Will the Waverley sail in 2020?

A final decision has still not been taken on whether historic steamship PS Waverley will sail this summer.

The paddle steamer missed the entire 2019 season after both her boilers needed to be replaced.

A fund-raising campaign raised £2.3m to pay for the work – but then the Covid-19 lockdown meant sailings were impossible and the repair work was slowed down.

Paul Semple, general manager of Waverley Excursions Ltd, said the after funnel was reinstated yesterday and the forward funnel should be back aboard within days.

“We have yet to take the final decision on whether Waverley will return to service or not this summer,” he said.

“At the moment we are working to complete the boiler refit as work reduced during the lockdown and has recently increased in pace as contractors have returned.”

This summer’s original schedule would have seen additional stops at Kilcreggan pier – with a shuttle bus service operating between there and Helensburgh.

The pier at Helensburgh, which is owned by Argyll and Bute Council, has been closed to all marine traffic since October 2018 due to concerns over its condition.

Talks have been held with the Helensburgh Seafront Development Project, a group of community volunteers, over the pier’s long-term future.

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