MV Balmoral, 'hampered by extreme weather'

Greenheart

Greenheart

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I just saw this nice old ferryboat/ excursion vessel on an episode of Coast.

MVBalmoral.jpg


A glance at Wikipedia shows that even though she was given new engines this century, she didn't sail in 2013 because "operation has been hampered increasingly in recent years by extreme weather conditions".

I wonder what that means in real terms?
 
She's in bristol. My understanding is that she is run by the same people that run Waverley. In one year, I thought it was 2014, they decided there was only enough money to run one vessel.
She always looks a little rough at this time of year but gets sorted in spring.
Allan
 
dancrane said:
IA glance at Wikipedia shows that even though she was given new engines this century, she didn't sail in 2013 because "operation has been hampered increasingly in recent years by extreme weather conditions".
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For those of us in SW Scotland, that they repeatedly cancelled her Garlieston - IoM trips citing "bad weather" on nice sailing days. Not that they ever bothered to tell anyone at Garlieston, you understand - I was among a couple of hundred people waiting for a non-existent ship in two, or perhaps three, different years.

Allan said:
She's in bristol. My understanding is that she is run by the same people that run Waverley. In one year, I thought it was 2014, they decided there was only enough money to run one vessel.
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She was run by the Waverley people, who gave up on her and passed her on to a new group. There are a few small signs of competence in the Waverley operation these days, but I think the Balmoral is more likely to survive on her own.
 
I've never been on Balmoral, but I would imagine she has similar restrictions to Waverley on operating in poor weather. Passenger safety and comfort is an important consideration nowadays, not like the old Sealink ferries which went regardless! I remember crossing from Newhaven in a F11 - 7 hours for a 3 hour crossing. The ferry going the other way was at sea for 12hours! But in those days they could get away with avoiding liability for injuries caused by bad weather.
 
oldharry said:
I've never been on Balmoral, but I would imagine she has similar restrictions to Waverley on operating in poor weather.
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Probably. But I think that under WSNCo management she was losing money hand over fist and so they used "bad weather" as a vague excuse for cancelling much of her programme.
 
I saw Balmoral close up going down the Maplin Edge a few years back, and was quite surprised how much she heeled when the passengers on deck moved to the side to wave at us....
 
Gladys said:
I saw Balmoral close up going down the Maplin Edge a few years back, and was quite surprised how much she heeled when the passengers on deck moved to the side to wave at us....
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I must have been on the same trip; I recall it had a nasty heel for what was only a fresh wind.
 
I've been on her. Most years she does at least one trip from Whitehaven to the IOM. Only JUST fits (inches either side!) through the sea lock at Whitehaven! She always had a reputation for being a very "rolly" boat when she was working, apparently. We've been lucky and enjoyed ideal conditions for both our IOM trips.
 
I've been on her too! About 40+ years ago when I was a school kid. Bristol to Weston-Super-Mare (I think) & back. :-)
 
I can't put links on here from this tablet but if you search Balmoral Watchet on YouTube, there is a 37sec video of a yacht claiming right of way over Balmoral! There used to be another from a different angle but I can't find it.
Allan
 
Balmoral was purchased from the Waverly company last year and is now run by a charity ( I think ) and trades as White Funnel. She had been left decaying in Bristol until taken over and spent a couple of weeks in dry dock in Sharpness for essential work. I understand she was active this last summer in the Bristol Channel and the Irish Sea around North Wales. White Funnel now have an office in Bristol and a few permanent members of staff including Balmoral's captain. A fine sight when under way.

j
 
Allan said:
I can't put links on here from this tablet but if you search Balmoral Watchet on YouTube, there is a 37sec video of a yacht claiming right of way over Balmoral! There used to be another from a different angle but I can't find it.
Allan
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Nice little video but what gives the yacht right of way?
 
We lay alongside Balmoral, in Fishguard in 1990.

It was freezing cold (literally), and we'd run out of fuel for our little Faversham stove.

Balmoral's skipper gave us a bag of their coal.

I didn't know, till then, that you could different coal for different purposes.

It didn't arf give out some heat, and soon had our stove glowing red.
 
Mataji said:
Nice little video but what gives the yacht right of way?
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The yacht came out of the marina with the lights on red, straight across the path of a vessel restricted in it's ability to manoeuvre. Members of the yacht crew were then heard shouting and swearing at Balmoral crew members. Of course they had right of way!!!
Allan
 
NealB said:
We lay alongside Balmoral, in Fishguard in 1990...Balmoral's skipper gave us a bag of their coal.

I didn't know, till then, that you could different coal for different purposes.

It didn't arf give out some heat, and soon had our stove glowing red.
Click to expand...

Nice story.

I mainly wondered what manner of weather would trouble a substantial little ship designed to operate in all weathers, but I can believe the company's excuse was made to ease her through thin financial times.

Let's hope she has a fine active future.
 
It's a lovely story, although I think she has now been re-engined with a couple of big MTB diesels? (They were certainly deisels in the engine room when we sailed on her).
 
Avocet said:
It's a lovely story, although I think she has now been re-engined with a couple of big MTB diesels? (They were certainly deisels in the engine room when we sailed on her).
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She has always been diesel - the original engines were by Thornycroft, who also built her. I'll guess that they had a solid-fuel stove for heating somewhere.
 
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