Southampton’s heritage steamship, Steamship Shieldhall, has always been well-known for its ‘access all areas’ approach, whereby guests on her cruises are welcome to visit the Engine Room, Boiler Room and Bridge and admire her 1950s technology and apparatus.
Now the ship’s volunteers are offering the opportunity to get even more involved, by offering ‘Steam Experience Days’ – a unique opportunity to help raise steam and take Shieldhall out to sea during her programme of summer cruises.
A 1 Day ‘Silver’ ticket (£299) and 2 Day ‘Golden’ ticket (£499) are available on selected dates during the 2019 sailing season, with numbers capped at four persons per course so that the hands-on nature of the experience can be maximised.
Shieldhall’s Chief Engineers Graham Mackenzie and Graham Martin are looking forward to welcoming participants, and they promise an entertaining and educative time on board:
‘Our guests will enjoy a full hands-on experience on a wide variety of steam engines. Shieldhall has twenty engines ranging from one to eight hundred horsepower, single cylinder to twin Triple Expansion, all powered by two Scotch boilers.
‘We will cover safety practices aboard Shieldhall; the production and utilisation of steam through Shieldhall’s boilers and engines, together with preparation of all auxillaries with the raising of steam.
‘There will be time spent at sea with opportunities to operate all engine and boilers under supervision, and a spell at the wheel on the Bridge. Membership of the Solent Steam Packet – the charity that operates Shieldhall – is also included for one year. We hope the courses whet peoples appetites and that they return to Shieldhall or perhaps volunteer as future crew!
’Steamship Shieldhall is listed on the National Historic Ships register and was constructed in 1955 for the Glasgow Corporation. In service for Glasgow between 1955 and 1977, she moved to Southampton in the employ of Southern Water between 1980 and 1985, before being purchased by the Solent Steam Packet Limited, the charity that continues to operate Shieldhall today.
Full information on dates and timings for the courses (being staged at intervals between May and September) can be found by visiting www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk/courses-steamship-experience-courses.
Tickets can be purchased online or through the ticket manager on 0844 357 2329 (calls charged at 7p per minute, charges from mobiles may vary) or email: tickets@ss-shieldhall.co.uk.
Shieldhall’s 2019 sailing programme can be viewed at www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk.
Tickets for Shieldhall’s 2019 sailing programme may also be purchased online at www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk or by contacting the Ticket Manager on 0844 357 2329 2329
Nigel Philpott, Marketing Director, can be contacted on 023 8084 3310 or tickets@ss-shieldhall.co.uk
