Waverley’s South Coast sailings ended on a high with tickets sold out and glorious weather on Wednesday September 21.

In total over 18,500 passenger journeys were recorded between September 2 and 21. A notable highlight was Waverley making her return to Poole for the first visit since 2014.

The sailing ‘Round the Island’ proved as popular as ever with all six scheduled sailings round the Isle of Wight selling out in advance. Swanage proved to be a popular destination and boarding point with record numbers of passengers transferred for the afternoon cruises along Dorset’s Jurassic coast towards Lulworth Cove. On all cruises along the Jurassic Coast Waverley continued further west and gave passengers a view of Durdle Door.

Many of Waverley’s passengers took advantage of combining a trip on a paddle steamer with a ride on the Swanage Railway and travelled through the wonderful Purbeck countryside to Corfe Castle by steam train.

On Monday September 12 volunteers from the Steamship Shieldhall were invited aboard Waverley for the one-way trip from Southampton to Poole as the two largest steamships operating in Great Britain work closer together.

After completing her sailing on September 21 there was no rest for Waverley and her exceptionally hard working crew. As soon as passengers were disembarked and water taken Waverley was off again sailing east as she heads to the Thames and London.

Waverley will operate on the Thames until Sunday October 9 before making her return to the Clyde for the final sailings of the year on October 15 & 16.