Paddle Steamer List

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PADDLE STEAMERS IN PASSENGER SERVICE : Side-wheel paddle steamers
The steamers (and motor paddlers), where they sail, who operates them and who supports them : links to detailed information, photos and official websites

savoie geneva 2007.jpg

Above : Paddle Steamer Savoie on Lake Geneva

Waverley, in the UK, is the world's last sea-going paddle steamer and the only one now offering coastal cruises. All other European paddlers now only operate on large rivers or on lakes with the exceptions of Freya which operates in northern Germany generally keeping to the Kiel Canal and Elbe estuaries, the UK's Kingswear Castle, which itself keeps to estuarine waters, and the UK's very small paddler Monarch, which are the only other "salt-water" paddlers. Some paddle steamers are retained in their original fleets, others are now owned and operated by preservation groups. In a number of cases, enthusiasts have restored decommissioned paddle steamers and subcontracted operation back to their original owners. Freya is remarkable in having been bought by a commercial operator many years after she was restored by an enthusiast and operated as part of their fleet. Click here for stern-wheel (Mississippi-style) paddle steamers which are listed separately

Key to the tables listing paddle steamers below : where there is a hyperlink, please click to find further information

OPERATING AREA : to see photos of the area in which the paddle steamers sail. (pages being developed over time)
PADDLE STEAMERS : to go to a dedicated page profiling the vessel, with photographs when available and historical notes
YEAR : the date the ship was first in service. In reality, most are much newer vessels due to periodic extensive re-fits based on the original structural elements
COUNTRY OVERVIEW : Context of paddlers in the country including under "more", a detailed review of how the ships came to be saved and how they now fit in to modern service schedules.
OPERATING COMPANY : for Tramscape's review of company operations and links to the fleet, current and historic (where there is more than one ship to review)
WEBSITE : to go to the operating company's website for official information, timetables and fares (most have English language option). Many have Company Annual Report & Accounts posted.The SGV and CGN in Switzerland are especially forthcoming with information about ship and other operating costs, passenger numbers (by ship, day and pier) etc

Please always check with the operator before travelling if you are intending to sail on a paddle steamer as some may be out of service for repair whether short-term or for a longer full renovation. Most websites are good at giving up-to-date details of steamer services
Go also to John Bird's site for the latest on Swiss and Italian schedules, updated daily to include details of special paddler services not always well advertised in advance
Go also to the Swiss magazine "Dampferzeitung" website http://www.dampferzeitung.ch/ and follow the link to "Aktuell" for the latest special sailings news for Swiss lakes, Germany and Austria
IF YOU WOULD LIKE CLARIFICATION ON ANY MATTER REGARDING THESE STEAMERS : ASK THE WEBMASTER : HE MIGHT WELL BE ABLE TO HELP

PADDLE STEAMERS

Please note : ships may be out of operation either because it is out of season, the ships are undergoing repair or might be out of service for longer lasting restoration work. Please check with the ship operators for the current status

Country / Operating Area	Paddle Steamers	Year	Country Overview / Operating Company / Basic Service Pattern	Website
United Kingdom			Preservation in the UK has been undertaken by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, an enthusiast's group with charitable status.
Firth of Clyde / UK coast	Waverley	1947	Waverley Steam Navigation Co Ltd / Waverley Excursions Ltd Full day cruises offered around the UK coast normally from Easter until mid October. On the Firth of Clyde during high summer normally preceeded by a few weeks on the Bristol Channel, then English South coast and River Thames in late summer / early autumn. Waverley is the world's only sea-going paddle steamer Link to PSPS (supporters group) central website : PSPS Scottish Branch website	Click here
River Dart	Kingswear Castle	1924	Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust (Trading) Ltd New for 2013, the ship will return to her original operating home on a 15-year charter to the Dartmouth Steam Railway & Riverboat Company Owner's website Link to supporters group website	Click here
Wareham, Dorset	Monarch	1994	Wareham Boat Hire Small paddle steamer built privately but used for short trips for paying passengers. Sold in 2012 to be based at Wareham, Dorset but not expected to be in service until during 2013	Click here
Switzerland			Commercial operators have retained paddle steamers as part of their larger fleets, with support from enthusiast groups. Blumlisalp was restored by an enthusiast group who retain ultimate ownership, although she is operated by her original owners.......(more).
Vierwaldstattersee (Lake Lucerne)	Uri Unterwalden Schiller Gallia Stadt Luzern	1901 1902 1906 1913 1927	Schiffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstattersees (SGV) Fully integrated into the SGV public timetable with all available paddlers active in high summer sailing the length of the lake and back from Luzern. Unterwaden cruises into the Alpnachersee to Alpnachstad under a low bridge. Slightly reduced paddler service in early and late summer. In recent years one paddler (normally Uri) active over Christmas and New Year. Unterwalden is out of service until 2011 for a major refit. Link to supporters' group website	Click here
Lac Leman (Lake Geneva)	Montreux La Suisse Savoie Simplon Rhone	1904 1910 1914 1920 1927	Compagnie General de Navigation sur le Lac Leman (CGN) Fully integrated into the CGN public timetable with all paddlers active in high summer sailing on a range of cruises from Geneva and Lausanne, normally calling at all piers. Slightly reduced paddler service in early and late summer, but "retired" vessels sometimes active on charter sailings. The CGN also operates motorised ex-paddle steamer Vevey (see table below) plus two others currently laid-up awaiting re-fit. Link to supporters' group website	Click here
Thunersee (Lake Thun)	Blumlisalp	1906	Schiffsbetrieb BLS on behalf of Vaporama Summer return service from Thun to Interlaken (West) as part of BLS public timetable although the vessel itself is owned by a steam preservation society (Vaporama). Link to supporters' group website	Click here
Brienzersee (Lake Brienz)	Lotschberg	1914	Schiffsbetrieb BLS Two summer return services from Interlaken (East) to Brienz as part of BLS public timetable Link to supporters' group website	Click here
Zurichsee (Lake Zurich)	Stadt Zurich Stadt Rapperswil	1909 1914	Zurichsee-Schiffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG) Integrated into the ZSG timetable with limited sailings outside the summer season, mainly at weekends Link to supporters' group website	Click here
Germany			On the Elbe a large paddler-only fleet survived the demise of the GDR and most ships been meticulously restored. Museum and enthusiast groups have saved other individual examples. On the north coast a large excursion fleet operator bought the restored PS Freya to add to their motor ship fleet.
River Elbe, Dresden	Stadt Wehlen Diesbar Meissen Krippen Pillnitz Kurort Rathen Pirna Dresden Leipzig	1879 1884 1885 1886 1892 1896 1898 1926 1929	Sachsische Dampschiffahrts GmbH & Co Long summer season of scheduled services on the River Elbe, mostly originating at Dresden, but with vessels also based at Bad Schandau, Koenigstein and Pirna to provide a range of full day cruises. The frequency of vessels allows shorter trips and return on a different paddler especially in high season. Short non-landing cruises are offered from Dresden (to the "Blue Wonder" bridge) and return trips to nearby Pillnitz palace also available. One downstream service to Meissen and return is scheduled.	Click here
River Elbe, Lauenburg	Kaiser Wilhelm	1900	Lauenburger Elbeschiffahrtsmuseums e.V. A range of short and longer day trips on the Elbe Currently out of service due to boiler trouble. Funds for her repair are still being sought	Click here
River Weser, Minden	Wappen von Minden	1949	Flotte Weser GmbH Offers cruises out of Minden (usually Fischertor Pier)	Click here
Bodensee (Lake Constance)	Hohentwiel	1913	Internationales Bodenseeschiffahrtsmuseum. Mainly special lunch and dinner cruises requiring advance booking or charters Link to supporters' group website/	Click here
Kiel Canal and north Germany	Freya	1905	Adler-Schiffe Gmbh & Co, KG Timetabled services from Kiel west to Rendsburg and east to Laboe and services over complete Kiel canal to Brunsbuttel. Occasional Elbe cruises from Hamburg and coastal cruises from Rostock.	Click here
Austria			The two remaining paddlers were saved by enthusiasts. Gisela is subcontracted to the Traunsee's commercial motor ship operator for operation, Schonbrunn is owned and operated by a museum group.
Traunsee	Gisela	1871	Traunseeschiffahrt Karlheinz Eder GesmbH Owned by a preservation group, but integrated into the main public timetable, Sundays early July to early Sept : From Gmunden 11:30-13:50 and 14:00-16:35 on Sundays. Additional Saturday trips - but you need to check in advance.	Click here
River Danube	Schonbrunn	1913	OeGEG - Oesterreichische Gesellschaft fuer Eisenbahn Geschichte Full-day cruises on selected summer weekends mainly departing from Linz but additional cruises throughout year in the Wachau valley etc.	Click here
Italy			State-owned operators on the northern lakes have retained paddlers in their fleets but use them sparingly. Patria has been restored under local provincial ownership but is yet to sail commercially
Lake Como	Concordia	1927	NLC - Navigazione Lago di Como Paddle steamer Concordia has seen limited use in recent years and was taken out of service in 2012 for boiler replacement.	Click here
Lake Como	Patria		Provincia di Como Patria has been out of service since 1990 but a restoration project started in 2009 and the ship made her first trial run under steam on May 8th 2013. It is reported that she will be able to take passengers in June but it is not clear what role she will play except possibly to be available for charter
Lake Maggiore	Piemonte	1904	NLM - Navigazione Lago di Maggiore Limited use by NLM and mainly available for charter Lake Maggiore shipping enthusiast website	Click here
Netherlands			A German paddler was saved by an enthusiast and is now a successful venue for functions in Rotterdam.
Rotterdam	De Majesteit	1926	Nederlandse Raderstoomboot Maatschappij Mainly used as a floating restaurant in Rotterdam, particularly for functions. Can be chartered to sail from Rotterdam	Click here
Czech Republic			The main local excursion ship operator in Prague retains two paddlers as part of its service fleet. A private owner has recently built a genuine new steamer
River Vltava, Prague	Vysehrad Vltava	1938 1941	PPS-EVD : Prague Passenger Shipping Public scheduled sailings from Prague, with a mixture of local cruises and longer day cruises to the Slapy Dam. Occasional long trips to Melnik at Vltava/Labe confluence	Click here (English)
River Vltava, Prague	Sirius	2010	VZK (vodni zasilatelstvi Kedrst) Operates on charter only for "under the bridges" tours in central Prague for up to 40 passengers. Captain Kedrst's private company has two other motor ships	Click here
Romania			Tudor Vladimirescu is under state ownership and used for government duties
River Danube	Tudor Vladimirescu	1854	Despite a recent costly renovation from near-derelect condition completed in 2003, Tudor Vladimirescu is not available for public sailings. Information is sparse but she appears to be used by government agencies for conferences etc.but is also available for public charter
River Danube	Borcea	1914	Operated by the Ministry of Education and Heritage on short cruises for schoolchildren out of the port of Braila and is available for charter
Norway			Enthusiasts took over the long-established lake Mjosa operator to save and run a paddler as a tourist attraction.
Lake Mjosa	Skibladner	1856	A/S Oplandske Dampskibsselskab Short summer season sailing the length of Lake Mjosa from either Hamar, Lillehammer or Eidsvoll depending on the day	Click here
Denmark			Denmark's small river paddler is privately run as part of a fleet of seven..
Silkeborg	Hjejlen	1861	A/S Hjejlen Trips from Silkeborg to Himmelbergjet, Denmark's highest "hill"	Click here
Sweden
Forsvik	Erik Nordevall II	2011	Reconstruction from new of the Erik Nordevall, a wooden hulled paddler which was built in 1836 and sailed on Lake Vattern until it sank in a storm in 1856. The first run under its own steam was on August 1, 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1jG-rz-xkg) and on August 12th 2011 it undertook a five week round trip from Forsvik to Stockholm which included a royal christening. Services on the Motala canal are expected to start in 2012	Click here

Although manyDanube paddle steamers (including Schonbrunn) were fitted with limited overnight accommodation, Russian river ships have traditionally had considerable cabin accommodation and were originally used for passenger (and some freight) transport over long distances in remoter parts of northern Russia and Siberia. Although generaly no longer on these runs they still provide for longer cruises rather than day excursions

Russia
River Dvina, Archangelysk	N V Gogol	1911	Built in 1911 in Nizhny-Novgorod for service on the Northern Dvina river. Length : 110 m, breadth 14 m, draught 1.4 m Engines : Triple expansion with cylinders of 38, 61 and 110 cm and stroke of 110 cm and generating 380 hp and a normal top speed of 18 km/hour. Rarely in use but is available for charter and in recent years has been chartered for cruises generally of 2-3 nights by a local travel agency. In 2010/11 she was under internal renovation costing 40 million roubles Photo (2002) courtesy of Bill Worden Internet resource : http://www.autoreview.ru/archive/2009/15/vyezd/

Other Countries (non-European) : Click on the country for more information :

United States of America
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Egypt
Bangladesh
Burma
North Korea

MOTOR PADDLE VESSELS (CONVERTED FROM STEAM)

Goethe St Goar 2000.jpg

These vessels have been converted from steamers, usually as an economy measure undertaken when the original boiler was requiring replacement. The dates of conversion are shown in the column "MPV". The Year column shows the date of original construction.
The uproar which accompanied the decision of the Rhine's KD company to convert Goethe (seen at St Goar in 2000, above) to diesel operation after the 2008 season raised the question as to whether such ships have any real value. In Goethe's case she had only recently been "modernised" and although a fine ship, had very little of historical value left in her. Many enthusiasts declared that the converted Goethe would turn the Rhein into a type of Disneyland and vowed not to sail on the ship (or any other KD vessel) again.
Some of the earlier conversions were understandable : nostalgia for steam was still not a factor and it would have been a matter of scrapping the ship outright if the new technology had not been fitted. At least in these cases, the historical fabric of the ships remained. The Dutch vessel, Kapitein Kok, had diesels fitted to an old and almost derelict vessel - in reality, the only way the historical ship would have found a new life.

Country / Operating Area / Operator	Paddle Vessel Fleet	Year	MPV	Basic Service Pattern / Link to Operator page in this database	Website
Switzerland
Lac Leman (Lake Geneva)	Vevey	1907	1956	Compagnie General de Navigation sur le Lac Leman (CGN) CURRENTLY OUT OF SERVICE AND UNDER RENOVATION UNTIL LATE 2013. The CGN plans to return her to service on 12th October 2013 Withdrawn at the end of September 2010, finance has now been made available, mainly from the Swiss cantons which support the CGN to refurbish her -and she went into the Bellerive dry-dock on May 29th 2012 after running under her own power from her temporary mooring at Geneva for work to begin. The cost is estimated at CHF 13 million
Lac Leman (Lake Geneva)	Italie	1908	1958	ITALIE IS OUT OF SERVICE HAVING BEEN WITHDRAWN AFTER THE 2005 SEASON. The local supporters' group the ABVL has begun a campaign to collect funds to enable her restoration and return to service and it is now planned that the CGN will refurbish her return her to service probably in time for the 2015 season
Lac Leman (Lake Geneva)	Helvetie	1926	1977	HELVETIE IS OUT OF SERVICE HAVING BEEN WITHDRAWN IN 2002. Helvetie has been out of service since early 2002. She lay at the CGN Dockyard in Ouchy as the company desperately wishes to keep her - but she is one of the largest ships in the fleet at almost 74 metres, and not only would her total refurbishment be very costly, her operation would also be so. There is also the issue of how to integrate such a large vessel into any future timetable. Even before her withdrawal she spent much time as a reserve ship. The supporters' group ABVL have, however, the aim of ultimately assisting in her refurbishment, but if CGN and public funds are not available, this will not take place. In 2011 Helvetie entered the dry dock at Ouchy for a major, albeit cosmetic only, refurbishment so she could be used at the nearby Museum of the Olympics as temporary exhibition space. Whilst this is no guarantee of her future with CGN, it is a major step towards saving the fabric of the ship for an eventual full renovation.
Germany
River Rhein	Goethe	1913	2008	KD - Koln-Dusseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt Long season from late Spring through to mid-autumn on a full day trip from Koblenz calling at all piers to Rudesheim and return. For 2009 : 25th April - 4th October, usually from Koblenz (09:00 back 20:10) to Ruedesheim (15:15 / 16:15).	Click here
Chiemsee	Ludwig Fessler	1926	1973	Chiemsee Schiffahrt Ludwig Fessler Integrated into the lake's public scheduled timetable from Prien.	Click here
Austria
Wolfgangsee	Kaiser Franz Josef I	1872	1954	Salzkammergutbahn GmbH Public sailing schedule on Wolfgangsee
Italy
Lake Garda	Zanardelli Italia	1903 1909	1983 1980	NLG - Navigazione Lago di Garda Limited use as part of local lake scheduled timetable in summer season	Click here
Netherlands
Amsterdam	Kapitein Kok	1911	1977	Radersalonboot Kapitein Kok Mainly used as a floating restaurant in Amsterdam, particularly for functions. Can be chartered to sail from Amsterdam	Click here
Bulgaria
River Danube	Radetzky	1954	1993	Converted from a 732 Series Soviet tug in 1966 to resemble a passenger ship with an important role in the Bulgarian independence struggle in 1876, taking the name of the paddler she was modelled on. She was rebuilt with steam engines but lost them to two diesels when the ship was totally renovated between 1988 and 1993. She is primarily a museum celebrating the national revolutionary hero Hristo Botev at Kozloduy but remains operable and is in service from time to time on educational trips.	Click here
Ukraine
River Dnepr, Kiev	Bogdan Khmelnitskiy	1954	2004	One of the famous "Project 737 design", built at Obuda, Hungary in 1953, she was originally called "Nekrasov" and deployed on sailings between Kiev and Kherson in the Ukraine until decommissioned in 1976. Damaged by fire in 2002, she was substantially rebuilt and re-engined. Under her current name she now operates as a hotel ship based in Kiev during the winter when 31 rooms are offered for use. The banquet room and restaurant are open for private hire for functions and entertainment can be provided. In summer she can be chartered for cruises along the Dneipr river. Internet photo resource : http://www.panoramio.com/photo/34922929	Click here

MOTOR PADDLE VESSELS (BUILT AS MOTOR SHIPS)

By the time diesel power became widely available for excusion ships in the late 1920s, new ships around most of Europe were screw-driven. Only on the Clyde in the UK did the London & North Eastern Railway experiment with diesel electric drive for their paddler "Talisman" of 1935. Their attempt was not entirely successful, although on Switzerland's lake Geneva a number of paddlers received diesel drives with various methods of transferring power to the paddle shaft and several of these sail on today (see above).
The Austrian DDSG's Stadt Wien and Stadt Passau (now Grof Szechenyi), with geared diesel drives, were unusual and unique. The experiment with diesels and paddles was not repeated until Elias Lonnrot (1986) which replicated an older steamer but with a more economical propulsion system. Diesels were also chosen for the brand new "Herrsching" (2002, see photo taken in 2003, above) on Germany's Ammersee and when "Diessen" on the same lake was heavily rebuilt in 2006 she was re-engined with diesels rather than her old steam engines which had been removed in 1975.
MPV Stadt Wien and Grof Szechenyi have cabins for overnight accommodation but these ships are no longer used on original service pattern so these are not used in service. Stadt Wien is open for overnight accommodation at Tulln, Austria.

Country / Operating Area

Paddle Steamer Fleet

Year

Basic Service Pattern / Link to Operator page in this database

Website

Austria

River Danube, Wachau valley	Stadt Wien	1939	Herr W Stift Sunday cruises from Tulln into the Wachau valley are to continue in 2009 from July 12th to 23rd August, with some special cruises and charters also undertaken (see website). Open as a restaurant at Tulln when not cruising and cabins are available for overnight stays	Click here
Hungary
River Danube, Budapest	Grof Szechenyi	1940	Greenhill Rendezvenyiroda Zrl Moored at Budapest and used on occasional short cruises but only for charters (such as conferences or special parties) for which high quality catering is provided. Not available for public timetabled sailings	Click here

Modern vessels built in "retro" style but using modern diesel equipment. Whilst the Finland project was a genuine attempt to build a historical replica despite fitting her with diesels, the next European sidewheeler to be built new was a "genuine Disneyland" ship. Even forgetting that she runs around the fun park on a guided rail, does this ship have any merit in its own right?

Finland
Lake Keuresselka	Elias Lonnrot	1986	Keurusselan Laivamatkat KY Summer weekday services from Keuruu to Keurusselka Hotel, and to the town of Mantta on Sundays.	Click here
France
Disneyland Paris	Molly Brown	1992	Very short trips of around 20 minutes through an artificial lagoon with riverbank "attractions" in the Disney fun park. Runs on a guided rail.

Some have said that building modern paddle steamers in "retro" style is basically creating a pastiche with no real soul or legitimacy. This is surely true for many of the numerous sternwheelers built worldwide in recent years, but can it be also said of the Ammersee's "Herrsching"? She is a fine paddler, modern yet with reference to traditional styling, but without steam engines does she have a heart and soul ? When it came to replacing the worn out paddler Diessen, the same operators decided not to scrap the ship but build a new one incorporating much of the old. In reality she is a new ship and reinstalling her original steam engines which are held in a museum was rejected on cost grounds. Whilst she is a fine vessel, does this mean that Ammersee is little more than "Disneyland"?

Germany

Ammersee

Herrsching

2002

Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH
Integrated into the lake's public scheduled timetable

Click here

Ammersee

Diessen

2006

Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH
Completely rebuit in 2005/6 based on the lengthening the hull of the original Diessen (built 1908 and converted to diesel operation in 1975) and retaining important historical parts from its predecessor. Integrated into the lake's public scheduled timetable

Click here

Germany

Concordia II

Length : 14.4 m, Breadth : 5.7 m. This 100-passenger capacity motor paddler is owned by the Reederei Albrecht and runs on the river Harle between Carolinensiel and Harlesiel, close to the German North Sea coast in Friesland.

Click here

MISCELLANEOUS SMALLER PADDLE VESSELS

"HOBBY STEAMBOATING" PADDLE STEAMERS IN EUROPE

So-called "hobby steamboating" is a poular pastime for many, and it is possible for individuals to build and operate small launches for personal use and for carrying a small number of passengers. There are numerous such steam launches in the world - but very few are paddle steamers

PS Heron

United Kingdom	Heron
United Kingdom	Autumn Breeze	located on the Norfolk Broads	Click here
United Kingdom	L'Aigle	built and owned by Peter Shott. 14 feet x 5 ft 6 in. Simple expansion, three cylinder diagonal engine
United Kingdom	Walkin' Belle	owned by L Spencer on Thames. 17 ft 6 in x 6 ft 6 in. 2-cylinder walking beam engine
United Kingdom	Firecrest	owned by D Garrick at Sleaford. 15 ft 3 in x 5 ft 10 in. Built in 1972
Switzerland	Liberty Belle	owned privately by Beat and Martha Bolzern of Emmenbrucke. Transportable by road to sail wherever required	Click here
Switzerland	Waldstaetter	Based on lake Lucerne but can be transported elsewhere and has sailed on Italian Lakes	Click here
Netherlands	De Jonge Wachter	Based at the De Wachter Mill Museum at Zuidlaren which has numerous steam engines in store and display, this small paddle steamer (10 m long with single cylinder engine) was built by enthusiasts and entered service in 2003	Click here
Czech Republic	Hrebeny	Based on River Vltava near Prague

SMALL MODERN DIESEL POWERED PADDLERS WITH SIDE WHEEL

The attraction of "paddles" for tourist boats is recognised and some small excursion boats have been built with side wheels, whether as the main source of propulsion or ancilliary to a screw. These small vessels provide a useful service for tourists wishing short trips, for example on a river in a city centre and are out of scope of this database, but vessels for which there are photos in the webmaster's collection are included

Jagienka in Poznan

Prague, Czech Republic	Elbis
Poznan, Poland	Jagienka
Nieszawa, Poland	Nieszawa	Modern side-wheel car ferry crossing the Wisla (Vistula) at Nieszawa
Yaroslavl, Russia	Aksenovy	http://www.goldring.ru/news/show/99441/ Built by private businessman Yuri Litnitsky. Powered by a tractor motor engine. Capacity - 12

MODERN RECONSTRUCTION WITH STEAM ENGINE, SCREW PROPELLED, WITH PLANS TO BECOME A PADDLER

Hableany is currently powered by one screw and has a decorative paddle wheel but there are plans to make her a genuine paddle vessel in the future. She is based on an original design from 1867. 20 metres long, with a 6 hp steam engine

Lake Balaton, Hungary

Hableany

Entered Service in 2008

Hungarian Ship Register Entry
New vessel site

ABOARD PADDLE STEAMERS

NEW FEATURE - First report published on 4th November 2010

All Aboard

We take a detailed look around some of our paddle steamers, going on deck, looking into the deck houses, cafeteria and restaurant and, of course, the attraction specific to paddle steamers : the engines.

All Aboard - click here

All Aboard.jpg

STERN-WHEEL PADDLE STEAMERS

Stern-wheelers

Paddlers with a large wheel at the back of the ship are typically associated with the USA and large shallow rivers such as the Mississippi and its tributaries. The design has been copied for use as tourist boats worldwide. The Richard F Irvine, although at the Disney World fun park in Florida, is a genuine steamer.
A separate section of this database is dedicated to stern-wheeled paddle steamers........ More.

In view of the large number of modern motor powered excursion ships with stern wheels, whether for propulsion or primarily for show, this database is limited to ships built as genuine steamships and to steamers subsequently converted to diesel operation.

ORGANISED TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES

Do you want to go on a short European steamer-sailing break? http://www.vintage-tours.co.uk/ could be exactly what you are looking for. John Woodhams organises mini-tours taking in as many steamers as possible in the areas visited, making it easy for you to ensure you don't miss anything - and you will be in the congenial company of like-minded people.

REFERENCES

The essential reference book for Paddle Steamer enthusiasts is:

Paddle Steamers in the 1990s
By Russell Plummer
Published 1994 by GMS Enterprises, 67 Pyhill, Bretton, Peterborough, England Tel (0)1733-265123
IBSN 1 870384 27 X
This book gives extensive details of all known paddlers remaining in Europe, including motor powered paddlers

Also the following which also includes screw steamers and diesel conversions, including those in static roles

Steam Ships of Europe
by Alistair Deayton
Published in 1988 by Conway Maritime press Ltd, 24 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8DR
ISBN 0 81577 478 4

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