Maid of the Loch to be pulled out the water for restoration works

Loch Lomond’s paddle steamer, Maid of the Loch, is set to undergo a historic slipping today to carry out significant refurbishment works – only the second time the ship has been slipped in almost 40 years.

The slipping will be carried out by Mackay Boatbuilders Ltd, and will see the 191-foot-long, 555-ton paddle steamer hauled out of the water by the original winchhouse and onto the Balloch Steam Slipway, a Category A listed building. Once on the slipway, a full ultrasound survey, overseen by classification society Bureau Veritas, will be carried out on the ship’s hull to provide a definitive report on its current condition, before the major refurbishment takes place.

Work set to take place includes the restoration of the aft deck saloon to 1950’s style, the creation of an education suite and total rebuild of the main saloon aft to 1950’s style 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.

John Beveridge, Chairman of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company, said: “The Maid coming out of the water will be 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 1950’s 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 the 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.