Llandudno Pier

[Fester]

An early Christmas present for Llandudno, Menai and Caernarvon???

http://www.heritagesteamers.co.uk/balmoral/future.htm

And I'm sure we won't be doing a fly by!

Will be great to see the Balmoral back in Llandudno.   

Despite what the website says, there has been no contact between them and Llandudno Piers owners or Manager.
This will be followed up tomorrow.

[No 6]

It must be stressed that this venture is again volunteer led and charitable in nature. This is not intended in any way to be operation for dividend, although any trading activity needs to be self sustaining. The outline timetable is just that - exact days and calls are still to be finalised, but the importance of Llandudno cannot be overstated to any operation out of Liverpool and along the Straits.

Over £150,000 has been spent on the vessel during 2014 to retain her certificates to trade. A similar amount needs to be committed to underwrite a first trading season in new ownership.

It is anticipated that a transfer into Fund ownership will be concluded beofre Christmas, and then it really will be all systems go.

At that point all resources will need to be mobilised to create sufficent momentum to support her return to service.

Mr Masons phone will ring - rest assured.

[Ian]

I think we  all wish you well  :-)))

[Fester]

Mr Mason is now aware of it, as I informed him about it... and he is very positive about it.

Obviously there are things to be ironed out such as who does the mooring, insurance policies etc, but that is the case with any sailing.

[Merddin Emrys]

Hopefully unlike the Waverley it is able to dock!

[DaveR]

I think we  all wish you well  :-)))

Indeed! It will be great to see the Balmoral back in Llandudno.

[Fester]

The Waverley has a poor record in terms of docking in recent years, one might call it woeful.

Eastbourne Pier was quite badly damaged by a docking that went wrong, not many years ago.... wasn't that The Balmoral?

[Merddin Emrys]

Hard to believe that anyone would book tickets for the Waverley from Llandudno given the problems of the last couple of years!

[DaveR]

I imagine that the fact it's a Paddle Steamer might make it more difficult than a normal ship to dock? I am no expert though! 

[Merddin Emrys]

Agreed, but you would have thought that the owners / operators of a paddle steamer would have checked out the suitability of the pier for docking before offering tickets for sale? I was really looking forward to seeing it docked at the pier, but it seems that only the calmest sea would allow it!

[Ian]

The pier is situated in a wind shadow, so most of the time the wind blowing will be from the shore.  I think previous issues related to on-shore wind, which are the dangerous ones, since they can easily blow a ship of almost any size onto the pier .

[Yorkie]

I imagine that the fact it's a Paddle Steamer might make it more difficult than a normal ship to dock? I am no expert though! 

Despite the age of the Vessel, it is quite probable that it has, in recent years, been fitted with Bow and Stern Thrusters to assist with docking and other complicated manoeuvres.  I would hate trying to dock purely having to rely on two paddle wheels!
 ZXZ

[Fester]

The Waverley's master stated that it was not the paddles or any other structural problem which prevented docking.

I was simply the heavy swell, which made the gangplank too unstable for people to walk across.

It was a simple matter of passenger's Health and Safety, and I have to say I personally would not have fancied a cakewalk across from an ageing steamer, to a Victorian structure!

[mull]

No Bow thrusters on the Waverley.
She is as built in 1947.

[No 6]

The Waverley was fully rebuilt only a decade ago and has to pass stringent annual MCA tests to allow her to sail. The landing stage at Llandudno is fresh out of a refurb - so what's the problem?