Social Event - P S Waverley Trip 1.10.22

Our long awaited voyage from Southend Pier to Whitstable and back took place on Saturday 1st October 2022. 25 of us managed to park and either walk the 1 1/3 miles to the Pier End or take the train.
PS Waverley arrived on time at 13:30 from Gravesend/Tower Bridge and we had a breezy  and sunny afternoon for the 1 1/2 hour sail to Whitstable.
We disembarked for a stroll & snacks amongst the Seafood Sheds and Art Galleries on shore - the Whitebait was great!
Our return trip sadly came to a halt around 17:30 about a mile for Southend Pier, when the starboard paddle developed a fault. The engineers tried in vain to fix it, so a tug was called for - due to get to us for around 20:00. Meanwhile the bar queue lengthened somewhat! We limped slowly on one paddle to the Pier to tie up about 17:45.
Passengers for London & Whitsable were provided with coaches back to  their destination, as the trains were on strike. Our group walked back along the well-illuminated Pier or waited half an hour for the next train - we finally got back home circa 21:15

It was an enjoyable and memorable day - let's hope the breakdown has not cost the Waverley Charity too much.  - report by NM | photos from Ian & Neil