Newhaven proudly welcomes back much-loved Paddle Steamer Waverley

Newhaven proudly welcomed back the much-loved PS Waverley this week as she picked up passengers for the Isle of Wight day trip. The world’s last seagoing paddle steamer made her first public sailing from Newhaven on 22nd September, her first since the 1980s, and just ten days before the 80th anniversary of her launch.

The popular paddle steamer departed mid morning with a full complement of passengers for a cruise along the Sussex coast and across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. For many, her distinctive silhouette and the sound of her steam engine bring back fond memories of days at sea. There were passengers on board from Eastbourne to Worthing and even a couple from Jeavons Toffee in Glasgow, whose business moved from Newhaven a couple of years ago.

As the coaches rolled in with passengers, the Wreckers, a local sea shanty band, sang some raw and rumbunctious shanties while everyone was boarding.

On what was one of the calmest days of the year, the Waverley sailed along the south coast and through the solent with passengers enjoying magnificent views of the busy shipping lanes, the Solent forts (or the Palmerston Follies as they are better known), the Needles, Alum Bay, and the historic dockyards of Portsmouth including the HMS Prince of Wales and destroyers in for maintenance.

Captain Stephen Tindale, Newhaven Harbour Master, said:

“Welcoming PS Waverley back to Newhaven after an absence of more than four decades was a proud moment for the port and the town.

“She is an extraordinary part of Britain’s maritime heritage, and seeing her sail from Newhaven with a full complement of passengers and onlookers all along the quayside waving, was a wonderful sight.

“This visit demonstrates as well that Newhaven has the berthing facilities, operational expertise and outstanding location needed to support passenger excursions and calls by smaller, select cruise ships which we are working to attract into Newhaven.

“With the South Downs, Seven Sisters and the historic and cultural attractions of East Sussex close at hand, Newhaven is exceptionally well placed to serve as a gateway to the county.”

Launched on 2 October 1946, PS Waverley entered passenger service the following year. She remains the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer in operation. Owned by a registered charity and operated on a not-for-profit basis, she underwent a £7 million heritage rebuild in two phases, completed in 2000 and 2003. Today, passengers can watch her triple-expansion steam engine at work and see the paddles turning through viewing portholes.

Her sailing follows another notable passenger-ship visit to Newhaven. In April, the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer became the first cruise ship to call at the port in more than ten years.

Both visits highlight Newhaven’s potential to welcome more specialist cruise ships and coastal excursions, bringing visitors directly into East Sussex. We hope to welcome PS Waverley back in 2027.