Wonders of the Waverley at Worthing when the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer visited

With the beat of her paddles, the sound of her whistle and the aroma of hot oil in her engine room, the Waverley comes alive as she takes passengers on a nostalgic journey and 15 years ago, Worthing had the only pier in Sussex where the steamer could tie up.

But at 239ft long and with 693 tonnage, she proved too much for Worthing Pier on September 15, 2008, when wind whipped up just as she was docking. Hundreds of passengers were left disappointed when a bollard and timber gave way on the landing dock.

Worthing Borough Council said at the time that mooring lines attached to the bollard put it under a great deal of pressure and it gave way when an offshore wind caused a slight swell. People had travelled to Worthing from far and wide for the day trip to Lulworth Cove. The Waverley was winching in to allow the passenger walkway to be put out when the incident happened and it sailed away without anyone being able to board.

The following year, the paddle steamer made one successful visit to Worthing but its second docking on September 24, 2009, was cancelled as the waves proved too choppy and at the last minute, coaches were brought in to transport passengers to Portsmouth.

Waverley's sturdy lines, immaculately varnished decks and distinctive funnels were worth the wait. Built on the River Clyde and launched in 1946 to replace a ship of the same name sunk off Dunkirk in 1940, the paddle steamer barely left Scotland for decades. It became something of an icon after the Waverley Steam Navigation Company took over her operation, offering tours round the waters of the United Kingdom.

There are plenty of fascinating scenes to explore onboard, not least of which is the opportunity to watch the glistening, mesmerising engines chugging away. Initially powered by coal, they give off the heavy aroma of the oil which helps propel the massive, 18ft steamer wheels to speeds of more than 14 knots.

Worthing master joiner Tony Horn worked on the woodwork, having volunteered his services. He has loved ships since childhood and made the staircase, bar and windows on the paddle steamer. In the early days, he travelled to Glasgow to precisely measure the Waverley’s different windows and draw up templates.