Shoreham Port welcomes historic steamboat

The Waverley tours the south coast most years but has never visited Shoreham before

A historic steamboat made its first voyage to Shoreham Port on Wednesday morning, where it collected hundreds of people to travel to the Isle of Wight.

Built in 1946, the Waverley is the last remaining paddle steamer that carries passengers out into open seas.

Usually moored in Glasgow, she has been touring the south of England over the past few weeks.

"It's very rare that we actually come to a place she's never been before," said Andrew Comrie, the ship's purser.

Andrew Comrie is the ship's purser, meaning he takes care of the passengers as well as handling papers and finances

"Shoreham is one of those places and it's great to be here and great to see the amount of interest she's attracted."

The PS Waverley carried 630 passengers to the Isle of Wight, where some enthusiasts continued their journey on a steam train before returning to Portsmouth later on Wednesday.

Low tides at Shoreham meant they could not return there.

The ship's wheelhouse, where the captain steers the ship

Tig Savage is a Shoreham resident who boarded the PS Waverley for the first time.

She said she enjoyed the nostalgia of the 77-year-old ship.

"It's a wonderful thing to be able to do - I feel very privileged," she said.

Ms Savage added that she was looking forward to enjoying a glass of prosecco on the deck.

Sea conditions were good and the south coast scenery was "really great," said Mr Comrie.

"The chalk cliffs look really beautiful there with the aqua blue water," he added.

The Waverley is powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels

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