Builders: J I Thorneycroft & Co Ltd Southampton
Propulsion type: Two 6 cylinder Newbury Sirron diesels
Owner: Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co Ltd, P & A Campbell Ltd, Helseam Ltd, Balmoral Excursions Ltd, Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Ltd
Service dates: 1949 - still sailing!
Tonnage: Net 310 Gross 736
Comments:
Balmoral has her own web site. She sails regularly around the British Isles and has an interesting history. Built originally as an Isle of Wight Ferry after the war she was used as a passenger and early car ferry from Southampton to Cowes. She also ran excursions around the island and sailed to Bournemouth. In 1968 she was chartered to P & A Campbell, who were in their declining years, and she sailed for them for 10 years before being purchased by the company. Sadly in 1980 she had the distinction to be Campbell's last ship, after 120 years operation by the company in the Bristol Channel.. Neglected she was intended for static use in Dundee as a nightclub, but was not successful in this role. The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society needed a ship to cover PS Waverley, who had been having boiler trouble and in 1986 Balmoral was purchased by Helseam Ltd prior to being transferred to Balmoral Excursions a couple of years later. She proved her worth by standing in successfully for Waverley in the River Thames in1987 after Waverley's boiler trouble recurred. Since then both ships have gone on from strength to strength, but not without a lot of hard work and dedication from her operators and supporters. This picture was taken as she was leaving Sandown Pier on 14 August 1966 and was taken by the late Cyril Perrier.