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 Key
Dates
1945: Waverley's keel laid on 27th December
at the A. & J. Inglis yard, Pointhouse, Glasgow.
1946:
Waverley launched by Lady Matthews on 2nd October.
1947: Waverley
enters service on Monday 16th June for a cruise up Loch
Goil and Loch Long to Lochgoilhead and Arrochar.
1947:
Captain John Cameron becomes the first master of Waverley
with William Summers as her first Chief Engineer.
1948:
Waverley abandons her attractive LNER livery as she transfers to the
new British Transport Commission.  1951:
Waverley transferred to the Caledonian Steam Packet Company Limited.
1953:
The previously lovely 'scumbled' deck houses were painted
white and the ventilators silver in Caledonian style.
1955: Waverley
revives the "Round the Lochs" cruise on Wednesdays.
1957:
Waverley's boiler converted from coal to oil burning.
1959:
Waverley's paddle boxes were painted white.
1960:
Radar fitted to Waverley.
1969:
Bill Summers retires as Waverley's Chief Engineer
after 22 years in the job.
1970:
Waverley passes from railway onwership for the first
time as she becomes part of the Scottish Transport Group.
1970:
Waverley officially becomes the 'last sea-going paddle steamer in Europe'
with the withdrawal of the Caledonia.
1972:
Waverley becomes the sole surviving Clyde paddle
steamer.Paddle boxes painted black.
 1972:
Waverley celebrates her 25th Anniversary with a special cruise and the
unveiling of a commemorative plaque aboard the steamer.
1973:
Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. was formed from the Caledonian
Steam Packet Company and David MacBrayne Ltd.. A new colour
scheme of red funnels with black tops with yellow discs
and red lions was introduced.
1973:
Waverley withdrawn from service and offered for Preservation.
1973:
Waverley offered to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society for £1
on 22nd November!
1974:
On 8th August, Waverley was handed over by Calmac
to the Waverley Steam Navigation Company.
1975: Waverley
booked into Scott's Garvel Drydock for a four-week stay
to be made ready for her new life.
1975:
Captain David Neill appointed as master of Waverley.
1975: Fires lit for the first time on 10th May.
1975:
Waverley's first cruise on Thursday 22nd May under WSN ownership. Waverley
was based for 4 days a week at Ayr and for 3 at Glasgow. 1977:
Waverley sailed away from the Firth of Clyde for the first time. On 28
April Waverley sailed for Liverpool for a series of sailings to participate
in the Centenary celebrations of Llandudno Pier. 1977:
Waverley almost lost as she bacame impaled on the Gantock rocks off of
Dunoon. 1978: Waverley
visited London, the Thames and South coast for the first time for a highly successful
programme of cruises in April. Waverley passes Lans End for the first time on
16th April. 1979:
Waverley made new calls at Torquay and Plymouth as well as a porgramme
of cruises in the Bristol Channel.
1979:
During the season, 230,000 passengers sail on Waverley,
nearly double the 1975 figure. Of these, 66,000 had sailed
on her during her visit south!
 1980:
Captain John Cameron, Waverley's first Master and the commander of
her illustious predecessor joined Waverley for a commemorative cruise to
mark the 40th Anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation.
1981:
Waverley made history as she became the first coastal steamer to sail round
Britain offering excursions at various ports on her way round. 1981:
Waverley undertakes cruises from Hull, Newcastle and South Shields as well
as calls at Scarborough and Middlesbrough. 1981:
Waverley makes her first visit to the Western Isles. 1982:
Waverley makes her first visit to the sacred island of Iona on 24th April.  1984:
The first official meeting took place between Waverley and Kingswear Castle
on the River Medway on Sunday 16th September.
1986:
Waverley finds a consort - the Balmoral. 1985:
Waverley pays her first visit to a foreign country with a visit to Eire
for several days of cruising. The Irish tricolour was flown as a courtesy flag.
She undertakes cruises to Dublin, Dun Loaghaire, Wicklow and Arklow. 1986:
Waverley undertakes a further series of cruises in Eire to Rosslare, Waterford,
Cork, Youghal and Kinsale.
1990:
In May, Waverley undertakes a series of cruises towards
the french coast to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of
the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.
1993: Waverley makes a special call at Otter
Ferry Pier at Easter. The last steamer call had been in
1914!
1994:
Waverley participates in the Spithead Fleet Review
to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings.
Other ships that took part include the Britannia,
Queen Elizabeth 2, Canberra, USS George
Washington and the US liberty ship Jeremiah O'Brien.
1999: Waverley arrives at the George Prior
yard just before Christmas for the first phase of her 'Heritage
Rebuild'.
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