Maid of the Loch in drydock for refit
Paddle steamer overhaul
Loch Lomond paddle steamer, Maid of the Loch, was due yesterday (Thursday) to be lifted out of the water for only the second time in almost 40 years.
The 191ft long, 555-ton, paddle steamer is berthed at Balloch and was hauled out on to the slipway there.
Work will involve a full ultrasound survey on the ship’s hull to provide a definitive report on its current condition, before major refurbishment takes place.
This will include the restoration of the aft deck saloon to 1950s style, the creation of an education suite – and total rebuild of the main saloon with replica wood panelling and central heating.
A complete overhaul of the original engines and machinery will also be carried out to restore them to working condition, with steam set to be supplied by a package boiler on the pier.
Chairman of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company, John Beveridge, said: “The Maid coming out of the water is a terrific start to the New Year for the Loch Lomond Steamship Company.
“The procedure is expected to take up to four hours to complete, and really is a ‘must-see’ spectacle that the charity’s volunteers have worked tirelessly to see happen.
“The ship will dwarf everything around her, and the ingenuity behind pulling a 555-ton paddle steamer out of the water is an ‘impossible engineering’ feat that requires great care.
“This is a huge step forward for us; to be able to spend £1m awarded by the Scottish Government is fantastic and will transform her into an exciting visitor experience.
“We will be able to recreate her original 1950s Elizabethan style, and to be able to see her engines turning again after 38 years will be magical.’’
Work commenced before the new year in preparation for yesterday’s complicated manoeuvre.
The Maid has been emptied of all furniture and fittings, and the Balloch Steam Slipway has received new kneel blocks, guide wires have been added, and essential equipment ordered.
The campaign to restore the Maid and return her to a fully operational steamship was last month boosted after the £950,000 capital grant awarded by the Scottish Government was confirmed along with £50,000 from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, taking the work package to £1 million.
The Maid currently operates as a static tourist attraction and hopes to gain industrial museum status for the ship and steam slipway as a growing number of artefacts are collected and restored to working condition.
The Loch Lomond Steamship Company (LLSC) have worked tirelessly since 1996 to transform and restore the ship with the aim of bringing her ‘back to life’ and fully operational once again.
Mr Beveridge said following the award of the Scottish Government capital grant in December: “Getting her in steam and with her paddles turning again is the next best thing, and we anticipate great interest as people come to watch her majestic engines moving for the first time in 38 years.”