passed another major civil engineering tunneling project – this time the Silvertown Road Tunnel site. No barges alongside at the time of my visit but another project making use of the Thames for materials transport – including the delivery of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).
Next up was the always impressive sight of the Thames Flood Barrier and just after that is the Thames Refinery Wharf that serves the Tate & Lyle sugar plant with a large bulk carrier being unloaded.
At this point I took the opportunity of going below decks on the WAVERLEY to have a look at the engine and to look through one of the portholes that allows you to view out through the paddle wheels – a space full of the sights, sounds and smells of a working steam engine. The video posted above contains a few more pictures and a video of this area.
At the time of my trip quite a few of the river berths were empty and so the next ship we encountered was the Tanker EVIAPETROL V making it’s way to Dagenham.
We next saw the POLLA ROSE unloading at Erith – once a regular visitor to the middle Thames area on aggregate runs but now doing an intra-port shuttle between Tilbury and Erith helping keep lorries off the roads.
As we approached Purfleet we encountered the only other bridge on the trip – the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at Dartford. On the Northern bank of the river is the Purfleet Ro-Ro (Roll-On Roll-Off) truck ferry jetty – only the trailers are transported across the North Sea to Belgium where locally based tractor units take them to their final destination.
Also heading up river at this time was General Cargo Ship FEED ROGALAND making it’s way to Erith.
As we passed West Thurrock jetties on the Northern bank there was the General Cargo Ship NECKARBORG and the Tanker SEACOD unloading their cargo.
On the Sothern bank at Northfleet the General Cargo Ship MARATONA was alongside.
The next point of interest was the Port of Tilbury – the Port of London actually contains jetties operated by various operators and at Tilbury there are berths both along the riverside and within the enclosed docks system.
The Container Ship SC MARA was alongside on one of the river berths and was in the process of being unloaded. The vessel is owned and operated by UniOcean Lines and also carries containers of their subsidiary Ellerman Lines – the latter having an historical connection with the Port of London as Ellerman was a cargo and passenger shipping company that operated from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century and also operated in the Royal Docks.
The jetty at the London International Cruise Terminal in addition to supporting visiting Cruise Ships and the Gravesend – Tilbury passenger ferry also provides another Ro-Ro freight berth and on this occasion the Vehicle Carrier MORNING CELESTA was in residence.
THAMES SWIFT is one of the vessels that is used to operate the Gravesend – Tilbury passenger ferry.
Due to how busy the Port is and the complexities of navigating the tidal river vessels of a certain size require the support of a PLA pilot and so we slowed as we came abeam Gravesend to rendezvous with GUIDE, one of the Pilot Cutters that support operations on the Thames.
As we passed the Svitzer tug base at Denton there was just SVITZER INTREPID sitting on a buoy awaiting the next job – I don’t have a record of this tug having visited the Middle Thames region in the last few years as it is mainly used to work on the large vessels at Tilbury and London Gateway.
With the Pilot on board we headed further down river whilst in the opposite direction the SEA SHANNON was headed for Erith.
After a cruise following the meandering river the ever expanding London Gateway port came in to view with three large Container Ships alongside engaged in importing and exporting various commodes all around the world.
Working at the London Gateway site were a team of three Svitzer tugs supporting the departure of MSC MARIA ELENA – Svitzer has tugs based at both Sheerness and Gravesend to provide tug support to vessel movements across the Thames and Medway river areas.
A little further down river SVITZER LONDON was waiting for the next customer.
The Tug VB PANTHER is seen heading out to meet it’s next ship whilst in the background container ship SEALAND WASHINGTON makes it’s way towards the London Gateway site.
The Thames Estuary is a busy shipping area – here two inbound vessels pass an outbound Ro-Ro ferry.
Soon the end point of the journey came in to sight – Southend Pier (all 1.34 miles of it!) seen against the stormy skies and grey-green waters of the Thames Estuary.
The pictures below show the final stages of the approach to moor alongside the pier, then one of the WAVERLEY as it prepares to depart and finally as it turns to head back up river to Gravesend.
A very enjoyable trip with lots to see along the way that gives an idea of the scale and diversity of operations in the Port of London.
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