ANGRY paddle steamer passengers were forced to disembark their ship in port this week, after the historic vessel they were travelling on broke down.

Almost 230 passengers were set to steam back to Swanage, following a day excursion to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, when a problem with the vessel’s boiler developed.

The Waverley, the last remaining sea-going paddle steamer in the world, had picked up passengers in Bournemouth, Swanage and Weymouth earlier on Wednesday.

Terry Cribbs, who was visiting friends in Swanage with his wife, Annie, said he eventually got home three hours later than scheduled.

The paddle steamer company made alternative arrangements and after a one and-a-half- hour wait at Yarmouth passengers boarded the Lymington ferry, which was met by coaches for onward travel.

Terry, 83, from Pennsylvania in The United States, said: “Time went by, no engine noises, nothing. Then after 7pm an announcement was made that there was a problem, and that they were laying on another ship and coaches.

“Lots of people were angry, especially when the coaches turned up - there was just so many people trying to get on at once. The upshot was, we were supposed to be meeting people in Swanage at 8pm, but we arrived at 11pm - and that was only due to the heroic efforts of our coach driver.”

In 1975, at the end of her working life, the Waverley was bought for £1 by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.

Yesterday, a company spokesman said: “A fault developed with one of Waverley’s boilers at Yarmouth which meant that the ship could not return to Swanage to meet the coaches for the return to Bournemouth.

“There were 228 passengers on board, 54 of them from Bournemouth, and they were advised of the issue by the captain whilst we looked at options for returning them home.

“The faulty part in the boiler has been replaced and Waverley will be calling at Bournemouth Pier today to take passengers to Swanage & Lulworth Cove. The company apologises for the inconvenience caused to passengers.”