This page shows images from the
Balmoral cruise from Clacton to
Southwold and Great Yarmouth on 7th July 2009. To sail on Balmoral contact:-
www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk
Balmoral had left Tilbury at 1000 and called at Southend at 1130.
She arrived at Clacton at 1400 where passengers from Tilbury had to
disembark for a coach return unless they made their own way back to Tilbury.
It was announced before departure for Southwold that berthing at Southwold
Pier might be difficult and that
Balmoral would continue to Great
Yarmouth if necessary. The weather had been sunny in Clacton all morning,
but a heavy shower as
Balmoral arrived was followed by cloudy skies
and occasional heavy showers for most of the journey until our arrival off
Great Yarmouth.
As
Balmoral approached the Rough Tower off Felixstowe, an RAF Sea
King rescue helicopter approached. The after decks were cleared of
passengers and the helicopter crew performed an exercise where a crew member
was winched down to the
Balmoral and then recovered. Heavy rain was
falling at the time plus a lot of spray was blown up by the helicopters
rotors. This is visible in the linked larger images.
Balmoral arrived off Southwold just after 1700, and the sea was
reasonably calm. As she approached the pier, the swell became worse and
Balmoral began to move a lot more. Three ropes were put ashore but
Balmoral's vertical movement against the pier made using the gangway
unsafe. The forward bow rope then parted, and
Balmoral quickly
dropped the other two ropes and reversed rapidly out to sea, She then made
for Great Yarmouth to where coaches were diverted to return passengers to
Clacton and Southend.
