A £450,000 appeal has been launched to save the historic Balmoral ship after a string of bad luck saw more than half its scheduled sailings cancelled this year.

Supporters of the 68-year-old ship, which makes regular trips to Lydney and is the last seagoing passsenger vessel of her type, have just eight weeks to raise the cash for vital repairs if she is to sail in 2018.

MV Balmoral trustee Ross Floyd said: “We have a difficult task ahead with alterations resulting from changes to legislation and general maintenance to do, after a particularly poor summer season with low revenue and atrocious weather.”

Despite securing a rise in bookings of nearly two-fifths on 2016, a combination of the bad weather, breakdowns, administrative blows and accidents saw just 55 of 116 sailings completed.

The Bristol-based “small ship with the big heart” carries up to 800 passengers, with more than two million travelling on her since her launch in Southampton in 1949.

A statement by the trustees of the charity which owns her said a “truly rollercoaster summer” included some of the worst late season weather of recent years, a weeping rivet requiring a return to Sharpness dry-dock, the collapse of the Gravesend landing pontoon scuppering a Thames visit, and the last-minute cancellation of a popular Isle of Man trip after authorities withdrew permission for the sailing.

“On a full to capacity Bristol Channel sailing, a rope was dropped into the water from the quayside, became entangled in a propeller, worked its way under the rope guard and damaged a shaft seal. That required divers, another trip to dry-dock and a further two weeks’ lost service,” added the trustees.

“To have one incident in a season is not unexpected in any operation, but these unconnected problems were heart-breaking for passengers, crew and staff.

“Sadly economic facts can’t be avoided. In 2017 Balmoral managed only 55 of her 116 scheduled sailings, fractionally under half.

“Despite the huge popularity and increased passenger numbers when she did operate, we have a very large deficit and serious doubts about continuing coastal excursions without financial support – and we need that support urgently.

“We need to raise £450,000 and have no more than eight weeks in which to secure Balmoral’s future for a further season. After that time it could be impossible to book harbours, connections and her annual survey.

“We need funds to settle outstanding accounts from the 2017 season, pay for routine maintenance and to dry-dock and prepare the ship for 2018.”

To find out how to donate, go to the website at www.heritagesteamers.co.uk/balmoral