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Friday, October 15, 1999 Published at 09:02 GMT 10:02 UK


UK: Wales

Paddle steamer heads for dry dock

The Waverley is set to be rebuilt

The world's only sea-going paddle steamer left Penarth in South Wales for her last voyages of the Millennium.

The Waverley is used for pleasure cruises from Newport, Penarth, Barry Island, Porthcawl and Swansea across the Bristol Channel.

The unique steamer is going into dry dock for seven months, to be completely rebuilt at a cost of £3.5m.

Earlier this year nearly 400 passengers returned home after spending 11 hours stranded in the Bristol Channel overnight.

The Waverley was returning to Penarth from Ilfracombe in Devon when one of its paddles broke down.

Several lifeboats were called out as a precaution, and tugs from Cardiff and Bristol arrived at two in the morning to tow the stricken steamer to Barry Docks.

The Waverley paddle steamer also steamed down to Swansea docks for a check-up and minor repairs in May after running aground in the River Avon near Bristol.

The steamer had dropped off passengers in Bristol and was heading to Clevedon to anchor for the night when it touched mud.



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