Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

News Event

Thursday, September 3, 2020 @ 1715
WAVERLEY (1947 - 1974 Excursion paddle steamer 240 feet long of Caledonian Steam Packet Company, Gourock) Own Page

Paddle Steamer WAVERLEY collides with pier at Brodick (Isle of Arran) injuring 24 passengers

Ship's locationBrodick (Isle of Arran, Firth of Clyde, Scotland)Port of RegistryGlasgow (Scotland, U.K.)
Gross Tonnage693

 

E-mail from Chris Greenhalgh (Edinburgh  … and Leeds)

 

WAVERLEY collides with pier at Brodick (Isle of Arran)

 

   Thursday 3 September 2020 and excursion paddle

steamer WAVERLEY was making a sailing along the coast

of Arran.   It was a bright, clear day with little wind, and

everyone appeared to be enjoying the trip.

 

   About 1715 when approaching Brodick pier she collided

bow-first into the east berth of the pier.   She was

carrying 213 passengers and 26 crew members, and

the impact of the collision catapulted passengers to

the deck.

 

   24 passengers were injured, some seriously, others

less seriously.  The island’s Emergency services made a

full response and were quickly on the scene. 

   The volunteer Fire and Rescue Service assisted many

of the injured from the ship and some were taken by

ambulance to the War Memorial Hospital at Lamlash.

The most seriously injured were flown to the mainland,

to Crosshouse Hospital near Kilmarnock, by the Air

Ambulance and Coastguard Rescue helicopters.

 

   WAVERLEY, due to the heavy contact with the pier,

had damage to her bow.

 

   The British Maritime and Coastal Agency and the

Marine Accident Investigation Branch are investigating

the accident.

 

    Meantime the ship remains berthed at Brodick Pier.

 

   138 of Waverley's passengers wished to return to

the mainland and Caledonian MacBrayne arranged

for a special sailing of their CALEDONIAN ISLES

leaving Brodick at 2235 that evening to bring the

passengers to Ardrossan.

 

   It is sad to consider that WAVERLEY had just returned

to service after two years off, and only a fortnight earlier

had finished a 2 million-pounds refit at the Dales Marine

Services Yard at James Watt Dock, Greenock.  Some very

recent images on this website show her looking immaculate

as she neared her return to service.